Joint UNWTO-WTTC report urges APEC countries to facilitate international tourist travel. The report asserts that by facilitating visas for these tourists, APEC nations could create 2.6m new jobs by 2016 and generate an additional 57m international tourist arrivals, who would likely spend an extra US$89bn while visiting APEC destinations.

The new service, which commenced on 1 October 2013, marks Etihad’s first ever direct passenger flight to Vietnam, and also becomes the first ever commercial service between Abu Dhabi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Etihad will serve the Abu Dhabi-HCMC routes using an Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 262 seats – 22 in business class and 240 in economy. The airline will also codeshare with Vietnam Airlines on the route.

Thailand’s Onyx Hospitality Group has signed its first ever Amari hotel in Malaysia. Located in the far south of peninsular Malaysia, close to the border with Singapore, the 207-room Amari Johor Bahru will include a range of upscale facilities, including an Asian restaurant, spa and meeting rooms. Scheduled to open in 2015, the property will form part of the Suasana Iskandar Malaysia development, which also offers serviced apartments, retail and leisure outlets. The development is also just five minutes’ walk from the upcoming JB Sentral MRT network, which will link Johor Bahru with Singapore.

The My Humble House Group will unveil its first hotel brand this winter, with the opening of the Humble House Taipei. Located in the central Xinyi district of Taipei, close to the Taipei 101 tower, the hotel features 235 rooms and suites, all with LCD HDTVs, DVD players, espresso machines and free Wi-Fi. Facilities at the hotel include a large 700m² ballroom and two meeting rooms, plus an Italian restaurant on the sixth floor and a lobby lounge with outdoor garden.