*Discussion begins in earnest toward Japan-Thailand Tourism Promotion Year

Pracha Maleenont, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, and Juthamas Siriwan, the Governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), visited Japan in early February to join "Thainess to the World"event in Sapporo. Minister Maleenont has proposed to place 2007 as "Year of Japan-Thailand Tourism Promotion" in accordance with the 120th anniversary of friendship between both nations.Accepting the proposal, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the counterpart of Japan, will soon begin working-level discussions with TAT.

This Week Headline
*Discussion begins in earnest towardJapan-Thailand Tourism Promotion Year
+Phuket appeals golfing, health and local cuisines as tourist attractions
*Hawaii seeks quality rather than quantity in the Japanese market
+Four focal categories for expansion of SIT
*ANA Hello Tour is seeking higher quality in its new package products
+Improving product quality for each destination
*ANA targets large increases of revenue and profit under the new midterm plan
*ANA to revise upward its financial outlook for FY2005
*ANA and Japan Post will launch a new joint venture for cargo operation
*JAL and SKY tie up for code-sharingflights on Haneda-Kobe route
*Flight connections are growing at Centrair
*Centrair still increased international flight passengers
*Narita passengers for 2005 reached more than 31 million