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. It’s no bull – Qantas’ Perth to London flights are actually happening
Were you one of those unbelievers who thought there was a better chance of Sydney seeing snow in summer than Australia ever receiving direct flights to London?
Did you roll your eyes every time someone would mention direct flights to the UK? Or whenever Qantas made headlines with its advantageous plans to fly direct to Europe?
Who could blame you having such doubts? Talks of direct flights to the UK have been flying around for years without much evidence of them actually happening.
2. Contiki in mourning over friend & colleague
Contiki bosses and employees are in mourning after losing one of their own, Danielle Angus, in a vehicle accident in Indonesia late last week.
Angus, a Contiki employee based in Auckland, was travelling with a small group of tourists to the Gili Islands when their van crashed in south Lombok.
Five other travellers, including two New Zealanders, received non-threatening injuries in the accident and were sent to the hospital for immediate medical treatment.
3. 38 dead, over 166 injured in Istanbul twin-blasts
Post-soccer celebrations in the center of Istanbul turned into devastating bloodshed, when two blasts killed 38 people and injured 166 others.
Locals were leaving the Vodafone Arena soccer stadium in Besiktas – located in Turkey’s capital – after a match between the country’s top teams, when the two bombs were detonated, one by suicide bomb and the other a car bomb.
Turkey’s Interior Minister, Suleyman Soylu, said 30 of 38 victims were police offers. Several of the injured were taken to intensive care while others were sent for immediate surgery.
4. 12 days of Christmas, $12,000 worth of prizes to WIN from Visit California
*Sings* – over the 12 days of Christmas Visit California gave to Agents… more than 12,000 dollars in prizes.
That’s right, it’s raining giveaways this Christmas and it’s only available to Agents who register for the tourist bureau’s new digital training platform.
Launching this week, California STAR is the next evolution of the bureau’s California Expert training platform and is described as “the first-of-its-kind program in the Australian market”.
5. Tigerair kicks off flights between Melbourne & Canberra
Tigerair Australia has officially taken its low-cost model to Australia’s capital with first Melbourne and Canberra services kicking off last week.
Tigerair’s new services are currently the only low cost air travel option available to Canberrans and offer 2,500 additional visito seats every week between the two gateways.
A ceremonial water cannon salute marked the arrival of the first Tigerair flight into Canberra last week and each passenger onboard the inaugural service received a welcome pack and a toy tiger, courtesy of Canberra Airport, the National Zoo and Aquarium and Visit Canberra.
Click here for more pictures.
6. Pandaw acquires new river vessel for Borneo
Pandaw has acquired a new river ship to be used on itineraries from West Kalimantan in Borneo.
The ship, which will be renamed Kapuas Pandaw, is currently being refitted in the Pandaw style and is expected to be delivered to the line later this month. She will make her inaugural river expedition on the Kapuas from February next year.
The company had originally planned to send the larger Tonle Pandaw but concerns over the vessel’s air draft under two key bridges prompted a change of plan.
7. HotelsCombined will be ‘right here waiting’ for travellers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PAYzFBjbKQ
Online booking site, HotelsCombined, has released new commercials, featuring soft-rock star Richard Marx and his 80s hit ‘Right Here Waiting’.
Airing across TV, Youtube and social platforms from this week, various 30-second clip see the HotelsCombined mascot, Max, discussing various prices available through the site when suddenly Mark appears with his piano singing “I’ll be right here waiting for you”. The pair are seen promoting ‘The best hotel deals. Guaranteed’ slogan front of a piano, in an office, bedroom as well as a bus stop.
Marx described the shoot was “enormous fun” and said he’s proud to have teamed up with the booking site for the new campaign.
8. First images of Star Wars Land at Disneyland
The Force is strong over in Disneyland where the world’s first Star Wars Land is currently being built.
First images of the construction site were taken by Nearmap, an Australian aerial imagery and location content company, and released last week to show the progression of the site from an aerial perspective.
Located on the outer rim to the North of the resort, the before and after images reveal construction is now in full swing, with the land cleared and the northern bank of the river closed-off.
Once complete, Star Wars Land will cover 14 acres and feature various experiences from the hit sci-fi franchise.
9. Tasmania PTMs combine business with Christmas cheer
It was Tasmania’s turn to participate in TravelManagers latest round of bi-annual state meetings recently and the southernmost state certainly turned on its charm for the occasion.
The regional gatherings are a winning formula with TravelManagers’ personal travel managers (PTM’s), and according to Executive General Manager, Michael Gazal, continue to receive positive feedback from Agents.
PTM Anna Bayley representative for Sandy Bay says the national partnership office support and physical presence regionally is invaluable.
This week’s competitions
Christmas Travel Gift Guide Bonanza Giveaway
Those who love to travel are always looking for the latest gadgets to make the journey just a little easier and more fun. Enter our Christmas Gift Guide for your chance to WIN!