The next World Fair will be held in Yeosu, a small, historic city with less than 300,00 inhabitants located in the southern center of the Korean Peninsula. Yeosu is blessed with beautiful sea resources, making it an ideal choice given this year’s theme: “The Living Ocean and the Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities”. The pavilions seen at the 2012 EXPO will integrate the balance between ocean and coast preservation along with economic and sustainable development.

Yeosu beat out competitors Tangier, Morocco and Wroclaw, Poland. Both Yeosu and Wroclaw had competed originally for Expo 2010, which was awarded to Shanghai, China.

Goway offers two EXPO tours. The 9-day Yeosu EXPO small group journey is ideal for travellers seeking a true Korean cultural and historical experience, along with a unique focus on nature and sustainability in Yeosu. For those with less time, or interested in just stopping over in Korea, Goway’s 2-day Yeosu World Expo tour is an easy extension from Seoul.

Fans of the World EXPO’s will be interested to see the first building in Korea to be erected in the water, built by architect Gunther Weber. Unlike Shanghai’s World EXPO which lasted 6 months, this fair will only last three months, so clients should plan well ahead!

Sri Lanka is renowned for its golden sand beaches, beautiful natural landscape and wildlife reserves, having 86 species of mammals from which 16 are indigenous to the island. The majestic Asian elephant can be found in almost all nature reserves including Yala National Park, situated in the southeast region of the island boarding the Indian Ocean. This park is also home to leopards, sloth bears, spotted deer, wild boars and water buffaloes and an abundant bird life.

Goway’s 6 day Sri Lanka Highlights is the perfect way to experience this naturally beautiful country. In addition to Yala National Park, travellers also visit the elephant orphanage in Pinnawela, located between Kandy and Colombo. Open since 1972, the Elephant Orphanage and is now home to roughly 60 orphaned elephants. This is a place travellers will never forget!

Included in this itinerary, clients will visit Kandy, the last capital of the ancient kings, which today is popular due for its lush and green landscape set amongst the hills (500m altitude) and interesting history. The town centre also boats interesting old shops, antique and gemstone specialists and a bustling market.

Travellers will also visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, renowned for its varieties of orchids, spices, medical plants, the famous “cannon ball tree” planted by King George V and Queen Mary and giant Java fig tree. Other highlights include Mt. Lavinia and the Galle Dutch Fort situated along the Palm fringed coast.

Goway Travel, in their 2011 Asia Travel Planner, offers over 200 Independent and Escorted travel ideas. Iconic destinations such as the Taj Mahal and Great Wall of China are featured alongside lesser-known destinations such as Taiwan.

Separated from the Asian continent by the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan is 394 km long and 144 km wide, but home to seven National Parks and thirteen National Scenic Areas that preserve the environment and cultural sites.

Goway’s 5 day Taiwan Showcase is priced from just $539 and includes 4 nights accommodation; daily breakfast; train, bus and plane travel; plus English speaking guides. Highlights include:

• Taroko Gorge is one of the seven wonders of Asia that no traveller should miss. A short 25-minute flight from Taipei to Hualien takes visitors to a 3.2km stretch of highway built into marble cliffs high above the rushing river.
• Sun Moon Lake is truly the pearl of Central Taiwan and is the largest natural lake in Taiwan. Located in the center of Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake is known for its verdant mountains and beautiful waters. Its crystalline, emerald green waters reflect the hills and mountains which rise on all sides giving the impression of a Chinese landscape painting. Its natural beauty is enhanced by numerous cultural and historical sites, and is a favourite destination for domestic and foreign tourists.
• Kenting National Park, Taiwan’s only tropical National Park provides visitors with a view of typical Taiwanese rural life with its mountains, forests, lakes, sand dunes, beaches, and coral reefs.

Goway also offers a more in-depth journey to Taiwan over 8 days, Taiwan in Depth

Goway Travel is offering some great stopover ideas in Seoul, which can be combined with many other destinations in Asia such as Japan, China and Thailand. With regular flight services between North American gateways and Korea’s capital, Seoul, as well as convenient connections to many other exciting Asian destinations, Korea is the perfect destination for a stopover for any traveller visiting Asia.

Goway’s 3 day Seoul Shopping is the most popular stopover travel idea, and longer experiences in Korea include the 7-day Korea Showcase and 11-day Korea In Depth.

