Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn became the King of Thailand, late Thursday, the 10th reigning monarch of the Chakri Dynasty, at a ceremony held at the Amphon Satharn Villa, Dusit Palace in the heart of the Thai capital. The new king was officially named His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, according to the Office of His Majestic’s Principal Private Secretary. It marks a new chapter for the nation following a government announcement to all Thais and the international community that Thailand now has a new King. He ascended to the throne, 50 days after the passing of the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Dusit Thani Residences joins sprawling Maslak 1453 development in Istanbul. Fast-growing global hospitality company Dusit International based in Bangkok, Thailand,has signed a management agreement with Abduljawad Holding Co., an investment company headquartered in Saudi Arabia, to operate the Dusit Thani Residences Maslak Istanbul, Turkey, which will open as part of Maslak 1453 – a commercial, business and residential hub set over two million square metres on the European side of the city.Located just 4km from the Bosphorous, 15km from Taksim Square, and 20km from the city’s Third Airport, which is now under construction, Dusit Thani Residences Maslak Istanbul is Dusit International’s first project in Turkey and is designed to offer a unique hospitality experience in Istanbul.

Fast growth but low market share for ‘sharing’ accommodation platforms – Experts see major impact on residential accommodation – ITB Berlin exclusively publishes results from the World Travel Monitor® Forum.So-called ‘sharing’ accommodation providers may be growing fast but they still have a relatively low share of the overall hospitality market in Europe. Their main impact is in cities where they generate significant numbers of visitors but also reduce residential accommodation, according to experts. Those were some of the results of the 24th World Travel Monitor® Forum.

Hollywood A-lister Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has a Samoan mother and Canadian father and his latest project sees him drawing on his Samoan heritage and lends his voice to demi god Maui, in Disney’s Moana. Originally described as a “mythic adventure set around 2000 years ago and across a series of islands in the South Pacific”, the film follows the journey of a spirited teenager named Moana as she embarks on a quest across the Pacific Ocean to save her people.

Chengdu International Tourism Expo (CITE) 2016 was held at Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Center. This edition of the show outdid its previous editions by attracting 400 exhibitors and 400 hosted buyers. The three-day exhibition also saw 6.300 trade visitors and 11.000 pubic visitors visit the show, despite the winter cold. CITE 2016 began with an official opening attended by guests that included Director-General of Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration Duoyang Namu, Deputy
Secretary-General of Sichuan Tourism Association Xu Miao, Deputy Director-General of Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Exposition Wang Xin, Penang State Minister for Tourism Development Danny Law Heng Kiang, Assistant Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chinthaka Liyanaarachchi and representativ es of various Consulate offices in Chengdu.

Transaction paves the way for a simplified business model. Sale improves the financial position of airberlin. Separation of the touristic business enables growth in the long-haul business and reduces seasonal fluctuation. airberlin today announced the sale of its share in NIKI to Etihad for a total consideration of 300 million euros. The divestment marks an important milestone in the implementation of the company’s restructuring plan announced in September. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. Etihad will not majority own or effectively control NIKI. Stefan Pichler, CEO of airberlin: “We are delivering a decisive step towards our new strategy. This transaction simplifies our business, reduces our exposure to seasonal destinations and improves our financial position. Step by step, we are transforming airberlin into a network carrier focused on domestic and European traffic to feed our two long-haul hubs in Berlin and Dusseldorf.”