We’ve done all the hard work so you don’t have to! Read on for the top 10 travel industry news stories of the day that we think you need to know.
1. W Hotel to open in Brisbane
Starwood Hotels & Resorts are set to debut its iconic W Hotels brand in Brisbane in 2018. The global hotel company signed the deal with Shayher Leisure Holdings and has said the property at the western end of the CBD will be part of a mixed-use development. Today’s signing marks the re-entry of the W brand to Australia, after leaving its Sydney Woolloomooloo Wharf hotel in 2007.
“W Brisbane marks a significant milestone for Starwood, bringing the dynamic and innovative W brand back to the Pacific Region,”
Regional Vice President, Starwood Pacific Hotels & Resorts, Sean Hunt, said.
“W Hotels is currently experiencing a wave of growth worldwide and having its presence here in Australia will provide a strong foundation for its continued expansion both locally and across the region.We are delighted to embark on this project in partnership with Shayher.
W Brisbane will offer 305 stylish guestrooms, including 25 suites and an Extreme Wow Suite, the W brand’s reinterpretation of the traditional Presidential Suite. Read more
2. Norwegian buys Prestige for US$3 billion
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the world’s third largest cruise company, has just become even bigger and better after purchasing upscale brand, Prestige Cruise International, parent company of luxe-line Regent Seven Seas Cruises and “upper premium” Oceania Cruises. The US$3 billion deal, announced last night, will give Norwegian Cruise Line an opportunity to tap into the luxury-end of the cruising market, and its higher fares, which is expected to boost its bottom line.
It also allows the cruise line to increase revenue from outside of the Caribbean, where it currently gets approximately half of its sales, but in recent years, has also had to fight an influx of competition. The deal, which is set to close at the end of the year, will see an additional eight ships added to Norwegian’s existing fleet of 13. Read more
3. Sunny days here to stay
The Sunshine Coast is reportedly continuing its strong tourism recovery with solid growth in international arrivals up 1.8% for 12 months to June 30, compared with 2012-13 results, mostly due to Kiwi’s seeking out sunny days.
The Coast reports an 8% growth in overall visitor nights and a substantial increase of 23.1% in international visitor expenditure to $214.5 million compared with the previous year.
The star international performer was the New Zealand market, which grew by 8.4% to establish it as the region’s number one international source market. The Canadian market grew by 26%, and many of the European markets showed encouraging signs of recovery. Read more
4 CLIA focus on developing South Pacific
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia has launched a partnership with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) to promote the sustainable growth of cruise tourism in the region. Under the partnership, CLIA will encourage sustainable cruise tourism, which can deliver economic and social benefits to the South Pacific.
The South Pacific is the most popular cruise destination for Australian and New Zealand cruisers, with CLIA statistics showing almost 350,000 holidaymakers from the two nations enjoyed cruises to the region last year.
“The projects implemented through this partnership will aim to serve the interests of both the SPTO member nations and the cruise lines that bring tourists to the islands,” SPTO Chief Executive Ilisoni Vuidreketi said. Read more
5. Rome tax doubles
Travellers to Rome can expect to pay higher room taxes after the Italian Government approved the hike a few weeks ago, leaving tour operators in the lurch to absorb charges.
Tour operators are reportedly up in arms over the changes after being given only a month’s notice and unable to pass on charges to travellers who have already booked packages.
Visitors staying in a five-star hotel must pay €7 per person per night on top of their room rate, up from €3. For those staying in a four-star hotel the figure is now €6 (up from €3); those in three-star accommodation will now be charged €4 (up from €2); travellers in one- and two-star hotels must now pay €3 (up from €2).
The tax will be collected at the end of a hotel stay, and visitors to youth hostels are exempt from the charge, while those in b&b accommodation pay €3.50.
6. Creative gets creative with Travel Studios
Creative Holidays has commenced its transition to a new state-of-the-art Travel Studio operating platform, giving agents access to an extensive range of product including worldwide wholesale and retail airfares, as well as global hotel inventory. Managing Director, James Gaskall said that the rollout is a “complex process” resulting in increases in wait times at certain hours of the day. Agents can continue to use i-Create as normal for any departures prior to 1 October, 2014. All new bookings from 1 October can be made through the reservations team on 131 222.
7. Virgin overhauls lounge menus
Virgin Australia has upped the ante for hungry passengers after launching new menus across its entire domestic lounge network, as part of the airline’s overhaul of its customer experience.
Visitors to all Virgin Australia lounges can now choose from six new original menus over the coming months, and from October, the airline will also launch themed Afternoon Pop Up menus.
Virgin Australia Chief Customer Officer, Mark Hassel said: “We have spent the last three years transforming our domestic lounge network and leading with the way with the delivery of unique premium services. These new menus will further enhance the lounge experience by giving our customers more variety and choice.
Visitors to Virgin Australia lounges in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Cairns, Adelaide, Perth and Mackay can look forward to experiencing refreshed menu options.
8. Uber banned in Germany
Uber is about to have a head-on collision with Germany’s taxis and legal systems after a court in Frankfurt banned the company from operating in the country. The countrywide ban is pending a full hearing, with Uber expecting to use “all legal means” to fight the case.
9. Emirates lands in Oslo
Emirates has expanded its Scandinavian reach today with the start of its daily non-stop service to Oslo. Operated with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, is the first international service to offer a First Class product in Norway.
“Tapping into markets like Norway, which are currently underserviced in terms of international connections, has been a key driver for our success in the past and we are confident that Oslo will be another example of this. We also anticipate healthy demand for our First Class product, which is aligned with the needs of our corporate travelers out of Norway,” Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer said.
10. Totally Thames gets happy hippo
A very large and seemingly happy Hippo has landed at London’s South Bank as part of the month long Totally Thames festival. Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, who also brought the large Rubber Duck art installation around the world, created the 21-meter-long hippo sculpture which will be semi-immersed in the river at Nine Elms, central London’s newest district. While Hofman’s sculptures often originate from everyday objects, HippopoThames’ design was apparently inspired by the fascinating prehistory of the River Thames, and the hippos that used to inhabit it.
The hippo rises and falls with the tide and is expected to be featured as the new backdrop for the ‘selfie capital of the world’, according to suggestme.com.
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