1) FJ interline with EY opens the world
Fiji Airways has signed a ground breaking interline agreement with Etihad that will open the airline’s network to 12 cities in Europe, 17 cities in the Middle East, 5 cities in Africa, 5 cities in North America, 29 cities in Asia and 3 cities in Australia. The agreement allows reciprocal sales from Fiji with Etihad effective immediately and is the starting point of further negotiations between the two airlines.
2) Discover Magical Kenya to win
Kenya Tourism Board Australia is giving Aussies a chance to win an 11-day dream trip to Kenya valued at $10,940 through their new integrated digital consumer campaign. The campaign launched in partnership with Bench International encourages Australians to Discover Magical Kenya online. The informative microsite discovermagicalkenya.com.au showcases Kenyan holiday highlights, including cultural holidays and key safari experiences while highlighting Bench International’s current deals to Kenya.
3) Aus cruising booms with P&O Cruises
Aussies looking to cruise, get excited, as P&O Cruises launches its most exciting program yet. The 2015-16 program is on sale from 28 April offering more short itineraries from cities around Australia, visits to new regional ports and its first Melbourne Cup trifecta, with three ships cruising to the racing event. Responding to strong demand, the program also features the cruise line’s biggest and most diverse range of P&OSeaBreaks with itineraries spanning two to four nights including new sailings to Melbourne and more cruises to the Queensland ports of Mooloolaba and Moreton Island.
4) Scoot campaign with Pacific Coast
The Legendary Pacific Coast has launched a Fly-Drive campaign with Singapore’s Fly Scoot, its first with a major airline partner promoting destinations from the Central Coast to The Tweed. The campaign will run from 15 to 30 April through print, digital and radio advertising as it aims to attract 1000 passengers from Singapore into Sydney and out of the Gold Coast. Travel period is between 26 April 26 and 31 July 31 2014. Legendary Pacific Coast accommodations have partnered with the campaign to bring offers, in addition to specials on tours, activities and attractions in the area.
5) Trump International Waikiki Beach Walk appointment
Ms Lydia Cornett has been appointed as Account Director for both the Australia and New Zealand markets for Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk. Ms Cornett will be responsible for the strong business development and huge growth potential in these markets as the hotel recognises the need to dedicate a seasoned professional to serve as the steward for their travel agents and wholesalers. Director of Sales & Marketing John Votsis said ”Australians and New Zealanders have been an important part of our success as Trip Advisor’s # 1 ranking in Honolulu for the past 39 consecutive months and counting and these guests have voluntarily and enthusiastically shared their positive experiences at our hotel, making the timing perfect for Lydia to bring added support to these critical source markets.”
6) Agents urged to become Oahu Island experts
Travel agents can now utilise the online training through Hawai’i Destination Specialist Program to become experts on the islands, including Oahu Island. Described as the Heart of Hawaii, O’ahu is the blending of ancient Hawaiian culture with the metropolitan cityscapes; offering golden sand beaches, historical sites and icons, great cuisine and nightlife, shopping and much more. Agents can complete the training module and become an Oahu expert, taking advantage of the increasing number of Australian travellers looking to get more out of their experience on the island of Oahu, gateway to the Hawaiian Islands. Agents that complete the training receive a set of Oahu branded earphones. For more information go to www.hawaiitourism.com.au/traveltrade.
7) APT Australian information sessions
Touring company APT has announced an Australian-wide line up of information sessions which will feature Europe River Cruising, Luxury Small Ships, South America and Antarctica. Booking is essential for the sessions as space is limited. APT is urging agents to register their clients as soon as possible by visitingwww.aptouring.com.au/infosessions2014.
8) TripAdvisor App a winner
TripAdvisor is now the world’s most popular travel app, reaching a whopping 100 million download milestone. Free for download on iPhone and Android, the number of downloads more than doubled in the past year and is up six times from 2011, according to data from Distimo. The TripAdvisor mobile app is recognised in the industry for its function and innovation. The app that was recently named “Best Mobile App” by Eye for Travel in its 2014 Innovation Awards, includes a number of features and content to help travellers plan and have the perfect trip.
9) Adventure World website makeover
Adventure World has given their website a makeover, improving on their intuitive navigation and adding more interactive features. The fresh design is live today, featuring travel destinations sure to inspire web surfers to travel. Visit adventureworld.com to see the latest improvements.
10) Don’t miss the Vanuatu roadshow
The last spots available at the Vanuatu quiz night roadshow are filling up fast, with agents urged to register before it’s too late. Supported by the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO), the ‘Quiz Night’ format offers a fun and interactive way for agents to learn important destination information about Vanuatu with the shows taking place in Sydney on 29 April, Melbourne on 30 April and Brisbane on 1 May 2014. Agents will have the chance to test their knowledge during the quiz round ‘Where are you in Vanuatu?’, before moving on to the quick fire ‘It’s a knockout’ round and ending with a Vanuatu dance-off with cultural entertainers. Drinks, canapés and many prizes, including the chance to win a trip to Vanuatu, will be on offer at all the events.
11) DTW represents Far East Hospitality in US
Far East Hospitality has assigned Discover the World to handle their sales and marketing representation in the US. Far East Hospitality Chief Operating Officer Raphael Saw said they selected Discover the World because of its extensive global network, quality experienced sales professionals and good reputation in the industry. “The US is a key market for us especially in the corporate and consortia segment,” Mr Saw added.
12) UA members can help environment
United MileagePlus customers can now use their miles to help the environment as the airline offers mileage redemption for carbon offsets. The move comes in time to help celebrate Earth Month. The new carbon-offset mileage-redemption program, the first of its kind to be offered by a US carrier, supports projects that benefit renewable wind-power generation and forest conservation. When MileagePlus customers choose to offset their emissions after booking on united.com, they may select from a list of United Eco-Skies partners to redeem their miles for the offset.
13) qualia best resort in Australia
qualia, Hamilton Island’s luxury resort, has received top honours as the Best Australian Resort in the 2014 Luxury Travel magazine Gold List Awards for the second year in succession. qualia’s General Manager Matthew Taverner said “the Oatley family’s vision for qualia has been to create a luxury haven – melding the sheer beauty of its Great Barrier Reef location with a distinct style and standard of service that is uniquely Australian.” Mr Taverner added that such an accolade is testament to us continuing to raise the standard for Australian luxury accommodation and hold true to this unique vision.
14) Princess Cruises MEL debut makes 5
Princess Cruises has expanding its Australian offering to five ships next year, with the 2600 guest Golden Princess debuting down under as the biggest ship ever to homeport in Melbourne. Golden Princess’ maiden summer deployment, which will increase Princess Cruises’ capacity in the Victorian capital by more than 20 percent, is a highlight of the cruise line’s new Golden Anniversary 2015-16 program which reaffirms the cruise line’s leadership in the Australian market. For the first time, all ships will offer $AUD pricing on-board as they deliver a program of more than 80 cruises from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Fremantle and Auckland.
Was sourced from carryon
