We’ve done all the hard work, so you don’t have to! Read on for our top ten travel industry news stories of the day we think you need to know.
1. Qantas revs up flights to Hamilton Island
The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Hamilton Island today welcomes the launch of the new Qantas service flying direct from Brisbane to the island.
Starting from November 28, the additional Brisbane route, flying four times a week, will address the growing demand among travellers looking to fly with a premium airline when visiting the popular holiday destination.
“We recognise that Hamilton Island is not only a popular Great Barrier Reef holiday destination but also a crucial commuter hub,” Glenn Bourke, Hamilton Island’s CEO, said.
“This additional Qantas service is a positive development for the region and will provide increased flexibility for those travelling from mainland Queensland to the Whitsundays.”
Read on for more.
2. Brownlows mean business
With the pride and pomp of the award ceremony closing last night, Melbourne gears up for a colossal tourist weekend.
This week’s AFL Grand Final is likely to provide a $40 million boost for Victoria’s economy.
The Sydney Swans showdown against Hawthorn is expected to inject an extra $10 million into the economy, thanks to the arrival of interstate fans, State Treasury figures show.
It is estimated more than 30,700 interstate fans will visit Melbourne for the Grand Final, staying for an average of 2.1 nights.
Read on for more.
3. This cruise season set to tally up a record
Australia is about to witness another record summer cruise season, with more than 600 cruise ship visits scheduled for ports around the country over the coming months.
Figures from peak cruise industry body Cruise Lines International Association Australasia (CLIA) show its member cruise lines will have 36 ships cruising Australian waters between October 1, 2014 and April 30, 2015, making a total of 642 calls to Australian ports.
Among the flotilla will be three ships making maiden visits to Australia: Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Legend which will arrive in Sydney on September 22; Compagnie du Ponant’s L’Austral, which will arrive at Cape York on December 24; and MSC Orchestra, which will arrive in Cairns on March 13, 2015.
CLIA general manager Brett Jardine said 18 of the ships in Australian waters for the summer would make 253 roundtrip cruises from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle over the 2014-15 summer, compared to 202 last year.
“This summer we will be seeing growth across the board — the total number of Australian calls has risen from 588 last year to 642 this year, the number of roundtrip cruises has also increased significantly, which means there will be greater economic returns all around,” Mr Jardine said.
4. Time-poor business travellers turning quick stays into vacays
According to the Global Business Travel Association, 468.8 million people traveled for work last year. While the amount of traveling we are doing for work nowadays may not be a shock, the staggering figure on how much unused sick leave Australian workers tally up certainly is.
The latest research from Ray Morgan Research, shows the country’s 11.7 million workers have 128 million days of leave owing, or more than two weeks each.
However, this may all change with the latest trend of mixing business and pleasure set to rise.
In a survey conducted by Skift and American Express in August 2014, 32.7 per cent of respondents were willing to tack on a few extra days on their business trips to enjoy a little rest and relaxation. Almost 23 per cent would use the time to visit family and friends. Slightly less – or 16.2 per cent — said they would do so to use the business expense to help defray overall costs.
Should this trend rise, it would mean great news for the travel industry who would experience an increase in the $(AUD)627 Australians on average spend on their holidays.
5. Garuda goes for gold
Garuda Indonesia has once again won an international award for outstanding service. The “Gold Award” from The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) was awarded for two service concepts, the “Immigration on Board” service and the “Garuda Indonesia Experience.”
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Award for the year 2014 received international 181 entries from 66 organisations/companies that are involved in the tourism industry from countries in the Asia Pasific region. The event was organised in conjunction with the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO).
The award was presented to Garuda Indonesia’s Director of Service, Faik Fahmi during the The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Awards 2014 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
“Immigration on Board” is a special document handling service that issues “visa on arrival” on board the Garuda Indonesia aircraft. It is carried out by immigration officers specifically stationed on board the flight to Jakarta. In its implementation, Garuda Indonesia works together with the Directorate General of Immigration, Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights.
The “Garuda Indonesia Experience” concept reaches out to 24 customer touch points in various stages of the journey, starting from pre-journey, pre-flight, in-flight, right through to post flight and“post journey.” It capitalises on the five senses, sight, sound, taste, scent, and touch.
