Another year down & only one left before we hit a new decade (argh, 2020!). Whether you’re ready for it or not, 2018 is almost a wrap & 2019 is only a couple of weeks away.
But before you put 2018 to bed, let’s take a quick look over how travel news over the last 12 months really shook the industry and transformed the future of how people holiday.
*REWINDS TO… MARCH 2018*
It was only three months into the new year when things really started to take off, particularly in the aviation sector. And it was all thanks to Qantas.
The Flying Kangaroo made history with the launch of its non-stop Perth-London service that saw travellers agreeing enthusiastically to the previously unthinkable – sitting on a plane for more than 17 hours.
Great Southern Land, the name of the history-making Qantas’ Dreamliner 787, touched down in London with CEO Alan Joyce and a gaggle of dignitaries on board and journeyed back a few hours later.
From the record-breaking service emerged a new attitude in aviation – ‘ sometimes, longer is better’. As a result of this new perspective, the term ‘ultra long haul‘ was coined to promote a future of air travel that’d see travellers spending more time on board and less time on stopovers.
Qantas said it hoped to tackle ‘ultra-long travel’ with non-stop flights from Sydney to London as well as New York, while Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic said it aims to join the Flying Kangaroo on the Perth-London route ASAP.
As the year continued, so too did the time people spent on planes with Singapore Airlines’ non-stop Singapore-New York service dethroning Qantas and Qatar Airways as the ‘world’s longest flight‘ running for 18 hours and 45 minutes.
You can’t talk about aviation in 2018 without mentioning the most jaw-dropping announcement from the sector – Air New Zealand ditched Virgin Australia and teamed up with Qantas.
The love triangle had EVERYONE talking and wondering what it would mean for travel across the Tasman. We’ll have to wait until 2019 to see the outcome of the new relationship as it only officially took off in October.
While the aviation industry had its highs, it also had its lows with two carriers collapsing within the same month. Cyprus’ Cobalt Air, and Copenhagen’s Primera Air went under in October, leaving thousands stranded and desperate for alternative travel arrangements.
Si-Holidays
Airlines weren’t the only ones suffering from financial difficulties this year, as wholesalers Si Holidays and Venture Far were forced to shut their doors. Si Holidays attempted to sell off its assets in March in an attempt to pay Travel Advisors for the debt caused, while Venture Far had a more graceful farewell by appointing liquidators before too much damage was caused.
2018 wasn’t the best year for online travel agencies, as Trivago was pulled up for misleading travellers, Dick Smith started a protest against their “leeching”, and more recently, Queensland-based Bestjet went under.
On a positive note, sustainability was front-of-mind for the entire industry from airlines to hotels, wholesalers, tour operators, cruise lines and even, Travel Advisors. Click here for a full rundown on all the plastic removal and green changes.
Now let’s go inside retail travel agencies – Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) was forced to put out a few fires this year, including one ignited by the ABC that suggested the group ripped off customers and underpaid its staff. The report, released in August, also accused FCTG of having a cult-like mentality, which encouraged a “work hard, play hard” environment.
Managing Director, Graham Turner, was quick to defend the company and its positive culture, saying that the allegations were “untrue” and “not widely held by our people”. A few months later, FCTG launched a ‘Brighter Futures‘ program that holds the company accountable for its practices, products and staff satisfaction.
Business-wise, the group continued its expansion by taking over management of two hotels – X2 Vibe Phuket Patong and X2 Vibe Viet Tri Hotel -, while also cutting out three brands – Escape Travel, Cruiseabout and My Adventure Travel – in order to grow its market share in Australia.
Oh, and who could forget the company’s epic 2018 Global Gathering in Berlin, which featured a charted Etihad Airbus A380 and Chris Hemsworth.
Over at Helloworld Travel, big moves were made over the last 12 months that resulted in a 21 percent increase in share prices and a 48 percent jump in profits to reach $32 million. This HUGE growth was attributed to a strong sales team and wholesale business, which was amplified by the takeover of the Magellan Travel Group and well as Asia Escape Holidays.
Acquisitions of companies such as Flight Systems and more recently Show Group Enterprises, were at the forefront of Helloworld Travel Limited’s plans in 2018, along with brand-raising partnerships with Delicious and Inspire Travel Management.
Speaking of branding, Helloworld Travel put a lot of effort into getting its name inside the head’s of Aussie travellers, particularly through its successful TV travel show called ‘Helloworld’ and starring famous faces such as Sonia Kruger, Steve Jacobs and more.
2018 also marked a big year for mobile consultants, including those at TravelManagers who recruited their 550th Travel Advisor this year, entered a first-of-its-kind relationship with Luxury Escapes and supported its people through a 24/7 mental health program.
Stacey Farnham became the 155th Personal Travel Manager.
Travel Counsellors adopted and promoted the importance of sustainable tourism by partnering with an independent global charity, The Travel Foundation, with whom they’ve developed an online training program to teach and give consultants green credentials.
The home-based group also educated consumers on why Travel Advisors say ‘no’ to a product found online – FYI it’s done entirely to protect the traveller.
MTA Travel spent the year focusing on ways to elevate the professionalism of consultants, which resulted in the launch of the MTA Professional Plus program made up three tiers and dozens of modules, while the Express Travel Group gave us a prediction of what future Travel Advisors will look like.
- BEST OF 2018: The travel stories that touched our hearts this year
- BEST OF 2018: These are the travel memes you loved most
- BEST OF 2018: The top travel advisor happy snaps from the year that was