We’ve done all the hard work, so you don’t have to! Read on for our top ten travel news stories of the day we think you need to know.
1. World Travel Market reveals 2015’s travel trends
LGBT Travel – a top trend in 2015.
The World Travel Market (WTM), the industry’s leading global travel event, has not only managed to bring more than 50 000 industry execs to the proverbial table but, by its third day, has managed to detect key travel trends for 2015.
At the fore is the major shift in LGBT tourism. A prominent mover and shaker in the travel industry, the LGBT travel market, according to LGBT2020 research, is now valued at over (USD) $200 billion annually.
The competitive nature of the LGBT travel market is not set to change. However, the destinations considered LGBT hot spots are certainly set to feel a shift.
Out Now Global, has detected a move away from traditionalist Berlin. Instead, the top three global destinations are New York, Sydney and Amsterdam.
Read on for more.
2. Latest survey reveals top Aussie booking blunders
Men more inclined to making mistakes than women.
A recent survey of almost 10,000 Australians reveal that one in four (26 percent) have made a mistake when booking a holiday or flight online, which can make it a costly affair.
“Online travel is great because it allows consumers to save money and offers more freedom and flexibility. However, mistakes can easily happen and can sometimes end up costing you the money you’ve saved by booking online,” Adam Schwab, CEO of travel site LuxuryEscapes.com said.
The survey showed men were slightly more inclined (28 per cent) to make mistakes than women (25 per cent).
Common mistakes include entering the wrong name into the booking form, confusing price per person with price per room and booking hotel dates that don’t match flight dates.
Read on for more.
3. Carnival Cruises unveils high speed wireless at sea
The world’s largest cruise company has unveiled the cruise industry’s first-of-its-kind hybrid wireless network – an enhanced high-speed service to eventually be rolled out to all 101 of its ships on all nine of its brands.
This technology innovation is expected to revolutionise how millions of its passengers stay in touch during their cruise and generate even greater interest in cruise vacations, especially among the tech-savvy millennial generation.
Carnival Corporation’s backbone connectivity network, known as WiFi@Sea™, will integrate a unique combination of strategically located land-based antennas installed along cruise routes, Wi-Fi from a port connection and advanced satellites, forming an innovative network that is a first in the cruise industry on this scale.
The network will be capable of providing Internet connectivity speeds that can be roughly 10 times faster than those previously offered on Carnival Corporation’s ships – ultimately expected to provide passengers with the best possible connectivity in the cruise industry.
“This is a major technology breakthrough designed to enhance the cruise experience for our passengers,” said Ramon Millan, senior vice president and global chief information officer for Carnival Corporation.
“For those who want to stay connected while on vacation, our new network will help them do so, whether that means checking email or posting pictures to their social media sites.”
4. Intercontinental confirms earlier launch for Double Bay
Marking Sydney’s first major hotel launch in years, InterContinental Sydney Double Bay will open its doors on Thursday 6 November 2014 as the only five-star luxury hotel outside the CBD.
Finishing touches are being made to the 140-room property in Sydney’s prestigious Double Bay village, with its world-‐class team standing by ready to welcome guests from next month.
The bayside sanctuary opening marks the revival of the original building at 33 Cross Street, with restored features such as the grand staircase, Italian marble bathrooms and fireplaces, and Parisian balconies, enhanced by a contemporary redesign.
InterContinental Sydney Double Bay General Manager, Frederic Brohez said the hotel would open all rooms, features and facilities, from the first floor to the sixth, simultaneously.
“We are now in the final stages of completion and are very excited to share this beautifully transformed property with the local community and visitors to Double Bay and Sydney,” said Mr Brohez.
5. P&O ships sail into racing history
History was made yesterday as a record 6000 cruise passengers disembarked three visiting cruise ships at Station Pier to head to the Melbourne Cup.
Roughly 130 coaches lined the waterfront at Port Melbourne to transport the cruise punters, who account for an estimated 10 per cent of all people visiting Melbourne for the Cup.
The passengers from P&O Cruises’ Pacific Jewel and Pacific Pearl and Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Spirit were set to inject more than (AUD) $6million into the Melbourne economy during their three-day stay.
Next year, another record will be set with four ships cruising to Melbourne for the Cup as P&O Cruises’ Pacific Dawn joins this year’s field.
6. State of Industry report reveals a healthy tourism record for Australia
Tourism Research Australia has published its annual assessment of Australia’s tourism industry reviewing performance for 2013-14 and highlighting longer-term issues that are likely to affect its performance.
The State of the Industry 2014 report is the fifth in the series and shows an increase across both domestic and international sectors to a record $101.6 billion.
Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan said the State of the Industry report provided a valuable annual assessment of how Australia’s tourism industry was tracking as well as identifying longer-term issues likely to affect its future performance.
“This report reinforces the fact that tourism is a serious industry, making a very significant contribution to our country’s future economic prosperity,” he said.
“With international visitor expenditure up 7.2 per cent to a record $30.1 billion, and domestic and international aviation capacities growing strongly, we are undoubtedly making solid progress towards our industry’s Tourism 2020 goals. More work to be done but, as annual scorecards go, I think the industry can be pretty pleased.”
7. Emirates sets to invest further in the future on onboard wifi
Emirates today invests over (US)$20 million annually on installing and operating inflight connectivity systems which enable onboard Wi-Fi services.
Onboard Wi-Fi is available on all of Emirates’ 53 A380s and on 28 Boeing 777s, which serve routes across six continents.
The airline also has an aggressive retrofit programme which will eventually see its entire fleet Wi-Fi enabled. Importantly, Emirates is subsidising or waiving the high cost of buying data for passenger use.
“It is a fact that our customers want onboard connectivity, and this demand is only going to increase as more people embrace an ‘always-on’ digital lifestyle, and carry smart mobile devices when they travel. We’ve always viewed Wi-Fi as a service and a value-added part of Emirates’ overall product, rather than a revenue stream,” said Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline.
8. Oman poised for substantial tourism boost
The Oman Tourism Day, in association with the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference at the Bustan Palace Hotel, heard that Oman has a superb tourism product in the form of more than 3,000 kilometres of pristine coastline, rugged mountains and a rich history.
The conference was attended by more than 50 industry leaders and professionals. Speakers included Oman Air chief operating officer Abdulrahman al-Busaidy, chief executive officer of the Dhofar Tourism Company Edward Chaaya, Issa Sultan Al Ismaili, an Omani tourism entrepreneur and executive director of Oman World Tourism and Raza Ashraf, partner at Abu Timam Grant Thornton.
In a keynote speech, Oman Air’s Al-Busaidy said that the airline aims to increase its fleet to 70 aircraft in its present 10-year plan from 40 now and that it will accept 13 new aircraft in 2015 alone.
He said that the number of passengers using Oman Air is forecast to rise to about 4.8m in 2014 from 4.7 million in 2013, but less than 20 per cent are flying directly to Oman. Al-Busaidy said this was partly due to the lack of affordable hotel rooms.
“I hear some five star hotels have occupancy of 15 per cent and yet charge 90 riyals per night,” Al-Busaidy said.
“There is an opportunity here for the winter and summer to promote tourism. If we had decent rates we could attract people from the GCC who would come for a couple of days and go to Salalah.”
9. Virgin Galactic releases statement on cause of crash
The investigation continues over the crash of SpaceShipTwo in the Mojave desert that killed co-pilot Michael Alsbury and injured Peter Siebold.
However, in the name of transparency, Virgin Galactic have released a statement revealing the preliminary findings of the investigation.
“While we cannot speculate on the causes of the incident, the NTSB has provided important information about the facts surrounding this case and in their final onsite press conference they described a timeline of events based on the telemetry data in their possession. The investigation will now continue offsite,” the statement said.
“Based on information they have released about their investigation to date, the NTSB has recovered the intact engine and rocket propulsion fuel tanks with no signs of burn through or mid-air explosion. This definitively dismisses the premature and inaccurate speculation that the problem was related to the engine or the fuel.”
“The NTSB indicated that the lock/unlock lever was pulled prematurely based on recorded speed at the time, and they have suggested that subsequent aerodynamic forces then deployed the feathering mechanism, which resulted in the in-flight separation of the wings and vehicle.”
Virgin Galactic concluded that they did not ignore warnings that the test flight was unsafe. Their hearts, according to the statement, are with the families who have suffered loss in the crash.
10. Metro Group Hotels offer hot deals for Sydney fest.
Every January, Sydney Festival transforms the city of Sydney with a bold, cultural celebration of the highest quality and ideas. Sydney Festival has a rich history spanning back 38 years. In 2015, the Festival will run from 8th to 26th January and will feature hundreds of events throughout the city.
Metro Group of Hotels, and official partner of the Sydney Festival 2015, is offering great value ‘Hot Deals’ at four of its Sydney properties for the duration of the festival, starting from as little as $150.
Venues include Ultimo,Metro Apartments Darling Harbour.
Metro Hotel Central Sydney is offering one night’s accommodation including hot buffet breakfast, complimentary WiFi and chocolates on arrival with prices starting at $155. Their venue on Pitt street, Sydney has a package offering accommodation for two in a Superior Deluxe room, full buffet breakfast and complimentary WiFi with prices starting at $170.