6. Turkey to trump top five
According to data announced by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2014 has been a good year for Turkish tourism.
“While the first months of the year were also good in terms of tourism, the sector reached its peak in summer,” the chairman of the Turkish Travel Agencies Union, Başaran Ulusoy, said to Anadolu Agency (AA).
The number of foreign tourists visiting Turkey increased by 13.52 per cent in July when compared to last year, reaching 5,214,519. The number of tourists visiting Turkey between January and July in 2014 also increased by 6.84 per cent, and income gained from tourism within the first six months of the year reached over 13(US) billion.
Ulusoy also said they are expecting the number of tourists to reach 42 million in the future and the revenues to be around $35-36 billion.
7. JFK on ice
JFK in Winter. Image Source: Panoramia.com
According to NBC News, a plane landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport skidded off an icy runway just after 8 a.m Sunday, prompting officials to temporarily shut down the airport, authorities said.
The FAA said Delta Connection flight 4100 originated in Toronto and was being flown by Endeavor Air. No injuries were reported.
The plane, as told to NBC by Port Authority spokesman, Ron Marisco, 35 people aboard and skidded into a snow bank while turning onto a taxiway after landing safely at runway 22L. Emergency crews were on the scene.
Delta Airlines said the plane was towed to a gate and passengers exited into the terminal.
The FAA are currently investigating the incident.
8. Explore the Antarctic on a two-for-one
Peregrine Adventures and Intrepid Travel have announced a huge two-for-one flash sale on expeditions to Antarctica booked exclusively through the Intrepid Group. For this week only agents can book customers on select 2014 Antarctica voyages and they can take a friend for free.
The offer is valid on the Antarctic Explorer trip departing from Ushuaia and taking in the best of the Antarctic Peninsula, the continent’s most northern region. Travellers will likely see penguins, seals and whales, take zodiac excursions to explore boys, channels and landing sites and hike up snowy pathways to vantage points offering 360 degree views. For those who are truly adventurous there is also the opportunity to take the Polar Plunge swim into icy waters.
“Travellers will not only experience the untouched landscapes of Antarctica but they can take a friend for free and save thousands of dollars on the trip of a lifetime,” says James Thornton, Intrepid Group Managing Director.
The buy one get one free offer is available to book on the following departures until close of business Friday 26 September 2014:
7 November 2014 – Sea Spirit,
16 November 2014 – Sea Adventurer,
26 November 2014 – Sea Adventurer,
2 December 2014 – Ocean Diamond
, 5 December 2014 – Sea Spirit
, 6 December 2014 – Sea Adventurer,
11 December 2014 – Ocean Diamond.
9. Etihad explores new horizons
Etihad Airways will expand its global route network with the addition of Baku, Tbilisi and Dar es Salaam in the second half of 2015, increasing the total number of new destinations it has announced for next year to nine.
The fast-growing Caucasus region will be a major focus area for the airline next year, with a new service to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, being operated four times a week from 1 October, while Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, will be served three times a week from 2 October.
Etihad will also commence a daily service to Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, from 1 December 2015, providing access to one of East Africa’s most important economic and government centres, and the country’s many tourist attractions, including pristine beaches, wildlife safaris, and the world’s highest free-standing mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro.
The launch of Dar es Salaam flights supports Etihad Airways’ continued expansion in Africa, representing its 11th destination in the continent.
10. Tigerair flying to Grand Final
As the footy season reaches fever pitch, Tigerair Australia is putting on additional services between Sydney and Melbourne this weekend to cater for the anticipated extra demand from Sydney based fans eager to see the Swans take on the Hawks at this year’s Grand Final in Melbourne on Saturday.
Tigerair Australia’s Commercial Director Adam Rowe says that the airline is thrilled to enable sports fans to catch their team in action, particularly around AFL finals time when demand for travel is so great.
“Tigerair is committed to being the consumer champion when it comes to providing value and choice for Australian consumers and we know how important it is to see your team potentially become 2014 champions.
Tigerair’s additional services on the popular Melbourne – Sydney route Saturday 27 September are listed below and are now on sale:
TT 208, 7:45, Melbourne –Sydney
TT 231, 9:45, Sydney – Melbourne
TT 268, 19:45, Melbourne – Sydney
TT 271, 21:45, Sydney – Melbourne
