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. Aussies love Qantas & Virgin Australia more than they love Vegemite & Westfield
Aussies may enjoy their “Vegemite for breakfast lunch and tea” but when it comes to choosing between a “concentrated yeast extract” and an airline, Aussies would much rather the latter.
A recent NetBase study of online consumer behaviour found of all the brands founded here in Australia, Qantas was the second most loved on social media, receiving some 39,000 mentions in 2016 so far.
The Flying Kangaroo fell just behind Telstra, which received 51,000 mentions this year and was followed by Optus (26,000 mentions) and Woolworths (16,000 mentions).
2. Singapore Airlines flies a new route out of Sydney via Jakarta
Singapore Airlines has announced a new route out of Sydney, which will take Sydneysiders to Indonesia before flying onward to Singapore.
Commencing in November, the Singapore-Jakarta-Sydney service will operate three times weekly on a Boeing 777-200ER, giving Australians 271 extra seats to and from Southeast Asia.
According to Singapore Airlines’ Regional Vice President South West Pacific, Tan Tiow Kor, the new route meets strong passenger demand from Australia.
3. MH17 report: plane struck by Russian-made missile
Satellite images, computer simulations, social media posts and reconstructions were all used to determine what exactly happened on 17 July 2014 when a missile struck a commercial jet, killing all 283 people on board.
A new report issued by The Joint Investigation Team says Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur by a Russian-made 9M38 series Buk missile launched from a village held by rebels.
The finding contradicts a report released earlier in the investigation by Russia, which found the plane was hit by Ukrainian military.
4. Princess Cruises to the rescue
Five people including family members of a senior Vanuatu Government minister have been rescued after Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess was asked to aid a stricken vessel adrift at sea for 48 hours.
The ship was approximately 115 Nautical Miles from the stranded vessel’s estimated position. Sun Princess diverted from its course to Champagne Bay and during the night located the boat with the five onboard. All five were taken onboard at about 1.00am.
All were examined by the ship’s medical staff following their 48-hour ordeal stranded at sea. Following the rescue operation, Sun Princess resumed its scheduled passage to Champagne Bay.
5. More choice in Vietnam & Cambodia with Travelmarvel
Travelmarvel has revealed its new Vietnam and Cambodia program for 2017/18, which features a wide choice of 35 sailings aboard the highly regarded rivership RV La Marguerite. While the mainstay of the program is Vietnam and Cambodia, Travelmarvel’s brochure also features journeys to Myanmar, China, India and Japan.
Travelmarvel has introduced a new Insider Experience in Vietnam, where guests have the chance to dine at KOTO (Know One, Teach One) on Van Mieu in Hanoi and KOTO Kumho Ho Chi Minh City. Both offer guests the chance to find out more about this special social enterprise established by Vietnamese-Australian Jimmy Pham to offer a culinary training centre for disadvantaged youths.
A new hotel stay also features in Ho Chi Minh City with the debut of Fusion Suites Saigon, a centrally located modern hotel with clean minimalist design.
6. Construction commences on $70m Novotel Brisbane South Bank
The construction of the new 4.5 star Novotel Brisbane South Bank has commenced following a first turning of the sod ceremony onsite with Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, Queensland Real Estate Developer Kinstone Development Group and representatives from operator, AccorHotels.
The new-build 238-room Novotel Brisbane South Bank, with an expected completion date in late 2018, represents an investment of more than $70 million. The hotel is located directly across the road from the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on Cordelia Street, with direct pedestrian access connecting the hotel with the Centre.
When finished, new Novotel Brisbane South Bank will feature two meeting rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, gymnasium, restaurant and bar as well as on-site car parking.
Rooms will incorporate the new global Novotel ‘N Room’ design as well as Novotel Gourmet Bar and Food Exchange concept. The hotel will encompass Novotel brand identifiers including Live N’ Dream bedding, interactive TV’s and FairTrade bathroom amenities, and free barista coffee at breakfast.
7. Vanuatu’s best kept secret to reopen in November
Tamanu on the Beach is set to reopen in November as a boutique four-star resort offering one of the best dining experiences in the Pacific.
The property, located 30 minutes from Port Vila, was hit during Cyclone Pam and has since been ‘reimagined’ with new rooms, renovated villas and a new swimming pool.
The resort’s original six rooms have now expanded to 15 discreet, well-appointed, air-conditioned villas, each featuring a private balcony and raised stand-alone baths (some with private plunge pools). Three of the new villas are larger two-bedroom, dual bathroom designs.
The upgrade also extends to a new swimming pool and Vanuatu’s first purpose-built wedding chapel. A key element of the revamped resort is the new restaurant. Tamanu on the Beach was previously renowned for its cuisine, and the new owners are determined to build on its reputation for offering a fine-dining experience showcasing local cuisine.
8. Homer Simpson gives Australia a lot of love, thanks us for Wolverine & Harley Quinn
Sydney’s most iconic attraction and Australia in general received a huge shout out from one of the world’s most famous animated fathers, Homer Simpson.
The beloved character left his family, donuts, brown sofa and Duff Beer back in Springfield for our Harbour City this week, to promote the upcoming visit of The Simpsons Creator, Matt Groening.
Homer used the one-minute clip to thank Australia for some of its many contributions to pop culture, which will be the topic of discussion during the ‘Matt Groening in conversation with Lynda Barry: Love, Hate & Comics’ at the GRAPHIC Festival in November this year.
9. Wendy Wu kicks off new major campaign
It started with the return of the company’s popular animation (she made her comeback on Friday) and continues on with a new major campaign.
The Asia company’s new-look 2017 brochures are on their way to Agents and come with the promise of making it easier for consultants to book Asia for their clients.
Agents can also expect a few treats of their own, with a few upcoming competitions – keep an eye on KarryOn to find out how you can be in the running.
Click here for more information.
10. STA Travel wins Best Marketing Campaign
From Belgrade, Serbia, it was announced that STA Travel have won the award for Best Marketing Campaign at the Global Youth Travel Awards for the #STATravelSquad campaign.
The initiative saw the first 30 people in line at the Sydney George Street STA Travel store win a free Contiki holiday to promote the 2017 European Summer Contiki tours. The 30 lucky winners were accompanied by 10 winners from the online competition – and 10 ‘wild card’ winners who were asked to complete a series of worldly challenges in order to secure their spot on the bus.
David Chapman, Director General of WYSE Travel Confederation, said: “the calibre of nominations improves every year across all award categories and is once again truly outstanding”.
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