THE Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) is estimating a significant 20 per cent increase in sales over 2012 at its recently concluded Philippine Travel Tour Expo 2013, where takings were buoyed by the favourable exchange rate and a dramatic rise in domestic travel.

Aileen Clemente, PTAA’s outgoing president, said 2012’s receipts had totalled 310 million pesos (US$7.7 million), while there were eight per cent more exhibitors this year compared to 2012.

She added that longhaul travel had become more attractive because of the peso’s rise against the greenback, as well as package discounts of up to 20 per cent at the fair, which was held between February 15 and 17.

Clemente pointed out that this year’s show offered a mix of traditional and upcoming destinations, with new regional hotspots such as Johor Bahru, Bhutan, Nepal, Jogjakarta and Komodo.

Pacita Jose, managing director at Trusty Travel & Tours and PTAA executive vice president, remarked: “Visitors came with money in their pockets and with the intention to buy.”

This year’s expo saw more domestic exhibitors being added to the show, spotlighting nine local destinations for the year: Baler, Bataan, and Tuguegarao in northern Luzon; Mindoro; the Camotes Islands and Leyte, both in the Visayas; and Davao, Samal Island and Siargao in Mindanao.

The expo was also the launch pad for the Solaire Resort and Casino integrated resort in Manila, which opens its mall and casino area on March 16 and the 488-room hotel on May 1, as well as Cebu Pacific’s first longhaul air link, Manila-Dubai, launching in October.

Department of Tourism (DoT) assistant secretary, Benito Bengzon, Jr, pointed out in a pre-show briefing that domestic tourism “exceeded 30 million travellers in 2012 and provides the country with eight times what we currently earn from foreign tourists”. The DoT expects 35 million domestic travellers this year.

ANOTHER section of the planned pan-Asian railway network has been completed after seven years of construction, linking Yuxi and Mengzi in China’s south-west Yunnan province.

Xinhua news agency reported that the 141km railway is part of the eastern line of the network and became operational last Saturday, with a designed maximum speed of 120km/h.

The eastern line is also made up of the already operational Kunming-Yuxi railway and the Mengzi-Hekou connection that is still under construction, said Xinhua.

Hekou shares a border with Vietnam and will link both countries when it becomes operational at the end of next year.

The international rail project also consists of central and western lines, and will run from Beijing to Singapore when completed.

THE inaugural Borneo International Bird Race is due to take place in May and June across Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak, and has already confirmed participation from international bird enthusiasts.

Organised by Sandakan Borneo Bird Club with support from the respective tourism boards, the event will be launched on May 31 at Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei.

The race will kick off on June 1 at Ulu Temburong, continue at Borneo Highlands Resort in Sarawak on June 4, Kinabalu Park in Sabah on June 6 and the Rainforest Discovery Centre Sandakan on June 8.

Participants must take part in the entire race and aim to identify the most number of species within 24 hours for each leg.

Organisers are expecting bird clubs from 10 countries to send three representatives each. Countries that have confirmed their participation so far are India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan, said Roger Rajah, manager of AsiaMemories Brunei and organiser for the Brunei chapter of the race.

According to him, bird watchers from Malaysia and Brunei are forbidden from joining the race as they would have an unfair advantage.

Rajah added: “It is a good opportunity for inbound operators in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei to package tours as participants tend to come with their families.”

MÖVENPICK Hotels & Resorts has signed two new agreements to manage properties in Asia – one in Enshi City, China and another in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Marking its debut in China, the 250-room Mövenpick Hotel Enshi is set to open in Hubei province this summer and will feature two restaurants, a bar, club lounge, 515m² ballroom, eight meeting rooms, a pool, spa and fitness centre. It is said to be the first five-star hotel in the city.

Mövenpick Hotel Enshi will be followed by a 380-room resort on Phoenix Island, Sanya, a 350-room property in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia and a 300-room hotel in Jiading, Shanghai. All properties will be ready by 2015.

Meanwhile in Thailand, where Mövenpick is already operating two resorts in Phuket, a new management contract has been secured in Hua Hin.

The 190-room Mövenpick Resort & Spa, Hua Hin will offer landscaped gardens, two restaurants, a lobby lounge, ballroom, spa, pool and function rooms. It will begin welcoming guests within the next three years, as will five other properties Mövenpick has planned – two in Chiang Mai and one each in Koh Samui, Bangkok and Pattaya.

The two new signings are in line with Mövenpick’s global strategy to open 100 hotels across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia by 2015, or 25 properties in each region.

Mövenpick currently operates seven properties in Asia.

JAPANESE-backed Pulchra Da Nang is one of the latest newcomers to Danang, which has seen a room boom over the last year (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 25, 2013).

Having soft opened last month, the 31-villa Pulchra Da Nang is the sole Japanese resort investment in the area and is the second resort investment by P&I Enterprise, the first being Pulchra Cebu in the Philippines.

Located 15 minutes away from Da Nang International Airport, Pulchra Da Nang occupies 10 hectares of beachfront land and its villa designs are inspired by Cham architecture.

Amenities include a pool, poolside bar, restaurant, spa, roof deck lounge, library and gift shop.