Outrigger Hotels and Resorts announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the 254-key Laguna Beach Resort, located in the renowned Laguna Phuket integrated resort on Bang Tao Bay in the northwest coast of Phuket, Thailand. The transaction is scheduled to close in the first quarter of 2013.

Dusit International is offering travel industry insiders a forty percent (40%) discount on the Dusit Best Available Rate when they book rooms for themselves using the group’s new dedicated booking page at www.dusit.com/TAR

Ms. Laura Buranasonggram Markes, new Corporate Director of Branding, Dusit International
Laura Buranasonggram Markes has been appointed Dusit International’s new Corporate Director of Branding. In her new role she is responsible for the creation, development, implementation and maintenance of brand standards across all guest touch points for Dusit International’s portfolio of brands. With 18 existing properties and 8 under development, her role is to build brand equity and increase brand awareness for the group globally.
Thai-British national Ms. Markes joins the company from QUO Keen, where she has worked in roles including Copywriter, Brand Concept Developer and, most recently, Strategy Director. Before that, she worked briefly in public relations. Ms. Markes holds a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

John Penrose, Minister for Tourism & Heritage is once again throwing his weight behind the Britain for Events campaign. This commitment builds on the Minister’s proactive involvement in the 2011/12 initiative, culminating in his presence at International Confex 2012.
Speaking about the campaign, Mr Penrose commented: “This is the year for the events industry in the UK … with the arrival of the Olympic Games later this month we have an opportunity to show what we can do on the biggest stage.

Analysis from IdeaWorksCompany, sponsored by Amadeus, reveals that United, Delta, American and Qantas are top ancillary revenue carriers for 2011 and 2010.
IdeaWorksCompany, the foremost consultancy in the area of airline ancillary revenues, and Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry, today announce the results of the Amadeus Review of Ancillary Revenue Results for 2011.

Hainan Airlines will start its nonstop international service from Beijing to Bangkok on 13th July. This service effectively makes the air-bridge between the two capitals more convenient for travelers by offering travelers the option of choosing Hainan Airlines for their flights between China and Thailand.