Some will remember 2016 as the year of political confusion or the year that displaced and killed thousands in Syria and Iraq.
Some say it should be removed from history for taking away so many music and entertainment icons while others trash it for breaking up Brangelina.
2016 has without a doubt been filled with many unforgettable moments, especially in travel.
We had our share of tragedies that stole many lives, including members of a football team and we dealt with the aftermath of attacks across major cities in Europe.
But where there was sadness, there were also smiles as we broke new grounds in cruising, welcomed dozens of new air services to China and went on booking frenzies over dirt cheap fares.
Yes, there were many highs and lows, which is why 2016 will go down in travel history and the year…
The year Webjet came out swinging
Travellers & industry professionals have jumped in to defend agents against Webjet’s latest marketing campaign, which has been deemed as offensive towards frontline consultants.
And Agents clapped back
Remember when Webjet launched that controversial TVC back in January that was deemed offensive and slanderous to Agents?
It was the year Flight Centre opened an epic office
It was a frightening affair for those who rocked up to Flight Centre’s new global headquarters in Brisbane’s South Bank today.
As did Expedia
Themed meeting rooms, SEVERAL breakout areas, an enviably large kitchen, a gaming room AND a cafe – we checked out Expedia’s new Sydney HQ and walked away with a major case of the green monster.
Intrepid
Intrepid may have discovered the secret to a happy and productive working environment… beer.
And TripAdvisor
Expedia employees aren’t the only ones in the travel industry hanging out in some cool digs, TripAdvisor and Viator have just unveiled their new Sydney offices and they’re pretty darn cool.
It was the year airfares hit ridiculously low levels
Qantas returns to San Francisco, American Airlines flies from Sydney to Los Angeles, United takes off to NZ and Air New Zealand heads south to Houston.
Seriously, so low
Domestic travel could have a hard time keeping up with international as increased competition and cheaper fuel sends global airfares plummeting to an all-time low.
And the UK decided to leave the European Union
Since news broke on Friday of the UK’s historic decision to leave the European Union, otherwise known as Brexit, the media has been filled with images of a country falling apart at the seams.
While the US stunned the world with a Trump vote
In case you haven’t heard, America has elected a man with no political experience, no sophistication of thought, and almost no hair to lead them and the rest of the free world for the next four years.
It was the year NT shocked people with a crafty new campaign
There’s never a dull moment up in the NT it seems according to new merchandise store ntofficial.com. Have we seen it all now when we ‘CU in the NT’?
And Tourism Australia wooed women worldwide with Thor
Tourism Australia has launched its latest campaign featuring Chris Hemsworth and focussing on showcasing the country’s numerous world-class experiences.
For Agents it was a big year for incentives with a million spent by the TTC
What does winning a share of $1 MILLION actually look like? Does your smile REALLY stretch beyond what you ever thought was physically possible? Do you really hear cash registers going off around you?
$250,000 cash returned to consultants by Etihad
Incentives are a great way to entice Travel Agents to sell a product, but here’s one incentive that will not only encourage consultants but their clients too.
And a trip to Sri Lanka with Wendy Wu Tours
Agents are really going to love ‘The New Wu’ because she’s giving them the chance to WIN one of eight spots on a famil to Sri Lanka.
And so many more…
Sadly, it was also the year Brazil lost some of its top football players in a tragic accident
Brazil’s biggest sports fans are in mourning today after officials confirmed 71 people, including several of Brazil’s top football (soccer) players and journalists, were killed during a tragic plane crash near Medellin, Colombia.
And some 66 people died in an EgyptAir crash
Remains of the 66 passengers and crew members aboard EgyptAir’s Flight 804 have been found and recovered, according to officials.
A few months after a man faked an EgyptAir plane hijacking
This is either incredibly stupid or weirdly romantic – we’re leaning towards the latter although we can see (not really) why some might have deemed this an act of love.
It was the year Turkey was struck by several attacks
Post-soccer celebrations in the center of Istanbul turned into devastating bloodshed, when two blasts killed 38 people and injured 166 others.
As was Berlin
Christmas is meant to be a time of giving, love and family, but for shoppers at the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market in Berlin last night, it turned into a time of tragedy.
And Brussels
Belgium’s capital city, Brussels, is dealing with the emotional and travel aftermath of twin explosions at its international airport yesterday, which killed 11 and injured 81 holidaymakers.
For every negative, there was a positive with the cruise industry seeing record growth
New locally based cruise ships, itineraries to Asia and investment in the market has contributed to another record year for Australian cruising.
As Norwegian Cruise Line opened its first local office
You may have heard all about Norwegian Cruise Line Holding’s major investment in the local market, but have you taken a step back to think about how this benefits you?
And Royal Caribbean shipped us our largest and most technologically advanced vessel
Oh hey, in case you missed the Today Show live broadcast, the dozens of articles and hundreds of social media posts – Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas is in Sydney.
It was the year Australia welcomed several new air services, such as Air New Zealand’s services to Houston
Air New Zealand’s new Houston flights are proving to be popular amongst flyers, with the airline reporting strong sales within their first four months of launching.
And Argentina
Air New Zealand brand ambassador and former All Blacks’ captain Richie McCaw joined former Pumas’ captain, Agustin Pichot, in Buenos Aires today to host a rugby event for local Argentinian school children.
There was Qantas’ return to San Francisco
Qantas may have ‘left its heart in San Francisco’ four years ago, but the airline is finally returning and taking Aussie travellers with it.
American Airlines’ first flights to Australia
Two new Qantas and American Airlines services will take off in the next 24 hours, giving the airlines’ customers unrivalled choice of flights across the Pacific.
The announcement of Melbourne’s first flights to South America
Heat up some empanadas, pour a whole lot of chicha and turn up the reggaeton, Melburnians have one major reason to host a fiesta – direct flights to South America.
And we can’t even count the number of new services into China
Australia and China have sealed a historic agreement, which will allow airlines fly an unlimited number of services and passengers between the two countries.
It was also the year Qantas confirmed Australia’s first direct services to Europe
Were you one of those unbelievers who thought there was a better chance of Sydney seeing snow in summer than Australia ever receiving direct flights to London?
The year the Flying Kangaroo lost a bet to its trans-Tasman competition
Qantas staff may be green and gold at heart but today their souls (and outfits) will be painted ‘all black’ after the carrier lost a Rugby World Cup (RWC) wager to Air New Zealand.
And it was the year that Cuba reopened its skies to the western world
The last time an American carrier operated a scheduled commercial flight to Cuba, Mister Ed had only just premiered its first season on TV, women were sporting pill box hats and Ray Charles and Elvis Presley had number one hits on the Billboard Chart.
