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. A collection of the best pics from NTIA 2016 as taken by you
By now, you should know who the big winners were at this year’s NTIAs. If you don’t, we’ve got you covered. Catch up on all the goss by clicking here. Or find out how Excite rode to success, here.
And I’m sure you’ve all seen some of those professional photos that capture the more… well, the more formal parts of the evening.
But of course, it’s the attendees (you) and their trustee iPhones that tend to tell the real story of any event, which is why we scoured through your ‘grams’ and ‘tweets’ to present this collection of some of the best pics from NTIA 2016 as taken by you.
2. Not just a party, see a different side to Flight Centre Global
Flight Centre Global Gathering 2016 wasn’t just a two-day party for Travel Agents (although the pictures suggests otherwise), it was also a chance for global achievers to give back through a little charity work.
When some 3,000 consultants and their industry friends descended on Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands late last week, they did so knowing they’d have a pretty wicked time hanging out with peers, partying with celebrity entertainment AND by giving their time to volunteer work.
Organised by Flight Centre Foundation’s CSR with help from Marina Bay Sands, Stop Hunger Now and the Singapore Tourism Board, this year, the group helped pack some 30,000 nutritious, high protein meals to be distributed by Food Bank Singapore to help feed up to 100,000 people in need (including the elderly and those with low incomes).
3. Qantas & the NSW govt are spending how much on tourism?
Qantas and the NSW Government have extended their partnership for another three years and have agreed to spend $28 million to promote Sydney and Regional NSW to the world.
The pair plan to invest the money over the three year period on activities that will attract more visitors from international markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, China, Southeast Asia, Japan and New Zealand.
One of the bigger initiatives will include the launch of a new Virtual Reality digital marketing project aimed at driving early bookings to Vivid Sydney 2017. Plus there’ll be a range of joint advertising campaigns with a focus on online and social media; trade partner campaigns; public relations activities; and trade and media visits.
4. P&O Cruises’ Pacific Dawn is getting a ridiculous makeover
It looks like Brisbane may end up being home to one of Australia’s coolest P&O Cruises ships… well, at least until Pacific Explorer arrives in June next year.
Pacific Dawn, which homeports in the city, will undergo a ridiculous makeover early 2017 to become one of Australia’s funnest year-round vessels with a new state-of-the-art water park featuring TWO waterslides.
That’ll also make Dawn Australia’s first year-round cruise ship with a water park – unless you count Carnival Spirit’s Green Thunder slide, but that’s a water ride not a water park. There’s a difference.
5. Visa on arrival revoked in Armenia
Australians travelling to Armenia will need to obtain their visa for the country before departing Australia.
An update from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has advised the Republic will no longer offer Australians visa on arrival.
6. Australia wakes up to Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer will be at the forefront of Aussie minds this week, as Channel Seven’s breakfast program, Sunrise, broadcasts daily weather updates live from Western Canada.
The week-long event started yesterday, with weather presenter Sam Mac sharing his experience onboard the operator’s Rainforest to Gold Rush route through Western Canada and the Canadian Rockies.
Yesterday, his adventures showcased the year-round playground Whistler where he took part in a bear hunt at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler golf course and tried traditional Canadian treats including poutine (made with French fries and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy) and the Caesar cocktail.
Sunrise’s Rocky Mountaineer travel segments will air daily between 5.30am and 9am from Monday 18 to Friday 22 July.
7. Registrations open for the 2016 Hawai‘i Tourism Conference
This year’s Hawai’i Tourism Conference will be bigger than ever in both number of attendees and activities, as the Hawaii Tourism Authority expands the event into a city-wide event to include explorations of the destination’s famous attractions.
Early bird registrations have officially opened to the annual conference, which delves into current tourism trends, market development and issues faced by international visitors.
Held from 26-29 September at the Hawai’i Convention Center, it will feature local, national and international experts covering current trends, market development and issues occurring in the global visitor industry.
Early bird registrations close 31 July. Click here for the full program or to register.
8. All Nippon Airways’ fleet force continues to grow
“Wait. Oh my! What have you done. I’m…” a plane? All Nippon Airways is growing its Star Wars fleet with this golden beauty inspired by the popular droid, C-3PO.
The new Boeing 777-200 aircraft will join the three existing planes that have Star Wars characters as livery from the end of March 2017 and will operate on domestic routes in Japan.
Other Star Wars characters turned into aircraft livery include the R2-D2 and BB-8.
Click here for more pictures.