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contents

From the managing editor Bruce Piper

COVER STORY

what are you worth?

features 26 Careers 36 South East Asia 44 USA 50 Bali 54 Japan 59 Sustainable tourism

monthly 02 06 29 30 33 34 62

State of the industry Issues and trends Travel management Cruising report Brochures Industry in focus The last word

columns 02 06 10 15 31

Ian McMahon Steve Jones AFTA View ATEC View CLIA View

This month we are proud to reveal the details of what we believe is the most comprehensive employment and salary survey ever conducted in the Australian travel industry. The large readership of Travel Daily, Cruise Weekly, Business Events News and travelBulletin meant we were able to gather a very strong response to a survey conducted independently by Stollznow Research, which has provided deep insight into the industry. travelBulletin editor Louise Wallace has sliced and diced the figures, which demonstrate some intriguing facts about the travel sector including a significant disparity between the earning power of men and women. It’s also clear that working for suppliers such as airlines and cruise companies can help boost your earning power – but the results also show that it’s not just about the money, with lots of travel consultants very happy in their work despite lower remuneration. The survey also looked at other key trends including the popularity of social media among travel industry staffers. And while we don’t generally blow our own trumpet, the survey gathered some stellar results about the popularity of the Travel Daily group of publications, which reinforces why our advertisers consistently achieve great results. Meanwhile there’s no doubting the power of face-to-face contact with customers. The plethora of travel industry events – buzz nights, roadshows, expos, seminars and product launches – is evidence that despite the rise of the internet, personal relationships are still key in driving sales and loyalty between travel suppliers and consultants. Next month sees the second Travel Industry Exhibition take place at Sydney’s Luna Park, and despite difficulties with the Moore Park venue last year (not to mention the timing of the event which unfortunately coincided with the MH17 tragedy), the revised location and a strong seminar program has produced a strong response from both exhibitors and attendees. As well as exhibitors including airlines, destinations, GDS firms and other suppliers, the organisers have put together an intriguing seminar program which includes updates from Facebook, AFTA, a range of suppliers and more, providing significant value for delegates. During the show, the Travel Daily group will also be celebrating our 21st birthday, commemorating more than two decades of proudly bringing the latest news to the industry. We’d like to thank you for your support, particularly with travelBulletin which was added to the stable last year. We hope you enjoy this edition – our eighth issue since the relaunch.

This month’s contributors Steve Jones, Guy Dundas, Jayson Westbury, Brett Jardine, Peter Shelley, Kris Madden, Kristie Kellahan, Sheriden Rhodes, Gary Walsh, Sarah Piper

www.travelbulletin.com.au Travel Bulletin is part of the Travel Daily family of publications

EDITORIAL Managing Editor – Bruce Piper bruce.piper@travelbulletin.com.au Co-ordinating Editor – Louise Wallace Ph: 02 8090 3125 louise.wallace@travelbulletin.com.au Editor at Large – Ian McMahon Ph: 03 9568 4464 or 0414 320 321 imcmahon@travelbulletin.com.au

Advertising National Sales Manager Lisa Maroun Ph: 0405 132 575 or 02 8007 6760 lisa.maroun@travelbulletin.com.au Production Co-ordinator Sarah Piper Ph: 1300 799 220 or 02 8007 6760 sarah.piper@travelbulletin.com.au www.travelbulletin.com.au

DESIGN TEAM Wendy St George, Sarah Piper FINANCE Jenny Piper jenny.piper@travelbulletin.com.au 4/41 Rawson Street Epping NSW 2121 PO Box 1010 Epping NSW 1710 Australia Tel: 1300 799 220 (+61 2 8007 6760) Fax: 1300 799 221 (+61 2 8007 6769)

