We’ve done all the hard work, so you don’t have to! Read on for our top ten travel industry news stories of the day we think you need to know.
1. Port Stephens hosts peak regional tourism event
The Hunter Region’s picturesque Port Stephens will play host to Australia’s peak tourism event this week.
The Australian Regional Tourism Convention, a four-day event which starts today, will attract hundreds of tourism industry leaders and inject up to $150,000 into the local economy.
A prime objective of this year’s convention is to focus on means to draw more tourists beyond the capital cities to regional areas.
Nature and indigenous tourism, improving customer service, regional branding, refreshing tourism attractions and the growing importance of digital marketing will also be canvassed.
“We are confident our 2014 convention in Port Stephens will prove a great success and lead to bigger successes for players in our vital regional tourism industry which drives the economies of so many destinations such as Port Stephens itself,” ARTN Chairman, Steve Rosa, said.
Read on for more.
2.#InAbuDhabi makes social media the new destination
As part of a broader campaign, #inAbuDhabi is set to showcase the sights and delights of the Emirate.
As part of a new social media initiative, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority has created a new destination hashtag, #InAbuDhabi.
The initiative is aimed to encourage visitors and residents to share their experiences of the emirate on their social media channels.
The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority hopes that the initiative will provide real time and authentic social content which will inspire others to plan a break in the destination.
“This hashtag has ease of recognition, will help us better manage online content, nurture a larger audience discussion base, keep content lively and give the destination greater visibility in organic search engine results,” said Mouza Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director Marketing & Communications, TCA Abu Dhabi.
Read on for more.
3. Air Travellers urged to keep danger out of the sky
Air travellers are being called on to play their part in keeping Australia’s skies safe. The call for action is part of a new campaign by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, sets out the rules for carrying dangerous goods, to alert people to items that can be dangerous when carried on an aircraft.
A new dangerous goods application – the DG app – has been launched to help air travellers quickly and easily check if an item is banned on aircraft or if it needs to be specially packed or consigned. The DG app covers a large range of items and products, including the top ten least wanted dangerous items.
The top ten least wanted are: lithium batteries, gas cylinders, chainsaws and whipper snippers, lighters and matches, ammunition, fireworks, aerosol cans, flares, paints and household chemicals. The DG app allows users to search for items and find out which ones can be carried on aircraft, what safety precautions need to be taken and whether items need to be placed in checked-in luggage or should be carried on to the aircraft by a passenger.
The DG app is available for Apple and android devices, as well as desktops. By using the app aircraft passengers will be able to help reduce the more than 300 dangerous goods incidents a year.
4. Nepal blames budget tourists for mountain tragedy
Image Source: SBS.
An official in Nepal says budget tourists are to blame for the high death toll in what has been described as the country’s worst mountaineering tragedy. But survivors say ill-equipped guides who “marched” and “herded” trekkers to their deaths are responsible.
At least 32 people were killed in a series of snowstorms and avalanches that struck at the height of the October trekking season.
Tourism Ministry spokesperson Mohan Krishna Sapkota said the decision by tourists not to hire individual guides resulted in the high death toll.
“If they were with the guide then they would have had a much better idea about the weather,” Sapkota told the Guardian.
The search effort is continuing for survivors with more than 200 people rescued. Several Australian trekkers are still unaccounted for.
5. Travel Indochina detects emerging travel trends in Asia
According to Travel Indochina, traditional destinations of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, appear to be playing second fiddle this year to Sri Lanka, Bhutan, India and Japan as Asia’s new must-go travel destinations.
Specifically, escorted Small Group Journey sales to Sri Lanka are up 21 per cent year on year, and Bhutan has increased 11 per cent.
Sri Lanka FIT sales are also up, coupled with a very strong July-August for India FIT. These figures indicate strong ongoing interest to the subcontinent as a whole.
Japan has seen a particular resurgence of interest and strong consumer confidence in the destination. Supported by consistent growth over the past three years, Small Group Journey sales to Japan have been exceptional, with 318 per cent year on year growth.
The destination is now Travel Indochina’s second highest SGJ market.
Japan FIT sales also continue to rise, with monthly results having increased 200 per cent, and special interest groups are also tracking well.
Travel Indochina’s Cherry Blossom and Festival Small Group Journeys through March and April 2015 have sold out, and recently added double departures ex-Kyoto have already reached more than 50 per cent capacity in five weeks on the market.
