With an eye on both the inbound and outbound tourist markets in Asia, luxury tour operator Island Destinations opened a Singapore office last fall and added five high-end, upscale properties in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam to its 2012 Travelers Collection of 127 global hotels, resorts and villas.
The Asia additions include the Capella Singapore and Raffles Hotel Singapore; Amanpuri and Trisara in Phuket, Thailand; and the Nam Hai on Hoi An Beach near Da Nang, Vietnam.
The office in Singapore will allow for expanded hotel and resort partnerships in the region, said Maurice Bonham-Carter, president and CEO.
Local reservation numbers and Mandarin-speaking agents support the new office, "which allows us to have our finger on the pulse in this market and gives us the opportunity to assist in promoting the value of travel to this region," Bonham-Carter said.
A presence in Singapore also enables Island Destinations to watch and chart the growth of outbound tourism from Asia, including Hong Kong, mainland China and Korea, as well as from India, Kuala Lumpur, Australia and Russia, in the long term.
A case in point is Aeroflot's new weekly flight from Moscow to Cancun.
"The Russians are traveling," Bonham-Carter said. "So are the Asians. We want to be part of this outbound exodus of luxury travelers."
Beyond Asia, other portfolio additions for 2012 include Alila Villas Soori and Alila Villas Uluwatu, both in Bali; Armani Hotel Dubai; Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hawaii; Las Casa Que Canta in Zihuatanejo and Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, both in Mexico; Las Casitas Village, Puerto Rico; and GoldenEye in Jamaica.
Additional destinations in the portfolio include Oman, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Fiji, French Polynesia, Costa Rica, Bermuda, the Bahamas and 11 Caribbean countries.
The separate Exclusive Villa Collection totals 250 luxury villas in Bali, the Caribbean and Mexico.
In 2011 the operator added the option of charter air service on Tradewind Aviation to its product line, primarily to serve clients traveling between San Juan and St. Bart's.
Another product tweak in mid-2011 was the launch of IDx, a separate collection of 66 resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico and Costa Rica.
"The majority of the IDx collection consists of large, all-inclusive, four-star properties representing well-known hotel brands, including AMResorts, Karisma Hotels, Melia Hotels, Sandals Resorts and Iberostar Hotels & Resorts," Bonham-Carter said.
Follow Gay Nagle Myers on Twitter @gnmtravelweekly.