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. Flight Centre hooks up with Ninemsn for a new travel website
A virtual travel agent, a new entertainment company and NOW a new travel website – Flight Centre just doesn’t slow down.
The travel group has teamed up with Ninemsn to launch Ninemsn Elsewhere, a consumer site that promises to “reflect the way Australians like to travel now”, mUmBRELLA reported.
Unveiled today, the website features content for 55 cities covering places to eat, stay, insider tips and more.
2. COWABUNGA dude! Meet NYC’s new, pizza-loving Family Ambassadors
Dora the Explorer has been bumped by NYC & Company in favour of four pizza eating, Martial Arts trained, headband sporting talking Turtles.
Ahead of the release of the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, New York’s official destination marketing organisation has teamed up with Nickelodeon to use the four green icons as the newest Official NYC Family Ambassadors.
Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo are the eighth Family Ambassadors for the organisations, following last year’s Dora and Friends.
3. CEO change at Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has announced that Kurt Ekert is replacing Douglas Anderson as President and CEO, with immediate effect. In this role, Kurt will report directly to the Carlson Board of Directors.
Under Douglas Anderson’s leadership, CWT became the industry leader in business travel and made significant advancement in technology, including the acquisition of WorldMate. The company also developed an effective organization with strong talent. Douglas is leaving to pursue other opportunities.
Ekert most recently served as Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer of Travelport. During his five plus years in that role, the business transformed its product offerings and value propositions in all key channels and delivered consistent growth, highlighted by a successful IPO.
Kurt also previously spent nine years at Travelport in a number of other executive roles, including Chief Operating Officer of European-based GTA. His experience prior to that includes six years at Continental Airlines.
4. INCENTIVE: Receive a $25 Coles Myer voucher
Wendy Wu Tours is celebrating the release of its ‘The Big Asia Sale’ promotion by offering travel agents a $25 Coles Myer voucher for every new passenger booked a Classic fully inclusive group tour.
The offer runs until 24 June for departure from July to November this year.
Over 100 departures are included in ‘The Big Asia Sale’ offering savings between $400 and $600 per person on a selection of Classic, Deluxe and Discovery tours across the China, India and Indochina programs. New offers will be uploaded to Wendy Wu’s website throughout the campaign.
5. Forget Cruise Week, try Cruise Month
Cruise deals for seven days? No thanks, try cruise deals for a whole month!
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia has announced an expansion of its annual Cruise Week promotion to run for the entire month of October.
The move is part of a global roll out of CLIA’s “Plan a Cruise Month”, which will see CLIA offices around the world synchronise their cruise promotion for the first time.
In addition to picking up deals, ‘Plan a Cruise Month’ aims to raise awareness of cruising as well as provide agent members with the tools and resources to make sales to new and current clients.
More details on the initiative, as well as tools and resources will be available in the coming months.
6. Royal Caribbean opens 2017/18 Australia season sales
Are your clients dreaming of laying by this pool? Tell them to stop dreaming and start living by booking a 2017/18 cruise.
Royal Caribbean opened its Australian summer season for sale this week, which includes cruises on the most technological ship to ever cruise around our country, Ovation of the Seas.
During the six-month period, the cruise line’s four ships (Ovation of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas) will conduct 66 sailings around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
From September 2017 through to April 2018, the four megaliners will call at 46 ports across Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, Asia and North America with departures from Sydney, Fremantle, Auckland, Singapore, Honolulu and Seattle.
7. Carnival’s voluntourism cruises begin
Remember when Carnival Corporation announced it was launching a voluntourism cruise brand, Fathom, that would focus on offering ‘social impact’ itineraries?
Well, the brand’s first cruise has arrived in the Dominican Republic where around 704 cruisers will spend around a week working alongside local residents to improve the lives of children, families and communities.
Carnival said the brand will allow for thousands of impact activity days per week and provide unprecedented scale for impact.
Fathom will offer separate roundtrip voyages from Miami to two of the Caribbean’s most desired destinations: the Dominican Republic and Cuba.
8. Park Hotel Group jumps from Sydney to Melbourne
Eight Park Hotel Group delegates have completed their tour across Sydney, during which they promoted the hospitality group and held training sessions with key trade partners.
The group have now made their way to Melbourne and Perth where their mission will continue.
In addition to educating local partners, the delegation has also taken time out to share a number of hotel openings and developments in Southeast Asia and Oceania.
9. And the final G Adventures Über Massive Incentive winner is…
Guess who won two places on a G Adventures Antarctica Classic itinerary with return flights from Air New Zealand?
It’s STA Travel, Westfield Bondi’s Marc Rees!
Rees was the final UMI winner for this year, receiving the last of $40,000 worth of prizes.
“I really can’t believe it, still hasn’t sunk in. I thought I’d only get to Antarctica if I won the lottery, and I guess that’s exactly what’s happened.”
Marc Rees, STA Travel, Westfield Bondi
With the final winner announced, G Adventures Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, Adrian Piotto, assured although another year is over, the incentive will be back in 2017 “bigger and better than ever”.
10. USA fires up the barbie for Phil Hoffmann Travel
The crew at Phil Hoffmann Travel were treated to an Americas-style BBQ, prepared by Australia’s BBQ champions.
Cooking duo, Grant Neal and Craig Philpott, fired up the BBQ at the company’s head office in Glenelg, South Australia and delivered some mouth watering pulled pork, ribs, mac n’ cheese and beans.
Some 67 enthusiastic agents tried to delicious food between a USA-themed training session with speakers from San Francisco Travel Association; Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau; Santa Monica Travel & Tourism; San Diego Tourism Authority; Visit West Hollywood; Visit Huntington Beach; Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitor Bureau; Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority; Visit Napa Valley; Sonoma County Tourism, and Visit Sacramento.
Click here to check out more pics.
PS – LAN recognised as e-commerce leader in Latin America
LAN, a member of LATAM Airlines Group, was named as the company of the year for e-commerce in the eCommerce Awards LATAM 2016 in the tourist industry category for the successful management of its website, LAN.com.
The awards aim to recognise companies for good practice and their contribution to developing the digital economy in each country in the region.
“Our digital products represent an increasingly important part of our passengers’ travel experience, which is why it is a priority to continue to develop this area. Today, our clients can purchase tickets easily via our digital platforms as well as check-in, review flight statuses, redeem kilometers and much more,” said Eli Senerman, Digital Director, LATAM.
The executive added that the company is continually evaluating passengers’ needs to tailor the travel experience through digital improvements: “An important step was the launch of LAN.com Mobile, which enables users to access key services from their cell phones to facilitate the start of their journeys such as reviewing flight statuses and checking-in.”
