Skill up on all you need to know with bite sized travel news designed specifically to help you, the Travel Agent, be your best today and tomorrow.
1. Trafalgar takes travellers to the Vatican Museum after hours
Imagine having the freedom to walk through the Sistine Chapel and immerse yourself in centuries-old Italian masterpieces without being surrounded by a herd of other tourists.
Visiting Vatican Museums after hours is a dream come true for many history and art fans, but is usually reserved for museum staff, wealthier travellers and the Pope.
Except in 2017, Trafalgar guests will have the chance to be among the few to say they walked through one of the world’s largest and most recognisable museums practically on their own.
2. Flight Centre buys into another travel company
The Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) purchased 49 percent of Gold Coast-based leisure travel business, Ignite Travel Group.
Also known as Ignite, the business was founded in 2005 by current Managing Director, Randall Deer, and specialises in the development and distribution of innovative leisure market models including exclusively curated holiday packages, travel vouchers and rewards programs.
It has three key business units: MyHolidayCentre – a business that specialises in hand crafted luxury package holidays; Holiday Exclusives – a business that sells exclusive, limited time “flash sale” travel vouchers; and RewardsCorp – a business that designs and implements unique rewards and promotions programs.
3. World Travellers Group to join Helloworld network in New Zealand
Helloworld has signed a deal with New Zealand-based World Travellers for the World Travellers Group to join the Helloworld retail network in New Zealand.
Effective 2 October, Andrew Burnes, CEO of Helloworld, said that he was delighted World Travellers Group had decided to join the Helloworld network.
He said with 36 retail and mobile travel businesses across the North and South Island, the new deal will add over $90 million in top line TTV to Helloworld network sales on an annual basis.
4. Magellan Conference opens in Auckland
Magellan Travel Group opened its’ Annual Conference for 2016 last night with a Welcome Event on Auckland Harbour sponsored by Air New Zealand.
It’s the company’s first overseas conference and saw Air New Zealand join the group as a sponsor for the group’s welcoming party.
“It was great to have Air New Zealand sponsor our Welcome Event and support our entire Conference so generously.”
Andrew Macfarlane, Magellan CEO
5. SAVE THE DATE – Tourism Ireland Roadshow
Want to know more about scenic road trips? Or are you keen to learn more about the Ireland’s Ancient East? Or do you want to meet Grammy-nominated artist Ciaran Gribbin?
You can tick off all three things plus more at November’s Tourism Ireland Sales Mission in Australia and New Zealand.
Starting on 14 November in Auckland, the roadshow will travel to Brisbane on 15 November, Sydney on 16 November and then Melbourne on 21 November. Attendees will meet with leading suppliers and go in the running to win a place on a famil to Ireland in 2017 with airline partner, Emirates.
More information on venues and registration will follow shortly.
6. WIN an 11-day famil to Peru with Eclipse Travel
Eclipse Travel has teamed up with PromPeru to host an Agent Engagement Evening, where consultants will not only receive destination and product updates but be in the running to win an 11-day famil to Peru.
The intimate evening will be held on 5 October from 6.00pm at the Imperial Hotel in Paddington. Guests will enjoy drinks and gourmet canapes while hearing from Eclipse Travel Directors Matt McMillan and Tim Farquhar followed by a special session with PromPeru.
Attendees will get to meet with representatives from the brand new luxurious hotel, explora Valle Sagrado and then find out if they’re the lucky draw winner of the Peru famil departing 31 October to 10 November and covering Lima, Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
7. Tourico Holidays adds 1,500 new activities to worldwide inventory
Tourico Holidays has seen a 22 percent increase in worldwide activity bookings over the last year, off the back of adding up to 1,500 new activities to its global inventory during that time.
Sporting event tickets saw the largest increase in bookings, up 65 percent on the previous year, followed by ski passes (59 percent), attraction passes (37 percent) and multi-day guided tours (34 percent).
In an effort to maintain its momentum, Tourico said over the next year it will continue adding new activities and attractions to its inventory, particularly in heavy-growth markets such as Asia, Canada and several Arabic speaking countries.
8. PARKROYAL Darling Harbour wins Best Restaurant in a Hotel/Motel/Resort
PARKROYAL Darling Harbour’s ABODE Bistro & Bar has won the title of Best Restaurant in a Hotel/Motel/Resort at the 2016 NSW Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence.
Anthony Naylor, Head Chef of ABODE Bistro & Bar said he’s thrilled to be acknowledged and is proud to serve alongside the restaurant’s “highly dedicated and hard-working team”.
“Congratulations and a big thank you to our kitchen and front-of-house staff for their passion in striving for excellence,” he said.
9. Agents go to the circus with Trafalgar
They laughed, they oooo’d, they ahhhh’d and they clutched onto their arm rests at Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza in Sydney.
Trafalgar treated a group of its top selling Agents from around the country to a night at the circus yesterday, to recognise their hard work over the last 12 months and give them a quick update on the business.
While most attendees watched the professionals perform incredible acrobatics, heart-stopping tight-rope walking and crazy contorting, one of Trafalgar’s own was lucky enough to take part in the popular show for a hilarious skit with the circus clowns and one circus hottie.
