WHOOPS: Thought we'd jump in the harbour then decided to sun ourselves and pose for a farewell photo instead. From left (back row): Helen Przygodzki, Simon Lee, Emily Atkins, Chris Holloway and (front from left), Lillian Moh and Angela Leung. Any takers?TNA's final curtain after 25-year travel industry romp.
LIKE a good dose of salts, all things must pass. After 25 years of publication, this will be the last edition of Travelnews Asia. It has been a 25-year roller-coaster ride packed with good times and bad. Giants like PanAm closed shop and were carved into salami while unknown players emerged to stride the stage spouting a single confident phrase: "consumer service".
The travel industry as we know it has been through dramatic transformations. We have changed too in the process, four times to be exact with our logo changing from Oriental red to blue to tabloid black. But in an industry where hanging on by the pinkies has developed into an art form, we finally looked at the flight of trade dollars (to consumer publications) firmly in the eye and decided it was time to close an honourable innings.
Times have changed and we must change with them. Throughout our tenure we have managed to bring our readers an unbiased and in-depth view of the industry.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has been involved with the magazine: Our readers, clients and advertisers; our dedicated team of correspondents; former publishers and editors. We have enjoyed your feedback and revelled in what must be one of the most colourful industries around.
There have been many successes in TNA's 25-year history. It was the first publication to spot the potential of eco-tourism, putting out a landmark supplement, Echoes of Eco-tourism, in 1991.
TPL will continue to focus its efforts towards developing its leading consumer brands Asian Business and HOLIDAY Asia as well as its top-of-the-market cargo titles. Thank you all. Have a super millennium, hopefully not atop the freezing London Eye. Goodbye.