THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

 

1) AAT Kings enhancements bring Australia to life

Building on from its successful brand re-launch last October, AAT Kings is continuing to put a smile on international travellers’ faces with the introduction of new language products and services to its enviable range of experiences. As the Chinese travel market continues its rapid growth and Australia capitalises on its appeal as a destination of choice for Asian travellers, AAT Kings has expanded its language offering adding Mandarin speaking guides to its Uluru program as well as on select Sydney and Melbourne day tours from October 2014. Reaffirming the company’s position as a leading foreign language specialist, AAT Kings will also offer Mandarin speaking guides on its charter program to assist agents in easily creating custom group bookings. In addition to having the largest German Language guided holiday program in Australia, AAT Kings also offers Italian, German and Japanese language guides on many of its tours as well as iPod commentary in Mandarin, German and French.

                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                

2) Budget funds Tourism

Tourism Australia will get a holiday from Budget funding cuts, and instead receive increased funding according to Federal Tourism Minister Andrew Robb. Speaking on the opening morning of the Australian Tourism Exchange in Cairns, Mr Robb has ruled out cuts to the industry’s peak body ahead of today’s Budget. The Commission of Audit report earlier this month recommended halving Tourism Australia’s funding as one of many cost-saving exercises in what is ­expected to be a brutal Budget, however Mr Robb said “we are actually increasing the budget for Tourism Australia,” adding that cuts to red tape and other restrictions such as the carbon tax, would further stimulate the tourism industry. For the current financial year, Tourism Australia has a budget of about $200 million, mostly coming from the Federal Government, while about $50 million is derived from the private sector, through sponsorships and corporate partnerships.

3) Travellers stung with weekend surcharge

If you are flying out of Australia with Qantas or Emirates on popular weekend departures, you will now be hit with a $25 international surcharge for the privilege. Effective from the end of this week, the new international weekend travel surcharge will apply to outbound travel from Australia on Fridays and Saturdays on all routes across the Emirates-Qantas network, except Singapore, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur. The surcharge will apply to flights to Thailand on Saturday and Sunday for Qantas-operated flights and Fridays and Saturdays for those operated by Emirates. This surcharge is in addition to the $200 being levied by Qantas to fly on peak period routes when demand is high. The surcharges apply to tickets issued from Thursday and will be seen by passengers as ­increased fares.

4) Kyle and Jacki O take on Dubai

Radio presenters Kyle and Jackie O are taking their top-rating KIIS FM show to the exciting shores of Dubai thanks to their friends at Dubai Tourism, announced by Australian Radio Network today. Shaking off Sydney’s winter blues and heading to the glistening City of Gold on an exclusive trip with ten lucky KIIS 1065 listeners, they will experience a taste of the summer, Emirati culture and the best shopping and beaches that Dubai has to offer. Kyle & Jackie O Take Dubai will commence on air on 12 May with Captain Kyle announcing their trip and plans to take listeners with them. The following week Kyle, Jackie and their guests will depart for Dubai, broadcasting live for four mornings from 20 to 23 May. Listeners can follow along with the trip through daily blog updates on KIIS1065.com.au, as well as learn more about Dubai Tourism, and stay up to date with all social media posts hashtagged #KJTakeDubai.

5) Visa free Guangzhou a hit with Aussies

Australia and New Zealand travellers are taking advantage of the new visa-free policy in Guangzhou, equating for almost 40 percent of travellers who stopped over in the Chinese city. Speaking at a function in Sydney for tourism industry representatives China Southern Airlines’ Chief Corporate Strategist, Mr Chen Guojun, said “the new visa-free policy had been introduced to allow more international travellers to enjoy the attractions of the home of Cantonese food and China Southern had worked with Guangzhou Tourism to introduce a range of short-stay packages focussing on the best experiences the city had to offer.” The policy, which came into force last August, allows airline passengers travelling on China Southern’s celebrated Canton Route to spend up to 72 hours in China’s southern-most province of Guangdong.