6. U.S President warns against Ebola hysteria
http://youtu.be/3oKxA8TqUAY
US President Barack Obama urged Americans last week not to succumb to hysteria about Ebola.
As he did so, a Texas-based cruise ship was reported to be returning to port in Galveston after a woman onboard isolated herself, fearing she could have Ebola.
The woman onboard the Carnival Magic is employed in laboratories at the Dallas hospital which treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the first man to die of Ebola in the US, who was treated by two nurses who have contracted the disease. The government of Belize reportedly refused to airlift the woman back to the US.
In a statement, Carnival Cruise Lines, citing “an extreme abundance of caution”, said: “The Texas healthcare worker onboard continues to show no symptoms of illness and poses no risk to guests and crew onboard.”
7. ACCC warns of holiday scams
THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is warning Australians to be aware of holiday scams after receiving 1650 complaints this year with $100,000 being reported lost.
According to the ACCC, scammers initially approach people with claims that they have won a prize such as travel vouchers, only to then try and lure them into signing up for a holiday deal.
These packages are typically for destinations popular with Australians such as Thailand, Bali or the Pacific Islands, and can be used any time over the next 12 to 18 months.
The ACCC says most complainants were contacted by phone and many were offered holiday vouchers for $2000 or $3000.
“Watch out for these fraudsters cold calling and announcing that you’ve won a travel prize, ranging from discount accommodation vouchers to whole holiday packages,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
“To redeem the prize, you will be asked to provide personal information such as your credit card and drivers’ licence details before they can send it to you. Sometimes scammers will provide authentic-looking tickets and itineraries but when it comes time to travel, these documents are useless and the business cannot be contacted.”
8. South Africa to launch Ghandi-inspired tours
Pictured: Ghandi spinning.
South African Tourism has launched a Mahatma Gandhi inspired tourist attractions in Johannesburg. The Gandhi-inspired tourist attractions identifies a number of places that were seminal in Gandhi’s life in South Africa. Identifying these places enables people from all over the world to come and walk in his footsteps, and experience the places where Gandhi made history in South Africa.
South African Tourism has included 13 attractions accessible to tourists and to the global travel trade who sell South Africa packages.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi led India to independence from colonial British rule in 1947. He spent the formative years of his life in South Africa, having come to this country in 1893 as a 24-year-old, and leaving 21 years later in 1914. Central to his immense contribution to human rights was his Satyagraha movement of passive resistance, whose enduring impact continues to shape global history today and whose principles he developed while living in South Africa.
9. APT reveals 2016/17 brochure featuring new Burma rivership
Award-winning luxury cruise operator, APT has revealed the first artist impressions of the interiors of its new boutique rivership, the RV Samatha in its latest Burma River Cruising 2016/17 brochure.
Illustrated in the brochure is Samatha’s 30 suites, ranging in size and luxury. Also featured is the main restaurant, which has been heavily influenced by local design. The restaurant will play host to the cuisine of APT’s Asia Ambassador, celebrity chef, Luke Nguyen, who will play a central role in designing the onboard culinary program.
The new vessel also offers guests all the facilities synonymous with an APT luxury rivership, including a sun deck with swimming pool; day spa, complimentary Wi-Fi and a main lounge and bar.
The onboard experience is matched by exciting and culturally immersive itineraries that feature APT’s Signature Experiences, specially designed once-in-a-lifetime sightseeing experiences.
APT’s new Burma River Cruising 2016/17 brochure is available now.
10. TigerAir’s tid bits tantalise junior travellers
Tigerair has launched its new summer Tiger Bites in-flight menu to coincide with the commencement of the new Tigerair Junior Captain’s Flyer Club.
Tigerair Australia’s Commercial Director Adam Rowe said that the regularly-updated Tiger Bites menu continues to be a popular addition since it was launched in September last year.
“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,” he said.
“We continue to focus on taking the hassle out of flying and aim to provide greater choice through our exciting in-flight menu which is designed to cater for all tastes and budgets.”
The new menu caters for a range of dietary requirements and includes a number of new hot and cold menu items including a triple beef platter for meat lovers and a Snowy cheese snacking platter and wine deal for a special end of day treat.
The popular savoury Vili’s meat pie and sausage roll combo pack is still on offer and there are also a number of special dietary options including a gluten free Rowie’s cheese or vegan toastie as well as delicious Rowie’s rocky road and Anzac biscuits that are both nut, wheat and gluten free.