Neighbourhood Scan

Singapore

Taking on fake concert tickets

A start-up that allowed healthcare firms to issue tamper-proof memos essential for travel during the Covid-19 pandemic now wants to take on the world of fake concert tickets and academic certificates. Funding from the venture firm of American digital identity specialist Okta will pave the way for Accredify to expand globally. The five-year-old Singapore company is making a pitch for its technology to fight everyday scams. One of the next steps is to prevent fraud in e-commerce, ticketing and news dissemination. The Singapore police said between January 1 and March 12 in 2024, at least 1,551 victims had fallen prey to scams involving concert tickets. The Straits Times

Nepal

Trash collection from Everest region

The Nepali army is to collect waste from Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse and Mt Nuptse under the Clean Himalaya Campaign-2024. The army plans to collect 10 tonnes of waste and as many as five bodies from the mountains. Campaign director Brigadier General Sanjaya Deuja said 10 trained personnel will be mobilised above the Base Camp, while two will coordinate in Namche. The leader of the campaign, Major Aditya Karki, said the waste would be collected up to a height of 8,000 metres on Mt Everest. Eighteen sherpas will also be mobilised for facilitating in the waste collection. The waste collection drive, which has already commenced, will run for 50 days to conclude on June 5, the World Environment Day. The Himalayan

Sri Lanka

Tourism earnings on the rise

Reflecting what Sri Lankan tourism trade could deliver in normal times when there are no pandemics or mass-scale public protests as in 2022, the tourism trade generated US $338.4 million for March compared to $188.8 million a year ago and $345.7 million a month before. On a cumulative basis, in the first three months of this year, earnings were recorded at $1,025.9 million, more than double from the same period a year ago. Visitors’ arrivals in the first three months topped 6,35,784. For 2024, the target is 23 lakh visitors to generate roughly $4 billion earnings. In 2023, the country saw a little over 14 lakh arrivals, generating a little over $2 billion. Daily Mirror

Bhutan

Eyeing the 2019 arrival peak

Bhutan welcomed 25,003 guests between January and March, compared to 12,696 arrivals in the same period last year. While the numbers have doubled, this is still a far cry from the 2019 peak when Bhutan saw 53,124 tourists. The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan said that since September 2022, when tourism reopened post the pandemic, there has been some growth but it has been very slow. It added that most hotels will not be able to start paying the loans after the deferment ends. The Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators said one way to increase tourist numbers was to give the old incentives like duration discounts. the bhutanese

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