6) Samoa’s sizzling sale

Australians can holiday the Samoan way sooner with the release of Virgin Samoa’s sizzling sale fares. Starting from just $288 one way or $354 return from Brisbane or Sydney, there is no better time to explore this South Pacific gem. The fares are on sale from 12 to 26 May, or until sold out, with travel validity across a number of dates. Adele Leathan from Samoa Tourism Authority said “we have brand new properties that have just opened up along the beautiful south coast of Upolu, which we have renamed the Romance Coast, so now is the time to head on over and experience it for yourself.” Combine the sizzling fares with Virgin Samoa with some hot room rates and you will see why Samoa was voted as The Best Value Destination in the South Pacific.

7) Aussies flock to Singapore

Over one million Australians visited Singapore in 2013, an increase of 7 percent over the previous year. In total, Singapore received 15.6 million international visitors for 2013 and Australia has successfully maintained its position as the fourth international visitor-generating market, following Indonesia (3,089,000), China (2,270,000) and Malaysia (1,281,000). Singapore Tourism Area Director Oceania, Sharon Lam, said increasingly more Australians are visiting Singapore which presents the diverse range of experiences, from food, entertainment and attractions through to cultural festivals and nightlife that Singapore offers all-year round. “In 2014, we want to continue telling more Aussies why Singapore should be included when planning their next holiday,” Ms Lam added.

8) SAA’s social seat selector

South African Airways (SAA) has got social with their new check-in feature, allowing passengers to select who they sit next to using Facebook details. SAA’s Country Manager for Australasia Tim Clyde-Smith said “this is a new innovation from SAA and helps customers select who they want to sit next to on their next flight with us.” Allowing customers to spice it up with seat selections, Mr Clyde-Smith added “there is now no excuse to be bored”. The Social Check-In is only available to those checking in online, by sharing on Facebook the the flight details while checking in, followed by a displayed seat map showing other customers profiles. From here the passenger can select whom they sit next to.

9) &Beyond’s winning conservation

Luxury experiential travel company &Beyond has been announced as the winner in the Conservation category of the We Are Africa Innovation Awards. Hosted by South African Tourism, the inaugural awards were designed to recognise the most imaginative and innovative projects in six categories. Voted for by the key players in African travel, the awards honour the most visionary, inventive and forward-thinking companies in the travel industry. &Beyond received top honours in the Conservation category, which rewards the most innovative project for the protection of wildlife or sustainable travel, for its ongoing initiatives to help save Africa’s rhino from the scourge of poaching. Last year, in the first ever private game reserve donation of rhino to another country, &Beyond translocated six white rhino from &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa to Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

10) MSC is hot for Mediterranean

MSC cruises are hot for the Med in 2014, releasing a 21-night Around the Boot fly, land and cruise holiday package. Priced from $4459 per person, twin share, the package includes return Emirates economy class airfare from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth or Adelaide to Venice where the group will spend a night in a hotel before boarding MSC Fantasia for an 18-night cruise around the Mediterranean. The cruise will call on Bari in Italy before cruising to Katakolon (for Olympia), Santorini, Piraeus (for Athens) and Corfu in Greece and Croatia’s historic Dubrovnik before returning to Venice. The second leg of the cruise will again visit Bari, Dubrovnik and Piraeus before heading to Heraklion in Greece, Marmaris in Turkey, Valletta (Malta), Messina (for ancient Taorima) in Sicily and Civitavecchia (for Rome).

11) CLIA cruise week goes global

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia has announced it will hold the Cruise Week from 1 to 8 September, collaborating with their global offices for the first time. CLIA Australasia General Manager Brett Jardine said “the 2014 Cruise Week would feature a new logo reflecting the global partnership and would have a worldwide theme focusing on new to cruise passengers.” For the first time, the Cruise Week will be conducted with CLIA offices in the United Kingdom, Europe and the USA to follow. CLIA member agents will soon have access to a special agent toolkit full of ideas on how to make the most of the week. The new logo will also be launched shortly.

