AAA Welcomes KPMG's Expansion of Alternative Investment Team

AAA has welcomed news that KPMG has invested in expanding its alternative investment fund team on the West Coast.

Boston, MA, USA, December 12, 2012 -- Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA) has welcomed news that KPMG has invested in expanding its alternative investment fund team on the West Coast.

The US audit, tax and advisory firm has brought on several new staff to enhance its Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) national team. The new staff will be based in Los Angeles and San Francisco and will be responsible for providing expertise on real estate, hedge fund and private equity investment.

"The news that KPMG is building on its alternative investment team further cements the view that alternatives are becoming increasingly in-demand and attractive to regular investors," stated Anthony Johnson, AAA's analysis partner.

This was a view that was shared by other analysts in the industry who also took the move as a sign that things are heating up in the alternative investment market.

Mr Johnson added, "It's not too surprising that alternatives have become so popular following the global economic crisis. The stock markets are volatile and people are looking for tangible assets to invest in, such as gold, timber, real estate and even wine and art."

However, KPMG knows that there are an increasing number of regulatory pressures on the alternative investment industry and that it needs the right experts to help it circumvent these.

Chuck Walker of KPMG's Alternative Investment funds - Tax division, told RFP Connect: "KPMG is determined to put in place the best team of talent in the industry focusing on serving Alternative Investment firms, large, medium and small."

"We are thrilled to announce the latest partners to join us as we continue strengthening our Alternative Investments team."

AAA is an alternative investment advocacy group. It supports a range of alternative investment funds and routes, with an emphasis on ethical and sustainable asset classes, such as non-native tree plantations in Brazil, run by businesses like Greenwood Management.

About Alternative Asset Analysis:
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596

Luxury Travel Vietnam To Open Its Sales Office in the USA

Luxury Travel Ltd. announced that, next month, it will open a sales office in California, U.S.A. responsible for developing business and supporting travel agents on the West Coast and in Canada for Luxury Travel's destinations in Southeast Asia.

Hanoi, Vietnam, December 12, 2012 -- Luxury Travel Ltd is recruiting a California-based team to sell its Vietnam and Indochina tours and holidays to other tour operators on the West Coast of America.

Over 50 million American people travel abroad each year. The U.S. plays a pivotal role in Asia Pacific and Vietnam, especially with diplomatic and business relationships better than ever since the end of the war. Vietnam is considered one of the emerging luxury destinations in Southeast Asia for American travelers.

Luxury Travel Ltd. announced that, next month, it will open a sales office in California, U.S.A. responsible for developing business and supporting travel agents on the West Coast and in Canada for Luxury Travel's destinations in Southeast Asia.

With many years in the tourism industry as a destination Asia specialist, Paul Ciaccio has been engaged as Regional Sales Manager of Luxury Travel Ltd. in the U.S (http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com).

According to Paul, the bulk of growth from the U.S. to Asia derives from the upper-middle to luxury-end of the market, which comprises a small portion of the US outbound market.

"The US outbound engine is revving up once again. After having suffered heavy blows in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, we see a surge in bookings to Vietnam from the U.S.A. We recorded a 30 percent rise in booking volume from the U.S. to Indochina so far this year, compared to 2011. Particularly Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar were experiencing the strongest uplifts, and the U.S.A. is one of our top ten markets." said Pham Ha, founder and CEO of Luxury Travel Ltd.

The opening of the U.S.A. office is part of the company's effort to elevate its business profile in the American market when the economy is getting better and Vietnam and the Indochinese Peninsula are becoming more popular with American travelers. American tourists, according to Ha, picked Vietnam for their vacations for its history, safety, affordable prices, exotic landscape, authenticity, and the hospitality of the Vietnamese people.

The U.S. is a very multicultural society and many Americans are familiar with Vietnamese food and culture, especially on the West Coast. Further, Vietnam now has world class hotels and resorts, beaches and cuisine, in addition to its natural beauty, rich history and traditional culture. The past few years have seen the completion of many luxurious resorts with names such as Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa, Intercontinental Peninsula Danang Sun Spa and Six Senses Con Dao, entering the market, plus Hilton and Marriot offering more choices for travelers. The country received roughly 340,000 American tourists in the first 9 months of 2012, up % 20 compared with the same period last year.

According to Pham Ha, the U.S. has been a great market for the company, which has appealing high-end products for Americans' tastes and preferences. The company targets the right clients with personalized products and services and has increased the number of private, small groups that it serves, primarily with tailor-made holidays and special interest tours. This has been a winning strategy since American holidaymakers like family travel and custom, private tours, more than big group trips.

"According to statistics of international tourism organizations, over 50 million American people travel abroad each year. The U.S. plays a pivotal role in Asia Pacific and Vietnam, especially with diplomatic and business relationships better than ever since the end of the war. Vietnam is considered one of the emerging luxury destinations in Southeast Asia for American travelers and receives roughly 340,000 American tourists yearly. Many are cruise passengers who want quality holidays and are big spenders. The top-end never really took a hit in the 2008-09 crises and business is now better than ever. American tourists like the sea, haute cuisine, shopping, golf, spas, and high quality services and we have it all to offer to American travelers. With our sales office in California, we are targeting double digit growth in this market for 2013." added Ha.

For more information or confidential tariff 2013, please email to usa@luxurytravelvietnam.com.

Media Contact:
David Nguyen
Sales and Marketing Manager
Luxury Travel Group Ltd
05 Nguyen Truong To Str.,
Ba Dinh Dist, Hanoi 84444
Vietnam
84439274120