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. Airbnb’s new trips platform has changed the game – again
So it looks like Airbnb may have changed the game again, this time with the launch of Trips, which brings together where to stay, what to do and the people you meet all in the one place.
Similar to Google’s Trips, Airbnb’s Trips is a people-powered platform designed to make travel both easy and magical by allowing users to organise key elements of their holiday – such as experiences, destinations and homes – in one place, with the possibility of adding flights and other services in the future.
2. Emirates launch LinkedIn Learning courses in the air
Yep, it’s possible to take off without knowing a single thing about Photography or Investing, but then land an expert at your destination, thanks to Emirates’ collaboration with LinkedIn Learning courses.
Emirates has partnered with LinkedIn to provide select LinkedIn Learning courses on ice, its award-winning inflight entertainment (IFE) system. Emirates is the first international airline to make these courses available on board.
3. Etihad shows us some mannequin love but in its own unique way!
Okay, okay, okay, settle down peeps! So there’s a new viral video trend sweeping through the Internet, and this one involves people freezing themselves in action just like a mannequin.
And the name of such trend, you ask? Mannequin Challenge. Yes.
The hashtag #MannequinChallenge has been popping up on many a social media platform, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And everyone from Ellen DeGeneres to Michelle Obama, to Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul McCartney have jumped onboard the trend.
4. Travel Counsellors Global Conference kicks off in Manchester
U.K. Based Travel Counsellors kick off their annual Global Conference tomorrow in Manchester, England and KarryOn will exclusively be there to get all the news.
The 2-day conference will feature over 2000 Travel Counsellors from all six TC operating countries including Australia, Ireland, South Africa, The Netherlands, Dubai and the U.K and be held at the Manchester Convention Centre.
It’s always a huge affair with plenty of celebrity surprises so stay tuned for all the news from Manchester.
5. Get treated to a movie and popcorn thanks to G Adventures
G Adventures is hosting exclusive screenings of the hilarious comedy Bad Santa 2 in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane next week to celebrate the festive season and to thank all the hardworking agents for their support over the year.
The movie screening will be held on Tuesday November 22, and agents are encouraged to RSVP quickly to reserve a spot for them and a friend for what will be a night filled with holiday fun and free popcorn. Tickets are first come, first served and agents must RSVP online with the password ‘worldofgood’ for each city.
More details can be found at the event pages for Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
6. Partnership Continues Between Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection are pleased to announce their latest collaborative programme for 2017, “Europe’s Finest,” which builds on its inaugural success in 2016 and the growth of the luxury travel market (at 6.2%, it’s a rate three times faster than overall travel).
Europe’s Finest features eight extraordinary itineraries, including two all-new journeys to France and along the Dalmatian Riviera. One of the new journeys is the 23-day Danube Delights & the Dalmatian Riviera, which begins with a luxurious Danube cruise aboard Uniworld’s River Ambassador with visits to historic Nuremberg, the medieval town of Regensburg and the grand capitals of Prague and Vienna. Journeying east, guests will disembark their ship to join an escorted tour along the Dalmatian Riviera where highlights include a visit to the earthly paradise of Plitvice National Park and the honeyed city of Dubrovnik.
On any of the itineraries, travellers will visit some of the world’s most coveted destinations while enjoying the distinct hallmarks each brand is celebrated for, such as Insight’s expert Tour Directors, Luxury Gold’s Exclusive VIP Events, and Uniworld’s effortless all-inclusivity.
7. Scenic celebrates 30th birthday with Today Show promotion
To celebrate its 30th birthday, Scenic is running a special consumer promotion on Channel 9’s Today Show and Weekend Today for viewers to win one of 30 luxury river cruises for two.
The promotion, being hailed as the biggest network prize giveaway ever, will see two Gems of the Seine cruises won per day over 15 days, and will run from Monday 21 November to Monday 5 December. The special Today Show cruise departs on 27 September 2017 and the prize also includes Economy Class return flights to Paris from Australian capital cities.
Michelle Black, GM Sales & Marketing, commented: “We are excited to partner with Channel 9 on such a big consumer promotion for their viewers. We will only celebrate our 30th birthday once and we wanted to do something extra special. It is the biggest network prize giveaway ever, worth over $700,000. Everyone loves a holiday and what better way to end the year than by winning a luxury cruise!”
For more information on this promotion visit http://today.scenic.com.au/
8. Ovolo Hotels wins four industry awards
Just in time to celebrate its one-year anniversary since officially launching in Australia, Ovolo Hotels has won a total of four awards at the 2016 World Boutique Hotel Awards. They include Australia’s Best Design Boutique Hotel and Best City Explorer Boutique Hotel for Ovolo Woolloomooloo and Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour, and Australia’s Top Contemporary/Stylish Luxury Hotel for OvoloWoolloomooloo and Hong Kong’s Top Luxury Design Hotel for Ovolo Southside.
This comes off the back of the recent win for Australian GM of the Year and commendation for Hotel Brand and APAC Hotelier of the year at the HM Awards.