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

state of the industry Sabre takes 100% control of Abacus International

Ian McMahon’s perspective

fierce competition in 2015 ntias UNTIL now, the headline award at the annual National Travel Industry Awards (NTIAs) has been widely regarded as the “Best Travel Agency Group”. Of course, there is no official pecking order of awards and for dozens of agents, agency staff and suppliers, the award that matters most to them is the one for which they have been nominated. But the award that has always attracted the most intense speculation and the fiercest rivalry has been the Best Travel Agency Group. Over the years, chains like Flight Centre, Jetset, Harvey World and Travelscene have competed aggressively to take out top honours. However at this year’s event, I suspect the industry focus will be on who takes home the “Best Non-Branded Travel Agency Group” trophy. With once iconic brands now absorbed into the single Helloworld marque, the field for Best Travel Agency Group is limited to the two giants – Helloworld and Flight Centre – with the smaller Travellers Choice throwing out a quixotic challenge and turning the contest into a three horse race. There will indeed be a major buzz at the awards night if Travellers Choice should pull off a giant-killing victory. But in the lead-up to the awards night, I discern the real buzz of anticipation now surrounds

the much more crowded field in the nonbranded category. In the wake of brands like HWT, Jetset, Travelworld and Travelscene American Express disappearing from our shopping centres and high streets, the emergence and growth of groups like Magellan, ATAC and ITG has added to the diversity of options available to Australia’s retail agents. They are among the five finalists jostling for the award and I understand there were at least two other nominees who did not make the final short list. The energy and enterprise being displayed by this sector – not to mention the results being achieved – are testament to the vitality of Australian travel retailing. Another emerging sector also demonstrating this vitality and diversity is home-based agents. This year, disappointingly, the sector is lumped into the single location category. The sector deserves a category of its own, in fairness to traditional high street single locations as much as to the burgeoning home-based networks. This is not lost on the awards organisers and I confidently tip that we will see a new category in the 2016 awards. Overall, with the best of our industry’s agencies, principals and staff competing for 37 awards, this year’s NTIA is shaping up as a not-to-be-missed celebration. Bring it on!

Sabre Corporation has swallowed 65% of Abacus International it didn’t already own, in a deal that sees the global GDS heavyweight take full control of Sabre Pacific which has been 100% owned by Abacus for three years. After rubber stamping a “definitive agreement” with Abacus last month, the US$411 million deal sees Sabre up its 35% stake of the company to 100%. While the deal is yet to close, Sabre expects it will boost total 2015 revenue by around $120 million. The deal, which also includes new long term distribution agreements between Sabre and the 11 airline owners of Abacus, will see the local operation of Sabre Pacific brought “back into the fold” as the company looks to ramp up growth in the Asia Pacific region. But for now, Sabre CEO Tom Klein says it’s business as usual with the deal expected to settle in the third quarter of the year.

Helloworld board shuffle Consolidated Travel has added one of its top executives to the Helloworld board, just months after lifting its stake in the company to almost 20%. Consolidated Travel Group CFO Peter Spathis is now back on the books as a non-executive director, replacing Stephen Bennett who stepped down last month owing to “increased executive commitments”. Spathis’ appointment was prompted by a request from Sintack Limited – controlled

business monitor OUTBOUND MARKET

INBOUND MARKET

Top 10 sources, Dec 2014

Top 10 destinations, Dec 2014 Destination Trend Seasonally Original Adjusted 000 000 000 New Zealand 101.5 100.5 160.7 USA 84.0 84.1 101.3 Indonesia 91.3 92.2 98.5 UK 46.0 46.8 59.8 Thailand 46.2 46.2 54.7 India 23.0 23.9 48.2 China 33.9 34.2 40.1 Philippines 18.1 19.7 37.5 Singapore 31.2 31.7 35.7 Malaysia 22.5 23.7 32.7 All outbound 761.8 773.1 1,017.6 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

Trend Nov 14/ Dec 14 % +0.5 +0.8 -0.3 -0.4 +1.0 +1.1 +1.2 +3.4 +1.2 -0.5 +0.2

Trend Dec 13/ Dec 14 % +1.4 +9.2 +10.1 +1.4 -9.3 +7.0 +0.6 +13.9 -1.8 -13.7 +2.4

MAIN DOMESTIC ROUTES

Top 10 domestic city pairs at Feb 2015

Source Trend Seasonally Original Trend Trend Adjusted Nov 14/ Dec 13/ Dec 14 Dec 14 000 000 000 % % 117.3 +0.6 +2.5 New Zealand 104.9 104.0 UK 53.2 53.5 102.5 -0.9 -2.7 China 76.7 76.9 70.8 +0.1 +24.5 USA 49.4 49.0 66.7 +1.7 +10.0 Singapore 31.2 30.6 50.1 +0.2 +2.3 Malaysia 27.4 27.9 37.9 -1.2 +3.1 Japan 26.5 27.3 32.0 -0.5 -1.7 Germany 15.9 16.3 24.5 +0.5 +4.1 Hong Kong 17.3 17.5 24.2 +1.1 +1.6 South Korea 17.8 18.4 23.4 +1.5 +6.8 All inbound 588.5 592.6 807.1 +0.5 +6.1

