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. Helloworld launches Australia’s largest group of independent affiliated agents
Helloworld has united its Concorde Agency Network and Affiliate Network to launch My Travel Group, the largest network of independent affiliated travel agents in Australia.
According to the travel group’s CEO, Andrew Burnes, the process of combining the two offerings started around one year ago through consultants and work with agents in the two networks.
He described My Travel Group as an evolution of the existing relationship with agents that sets out to provide a network that “works for independent travel agents”.
2. Easter strikes hit air & cruise passengers
Cruise passengers have been warned that they too could be hit by strikes over the Easter holiday period as customs workers take part in industrial action at Sydney’s OPT.
Strikes will be held by employees of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection at various international airport and cruise terminals.
Walk outs commence today at gateways in Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory and South Australia and is split between day and night.
3. Marriott wins Starwood buyout
Marriott beat out a Chinese insurance company to win a buyout of Starwood for around US$14.4 billion and form the world’s biggest hotel company.
The deal will see Marriott add Starwood’s 1,300 properties in 100 countries to its existing portfolio of 4,400 properties in 87 countries and territories.
It will also give Marriott access to top brand such as W Hotels, Aloft, Westin, Sheraton and more.
4. African travel is tracking up
Adventure World has welcomed an upswing in sales to Africa, particularly Kenya, which over the last six months has increased by 55 percent compared to the same period last year.
The soft adventure specialist said the increase came after the launch of its 2016/17 Africa, Egypt & Middle East stand-alone brochure.
Neil Rodgers, General Manager, Adventure World believes Africa is re-emerging as a holiday destination choice for Aussie holidaymakers, mainly because of the strong Australian dollar compared to currency around Africa and increased access to higher end journeys.
“Further south, Zimbabwe is re-establishing itself as the safari destination of choice as more Australian travellers recognise how much the region has in its favour including fascinating history and four UNESCO World Heritage Sites; a diverse range of adventure activities; spectacular, contrasting landscapes; optimal game viewing opportunities and friendly locals,” Rodgers said.
“Adventure World has long been known amongst the industry as the Africa travel specialists and having worked so long with the destination, we’re delighted to see it enjoying such a strong upturn. As such a bucket list fixture, we expect this trend to continue well into 2017 and beyond.”
5. INDUSTRY RATES for a 5-star adults-only resort
Escape the kids (not just your own) by booking industry rates to the 5-star adults-only resort Layana Resort & Spa, Koh Lanta.
Industry professionals can book a stay at the property from AU$175 (NZ$197) per night in a Garden Pavilion.
Winner of some of the most prestigious luxury accommodation awards including ‘Number 1 Top Hotel in Thailand’ at last year’s TripAdvisor Awards, Layana Resort & Spa has made a name for itself by constantly expanding and developing its product and service offering. The last six months alone have seen Layana introduce ‘Grand Garden Pavilion Rooms’ a luxurious room type brand new to the property, as well as a newly designed wellness zone.
6. More cruising for agents to learn
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia has added a new Southeast Asia module to its training program in response to strong growth trajectory in the region.
According to the cruise association, passenger capacity in Asia is growing at 20 percent annually and cruise passengers in the region expected to have tipped the two million mark last year, making it the perfect time to enhance the online learning academy with the Cruising Southeast Asia elective.
CLIA Australasia Commercial Director Brett Jardine said it was the perfect time for the Cruising Southeast Asia elective to be added to CLIA’s online learning academy.
Electives are in-depth, specialist topics that separated a cruise expert from a cruise seller and were a vital component in growing front line consultant knowledge.
Other training modules include Oceans of Opportunity, Expanding Your Cruise Market, Cruise Dynamics 2016, Specialty Cruising and destination focused modules Cruising Australasia and Cruising South America, with more to be introduced in the coming months. Each of CLIA’s online modules account for about three hours of high level training.
As part of CLIA Australasia’s new tiered membership structure all CLIA classroom training has transitioned to the CLIA Online Learning Academy and is available 24/7 as part of an agency’s annual membership fee.
Other value adds include direct benefits from CLIA member cruise lines as well as everyday discounts from scores of major retailers across Australia and New Zealand, ranging from supermarkets and cinemas to hotels and restaurants.
