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Mon 24 Aug: 10 travel news stories you need to know today

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.

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. Passengers hailed as heroes in train attack

travel news heros feature

One British man and three Americans have been hailed as heroes after overpowering a gunman on a high-speed train travelling between Amsterdam and Paris.

French investigators say 25-year-old Moroccan national Ayob El Khazzani boarded the train on Friday evening with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, an automatic pistol, nine cartridge clips and a box-cutter.

According to The Telegraph, the alleged attacker prepared his main weapon, the Kalashnikov rifle, at the back of the train. There, a 51-year-old British professor, Mark Moogalian, spotted him and attempted to wrestle the weapon out of his hands.

Read on

 

2. Thai Airways brings the ‘Dream’ to Brisbane

Thai Airways

Flights between Brisbane and Thailand are about to get a dream-y upgrade, as Thai Airways sends its Boeing 787 to the city.

Commencing 25 October this year, the airline will replace the Boeing 777 on the route with the 787-8 Dreamliner, Australian Business Traveller reported.

The upgrade to the Dreamliner means Royal Silk Class passengers aka business will have access to Thai’s 24 full-flat seats in a 2-2-2 configuration – an upgrade from the angled-flat beds in the 777s.

Read on

 

3. Top luxury destinations, bureaus & operators

travel news Virtuoso

Six of Virtuoso’s partners were celebrated earlier this month at the group’s annual Virtuoso Week Conference held in Las Vegas.

On the last night of the week-long event, Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch, and Albert Herrera, Virtuoso’s senior vice president of Global Product Partnerships, honored partners that provide exceptional experiences to Virtuoso clients around the world, while simultaneously offering superior expertise to Virtuoso travel advisors.

Winners of the 2015 Virtuoso Destination Showcase Award were FIT/Custom Partner: Classic Vacations; Escorted Tour Partner: Tauck; In-Country Partner: Abercrombie & Kent Kenya; Best Virtuoso Active & Specialty Travel Partner (VAST): Micato Safaris; Best Voyager Club Experience: Amber Tours | Mumbai, India: Highlights of Mumbai with Lunch at Oberoi; and Tourism Board of the Year: Tourism New Zealand.

Congratulations to this year’s winners.

 

4. A Creative deal

travel news Virgin Australia

Creative Holidays has extended its Sydney to Los Angeles flights with Virgin Australia for $999 return with a minimum four night stay, until 31 August 2015.

In addition to the flight deal, Creative Holidays has also taken five percent off all California hotels until 7 September 2015.

PLUS, Creative has made it easier for agents to secure bookings with reduced deposit fees of just $100 per booking.

Click here for more information.

 

5. Additional Ever Wondered Sessions

Ever Wondered Scenic

Scenic has announced its second round of Ever Wondered sessions which will run nationwide from 20 September – 13 October, and showcase its France, Portugal, Russia, Mekong and Irrawaddy all-inclusive river cruising programs plus luxury land touring programs to Africa and South America.

In partnership with local travel agents, the leading luxury travel company is inviting agents to bring along their clients to an Ever Wondered session.

These free information sessions were revamped as part of Scenic’s rebrand earlier this year and will focus on the new elements of the 2016 programs, plus allow guests to discover what life is like on board a Scenic ship.

The six free sessions will take place over four weeks and will be hosted by the local Scenic team of experts who will be on hand to answer any questions and help guests decide which itinerary is right for them.

The first event will be held on 20 September at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre; 24 September at Westin Melbourne; 29 September; Park Hyatt ACT; 1 October at the Radisson in Darling Harbour, NSW; 7 October at Duxton WA; and 13 October at the Crowne Plaza South Australia.

All sessions are free but seats are limited so pre-booking is essential.

Click here for more information.

 

6. New escorted rail journeys through Europe

travel news Travelmarvel Rail

Travelmarvel has launched its first-ever dedicated brochure for escorted rail journeys through Europe with the help of Great Rail Journeys.

Designed to capture the golden era of rail travel, when the train was more than just the mode of transport but the highlight itself, Travelmarvel’s new program offers a choice of fourteen relaxing rail journeys covering the length and breadth of Europe.

Each tour comes with a dedicated English-speaking Tour Manager, who will help guests through ticketing, seats and more. There’s also centrally-located accommodation, airport and hotel transfers plus selected excursions, entrance fees, meals and sightseeing.

Rail journeys included in the brochure are the Glacier Express in Switzerland; to the art deco elegance of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express; and the West Highland Line in Scotland.

 

7. RSVP to the ‘Singapore Uncovered’ roadshow

Singapore for website

The Singapore Tourism Board is challenging agents to test their Singaporean knowledge at the ‘Singapore Uncovered’ roadshow, coming to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth next month.

Travel professionals will be able to interact with hotel brands, airlines and attractions, including first-time participants lON Orchard and Journeys, to discover the latest Singapore has to offer, with the chance to win prizes in the process.

The first event will be held in Sydney on 15 September at the Museum of Contemporary Art followed by Melbourne at the Showtime Events Centre on 16 September and Pan Pacific Perth Hotel on 17 September.

Click here to RSVP.

 

8. Agents ‘Rock Around’ in Canada

Contiki famil

It was three days of Kendrick Lamar (#jealous); Florence and the Machine; The Black Keys and more music greats for 20 agents on Contiki’s 2015 Rock Around the World trip.

As part of the annual incentive, this year the group of consultants were taken to  to Montreal for the legendary three-day Osheaga music festival.

The agent adventure kick started in Toronto and then travelled to Montreal where they truly made every moment count at Osheaga, and wrapped up at the home of the Red Sox, Boston.

 

9. An exclusive ‘Virtuoso’ tour of Turkey

travel news MTA

MTA Members were invited on an exclusive ‘Virtuoso On-Site’ Sea Song study tour of Turkey.

Highlights of the program included in-depth tours of Istanbul, Bodrum which is now fast becoming Turkey’s newest ‘hot spot’, Izmir and Cappadocia.

Sea Song’s accommodation partners in this upmarket tour program included the Grand Hyatt Istanbul, the Marmara Hotel in Bodrum, the Grand Efes Swisshotel in Izmir and the Argos in Cappadocia Hotel.

Pictured above are the agents at the Grand Hyatt Istanbul.

[L-R]: Sue Barton, Pat Lloyd, Sea Song representative Cigdem Kapukaya and Sea Song owner/president Karen Fedorko Sefer, Sue Basedow, Christine Chong, MTA luxury product manager Margaret Lange, Sea Song representatives Ayfer Demirkiran, Grand Hyatt Hotel Istanbul representative Ezgi Aka, Sandy Sirianni, Janet Clacher, Desley Ryan and Grand Hyatt Hotel Istanbul Director of Sales, Direnc Ozdemir Koca.

 

10. It’s a miracle landing

travel news Sun Senitel

It was a miracle no one was injured after a light aircraft practically nose dived into sand on a Florida beach over the weekend.

The picture above shows the tip of the plane dug into Singer Island.

Pilot, Jamie Barker, was carrying sightseers to Lantana Airport when he was forced to make the emergency landing.

According to the pilot, the aircraft was experiencing engine problems.

Luckily the landing avoided any injuries onboard and narrowly avoided any beachgoers.

“We done OK, I guess,” Barker said.

What are your thoughts on today’s travel news stories?