Posts Tagged ‘New Zealand’

Indians are Asia’s Big Spenders Says Survey

August 1st, 2012

Indian business travelers have the second largest budget for spending per trip, with only Singaporean businessmen topping them, spending $339 versus $468, according to a recent survey.

The survey showed that the most important elements of a business trip to travelers from the Asia-Pacific region were the location, a free Wifi connection and competitive prices of hotel rooms.  Asian businessmen based their choice of hotels on the closeness of the hotel to the business venue, with 53% saying it was an important feature of their choice. The presence of Wifi influenced their decision of where to stay 49% of the time, while competitive rates were slightly less important, with 46% saying that fact influenced their decision.

Thailand is the up and coming star as a top business destination according to the survey, which was conducted by Accor Asia-Pacific Business Traveler. The most visited destination today is Hong Kong, with Singapore following closely in second place.

The survey was done during July 10-16 and asked 2,500 travelers from a total of nine countries in the Asian region, including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. All the respondents made business trips during the first half of 2012.

Oil Tanker Leak Near New Zealand Under Control

October 8th, 2011

A Liberian-flagged ship released oil off the coast of New Zealand after striking a reef on October 5th. A thin film of oil, called sheen, has spread over an area which is now moving westward away from the ship and the northern New Zealand port of Tauranga.

It is believed that oil has stopped leaking from the Rena, a 32-year-old cargo ship which reported carrying 25 unhurt crew members, over 2,000 containers, and some hazardous materials in addition to oil.

Maritime New Zealand announced that the priority at the moment is to remove all the remaining fuel from the disabled ship. Over 500 defense personnel have been called to action along with four naval boats and teams of underwater and aerial experts to assess the overall situation and prepare a cleanup protocol.

The ship struck the reef about 12 nautical miles from the coast of New Zealand, damaging pipes and causing two of the ship’s holds to flood. Although the ship is listing to port, the vessel is stable and the tanks containing the remaining oil were reported as not damaged.

New Zealand’s Green Party is requesting the government to release more details about the materials on board the stricken ship, with special concern for the hazardous goods in transit.