12) Arabian Adventures representation in Aus

Arabian Adventures is strengthening its positioning in Australia and New Zealand with the appointment of representation company, i4 Travel Marketing. Part of the Emirates Group, Arabian Adventures is pursuing additional leisure trade representation in key markets, starting with the appointment of i4 Travel Marketing, in order to reinforce its position as a world-class DMC. Working closely with existing industry partners and building new relationships, the appointment will give Arabian Adventures the opportunity to grow its profile in region and give the trade a more visible point of contact in an area which is now one of the largest source markets for the company following substantial growth in the past three years.

13) Japan ski trade shows down under

Outbound travel agents, media and airline partners are invited to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) annual Japan Snow & Adventure Seminar in Melbourne, on 19 May, and Sydney, on 26 May. The aim is to promote Japan as a ski holiday destination and provide participants with the latest information and offerings from Japan’s leading ski resorts. Representatives from Japan’s three main ski regions of Hokkaido (Niseko, Tomamu, Kiroro, Furano, Rusutsu), Nagano & Niigata (Hakuba, Shiga Kogen, Nozawa Onsen, Myoko, Madarao Kogen) and Tohoku (APPI, Zao, Hakkoda) will give presentations detailing the holiday experiences their regions offer and provide one-on-one consultations for agents.

14) Tigerair’s sale to beat the budget

Tigerair is offering flights that won’t break the bank in their Budget Airfare Sale, with fares starting from just $37.95. Featuring a number of popular routes across Australia, the sale starts today and runs until midnight Sunday 18 May (or until sold out) and is for travel period extending from 22 July to 18 September 2014. Tigerair Australia’s Commercial Director, Adam Rowe, says that while the Federal Budget may take a bite out of many Australians’ pockets, Tigerair’s priority is to make air travel, and everything that comes with it, as affordable as possible for all Australians. “Our goal is to make Tigerair Australia’s number one airline of choice for budget travel, providing Australians with great value fares and friendly service while helping keep the domestic travel market competitive,” Mr Rowe added.

15) LX offers travellers a dream job

Swiss International Airlines is offering travellers heading to Europe armed with an EU passport a chance at a dream job. Only creative types that are digitally talented who want to be “Up in the Air” like George Clooney need apply. The role is dubbed the “SWISS Explorer” and is a six month contract that will have you travelling the world trying out various SWISS products and services. You will be required to report on your experiences at SWISS destinations and test the travel tips on the new swiss.com website, and add your own to them. The candidate will be given a laptop, mobile phone and camera for the period of your employment so they can blog, report, film, document and twitter from all four corners of the globe, becoming a stylistically confident, critical, independent ambassador for the Swiss airline. Click herefor all terms and conditions and to apply.

16) NSW value for money

Off the back of successful co-op campaigns with Qantas, Destination NSW will continue to build relationships to increase visitation numbers. While targeting the high growth Chinese market, Destination NSW will not be putting all their eggs in one basket, and will continue to focus on traditional markets to attract visitors. The strategy is to build on air services, evident with the recent Dallas Fort Worth service, and sell the destination as a value for money holiday.  The USA market has been a high target with the recent Major League Baseball being a highly successful event, and will continue to be a focus of interest.

17) WA boosts tourism product

During the last 12 months, Western Australia has boosted its tourism offerings with a selection of new and revitalised accommodation, attractions, tours and food and wine products. Meanwhile, working in with Tourism Australia’s new campaign, Restaurant Australia, Western Australia is developing a reputation as a world-class food and wine destination, with its gourmet produce, fresh seafood and premium wines and beverages. With a landscape and climate as varied as WA, it’s not surprising that you’ll find such a range of produce available, from Albany oysters and Manjimup black truffles to Exmouth’s fresh king prawns and Pemberton’s marron. Then there’s also hundreds of premium wine, beer, cider and whisky producers dotted throughout the State.

