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. The 2015 Avis Scholarship finalists are…
Every submission was checked, reviewed and check again, before the judging panel for the 2015 Avis Scholarship culled entires down to just five finalists.
Congratulations to: Debbie Andrews – MTA Travel (WA); Barbara Baron – Southside World Travel (NSW); Kim Hall – American Express Global Business Travel (NSW); Jill Rimmer – Phil Hoffmann Travel (South Australia) and Belinda van Tholen – MTA Travel (Tasmania).
The awesome fivesome were selected as finalists for their work in providing outstanding customer service to every client.
2. Virgin to open ‘world class’ terminal at Perth Airport
Perth Airport will be home to Australia’s ‘most luxurious and advanced’ terminal once the upgrades to Virgin Australia’s T1 Domestic Terminal are complete.
Opening on 22 November, Virgin Australia will move all its Perth Airport operations to the renovated terminal – leaving T3 entirely to Qantas.
Millions have been invested in the redevelopment of the site to create what Perth Airport CEO, Brad Geatches, described as a ‘world-class facility and the most significant project in the gateway’s history’.
3. Female travellers take their ‘next step’ with G Adventures
Adventure travel company, G Adventures, is becoming one of the more trusted operators for solo female travellers, according to new figures.
The tour operator reported that this year women aged between 25 and 39 made up around 48 percent of all bookings – that’s a seven percent increase on last year.
G Adventures’ Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Belinda Ward, told KarryOn that the increase comes as more females look to travel on their own, but still want the comfort and safety of a group.
4. Search continues for missing Aussie
The search continues for a missing 27-year-old Sydney man who went missing after a whale watching boat sank off Canada’s Vancouver Island earlier this week.
The boat, MV Leviathan II, was hit by a wave on Monday and rolled several times before it started to sink.
Survivors told media that they felt like they were tossed around like rag dolls, The Australian reported.
5. Hugh & Qantas empower young indigenous people
When Hugh Jackman signed up to be Qantas’ Global Ambassador he promised that together they would work on community projects in Australia and create opportunities for locals to learn.
True to his word, the pair today announced a new grants initiative with the Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF) that will help empower young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be leaders in their communities.
Funded by a $1.4 million donation from the Qantas Foundation, the initiative will achieve its goals by assisting IMF graduates aka Frontrunners in furthering their education or careers, pursue a business enterprise or support a community development project.
Hugh Jackman said he’s been ‘so impressed’ by IMF’s achievements and believes the grant can help take the program to the next level.
“I’m a passionate believer that if you give young people the opportunity and the tools to make a difference, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.”
Hugh Jackman
Qantas’ CEO Alan Joyce added that creating opportunities for young Indigenous people is fundamental to Qantas’ role as a national carrier.
6. New expo shines light on hotel careers
The hospitality industry will have an entire day to convince young people and other industry folk that the sector is full of career opportunities at the Hotel Expo.
Launched this week by the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Hon. Stuart Ayres MP, it has been described as an important step towards educating people on what is available in hospitality.
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said ensuring the industry has the right people is critical to delivering a world-class visitor experience and increase NSW’s competitiveness as a destination.
The Hotel Career Expo will take place on the 16 May 2016 at the InterContinental Sydney.
7. Excite grows with another appointment
Excite Holidays continues to grow its local team with the latest appointment of Andrew Yell as General Manager Global Sales.
Andrew will manage the online travel wholesaler’s global sales team, international contracting team as well as leading the company’s strategic expansion into new markets.
He joins the company from The Travel Corporation where he held several senior positions such as General Manager Business Development and Executive General Manager for Creative Holidays.
Excite CEO and Founder, George Papaioannou, said the team was excited to have Andrew on board and can’t wait to utilise his extensive experience.
Earlier this year, Excite expanded its team by 15 new people. Click here to read more.
8. Sydney to host Hainan Congress
Sydney has become the first Australian city selected to host a major congress and cultural exhibition for the Chinese island, Hainan.
The 14th Congress of the World Federation of Hainanese Associations will take place in the Harbour City from 30 October to 1 November this year.
It’s the first time in the association’s 25-year history for the biannual event to take place outside of Asia or the US.
More than 1,500 delegates from over 20 countries and regions are to attend the three-day event which aims to promote strong relationships, and enhance mutual benefits and sustainable development between the Hainanese communities from the different nations around the globe, Australia included.
Following the three-day program, the delegation will visit Melbourne and New Zealand’s Auckland, ending their inaugural Southern Hemisphere tour on 6 November.
9. Park Hotel Group named best chain
Park Hotel Group took home the title of ‘Best Regional Hotel Chain’ for the fourth year running from the TTG Travel Awards.
The achievement comes on the back of the opening of Park Hotel Adelaide, its first hotel in Australia and outside Asia.
“This award provides us strong encouragement to continue to deliver great products and customer service excellence as Park Hotel Group continues to extend our footprint across the Asia Pacific.”
Allen Law, Park Hotel Group Chief Executive
Mr Mohd Rafin, Chief Corporate Officer of Park Hotel Group receiving the Best Regional Hotel Chain award that comes at a time when the Group is aggressively expanding into key destinations across Asia Pacific.
Recognising the best of Asia Pacific’s travel trade, the TTG Travel Awards this year honours 84 winners through votes from industry professionals including hoteliers, airlines, travel consultants, tour operators and destination management companies.
10. PTMs enjoy some traditional Japanese dishes
A group of Victorian-based TravelManagers were treated to some authentic Japanese food before meeting with Japanese tourism industry delegates earlier this month.
The lunch, organised by Japan Holidays at Melbourne’s Kobe Jones Riverside Teppanyaki restaurant, featured a detailed presentation on Kumamoto, a prefecture (province) on Japan’s third largest island, Kyushu.
TravelManagers’ Theresa Kwong, representative for Hughesdale, Victoria, said she was very impressed with both the lunch and the presentation.
“I was already reasonably familiar with the major Japanese cities and the ski resorts, but I didn’t really know much about Kyushu which is Japan’s third largest island.”
Theresa Kwong, Personal Travel Manager
“The main city, Kumamoto, has a population of around 650,000 and we learned that it is most famous for its castle, which is one of Japan’s largest and most complete.
“The castle itself is home to around 800 cherry trees, making it a popular spot for the Japanese spring pass-time of hanami, or cherry blossom viewing.”
