A MEMORIAL service for Hans Tuggener will be held on December 19 at the Rembrandt Hotel, Bangkok from 18.00, advised his son, Jean-Philippe Tuggener.

The pioneering general manager of Diethelm Travel Thailand passed away recently in Switzerland after a long battle with cancer.

SATTE has introduced its conference programme for next year’s edition, to be held from January 16-17, 2013 in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Catering to travel, tourism and hospitality professionals, discussions will include the impact of economic trends on the airline industry and travel sector; trends, bottlenecks and opportunities for the hospitality industry; and how to leverage technology.

Some of the other topics are:

· Deconstructing the quintessential consumer today, in terms of behavioural trends, demands, requirements and attitude

· Mapping the demand-supply equilibrium in the market for inbound and outbound tourism

· Reinventing regional tourism with the help of innovative measures such as ‘smart citybranding’ and ‘destination branding’

· Designing incentives and compensation mechanisms to encourage recruitment and retention of talent resources

· Critically evaluating the concepts of ecotourism and responsible tourism with the help of measures such as experiential learning and tourist involvement

Registration for the conference can be done at www.satte.in/conference_registration.html

MYANMAR Tourism Federation (MTF) launched its international division yesterday in an effort to position the country as a new leisure and MICE destination in Asia.

Tin Aung Lynn will head the division while DM-IDHolland, a leading brand consultancy firm and a subsidiary company of WIR Group, will provide support as MTF’s strategic partner to manage the international outreach programme. The charter of the international division encompasses strategic planning, destination brand development and communications in both print and social media platforms.

The launch of the division included a new initiative: the Myanmar Business Club. The Myanmar Business Club will be a platform assisting and connecting businessmen worldwide who are interested to start commercial activities in the country. Its goal is to offer an integrated approach of showcasing Myanmar to both leisure and business tourists.

“We are delighted with the setting up of the international outreach (division), as we introduce Myanmar to the world and welcome more talent to be part of our dynamic evolution. We are looking forward to increasing the number of tourists and businessmen in Myanmar with our forthcoming programmes,” remarked U Yan Win, MTF chairman.

JOHOR’S Iskandar region will see a RM3.5 billion (US$1.2 billion) motorsports hub emerge by 2016, according to local newspapers.

The Business Times, The Straits Times and Today reported that Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim has partnered with Malaysia’s UEM Land on a 110 hectare plot near the Tuas Second Link that connects the two countries.

FasTrack Autosports (majority-owned by Lim) owns 70 per cent of the joint venture while UEM Land owns 30 per cent. The latter is a subsidiary of state-owned investment company Khazanah Nasional.

The hub is expected to be fully completed in 10 to 15 years, with the first phase expected to be ready by 2016.

Besides having a 4.5km double-loop circuit, a 1.2km go-kart track and an off-road circuit, the project will also host various kinds of car and motorcycle races.

It will also house car showrooms, a car museum, a driving school, a bonded warehouse where drivers can store tax-free cars and a research and development centre. Additionally, there will also be a clubhouse, weekend homes, F&B and entertainment outlets.

According to The Business Times, the Singapore Sports Council has not ruled out carrying on with its plans to build a similar race circuit in Changi.

ACCOR announced yesterday the opening of Pullman Hanoi, the first Pullman brand hotel in Vietnam.

Previously known as Hanoi Horison Hotel, Pullman Hanoi went through a recent comprehensive refurbishment to modernise its facilities and decor. All 242 rooms and public areas now have free Wi-Fi Internet access.

Pullman Hanoi is located 10 minutes from Hanoi’s historic quarter and within close proximity to government, embassies and offices. The hotel is also a 10-minute walk to the Ho Chi Minh Museum and a 40-minute drive to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport.

Patrick Basset, senior vice president of Accor Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines, said: “We are very proud to introduce the Pullman brand to Vietnam with the opening of Pullman Hanoi, completing Accor’s brand portfolio in the country. With the opening of the hotel, we now offer a hotel brand for every market segment including luxury Sofitel, upscale Pullman and MGallery, midscale Novotel and Mercure, and economy Ibis.”

In addition to Pullman Hanoi, three other Pullman hotels are in Accor’s confirmed development pipeline in Vietnam. There are now 38 Pullman hotels in Asia-Pacific, with a further committed pipeline of 35 Pullmans.

Pullman Hanoi is the latest amongst a string of new openings. Last week, China welcomed its 16^th Pullman – becoming the brand’s largest market – and this week Pullman became Australia’s largest upscale hotel brand, with the arrival of two new hotels in northern Queensland.