18) Whitsunday developments aid tourism

Visitor numbers to the Whitsundays region are set to increase with the current developments and increased air capacity. The redevelopment of the Airlie Beach area and renovations on Whitsunday Island Resorts has brought a number of new businesses to the area, adding on tourism offerings and product for the region.  The development of the new Marina at Airlie Beach will allow an opening for more business in the Whitsundays and ease of access for tourists visiting.  Meanwhile added flight capacity will bring in more travellers, with the region already experiencing growth in the domestic market, both interstate and intrastate. TheTourism Whitsundays goal is to double visitor expenditure by 2020, while continuing to focus on incentivising longer stays and greater visitor expenditure in the region.

19) NT Tourism takes table at Restaurant Australia

Tourism NT is promoting the regions unique outdoor dining experiences combining spectacular landscapes, fresh produce and unique Territory personalities as part of the Tourism Australia campaign, Restaurant Australia. Eating and drinking are experiences in themselves in the Northern Territory, from the tropics of Darwin to the outback landscapes around Alice Springs, food and wine in the Territory is a world away from the norm, with magical outdoor dining, million-star cuisine, spectacular landscape backdrops and rich, unique Territory personalities behind the incredible food. To further promote the region and work with the Australian trade, Tourism NT will soon launch a new trade website.

20) Victoria doubles visitation, increases airport capacity

Victoria’s appeal to international travellers continued to grow in 2013, with record numbers visiting Australia’s capital of cool and experiencing regional Victoria’s diversity of landscapes, nature and gourmet attractions. International overnight visitors to Victoria increased by 10.3 percent to 1.96 million for the year ending December 2013, above the national average of visitors to Australia overall which increased by 5.6 percent. Melbourne Airport experienced strong international passenger growth for the calendar year 2013, recording more than 30 million passenger movements for the first time (both domestic and international). This can be attributed to an increase in Melbourne Airport’s international seat capacity by 705,890 which represents an increase of 7.4 percent over the previous year. There are currently 24 international airlines that serve overseas destinations to and from Melbourne Airport.

21) Increased flights adds to South Australia boom

South Australia is attracting record numbers of international visitors, with an increase of more than 13 percent last year, well above the national growth of 5.6 percent. The increase in direct international flights into Adelaide is allowing more and more international visitors to come and experience the State’s world class food and wine, high quality tourism infrastructure, and some of the most pristine natural beauty anywhere in the world. Lonely Planet named Adelaide as one of the top ten cities of the world to visit during 2014.

22) Tasmania invites the world to dinner

In testament to Tasmania’s reputation for world class food and wine, the state has been chosen to host Tourism Australia’s ‘Inviting the World to Dinner in Australia’ gala event in November. The culmination of Tourism Australia’s $10 million global Restaurant Australia marketing push, this event will see 80 of the world’s most influential food and wine media and celebrities, converge on Hobart for a final gala dinner at MONA. Tasmania Tourism hopes to increase the number of visitors to Tasmania each year to 1.5 million by 2020, and food and wine tourism has a significant role to play in achieving that goal. The fact that a panel of Australian culinary heroes like Maggie Beer, Luke Mangan, Matt Stone, Michael Moore and Jeremy Oliver, chose Tasmania over all the other states and territories to host this significant international marketing event, reinforces the state’s world-class credentials for food and wine tourism.

23) The Ghan attracts internationals

Travellers have rated The Ghan as similar to a cruise experience, with its all-inclusive travel and options for day tours at stops. This July/August, the Ghan will introduce a new menu comprising of 3 courses of regional food and wine delights. In 2015, the Ghan will see a new look with the introduction of new staff uniforms.  There will also be some timetable changes in the coming six months

 Was sourced from carryon