And to keep the celebrations moving forward, Ovolo has launched a new plan to spoil guests celebrating their own special day. Starting from November, all Ovolo guests celebrating their birthday will get the royal treatment while staying at any of the group’s Australian properties – kicking off with a birthday-themed room, as well as a special badge entitling them to a suite of surprises throughout their special stay. Surprises will range from special F&B offerings at the hotel’s dining outlets, selfie sticks, a special hotel-wide music playlist, to even a signature cocktail at the hotel bar, named just after them.
9. Mantra Group AGM reveals excellent year of end financials
Mantra Group have capped off a strong year of growth and seen its total revenue reach $606.1 million.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the leading Australian hotel and resort operator was held in Brisbane at the Group’s Mantra on Queen hotel on 17 November 2016.
Mantra Group Chairman Peter Bush reiterated the Group’s year end 2016 results which saw a total revenue of $606.1 million representing a 21.6% increase on FY2015, and acknowledged yet another year of success since the Group listed on the Australian Securities Exchange on 20 June 2014. At the time of writing, Mantra Group’s shares were trading at $3.20 per share – an increase of 78% since listing on 20 June 2014.
Mr East said Mantra Group expects FY17 EBITDAI to be between $101m to $107m (excluding the impact of any additional conditional or uncontracted properties as at 30 June 2016 and any transaction costs and foreign exchange translation associated with the acquisition of Ala Moana Hotel and other FY17 acquisitions).
10. Hilton Sydney picks its 2016 F&B Masters Regional Finalists
Hilton Sydney has picked the creme of the crop of its food and beverage talent to represent the hotel at the Asia Pacific Finals of the F&B Masters at Hilton Brisbane in January 2017.
Hilton Sydney, proving to be strong competitors in the Masters, received over 26 entrants across all categories, with Mark Tomczyk, Hitomi Honda and Tua Fatongiatau selected by a panel of industry judges to progress to the regional finals.
An annual initiative launched by Hilton Worldwide, The Food & Beverage Masters is designed to discover great talent, develop their skill and careers and celebrate exceptional culinary experiences within the Hilton family.
But without any further ado, the lucky finalists to represent the Hilton Sydney are:
Mark Tomczyk – The Wine Cup, sponsored by Negociants, Samuel Smith & Son
Hitomi Honda –The Barista Cup, sponsored by Vittoria
Tua Fatongiatau – The Bar Cup, sponsored by Pernod Ricard
Good luck guys!
11. Trevor Jones takes Magellan members to WTM
A lucky group of Magellan members were recently escorted to London by Founder of Magellan Travel Group, Trevor Jones, to attend the World Travel Mart (WTM), a leading global event for the travel industry to meet industry professionals on future trends within our industry.
The event itself met all expectations, starting with dinner at the Mayfair Hotel including a meeting with Geoff McGeary of APT, plus invitations to the Heineken Happy Hour or two on the Dutch stand. Key highlights of the WTM included Finnair showing off its new, sleek and super cool Airbus A350, which features super comfortable business class, excellent food and crew, as well as dining with the Finnish men’s athletics team and enjoying a day tour to Turku, whose slogan is “Kiss my Tuku”.
This was followed by a trip on an old tram “Pauline” with vodka tasting in Tallinn. These arrangements were made by one of our preferred DMC’s, Estravel-Baltcoming in Tallinn, which incidentally is owned by our own Magellan member Aivo Takis of Aero Travel in Sydney.
The rest of the itinerary was filled with private dinners, private cellars, excellent restaurants, and the opportunity to meet lots of interesting people and exceptional hosts.
12. Infinity Holidays’ amazing agent famil to UAE and Spain
Flight Centre Travel Group’s top 50 retail agents, known as the incrowd, recently got to experience the magic of the UAE and Spain on an amazing famil thanks to Infinity Holidays.
These top-selling agents were treated to a luxurious stay at hotels like The Westin Palace in Madrid and the opulent St. Regis in Abu Dhabi, enjoying the amazing service onboard Etihad.
But the WOW factor didn’t stop at the accommodation! The VIP group were treated to a range of amazing tours while abroad, they dined on local delicacies, ate plenty of tapas, and washed it all down with a few too many cocktails and wines.
The group used their free time to explore their surrounds and indulge in Spanish culture. Bianca Schembri, the Area Leader for Fusion NSW, said the highlight for her was attending a Madrid football match, “The atmosphere was awesome and it gave us a real sense of local culture”.
Upon returning to Australia, Keira Fackler from Flight Centre Kawana was suffering from a severe case of post-holiday blues, “I got a little sad leaving Spain and got in a cab straight to a tapas bar to drink and eat my Spain sorrows away!”
THIS WEEK’S COMPETITIONS
Pimp your scooter and WIN it!
Thanks to TravelCube and its new ‘pimpmyscooter’ promotion, one of these chic chariots – valued at $400 each – could soon be yours.
Lugging a heavy bag through an airport terminal can be a real drag… but not with a fabulous luggage scooter!
These nifty, light-weight contraptions combine a sleek carry-on bag with a top-quality scooter, allowing you to glide effortlessly past fellow passengers and get to your flight on time and in style.
To celebrate the launch of its fresh new brand, the company is giving away eight micro luggage scooters.
Sell Italy & See Italy
This is your chance to earn a place on a famil to Italy and Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways Alitalia and Trafalgar Travel.