City pair

Passengers Passengers % change YE Feb 14 YE Feb 15 14/15

Melbourne-Sydney Brisbane-Sydney Brisbane-Melbourne Gold Coast-Sydney Adelaide-Melbourne Melbourne-Perth Adelaide-Sydney Perth-Sydney Gold Coast-Melbourne Hobart-Melbourne

(000) (000) 8,253.5 8,352.2 +1.2 4,425.0 4,428.0 +0.1 3,220.3 3,309.5 +2.8 2,576.7 2,573.8 -0.1 2,215.4 2,265.2 +2.2 2,212.0 2,147.3 -2.9 1,762.7 1,817.3 +3.1 1,813.2 1,783.4 -1.6 1,687.8 1,760.7 +4.3 1,389.5 1,423.1 +2.4

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Source: BITRE

state of the industry by the Alysandratos family which also owns Consolidated Travel – which upped its stake in Helloworld back in February, buying nearly 31 million shares for $12 million. Spathis returns to the board after a 2.5 year hiatus having formerly been a director of Jetset Travelworld until 2012 as the appointed representative of Sintack.

New heights for HTO The Hawaii Tourism Oceania (HTO) team were all smiles ahead of the Sydney road show last month which saw the group travel to Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast to showcase the latest and greatest from the Hawaiian islands. Speaking at the Sydney event, HTO Australia country manager Ashlee Galea announced a 2.6% spike in Australian visitor numbers last year to 313,054. Marking a record figure out of the Australia market, she branded the increase as an “outstanding” result, but said further growth was within reach as more competitive airfares translate to increased bookings. “Increased airlift has helped massively and we are looking to reach new heights this year and hit 330,000 Australian visitors,” she said.

ABS catching up The long wait on formal Australian Bureau of Statistics data for arrivals and departures is over, but it will still be some time until the creases are ironed out of the long running saga. The industry had been left in the lurch following the debacle with arrivals and departure passenger card processing last year, with the ABS instead issuing preliminary estimates based on modelled statistics rather than actual traveller numbers. The ‘full set’ of statistics for December 2014 was released late last month, but “preliminary estimates” are still as good as it gets for January to March this year. Marking the end to a six month delay on formal data for inbound and outbound travel, the Bureau is expected to resume “normal monthly releases” on 7 July commencing with stats for May 2015. The “regular supply” of passenger card data has resumed, but it is still uncertain YEAR ENDED FEBRUARY 2015 when the April statistics will be revealed. Chart I

Galea also touched on the value of the trade, noting that 60% of all bookings were secured via a travel agent last year. Pictured from left are Ashlee Galea, HTO country manager Oceania; Janaya Birse, HTO PR manager; Holly Ballard, MCI Account Manager; Vanessa Commander, HTO admin assistant; and Charis Ricafuente, HTO marketing executive.

exhibition director Jacqui Timmins stepping out. International Passengers Carried (thousands) - February Bernardi 2013 to February 2015 the Incentive, has joined Conference & Event Society (ICESAP) as executive director to head the society’s INBOUND OUTBOUND The meetings and events sector has seen membership growth and commercial some revolving doors over the past month, relationships, while Jacqui Timmins has with former Qantas Holidays CEO Simon stepped down as AIME head honcho after Bernardi stepping into the ring and AIME two years. The former general manager of

Travelscene, who also held top sales roles with Qantas, opted to step down after an “intense” two years working for Reed Travel Exhibitions. Timmins reportedly resigned in January but saw the role through to the completion of AIME 2015. The search for her replacement is now underway.

