Banyan Tree appoints marketing chief for MidEast

Banyan Tree Holdings Limited has appointed a new regional director of marketing for the Middle East, covering the GCC and Levant.

Zee Bassila will be based in Dubai and report to Audrey Chung, assistant vice president, global marketing network, Banyan Hotels & Resorts.

He will be tasked with promoting Banyan Tree Al Wadi in Ras Al Khaimah and driving Middle East travellers to Banyan Tree’s resorts in Asia.

Arthur Kiong, managing director, hotel operations Asia Pacific and senior vice president, group marketing services, explained: “The main focus for Zee is to support the sales and marketing efforts of Banyan Tree Al Wadi in addition to growing demand from the Middle East region for our other properties in the Group”.

A Canadian national, Bassila previously held the role of director, pre-opening operations based at Banyan Tree’s corporate headquarters in Singapore.

He has worked in the industry for 15 years with chains including Ritz-Carlton and InterContinental Hotels Group.

Banyan Tree operates close to 30 resorts and hotels and has announced plans to double its number of properties by 2013.