Skill up on all you need to know with bite sized travel news designed specifically to help you, the Travel Agent, be your best today and tomorrow.
1. Scenic crowns ice kings & queens at Night of Stars
Scenic held its annual ‘Night of Stars’ awards on Saturday with the ‘icy chic’ themed event at Ivy Ballroom in Sydney recognising the ongoing hard work and commitment from its top agents in Australia and New Zealand.
Over 240 agents attended the uber glam event, which Channel 9’s Steve Jacobs hosted in the role of MC for the fourth year in a row.
2. Dude, go on holidays! You won’t believe how much unused leave Aussies have
Australians may be lucky enough to have access to four weeks of paid leave every year, but not all are keen on using them.
That’s crazy! Who doesn’t want to go on holiday? Or is it genius because they’re waiting to take it all at once? Hmmm ???
According to Roy Morgan Research, Aussies have accrued a plethora of annual leave – 134 million days to be specific.
3. Tourists trapped in Italian avalanche ‘survived on snow’
The hunt continues for Italy avalanche survivors https://t.co/cqzogDlW7S pic.twitter.com/5IgxUr93HW
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 22, 2017
Nine people including four children were pulled to safety over the weekend, almost 60 hours after an avalanche buried and swept away their Italian hotel.
The mass snow slide weighing around 60,000-tons plummeted on top of the luxury, mountainside Hotel Rigopiano, trapping terrified tourists inside for several days.
Over 30 people – at least 22 guests, eight hotel workers and four other visitors – were initially feared dead, however, so far six bodies have been removed from the wreckage and another 24 people are still missing.
4. Here’s why you are literally going to see California everywhere in Australia
If over the next few months you feel immersed in images of California’s beaches, fun-loving attitude and free-spirited vibe, then you’ve probably been hit by the marketing bug.
The Golden State is taking over Aussie TV screens, newspapers and in some cases (*coughs* mine) dreams, as part of a new advertising campaign, which will be the biggest to be organised by Visit California in Australia.
Some $5.6 million is being spent and a bunch of celebrities have been recruited by the tourist bureau to encourage the state’s third largest market to travel across the Pacific and dip into that Californian way of life.
5. Free flights to Europe with Silversea
Silversea Cruises is for the first time offering complimentary flights to Europe for select voyages in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe for Australian guests.
Silversky will streamline the booking process for Agents when booking Silversea cruise packages, giving guests access to round-trip Economy Class flights or Business Class upgrades from select gateway cities in Australia, transfers between the airport and vessels on the day of embarkation and disembarkation, all in addition to one of the unforgettable cruises Silversea is known for.
The new packages are available on a range of seven- to- 17-day Mediterranean and Northern Europe voyages departing from April to November 2017. All-Inclusive prices start from AU$4,275 per person, based on double occupancy. Guests can also take advantage of Silversea’s Early Booking Bonus and save 10% on select 2017 voyages. Or combine two voyages and save an additional 5 percent and earn a US$1,000 shipboard credit for bookings made by 28 February 2017.
6. New car models for hire through Peugeot
DriveAway Holidays has just released its 2017 Peugeot European car lease brochure which includes the latest models like the new look 5008, an ideal family vehicle.
It also features the new Traveller, a popular passenger van which is ideal for small groups because of its large boot space, as well as a large section on driving in Europe and details of pick up and returns fees.
The brochure can be ordered on-line through Tifs and has a 12 free days with 21-day leases offer running until 31 March.
7. Magical landscapes & more with Infinity
Infinity Holidays is promising fantastic trips where the journey can sometimes outshine the destination with its new rail brochure.
The Infinity Holidays Rail program was released late last week and packed with journeys capturing magical landscapes and an endless amount of breathtaking images.
Click here to view the brochure online.
8. New National Business Development Manager for PONANT
PONANT continues its expansion in Asia Pacific announcing the appointment of Craig Farrell to a newly created position of National Business Development Manager.
Craig Farrell is based in Melbourne, with an initial focus on market development in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. He will work closely with existing PONANT sales teams located in Sydney, Brisbane and Shanghai.
Craig’s prior experience with Silversea Cruises as Business Development Manager Victoria/Tasmania, Sales Development Manager Victoria for Scenic Tours and Senior Trainer for Jetset, positions him well for the rapidly expanding PONANT business.
9. Carnival cruises with a Seafood Corner
Carnival Cruise Line will introduce a new eatery – Seafood Corner – on Carnival Spirit and Carnival Legend that will bring a taste of the sea onboard.
Opening in time for Australia Day, the Seafood Corner offers a menu of fish’n’chips, seafood platters and lobster rolls as well as local prawns, oysters and fresh whole fish such as barramundi, snapper and flounder.
Tell your clients, they can bite into the catch of the day on deck 9 everyday from 4.00pm.
10. Etihad does Düsseldorf double daily
Etihad has announced it will operate 14 times weekly on the Abu Dhabi–Düsseldorf route, effective 26 March 2017.
The double daily schedule will provide greater choice to local passengers travelling between Abu Dhabi and Düsseldorf, and further increase connectivity to and from Germany over the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub. Etihad Airways will also increase international connections through codesharing with partner carrier airberlin via Düsseldorf.
Flight EY23 will depart Abu Dhabi at 02.35 to arrive in Düsseldorf at 7.20, the return flight EY24 will depart at 11.30 to touch down in Abu Dhabi at 20.00. The second service EY29 will leave Abu Dhabi at 08.55 and touch down in Düsseldorf at 14.10, it will then return at 21.00 and arrive in the UAE at 05.50