MICE shuffle

1950 1700 1450 1200

Continues over page

950

business monitor

International passengers by major airline – year ended Feb 2015 Chart II

Qantas Airways, 15.8% Others, 26.4% Emirates, 9.7%

Singapore Airlines, 8.6%

AirAsia X, 4.1% Malaysia Airlines, 4.3% Cathay Pacific Airways, 4.9% Air New Zealand, 7.4%

Virgin Australia, 7.9%

Australian

Port

Growth (%) -0.8 -1.3 -0.8 -0.4* +0.6

Yr to Yr to Growth Feb 14 Feb 15 (%) 57.74m 57.31m -0.7 68.06bn 67.58bn -0.7 88.91bn 88.74bn -0.2 76.5 76.2 -0.3* 644.7 641.1 -0.6

Jan-15

Source: BITRE * Percentage points

Domestic On Time Performance – March 2015

Departures on Time Arrivals on Time Cancellations No. % No. % No. % 85.9 5,630 86.5 89.3 8,581 88.2 87.9 8,968 85.0 86.5 1,759 84.0 91.8 9,860 90.0 88.9 42,238 87.0

67 76 241 7 84 515

1.0 0.8 2.2 0.3 0.8 1.0

Source: BITRE

International Passengers by Uplift/Discharge City Pairs (a)

Foreign

Feb Feb 14 15 4.25m 4.22m 4.90bn 4.84bn 6.53bn 6.48bn 75.1 74.7 48.0 48.3

Jetstar 5,589 Qantas 8,680 QantasLink 9,267 Tigerair 1,812 Virgin Australia 10,050 All Airlines 43,138

Jetstar, 8.5%

Source: BITRE Table I

DOMESTIC AIR MARKET – February 2015

Total pax carried Revenue pax kms (RPK) Avail seat kms (ASK) Load factor (%) Aircraft trips (000)

International Passengers by Major Airlines - Year ended February 2015

Thai Airways International, 2.5%

Feb-15

Dec-14

Oct-14

Nov-14

International Air Market Share

Sep-14

Jul-14

Aug-14

Jun-14

Apr-14

May-14

Mar-14

Jan-14

Feb-14

Dec-13

Oct-13

Nov-13

Sep-13

Jul-13

Aug-13

Jun-13

Apr-13

May-13

Feb-13

Mar-13

700

Year ended

% of

% Change

February 2013

February 2014

February 2015

Total

2015/14

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

state of the industry Continues from previous page

More supporters for QF/MU tie up The ACCC’s stand off on the proposed Qantas and China Eastern Airlines alliance has prompted a wave of industry heavyweights to pledge their support for the tie up, with former Tourism Australia chief Geoff Dixon the latest to weigh into the conversation. While the ACCC has so far turned down the proposal, the industry has made no secret of its support, with the federal government, ATEC and the TTF all urging the ACCC to grant the green light. Dixon last month stepped forward, claiming the alliance would help TA to edge closer to its ambitious 2020 targets by bolstering growth out of the booming China market. In a submission to the watchdog, he claimed China held the most promise for the Australia market, arguing that the deal would improve connectivity to Australia’s regional areas. Pressure is mounting on the ACCC to drop its opposition, but so far it has stood its ground, citing concerns that it will give both airlines more than 80% of the direct capacity between Sydney and Shanghai.

AFTA pushes for card reform AFTA has flexed its muscles following the release of the RBA’s latest review of card payment regulations, issuing an extensive discussion paper to bring the topic of credit card chargebacks to the foreground. AFTA pledged its support for most of the changes in the review but said some proposals – such as a tiered surcharging

system – would only complicate the status quo and confuse customers. AFTA also raised the issue of credit card chargebacks with the RBA in the hope of receiving support for new regulations that would mitigate agents from the risk of end supplier failure. AFTA CEO Jayson Westbury told travelBulletin that the recommendations were “unlikely” to get the green light, but said the submission was warranted to open the floodgates for further discussion. “When we first issued a discussion paper about deregulation, everyone said it would never go ahead. We’re now taking the lid off the topic of credit card chargebacks,” he said.

Disneyland turns sixty Australian travel agents look to be the major winners from this year’s Disneyland Diamond Celebration which kicked off with a gala event in California late last month. travelBulletin was lucky enough to be at the big party, where it was revealed that a huge Disney trade incentive in partnership with Qantas will take place in July and August this year. Hoped to become an annual event with unique Disney experiences part of the prize, this year’s inaugural promotion will be complemented by a major consumer push in which Qantas Loyalty will target its huge database of frequent flyers with Disney promotions - but travel agents will be the key call to action. Australia remains the number one international market outside of North America for Disneyland, with travel agents central to the strategy which aims to boost Aussie visitor numbers by 10% annually.

