Minor Hotels has launched its Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites brand in Japan with the dual opening of Oaks Vacation Club Kyoto Gojo and Oaks Vacation Club Kyoto Shijo. Located in central Kyoto, the two properties add a combined 47 rooms featuring kitchenette facilities, positioning the Australian-founded brand in its second Asian country alongside nearby historic landmarks and transport networks.
Banyan Group has acquired a majority stake in Cape Town-headquartered Newmark Hotels & Reserves through a phased structure leading to full ownership. The transaction adds 26 managed properties across seven African countries to Banyan Group’s portfolio, expanding its reach to nearly 130 hotels, resorts and reserves globally. Newmark will continue operating under its existing brand, leadership and local management structure.
World Tourism Day 2026 examined how artificial intelligence can redesign travel. But as algorithms increasingly dictate where travellers go, a critical question emerges: who gets put on the map? From digital overtourism to background master planning, this feature explores how generative discovery engines and structured data determine which independent hotels, small businesses, and emerging cultural destinations get seen and which are left behind.
Vietnamese conglomerate Sun Group has secured strategic agreements with US firms Visa, Marriott International and Boeing during an official state visit to New York. The partnerships span digital payment integration, hotel expansion and aerospace development. The moves follow Vietnam’s Politburo Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW, which aims to position tourism as a primary economic driver and grow the sector to contribute 12 to 14 per cent of national GDP.
Sun Group and Marriott International have signed a strategic partnership agreement in New York to expand Vietnam’s luxury hospitality and MICE tourism sectors ahead of APEC 2027. The agreement includes a major multi-brand hotel complex at the Ruby Beach Mixed-Use Urban Area in Phu Quoc, which will initially introduce over 7,000 rooms. The development is supported by regional infrastructure upgrades, including airport expansions and transit projects.
ASFAR, the PIF-backed Saudi Tourism Investment Company, has opened Gamra Mountain Resort in Saudi Arabia’s Al Baha region. Spanning 21,000 square metres, the 30-room luxury property supports Saudi Vision 2030 by expanding hospitality infrastructure outside major hubs. Operated by Accor’s Mantis brand in partnership with IHCC, the resort incorporates local products and community engagement to drive sustainable regional economic growth.
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