We’ve done all the hard work, so you don’t have to! Read on for the top ten travel news stories we think you need to know today.
1. 100 people die in Hindu New Year fire
India temple fire: Death toll has gone up to 106, more than 350 people wounded https://t.co/pal42X6hKs pic.twitter.com/3u2kxQyjTK
— AJE News (@AJENews) April 10, 2016
Around 100 people have been killed and more than 200 injured after a fire broke out at an Indian temple where locals had gathered to celebrate the start of the Hindu New Year.
Thousands of attendees had gathered at the Puttingal Devi temple in southern Kerala for fireworks, which began at midnight and went on for hours, The Australian reported.
According to witnesses, the fire broke out when a cracker fell on to a shed where the fireworks were being stored. The fire spread quickly, trapping people in the temple building.
2. ATAS, staff & shrinking margins – some of the Travel Agent’s biggest concerns
Growing online competition and the role of ATAS accreditation are just some of the biggest concerns amongst Australian Travel Agents, according to a new study.
The 2015/16 Australian Travel Agent Barometer found that although leisure and corporate agents are generally positive about the industry, around 88 percent of the 150 consultants surveyed said they were either unsure or confused over the consumer protection offered by ATAS.
Some 37 percent of owner managers were unsure or thought ATAS offered consumer protection to their customers.
3. New design lets economy passengers convert seats into beds
An Italian manufacturer is promising to give economy passengers a better inflight experience with new aircraft seat that turns an entire row into a bed.
Sound familiar? It should, it’s a lot like Air New Zealand’s SkyCouch or China Airlines’ Family Couch.
Called the ‘Piuma Sofa’, it allows passengers to convert three or four seats into a ‘sleeper sofa’ by raising the armrests, removing the headrests and placing an extension at the base of the seat cushion.
4. Air Vanuatu delivers more flights over winter
Australian travellers will have more opportunities to escape the cold weather and enjoy the sunshine as Air Vanuatu adds extra flights to the island nation over the winter period.
The carrier will resume its Thursday and Saturday services from Sydney on 2 and 4 June. Plus the Sunday service from Brisbane will be back in the air from 5 June.
All other schedules will continue to operate at the same frequency, bringing the total to nine flights weekly from Australia to Vanuatu.
5. Helloworld scores with Carlton Football Club
helloworld for business members now have unparalleled access to Carlton Football Club’s prestigious corporate program and partners as part of Helloworld becoming a Gold Sponsor and Official Travel Partner.
The highly influential networking group will now be officially known as “Carlton IN Business proudly presented by helloworld for business”.
Helloworld CEO Andrew Burnes said the partnership means helloworld for business members will have direct and ongoing access to key Australian companies as well as Carlton’s impressive list of corporate partners.
6. WATCH all the facetime fun
KarryOn FaceTime April 16Check out all the action from our FaceTime event this week. We’re excited to announce that we’ll be doing bi-monthly SYD FaceTime events with a MEL event at the end of May and BNE also in the pipeline. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Posted by KarryOn on Saturday, April 9, 2016
Missed facetime? No worries, get a sneak peek of all the fun that was had in this quick video from the event.
One of the most requested industry events is now coming to Sydney bi-monthly, but also travelling to other states with an evening planned in Melbourne towards the end of May and Brisbane is also in the pipeline.
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
7. Registrations closing for Treasures of the South Pacific
There’s one day left to get your RSVPs in for the Treasures of the South Pacific training events coming to Melbourne and Hobart this month.
Running on 26 April (Melbourne) and Hobart (27 April) the events are sponsored by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation and Pacific Islands Trade & Invest and see representatives from various tourism offices updating consultants on their holiday destinations.
Registrations for Melbourne and Hobart close on 12 April this year. Click here for more information. Agents are still able to register for the Sydney (2 August), Canberra (3 August), Brisbane (11 October) and Sunshine Coast (12 October) events.
8. Travelmarvel releases new Myanmar program
Following a sell out first season in Myanmar, Travelmarvel has released its new journeys for 2017/18 which features 16 Irrawaddy river cruise departures aboard its newly launched boutique rivership, the RV Princess Panhwar.
The core itinerary for Travelmarvel’s Myanmar river cruising is the 15-day Majestic Myanmar– Irrawaddy Cruise from Yangon to Mandalay. The trip highlights traditional and emerging destinations such as Shwedagon Pagoda; a journey by horse drawn cart to the ‘Leaning Tower of Inwa’, taking in Maha Aung Mye Bon Zan Monastery and the teak-wood Bagaya Monastery en route; the opportunity to add your own sheet of gold leaf to the Mahamuni Buddha; and an exploration of Bagan, one of the world’s most spectacular archaeological sites.
The new brochure offers a choice of 16 sailings between September 2017 and April 2018. A three day extension of the Majestic Myanmar itinerary to Inle Lake is also available, as is the chance to combine it with a Mekong river cruise aboard Travelmarvel’s La Marguerite on the 27-day Wonders of the Irrawaddy and Mekong.
9. Did George Clooney photo-bomb an agent famil pic?
The Leading Hotels of the World hosted its first agents famil of 2016, taking eight consultants on a nine-night itinerary in Switzerland and Northern Italy.
The trip started in Switzerland with accommodation at The Dolder Grand before moving on to St Moritz’s iconic Carlton Hotel St Moritz.
In Milan, the group enjoyed the Palazzo Parigi, the newest of The Leading Hotels of the World in Milan, before moving to Grand Hotel et de Milan and Villa d’Este – a favourite of George Clooney, who can sometimes be seen.
Click here to see more images.
10. Medical emergency sends Qantas to Oman
A medical emergency sent a Qantas plane to Oman over the weekend, but the sick passenger died minutes before the jet landed.
According to witnesses, the man suffered from a suspected heart attack aboard the A380 flying enroute from Melbourne to London.
The patient was being treated on the floor in front of other passengers and died upon descent. A fellow passenger said a team of people came on board to examine the situation before removing the body.
The man is believed to have been travelling with his wife and other companions.