HEADLINES 22 Apr FC’s new marketing plan 22 Apr QF/EK maintain Tasman 23 Apr Passport to Rewards back 23 Apr Cruiseabout price promise 24 Apr Cebu Pacific wants more 27 Apr Nepal alert level raised 27 Apr Air China slams watchdog 28 Apr AFTA push for chargeback review 28 Apr JQ to fly Townsville-Bali 29 Apr Gold Coast to host ATE 2016 29 Apr QF wants Travelsky boost 30 Apr Air NZ celebrates 75 years 01 May AFTA partners with Dubai 01 May Virgin reports lower loss 04 May WTP executive restructure 04 May ABS Jan-Mar estimates out 05 May Jetstar to launch direct to China 05 May Philippine capacity boost 06 May Emirates plans NZ flights 06 May Fung casino for Gold Coast 07 May Dubai to advertise on TV 08 May Vanuatu ‘up and running’ 08 May Emirates profit leaps 34% 11 May CTM expands into China 11 May TA seals $2m Cathay deal 12 May Dixon backs QF/MU pact 12 May Austrade tourism study 14 May World Journeys Aus push 14 May Sabre to Acquire Abacus Intl 15 May Next stage of 100% Pure 15 May STG growth ‘spectacular’ 18 May Helloworld appoints Spathis 18 May AFTA teams with CHOICE 18 May Air NZ extends TNZ pact

business monitor INTERNATIONAL AIR ROUTES

INTERNET AGENCY MARKET SHARE

Top 10 city pairs (at February 2015)

Week ending 25/04/15 ranked by visits Rank Company Market share

Rank

W/E 25/04/15 W/E 28/03/15 W/E 28/02/15

1 Webjet 16.18 2 Expedia 8.94 3 Wotif.com 8.65 4 Flight Centre 7.43 5 Skyscanner Australia 6.60 6 Lastminute.com.au 3.89 7 Velocity Frequent Flyer 2.60 8 Cheap Flights A&NZ 1.75 9 FareCompare 1.45 10 Helloworld 1.39

1 2 3 4 5 6 * 10 9 *

* Not in top 10 Source: Experian Hitwise Australia – www.hitwise.com.au

Rank

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

1 2 3 4 5 6 * * 8 *

City pair

Passengers YE Feb 14

Passengers YE Feb 15

% of % change total 14/15

Auckland-Sydney 1,451,879 1,492,200 4.5 +2.8 Singapore-Sydney 1,371,585 1,360,442 4.1 -0.8 Singapore-Melbourne 1,108,925 1,145,991 3.4 +3.3 Auckland-Melbourne 999,737 1,052,609 3.2 +5.3 Singapore-Perth 1,030,256 1,031,172 3.1 +0.1 Auckland-Brisbane 885,199 924,277 2.8 +4.4 Hong Kong-Sydney 924,151 912,902 2.7 -1.2 Los Angeles-Sydney 901,414 903,234 2.7 +0.2 Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne 830,502 901,103 2.7 +8.5 Denpasar-Perth 857,461 888,058 2.7 +3.6 Top 10 city pairs 10,361,109 10,611,988 31.8 +2.4 Other city pairs 21,460,360 22,733,865 68.2 +5.9 ALL CITY PAIRS 31,821,469 33,345,853 100.0 +4.8 Source: BITRE

AUSTRALIAN AIRPORTS

International passenger through Australia’s major international airports – Feb 2015 Airport

Passengers Passengers % of % change YE Feb 14 YE Feb 15 total 15/14

Sydney 13,093,259 13,364,367 40.1 +2.1 Melbourne 7,443,994 8,168,123 24.5 +9.7 Brisbane 4,727,488 5,037,910 15.1 +6.6 3,997,316 4,149,981 12.4 +3.8 Perth Adelaide 836,534 962,316 2.9 +15.0 Gold Coast 872,589 870,620 2.6 -0.2 Cairns 488,888 465,524 1.4 -4.8 Darwin 341,561 305,368 0.9 -10.6 Norfolk Island 11,435 11,396 0.0 -0.3 Sunshine Coast* 8,405 10,248 0.0 +21.9 All Airports 31,821,469 33,345,853 100.0 +4.8 * Sunshine Coast operated scheduled services from July 2013-Sept 2012, June 2013-Oct 2013 and June 2014. Source: BITRE