For Agents looking for reasons to promote Korea and Seoul, Goway has compiled a few compelling reasons to incorporate Korea into a stopover en route to any Asian destination:

1. Korea has it all: breath-taking scenery, vibrant cities and ancient temples.
2. A land of contrasts, boasting 5000 years of history and culture while simultaneously being a leader in the high-tech industry with and vibrant modern cities.
3. Shopping! Seoul offers shoppers a wide variety of merchandise at large department stores, duty-free shops, open markets and arcades. A great place to stock up on good deals at the end or beginning of a trip!
4. Unique accommodation experiences. Goway offers Temple Stay programs as part of a cultural-experience program designed to help people better understand Korean Buddhism. Temple stays offer various kinds of practicing methods including ceremonial service chanting, meditation communal Buddhist meal services.
5. Korea’s got Seoul: This fascinating city offers many sightseeing ideas, such as the Korean Folk Village a living museum that recreates the lifestyle of several centuries ago and the The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) – Korea is the only divided country in the world. After the Korean War, South Korea and North Korea negotiated and designated the DMZ 2km away from the truce line on each side of the border. As one of the last relics of the Cold War, the DMZ attracts a great deal of public interest.
6. Convenient: Visas are not required for North American passport holders on vacation for less than 3 months.
7. Four distinct seasons. Korea offers a something different year round: Spring (Late March through May); Summer (June to early September); Autumn (September through November); Winter (December to mid March).

Diane Molzan in Japan

Goway Travel’s General Manager for Asia, Diane Molzan, was recently invited by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) to “Rediscover Japan.” Returning in late June, Molzan experienced first hand how this nation is struggling to attract tourism back to its shores.

“I feel honoured to have been chosen to be part of this delegation intent on helping the JNTO remind travellers that Japan is safe to travel to. Clearly, there are still a lot of concerns regarding the aftermath of the March Tsunami, and I believe there is much to be done on our part, as Tour Operators, to help North American regain confidence in Japan as a destination,” says Molzan.

Recent reports have shown that the radiation levels in Tokyo are at par, if not marginally lower, than other major cities of the world, most notably New York, Paris, Berlin and Beijing.

Molzan recounts, “Our trip took us from Tokyo, where we met with tourism officials, to Hakone/Mt. Fuji and then to Kyoto before returning home. Japan really is open for business, and what the country needs more than anything else is our support. Long gone are the rolling blackouts and truncated train schedules. For travellers, it’s business as usual. Of course, the assailing neon lights that were once synonymous with Tokyo nightlife have since been toned down to a degree in light of conservation efforts but otherwise, little else has been altered. “

“The only inescapable difference between now and pre-tsunami is the absence of North American tourists,” continues Molzan. The airports seemed quiet. The hotels struggle to maintain capacity. There are no line ups for popular tourist sites. For our expert tour guide who accompanied us for most of the journey, this was her first job since the tsunami. She was once in hot demand given her strong English, and now she just patiently waits for the jobs to come in. The reality is that since March, tourism has declined by almost 60% compared to the year before. But fortunately those statistics seem to be improving month by month.”

“The Chinese, Taiwanese and Koreans have already begun their return to the “Land of the Rising Sun,” but North Americans seem not to be as sure and their numbers are slow to improve. Thanks to mega stars like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga (who I incidentally spied while shopping on Harajuku Street during my visit), who urge travellers to return, the added exposure hopefully will instill confidence that Japan is a safe destination.”

“My advice for travellers is to grab this great opportunity to see Japan while the others wait. I suspect we’ll see some excellent deals come to play in the near future for both land packages and flights.”

Goway Travel offers a number of affordable options to visit Japan, including their 8 day Essential Japan  and 7 Day Golden Route, plus a wealth of customized vacations. For more information call (888) 469 2988 or visit www.goway.com/asia/japan

There is nothing like getting away with your best mate and doing what many women love to do best…shop! Pair that with a few days of rest and relaxation sitting on the beach in Koh Samui, Thailand drinking a lychee martini and you have Goway’s very first, in their series of Shop and Flop tours. This fantastic trip combines 4 days in Hong Kong with some of the best shopping the world has to offer, with 4 days of beach getaway in Thailand.

In Hong Kong, Goway has combined sightseeing to Victoria Peak, Aberdeen and Repulse Bay with a private shopping experience hosted by an English speaking guide who knows the best shopping hot spots. Clients can either tell the guide what they are looking for or our guide will offer suggestions and take them to the places that many guide books don’t even know about.

Diane Molzan, General Manager for Asia by Goway says that there is definitely a market for this type of trip. “It doesn’t matter how old you are, or what other interests you have, a common bond that most women share, and lots of men too, is having that satisfaction of returning home with a steal of a deal. It’s finding that perfect carpet or piece of pottery or necklace or sarong after a good humoured bartering session in a local street market… sometimes realizing far after the fact that the difference in question was only 80 cents!”

After a few days of hard core shopping, it’s time to hit the beach and spend a few days relaxing in Thailand. After a short direct flight to Koh Samui, travellers are met by a Goway representative and transferred to a 4-star island paradise. Koh Samui has one of the best beaches in Asia. Travellers can either just sit back and take in the sun or spend their days on more adventurous pursuits like snorkeling or scuba diving. And let’s not forget, if the timing is right, there may even be a full moon party close by.

Rates, including airfare based out of Vancouver start as low as $1599 CAD for travel before October 31, 2011. For more information visit Goway.com or call 888 469 2988.