THE THAILAND Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is pressing ahead with plans to host a Formula One race in Bangkok.

This is part of TCEB’s strategy to bring high-profile events into the country, including the World Expo 2020 (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 24).

TCEB president Akapol Sorasuchart said an initial feasibility study for hosting the race in Bangkok had been completed, while preliminary discussions with Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone in June had yielded promising results.

The only stumbling block left is persuading the Thai government to lend its support. “We plan to propose the event as part of our 2012 budget,” Akapol said, but declined to pin down an exact date for the event.

TCEB is considering a street-racing model for the race, running over a period of three days including practice and qualifying runs, around Ratchadamnoen Avenue in Bangkok’s historical quarter.

The MICE bureau is currently seeking a consultancy firm to study the event’s potential benefits, which include increased tourism spend from parking and docking fees for private jets, helicopters and yachts, hotel stays, and ticket and corporate booth sales, on top of invaluable media exposure.

“If the event can be held as planned, we expect a ticket sell for about 100,000 seats and a total of one million spectators during the period,” Akapol said.

By Sirima Eamtako

BRISBANE-based Strategic Airlines will be rebranded as Air Australia from October 31.

The airline will continue to operate the twice-weekly Melbourne-Phuket and Brisbane-Phuket routes, which it started on February 22 and 24, respectively.

Launched in 2009, the airline also operates Brisbane-Bali, Brisbane-Port Hedland and Perth-Derby services.

The carrier is planning to introduce domestic flights from Melbourne to Brisbane, while international services from Melbourne and Brisbane to Honolulu will commence in December.

A FIFTY-pax trade delegation from Malaysia, led by Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, has been in Guangzhou since Wednesday to promote the island destination to the South China outbound market.

The team, including representatives from the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents, the Malaysian Association of Hotels, and the Budget Hotel Association, will meet the city mayor of Zhongshan, a prefecture-level city in Guangdong province, as well as provincial leaders.

Lim’s press secretary, Cheong Yin Fan, said: “The market in Guangzhou and China has vast potential. Without the China tourism market, it would be difficult to achieve Penang’s aspirations of (achieving) more than 50 per cent of its gross domestic product from the services and tourism sector.”

The delegation is also due to attend the China (Guangzhou) International Tourism Expo 2011 following the conclusion of the trade mission. There, the state Tourism Development and Culture Office will promote Penang together with Tourism Malaysia at the Malaysia-Penang pavilion.

Specially identified for promotion are Penang’s culinary scene, seascapes, natural hills, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Georgetown.

“Penang offers a unique and yet certain familiarity for Chinese tourists who are comfortable in the culture and language,” Cheong said.

By N. Nithiyananthan

ASCOTT has clinched contracts to manage two properties in Chengdu and Beijing.

The 181-unit Ascott Financial City Chengdu, the first Ascott-branded serviced residence in the capital of Sichuan province, is slated to open in 2014. The 187-unit Somerset Wangjing Beijing is scheduled to open in 2013.

Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s managing director for North Asia, said: “We are pleased to secure two more management contracts, which add over 360 apartment units to our portfolio. Ascott will now have around 7,000 apartment units in 38 serviced residences, across 16 cities in China.”

With the latest additions, Ascott is on track to achieve 12,000 apartment units in the country by 2015.

Ascott Financial City Chengdu will offer a range of accommodation options from studios to four-bedroom apartments. Facilities include a swimming pool, a gym, a spa and sauna, a children’s playroom, a business centre, a meeting room and a reading lounge.

Somerset Wangjing Beijing, located in the Wangjing business area within Chaoyang District, will offer studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Facilities include a gymnasium, a swimming pool, a business centre and a meeting room.

FEARS that the ongoing global economic uncertainty would dampen sales at the recent NATAS travel fair have proven unwarranted.

According to a NATAS spokesperson, the three-day fair in August saw 67,051 visitors and generated a record S$100 million (US$83 million) in sales, 17.6 per cent more than the same edition last year. China, Japan, Taiwan, Europe and Japan were the top five destinations sold.

It had already been apparent that Singapore outbound was on an upswing after travel agents reported a flood of bookings at preliminary sales events held in the run-up to the fair (TTG Asia, August 19 issue).

NATAS CEO, Robert Khoo, said: “It is clear that there has been a lot of pent-up demand for outbound travel. The strong Singapore dollar and favourable exchange rates have spurred Singaporeans to head abroad again.”

A Chan Brothers representative told TTG Asia e-Daily that the company managed to hit its sales target of S$13 million, roughly 10 per cent higher than the figure achieved last year.

CTC Travel also registered a sales increase of ten per cent over last year, according to Alica Seah, senior vice president for marketing and public relations.

However, some other agents were less enthused about their performance at the NATAS fair.

Clifford Neo, managing director of Dynasty Travel, said his company’s sales performance was “not too bad”, declining to go into exact figures.

Neo added that he believed the number of people visiting the event had diminished since it was launched almost a decade ago.