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Steve’s Say

shafting duty of care comes at a cost By Steve Jones In last month’s travelBulletin I examined the many and varied threats facing wholesalers, one of them being the growing propensity of travel agents to book directly with overseas suppliers. Among the questions asked by wholesalers and consumers about this retail-turnedwholesale model was this: can they – agents and consumers – really be sure of the quality and integrity of suppliers they are dealing with? Sadly, recent events in the UK has made that question all too relevant for those who originally posed it. Anyone in any doubt should take a look at the truly heartbreaking story of brother and sister, Bobby and Christi Shepherd, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning as they slept in their room on a Thomas Cook package holiday. They were aged six and seven. Their dad and step mum slipped into comas, but survived. The cause of this awful tragedy on the Greek island of Corfu was a decrepit boiler attached to the side of their accommodation. The latest development of a torturous nineyear legal saga concluded last month with an inquest jury ruling the children had been unlawfully killed and that Thomas Cook had breached its duty of care.

While it became clear that staff at the Louis Corcyra Beach hotel had lied to Thomas Cook over the very existence of such boilers,

It only takes one ‘fraudulent or shonky online firm to shake confidence ’ the brand has taken a hammering, with the parents laying the blame firmly at the door of the tour operator for failing to adequately check the safety of the property. It is clear there were serious, indeed fatal errors in the tour operator’s health and safety audit, and they have been rightly castigated for it. In addition, Thomas Cook’s actions in the intervening period have been nothing short of a PR disaster, but that’s another story. What this demonstrates in the most terrible way is the critical need not only for agents and consumers to do their due diligence meticulously, but also for those wholesalers who too often claim the moral high ground. The entire argument put forward by wholesalers that only they can truly be tasked

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with sourcing trusted and respected partners, and only they can really monitor health and safety, has been at best undermined, and at worst destroyed. That may be hard on the vast majority of companies who do act responsibly at all times, and who continually ensure health and safety standards are maintained. But just as it takes only one fraudulent or shonky online firm to shake confidence, so it takes one respected international brand to neglect its duty to undermine them all. Amid all the criticism directed towards Thomas Cook, it shouldn’t be forgotten that it was lied to by hotel staff. Little wonder then that wholesalers and tour operators are seeking to take greater control of their product by acquiring destination management companies. It is something Intrepid Travel has been doing for years, and a strategy also being pursued by Flight Centre. Such an approach is driven by a desire to create and control product which appeals to the customer without being forced to rely on third parties. It also ensures they have complete control over quality and safety standards, and that, surely, is the most important reason of all.

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issues & trends

AFTA view Jayson Westbury, chief executive AFTA

PMC should be reduced and re-invested

New momentum for syd hotel sector Lagging hotel supply in Sydney is making headway as once-tentative investors gain confidence and throw money behind new projects, with renewed optimism setting the stage for a wave of new developments where they are needed most. Speaking with travelBulletin last month, Accor Pacific chief operating officer Simon McGrath labelled limited hotel supply as a pressing issue for Australia’s tourism industry, with shortfalls in CBD locations likely to hamper growth out of the exploding China market which has its sights firmly set on high end CBD properties (May travelBulletin). Mantra’s Kent Davidson also weighed in on the subject, claiming that the trend was pushing prices up and seeing occupancies consistently tip 90% in Sydney and Melbourne. But Starwood Hotels is doing its bit for the tourism economy as it presses on with its ambitious expansion strategy, last month signing on the dotted line with Melbourne based investment and development company Ninety Four Feet to debut its Aloft brand in Sydney. After last year announcing the brand will debut in Perth in 2017, the Sydney project will see a heritage office block converted to a 136 room luxury hotel in the heart of Sydney’s CBD in November this year. In a boon for Sydney’s hotel market, Ninety Four Feet head honcho Dean Rzechta has thrown his weight behind a number of CBD properties after identifying the “strong performance” of Sydney’s hotel sector. The Melbourne-based company plans to develop at least three more hotels in Sydney and Melbourne on top of more than 1000 apartments it currently has in the pipeline, predominantly in Victoria. Rzechta has also flagged plans to roll out another Starwood asset within the next 6-12 months in Sydney and Melbourne. As demand consistently outstrips supply in CBD locations such as Sydney and Melbourne, market conditions are ripening for developers who are almost guaranteed a healthy return on investment. Rzechta is not the first to step his foot into the ring, with a number of Chinese investors pouring money into new hotel developments, but his confidence could ignite the fire in the bellies of others and encourage more lucrative Chinese visitors to venture down under. As Quest Apartments chairman Paul Contantinou explained to travelBulletin, the hotel sector has been waiting for someone like Rzechta to breathe some life into the development pipeline. Whether he’s the man to do it remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that hotel giants like Starwood, Mantra and Accor are keen to pick up management deals as soon as they drop. 10

