We’ve done all the hard work, so you don’t have to! Read on for our top ten travel news stories we think you need to know today.
1. Aussies renew travel plans for Africa & Egypt
Political disruptions and acts of terror won’t stop Australian from following through with Africa and Egypt travel plans this year, according to a local tourism operator.
Over the last three years, Egypt’s tourism sector has suffered at the hands of political turmoil.
Then this year, growing African destinations including Kenya and Tunisia were struck by acts of terror, which prompted government agencies around the world to advise their citizens against travel to the destinations.
2. Arriba! APT heads to Mexico
Image: Stanislaw Tokarski / Shutterstock.com
More travel companies are jumping on the South America buzz as the destination continues to grow amongst Australian travellers.
Last week, Princess Cruises told media it is tapping into the destination’s popularity Down Under, with its first-ever circumnavigation of South America from Australia during the 2016/17 wave season. Read on
Now, APT has expanded its South America offerings to include inaugural trips to Mexico.
3. Entries for Luxperience 2015 Awards now open
Luxperience 2014 official gala dinner.
Luxperience, is introducing its inaugural Luxperience Awards at this year’s event, which takes place in Sydney on 6-9 September 2015.
There will be three awards for buyers and three for suppliers, under the themes of Inspiring, Meaningful and Connections.
In addition to these six awards, Luxperience will recognise an outstanding destination partner, which has influenced the development of luxury and experiential tourism within their country or region.
4. Urban Adventures escapes to new destinations
Image: saiko3p / Shutterstock.com
Day tour operator, Urban Adventures, has added new destinations to its line-up including first tours in Jaipur and Varanasi in India and Cambodia’s latest up and coming city Battambang.
The rapidly-expanding company has also added new tours to Brisbane and San Jose this month.
The first-ever tour in Jaipur takes adventures to magical Pink City where they will rummage through colourful trinkets and textiles at Bapu Bazaar, taste a local treat called meetha paan, and visit Jantar Mantar – a UNESCO World Heritage site that was built on the principles of astronomy and mathematics.
There’s also the ‘Rural Heart of Rajasthan’ tour, which travels out of the city and into the depths of the real Rajasthan where guests can experience the Shahpura village’s blend of serenity and chaos that defines true local Indian life.
In Cambodia, there’s the Battambang tour – a full-day tour of the tourist trail and into the Cambodian countryside, then back again to the city’s heart.
Touring in a solar-powered tuk-tuk, you’ll learn how most Cambodians make a living, visit temples old and new, learn about the country’s colonial past, and take a ride on the historic Bamboo Railway.
5. Build your own holiday
To celebrate the launch of Creative Holidays’ new website, the holiday deal specialist is offering you the chance to WIN your dream holiday.
Simply build your holiday at creativeholidays.com/agents by adding flights, hotels, transfers and experiences into your shopping cart and save your quote.
The competition is open to independently owned travel agents in Australia between 13 Apr – 29 May, 2015.
Enter the competition here.
6. Malaysia Airlines enhances loyalty program
Malaysia Airlines has revealed changes to its Enrich loyalty program, that will see Australian and New Zealand flyer receiving further benefits.
The airline teamed up with Asia’s leading hotel booking site, Agoda.com, to offer members the opportunity to save up to 75 percent on rooms worldwide and earn Enrich miles for each stay.
Globetrotters on the move can also drive away with double miles for every AU$1.32* spent on car hire worldwide following a new agreement with top online booking service Rentalcars.
In addition, Enrich is offering members 10 percent bonus miles when converting credit card points to Enrich Miles at Westpac Australia until 30 April 2015.
Double miles will also be rewarded to customers who purchase a First or Business Class ticket on Malaysia Airlines’ flagship MH3 and MH4 A380 services to London from now up to 15 June 2015.
7. Budget airline Scoots around Taiwan top-to-bottom
Low-cost airline Scoot has added a second Taiwanese destination to its network – Kaohsiung.
Commencing 9 July this year, Singapore Airline’s budget carrier will operate non-stop flights three times weekly between Singapore and the destination.
Utilising the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the route, passengers will have access to inflight entertainment and Wi-Fi.
Scoot officially took delivery of its first Dreamliner in February this year.
The plane was the first of 20 787s for the airline, with the rest being delivered over the coming year.
The aircraft touched down in Perth for the first time earlier this year.
8. Meetings at sea takeoff
P&O Cruises has reported a surge in queries and bookings in response to the launch of its new P&O Conferences division.
The cruise line says it has been inundated with requests for information on meetings at sea and has booked 12 more corporate groups since its new conference product debuted in February at the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME) in Melbourne.
Ranging from media outlets to retail companies and associations, the new bookings have an average size of 100 delegates.
P&O Conferences Senior Sales Manager Rebecca Mutanen said the number of enquiries received in the first quarter of 2015 had more than doubled compared to the same period in 2014, while bookings were up 60 per cent over the quarter.
The focus on conferences at sea comes as P&O Cruises prepares to expand its fleet from three to five ships, with the addition of Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden in November this year. With their boutique size and dedicated meeting rooms, the two latest ships are ideal for conference groups of up to 200 people.
Ms Mutanen said most of the new conference bookings were on the cruise line’s shorter itineraries, ranging from two to five nights, which now make up 40 percent of its offerings.
She said the cruise line was already well on its way to meeting its target of 12,000 meeting delegates in 2016.
9. Flight Centre agents ice skate at sea
[Five front row]: Gordon Costello, Bronwen Milsom (Royal Caribbean International), Rachel Mackie, Jemma Rosen and Rhys Martin. [Six middle row]: Hayley Parkin, Sarah Connor, Tahnee Inverno, Casey Edmonds, April Brandis and Kaylie Bradford. [Six back row]: Kirsty Dunkling, Rosalind Plummer, Emily Scott, Valetta Hansen, Ian Cross and Lauren Hattie
Sixteen lucky Flight Centre Group travel agents from Western Australia, hosted by Royal Caribbean’s Bronwen Milsom, got to experience the Royal Caribbean difference during a five-night Southeast Asia cruise onboard Mariner of the Seas.
The agents experienced a spice filled cruise with calls at Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Phuket, while also enjoying all the megaliner had to offer onboard including world class dining at Giovanni’s Table Italian restaurant, Chops Grille Steakhouse, and Jade Sushi and Asian-fusion cuisine.
Plus they got to try a range of onboard activities including rock climbing, ice-skating, mini golf and more.
Mariner of the Seas is a Voyager-class ship and sister to Voyager of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas, which will be based out of Sydney during the next summer cruise season.
She offers a range of sailings, year round from Singapore.
10. WOW: Passenger slaps airline employee over luggage
Hold the phone, this actually happened!
A passenger is said to have become so angry during a recent flight check-in that she slapped an airline employee.
According to the Daily Mail, a Vietnamese woman was getting ready to board a flight from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City when she was told she had to weigh her hand luggage.
She proceeded to do so, but got mad when the scales showed her luggage weighed more than the allowance.
In fact, she got so mad, she slapped the airline member across the face.
Following the incident, the woman signed a statement of admittance and has since been fined VN$7.5 million – much more than the additional weight increase cost.