Just a year after opening, the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok has become a byword for elegant glamour in the Thai capital. Recently nominated at the World Travel Awards as Thailand’s Leading City Resort, the five-star hotel combines the trademark European flair of operator Kempinski with Thai hospitality traditions.

As it battles back from a series of catastrophes – including the swine flu epidemic of 2009, collapse of national carrier Mexicana and global economic downturn – Mexico continues to struggle with its violent image. But visiting Mexico City, Breaking Travel News here finds there are two sides to every story.

lebua Hotels, an international luxury hotel chain with properties in Bangkok and New Zealand, has outlined plans to foray into the Indian market. Acclaimed for its innovative business strategies and use of cutting edge research and technology, lebua is aiming to venture into India in the next two years with three to four properties in major metropolitan centres across the country. Here Breaking Travel News sits down with chief executive Deepak Ohri to see what the future holds.

Led by growth from Australia and Europe, the value of foreign golf tourism to Thailand may reach $US2 billion in 2012 for the first time. The strength of Thai golf tourism will be acknowledged later at the World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony.

In recent years, Thailand has emerged as one of Asia’s most popular spa destinations, with its traditional ancient healing techniques that draw visitors from all over the world.

The term ‘staycation’ may have been applied more liberally to people from the UK opting to stay and holiday at home, rather than head off to foreign climes, but it’s not solely a UK phenomenon it seems. A revealing report from the Portuguese National Statistics Institute (INE), showed that in comparison to 2010, residents of Portugal have travelled significantly less.