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

As the dust settles on the recently handed down federal budget there is some cause for happiness for the travel industry. The company tax rate cut of 1.5% for small business (income below $2M) will assist many small businesses in the travel industry, and the changes to the deductibility for small business on capital items under $20,000 will also provide some assistance in the year ahead. In addition to this, it is very pleasing to see that the pre-election commitment that the government made to freeze the Passenger Movement Charge (PMC) for their first term has been maintained. As travelBulletin readers would be aware, the PMC is currently set at $55 per passenger movement for either an Australian departing, or a tourist returning home. AFTA has made the very strong point to the government that, in real terms, the $55 fee could be more than the travel agent actually makes out of the sale. Travel is a very tight margin business and there is nothing good about the government making more money out of a sale than the very business that makes the sale. So the push for the PMC to be reduced will now begin over the coming year. The current government made a commitment for their first term in relation to the PMC, but there is no commitment from either side of politics as to what will happen after the next election. The PMC will collect over $1 billion per year over the next few years, and it has become a very easy and painless tax for governments to use as a revenue raiser. There are two reasons for this; first, there is little backlash except from the tourism industry about the PMC being raised. And second, the government does not have to do much to collect it, as it’s a part of the ticket price and is remitted by suppliers to the government. Australia has one of the world’s highest PMCs, and we remain one of the only countries in the world in which you have to fill out a form in order to leave. I am talking about the green departure card. While some headway is being made on improving the process of passengers with e-gates, the green card still exists and it has become more difficult to provide an advance copy to departing customers. Calls for this process to be improved will also form a part of the ongoing dialogue AFTA will have with the government. As the world becomes easier to get around and technology becomes a key aspect of border controls, it is important that Australia is in a leading position given that travellers are contributing over $1 billion for the privilege of leaving the country. It is time for a good chunk of that money to be invested into improving the experience and the process.

...there is nothing ‘good about the

government making more money out of a sale than the business who made it

’

issues & trends

New Zealand sets the TRENZ

By Bruce Piper There’s no doubting the importance of tourism to the New Zealand economy – and the NZ government certainly knows it. Attendees at this month’s Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand (TRENZ) were given a strong insight into official support for the sector when NZ Prime Minister John Key turned up at the show to walk the floor and greet exhibitors and delegates. Tourism is NZ’s second biggest export and a major foreign exchange earner, and it appears that everyone knows it, with visitors consistently given a very warm welcome. This year TRENZ returned to Rotorua for the first time since 2008, with the “Explore Central North Island” collective including the Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Eastland, Hawke’s Bay, Ruapehu, Lake Taupo, Rotorua and Hamilton & Waikato successfully bidding for the event. Rotorua is an ideal location for the event, with the city’s Energy Centre providing a perfect exhibition and conference venue. Rotorua also boasts thousands of hotel rooms meaning plenty of accommodation for delegates, and to top it off there are scores of top attractions within easy reach.