NATAS figures corroborate his view, revealing that visitor numbers to the fair dropped by five per cent compared to last year.

“For us it is a simple equation. Fewer people means fewer sales,” Neo said.

CATHAY Pacific is planning to introduce premium economy-class seats on its fleet by the second quarter of next year.

According to the airline’s CEO, John Slosar, the new product will be “a real upgrade over economy” for the additional cost.

“The seat will be more like a regional business-class seat. We’ll have great recline and plenty of leg space,” Slosar said.

“But it’s not just the seat, we’ll have an improved service as well,” he added. “The meal service will be improved and little extras will leave anyone who chooses Cathay Pacific’s premium economy feeling they really got value for their money.”

The premium-economy class seats will be introduced on all of Cathay Pacific’s longhaul routes, ultra longhauls to Europe and North America, and mediumhauls to Australia, the Middle East and other destinations.

EXOTISSIMO Travel Group has inked a contract to be the groundhandler for Adventure World’s Australia and New Zealand clients travelling to Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan.

Exotissimo began Myanmar groundhandling duties for Adventure World in January, and extended the deal to the other destinations in June. The group is scheduled to assume duties in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos from November 1, and in Thailand, Indonesia and Japan by year-end.

Exotissimo Travel Group CEO, Olivier Colomes, told TTG Asia e-Daily that he expected the new account to contribute around 7,000-8,000 travellers to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Japan in its first year.

“The figure is expected to triple within three years, in line with Adventure World’s expansion plans in South-east Asia,” he added.

Australia-based NRMA Tourism and Leisure consolidated its travel products offered through Value Tours, Coral Seas, and Creative Cruising under its Adventure World brand on July 1.

By Sirima Eamtako

THE SARAWAK Regatta, to be held in Kuching from September 15-18, will incorporate for the first time the 2011 International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation Sarawak Wakeboard World Cup from September 16-18.

Thirty representatives from at least 15 countries will compete in the international wakeboard competition, while the Stars of Florida Waterski Show Team will conduct water-based performances at the event.

Promoted by the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), the regatta is expected to attract an audience of more than 100,000.

STB CEO, Rashid Khan, said: “I am confident that the Sarawak Regatta will boost the positive growth of tourist arrivals in Sarawak this year.”

“Total tourist arrivals for the first half of this year increased 18.5 per cent compared to the same period last year,” he added.

With its origin dating back to 1872, the regatta is held annually at the Kuching Waterfront on the Sarawak River. Open to local and international amateur paddlers, 104 teams comprising 2,128 paddlers have already confirmed their participation.

Other events to be held in conjunction with the regatta include a craft exhibition, a cultural show, and a trade and food fair.

By N. Nithiyananthan

DELEGATES at PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2011, which takes place in New Delhi from September 6 – 9, can look forward to winning a car in a lucky draw organized by Hertz and co-sponsored by TTG Asia Media.

Open to all registered PTM delegates, taking part in the competition comprises of two simple steps.

Participants have to first answer correctly a short series of questions and submit their details on the Hertz microsite, which will be available online from September 5 till 12:00 on September 9.

Participants will then be invited to attend the PTM 2011 closing ceremony, hosted by the Philippine Tourism Promotions Board at The Ashok hotel’s convention hall on September 9, to find out if they have won the prize.

Those wanting to take a closer look at the prize vehicle can do so outside TTG Asia Media’s Cybercafe (#M2) during PTM.

Look out for further details in the TTG-PTM 2011 Official Daily.

ORION II, the newest acquisition for Australia-based Orion Expedition Cruises, made its inaugural call into Singapore earlier today, marking the start of the cruise line’s foray into South-east Asia.

Orion II is a luxury ship that can accommodate 100 guests in 50 suites, each featuring ocean views, and a sitting area or separate living room. Onboard facilities include a library with Internet access, a gym, a beauty salon, a boutique, a medical centre, a dining room, two sun decks, a Jacuzzi and a swimming platform.

Sarina Bratton, founder and managing director of Orion Expedition Cruises, said the cruise line would be using Singapore as a hub for its upcoming programmes, including a range of five- to 20-night itineraries to Antarctica, North-west Australia, Papua New Guinea, Japan, the Russian Far East and South-east Asia.

Describing Orion as “Abercrombie and Kent on the water”, Bratton said Australia was the cruise line’s top source market, followed by the US and Japan.

Bratton said she was keen to grow Orion’s business in Asia, and that she would be tapping Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and China as part of immediate expansion plans. “Over time, once we can gauge response levels, we will allocate more (time and resources) accordingly,” she said.

Agents TTG Asia e-Daily spoke to said it was still too early to judge if Orion would succeed in attracting an Asian clientele.

Gina Teo, managing director of Stamford Discovery Cruise Centre, said: “Orion probably appeals to a very small base of Asian travellers. Generally, most Asians are only familiar with mainstream cruise brands.”