It may soon be possible to visit Cambodia, the mainland's Yunnan province, Laos, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam on a single visa. Tourism leaders will be hoping to make headway towards the six-in-one destination goal at the Mekong Tourism Forum, which will be held in Kunming from March 30-April 1.
Cross-border co-operation will be one of the key aims of the conference, organised by PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association).
Also in April, hundreds of representatives from the travel industry throughout the region and North America will flock to PATA's 50th Annual Conference, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur. It will be a nostalgic visit for Bill Lane, a PATA life member, who attended the first conference 50 years ago. A former US ambassador and chief of mission to Australia and Nauru from 1985 to 1989, Lane will deliver the keynote speech, reflecting on the events that have shaped tourism in the region over five decades.
Budget Rent a Car has a special deal available worldwide until March 31, entitled Go! Budget. Book five days' vehicle rental and get two days free. For more details, contact P&O, tel 2956 6810.
That old mill-town of Manchester has become England's third most popular destination with overseas visitors, and the success of the Red Devils is only part of the reason.
True, tours of Manchester United Football Club are a sell-out, but a survey of international air passengers shows the city is a hit with shoppers and gourmets. It has more restaurants listed in the Good Food Guide than any other English city outside London, one of the biggest Chinatowns in the UK and the country's largest choice of Asian restaurants, in the Rushholme area.