7. InterContinental Fiji donates to Fiji disaster relief fund
InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa has proudly contributed a donation of $20,000 to the Prime Ministers National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Fund.
The monies collected were a result of donations from guests and staff at InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa. Many of the resorts international and local guests enquired about making donations and offering assistance. As a result, the Resort set up a fundraising campaign webpage for those wishing to make financial donations. The resort staff also pulled together to help their fellow Fijians in a ‘saqamoli’ drive and this amount was also matched by the Resort. Additional donations came from the Resorts Disaster relief partner CARE.
In response to the crisis InterContinental Hotel Group’s (IHG®), recently activated their global charity programme, Shelter in a Storm, to assist staff affected by Tropical Cyclone Winston.
IHG® Shelter in a Storm; based in London, helps hotels support guests, colleagues and local communities in times of need. A key element of IHG’s disaster response is the IHG® Shelter Fund, built up continuously through fundraising activities in the hotels and corporate offices throughout the year and enables quick action as soon as disaster strikes to provide vital assistance. As a result of the continued global support from all IHG® properties, the Fund was able to respond very quickly and organise cyclone relief packs for all 710 staff between InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa and Holiday Inn Suva.
8. Travel Counsellors scope out Singapore for wholesale opportunities
A group of Travel Counsellors from all over Australia recently travelled on a familiarisation tour to Singapore to find the very best hotels, restaurants, attractions and experiences in order to set up their own wholesale enterprise.
After travelling in comfort to Singapore aboard Singapore Airlines, Sarah Bennett of Roleystone, Hulda Strydom of Burns Beach, Lisa Minopoulos of Angle Vale, Chrissie Shah Floreat, were able to see what a Singapore stopover offers travellers in transit by sampling hawker food, sipping cocktails and admiring the skyline at rooftop bars, and taking in a bit of culture at the newly-opened National Gallery of Singapore.
Strydom said while the destination has traditionally been popular as a stopover, it has evolved to a must-visit hot spot with new hotels, bars and restaurants.
“I was really impressed with the wide variety of activities on offer with world-class culinary experiences, a multitude of shopping opportunities and everything from gorgeous gardens to theme parks to keep travellers entertained.”
Hulda Strydom, Travel Counsellor
“After this trip, I can’t wait to put together the ultimate Singapore stopover for my clients.”
9. ‘Secret agent’ wins $10,000 from TTC
The Travel Corporation personally handed Marlowe Cameron from Flight Centre Erina a $10,000 cheque during a ‘secret agent’ inspired presentation.
A very excited Marlowe revealed that a portion of her winnings will go towards a Flight Centre travel voucher for her parents, who have had a challenging few years.
She told the travel company that she’s excited to now have the opportunity to gift her parents with their dream holiday.
The couple have never been out of Australia, although they’ve always been inspired to travel after hearing all of Marlowe’s wonderful stories from her job. Using her voucher, they will be taking a well-deserved trip to Europe. Marlowe says that another portion of her winnings will go towards a shopping trip with her mum in Melbourne and she plans on saving the rest to buy a property.
10. Richard Branson once again proves he really is THE BEST
Really sorry to hear about an alleged incident on flight VS250. We do not tolerate abuse and @virginatlantic are investigating.
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) March 18, 2016
What happens when you feel like you’ve been the target of racism on a Virgin Atlantic flight and you share your experience on social media?
Well, the carrier’s founder Richard Branson may apologise to you.
That’s what happened to one Chinese woman after she claimed she had been verbally assaulted by a passenger on a recent flight to Shanghai.
Liu Wei, said a white man threw racist names in her direction, including “you f#ck#ng Chinese pig”.
She claimed that the airline’s crew didn’t attempt to help her or stop the racist comments, but instead threatened to kick her off the service. She also said she was later told that the man had a mental health issue and was promised he would be moved to another class, but it didn’t happen, Daily Mail reported.
She of course took to social media to share her experience, which received over 11,500 likes and 9,600 comments.
Branson must have seen the post and felt the need to smooth over the situation, because he took to his own Twitter account to apologise to the woman.
His tweet read: “Really sorry to hear about an alleged incident on flight VS250. We do not tolerate abuse and @virginatlantic are investigating”.
Wei said she wasn’t sure whether Branson posted the tweet himself, but was grateful to receive an apology.