VIETNAM-BASED Luxury Travel has raised the curtains on its new B2B website, which sells premium travel products and hotels across Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.

Available at www.luxurytravels.asia in English, French, German and Spanish, the website provides access to Luxury Travel’s range of offerings, selling tips, quality pictures and free training through the company’s online modules.

The site’s real-time booking engine features hotels with the best available rates, transfers and sightseeing tours.

Said Pham Ha, founder and CEO of Luxury Travel: “I do hope this B2B site helps our consultants to better sell luxury travel experiences and allows them to tailor-make their own packages for their sophisticated travel clients without our consultation.

“Consultants are requested to register at our login page and be verified in order to begin utilising all the site has to offer,” he explained.

The company opened a US sales office earlier this year (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 4, 2013) and is venturing into the Latin America market (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 12, 2013), with the aim of attaining double-digit growth in 2013.

“To achieve this goal, if a travel consultant wants to start selling Mekong sub-region destinations, we provide sales support, training, selling points, sales tips, and host regular educational fam trips to help our consultants to become true travel experts in the region, and not just a common travel consultant,” said David Nguyen, director of sales and marketing, Luxury Travel.

“Our consultants also get a certificate identifying them as a luxury travel specialist after each trip,” he added.

HANSAR Hotels & Resorts will be expanding its presence in the Thai hospitality scene through the addition of three new boutique properties over the next 18 months.

Opening in the fourth quarter this year are the 24-room Hansar Pranburi and 39-room Hansar Khao Yai, while the 104-room Hansar Cha-am will make its debut end of next year.

The three properties were recent acquisitions by Hansar and are undergoing renovation works ahead of their relaunch as Hansar properties.

The group first established a foothold in Thailand through the opening of the 94-suite Hansar Bangkok and 74-room Hansar Samui over the last three years.

Hansar Hotels & Resorts are independently owned and operated.

LAGUNA Hospitality and Dusit International have inked a joint venture agreement to develop a Dusit Thani urban golf resort in Singapore.

Still subject to relevant government approvals and licensing, the project is currently slated to open at the end of 2015.

The new Dusit Thani golf resort will be located within the grounds of the 36-hole Laguna National Golf and Country Club, giving guests direct access to a golf club in Singapore.

This also places the resort five minutes from Singapore Changi Airport, 20 minutes from the city-state’s central business district and close to both Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre and Changi Business Park.

A press release from Dusit International said that the new resort “is expected to attract a balance of corporate/MICE and leisure travellers as well as current patrons of the Laguna National membership base”.

The property will offer some 200 guestrooms, four dining and entertainment outlets, meetings and event spaces, and recreational facilities such as swimming pools, a gym and a spa.

INDIA has scooped first position as Abu Dhabi’s largest source market, with trade players attributing this to the city tourism authority’s promotion efforts.

According to data from Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), 80,179 Indian nationals stayed in Abu Dhabi’s hotels in 1H2013, a 22 per cent year-on-year rise, with the average Indian traveller staying 4.2 nights, a 17 per cent increase.

Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general, TCA Abu Dhabi, explained: “We are benefiting from increased destination awareness in India following the opening of a dedicated promotions office there a year ago, and also from increased air access following Etihad Airways’ (acquisition of) a stake in Jet Airways, and the shift of the Indian carrier’s Middle East hub to Abu Dhabi.”

He added that 2H2013 would see an acceleration in arrivals with a number of high-profile events such as the 2013 Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix coming to the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

“What’s really encouraging is that guests are staying longer – which suggests our campaign to convince people that there’s now much more to do and see in Abu Dhabi is taking hold. We’ve broken through the three nights mark,” Al Muhairi shared.

Jaal Shah, managing director, Ahemedabad-based Travel Designers, said: “The Etihad-Jet Airways tie-up may have enhanced connectivity but TCA Abu Dhabi has marketed their multiple tourist attractions in India very well and packaged them effectively for Indian leisure and incentive travel.”

Meanwhile, Anshuman Mitra, managing director, Starlite DMC New Delhi, predicted 2013 would be a landmark year for Indian arrivals to Abu Dhabi. “Moreover, people who have already done Dubai a few times now want another comparable destination, which is now there for the taking.”

India pushed the UK, which sent 78,053 arrivals in 1H2013, to second place. Other key markets include Germany (62,488) and Russia (12,094).

From January to June, 1.3 million guests checked into Abu Dhabi’s hotels and the average number of nights stayed was 3.2, up 12 per cent from last year.

THE Grand Hyatt Shenyang opened its doors yesterday, becoming the first Hyatt-branded hotel in the North-east China region.

Located in a new 29-storey tower on Qingnian Avenue, the property is situated near corporate headquarters and premier residential buildings and offers convenient access to Shenyang Taoxian International Airport.

Christopher Koehler, vice president of operations, China, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, said: “The opening of Grand Hyatt Shenyang expands our brand presence in China and supports our development strategy of building in key gateway cities and markets where our guests are travelling.”

The hotel features 353 guestrooms beginning at 42m², and 34 suites ranging from 84m² to 252m², all equipped with free, high-speed broadband wireless Internet. Grand Club accommodations, located on the 23^rd floor, allow guests to enjoy services and amenities such as a continental buffet breakfast, evening cocktails, express check-in and checkout, and the use of the Grand Club meeting room.

Grand Hyatt Shenyang comes with a range of destination restaurants and bars: The Lounge for business meetings and social gatherings; the all-day Café Kitchen; three Chinese restaurants – Cuan, Xin Feng Tian and Jun Hui 28; Italian steakhouse Il Forno and luxury lounge FA’R.

Meeting planners can take advantage of the hotel’s 3,430m² in meeting space. This includes the centrepiece 1,022m² Grand Ballroom with 8m-high ceilings, and 10 multi-purpose meeting and function spaces ranging from 38m² to 1,022m², all equipped with wireless Internet, cutting-edge technology and the Technology Concierge team on standby.

The Residence is a residential-style event venue spanning 38m² to 250m² and capable of hosting up to 300 guests for cocktail receptions, private parties and wedding banquets.

Other amenities include the wellness centre boasting the Qing Spa with six private treatment suites, a fitness centre and an indoor swimming pool.

TTG Asia Media’s TTGmice has clinched the 2013 PATA Gold Award’s Travel Journalism – Business Article Award for an article on sustainability efforts in Asia, affirming TTGmice’s claim as Asia-Pacific’s leading meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions resource.

Written by TTG Asia group editor Karen Yue, TTGmice’s July 2012 cover story A Brighter Shade of Green studies the Asia-Pacific MICE industry’s reception of environmentally-friendly facilities and practices, spotlighting notable green venues including the Cairns Convention Centre and the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

“We are thrilled to have won this award,” said Yue. “More importantly, I hope this will inspire meeting planners to push for sustainability, and to pay greater attention to the efforts venues put into green facilities and practices.”

TTGmice had previously won the PATA Gold Award in 2011 and 2009 for the November 2010 cover story Rebuilding the team and September 2008 cover story, DMCs defined: The real knights of creativity, respectively.

This year’s PATA Gold Awards saw 165 entries from 60 PATA and non-PATA organisations around the world. The 18^th year the PATA Gold Awards have been recognising industry achievements, the awards ceremony will take place at Jinjiang Hotel, Chengdu on September 15, before the PATA Travel Mart 2013.