TRENZ provided a perfect showcase for the wide variety of tourism product available in New Zealand. The weather during the event in late May was stunning, meaning that delegates were able to experience the region at its best. In the middle of the

seems to ‘beNZontourism a high, with many

operators present saying they had just had their best season ever

’

three-day conference, participants took a break from networking and were treated to an afternoon of activities. Skydiving, train rides, float planes and mountain biking were complemented by gentler options such as spa visits, museums and cultural experiences. travelBulletin enjoyed a stunning jet-boat ride on the Waikato river (pictured) courtesy of River Jet. Heading down river, passengers experienced crystal clear water and spectacular scenery, with a guide explaining the significance of various parts of the river

and highlighting the wide variety of wildlife. Our gentle journey downstream ended at the Orakei Korako Thermal Reserve, and just nearby is “The Squeeze” where passengers can disembark and wade through warm water into a canyon which ends in a natural hot tub. This attraction recently received worldwide exposure when it was featured on a steamy episode of the US Bachelor reality show. After checking out the hot stuff, the 21-passenger twin-jet turned around for a thrilling return journey which included lots of 360 degree spins to get the adrenaline racing. Air New Zealand was a key supporter of TRENZ as part of its commitment to the wider NZ tourism industry. CEO Christopher Luxon took part in the conference and expressed his belief that by building the NZ brand, the national carrier would also benefit strongly. NZ tourism appears to be on a high, with many operators present saying they had just had their best season ever, with key metrics including visitor numbers, bed nights and tourism expenditure all on the increase. TRENZ will return to Rotorua again next year from 17-20 May – just before Australian Tourism Exchange, meaning international buyers will easily be able to attend both events.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

issues & trends

Get social or get swallowed By Louise Wallace Social media has gone from zero to hero over the past decade, but the social landscape is changing its stripes. LinkedIn has staked its claim as a professional network, Twitter is making waves in Australia, and Facebook – the social media juggernaut – is slowly losing favour to new mediums like Instagram and Pinterest. More than ever, travel companies are moving with the tide to engage with consumers, snag new ones, and boost their brand awareness. As millennials continue to fully embrace social media, there is still much confusion about how to incorporate it in a business model. One thing has been made clear – use it or lose out to your competitors – but the burning question for many travel professionals remains – why bother? Contiki managing director Katrina Barry fronted a panel discussion on social media engagement at the mUmBrella Marketing Summit in Sydney in April, claiming that it is becoming omnipresent as users become more confident. But quashing the view that social media is a soundpost that is reserved for millennials, she said over 40s are in fact the fastest growing audience as they look to connect with their family and friends. Meanwhile, Gen Ys are turning their backs on Facebook in favour of new networking channels such as Instagram, she added. While travel brands are now spending upwards of 25% of their annual budgets on social media marketing, mostly on Facebook, the number of millennial users is declining as they become frustrated with in-yourface paid advertising. According to Barry, Instagram is the new black. “Gen Y want content that is entertaining and valuable, and as Facebook is now filled with advertorial that is less engaging, they’re losing interest and opting for Instagram as a valuable source,” she told travelBulletin. The crux for travel companies is that social media is prompting a shift in how consumers are exposed to travel marketing. They are switching off to paid Facebook advertising in favour of “inspirational” images on channels like Instagram and Pinterest. Travellers are still booking via travel agents, but more than ever, social media is shaping their decisions on where and when to travel, presenting a real opportunity for travel companies, agents, and home-based consultants. The inherent challenge with social media is the inability to measure the return on investment. It’s time consuming and 12

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

demands constant attention, and yet there is no way to match a dollar value to the return. But to put it into perspective, Contiki recorded its biggest ever jump in sales to Vietnam after running an Instagram campaign with celebrities from TV reality show, The Bachelor. Travel companies are also hosting dedicated famil programs for “social

your comments ‘andIf allreviews are glowingly positive, consumers will smell a rat

’

media influencers” such as bloggers and Instagrammers who boost brands via their channels. Twenty-year-old Sjana Elise Earp is a prime example, landing contracts with Contiki and Myer, among others, to push their brands via her 713,000 Instagram followers. But social media is not restricted to millennials, with Trafalgar also noting a strong uptake in engagement among its target demographic of over 40s. Trafalgar managing director Matt Cameron-Smith says social media presents a particular opportunity for tourism

businesses because travel represents one of the most “bragged about, shared experiences”. But transparency is key: “If travel companies are not 100% transparent, consumers will catch you out. And if all comments and reviews are glowingly positive, consumers will smell a rat.” Relevance is the only way to engage with users who are becoming increasingly cynical and wary of advertising spin, he says. “You can post about everything and people will

just switch off. Content has to be relevant, aspirational, and it has to have a mixture of tips, deals and galleries. You’ve got to add value,” he told travelBulletin. Mobile is the other offshoot of social media, with more than 50% of all video seen in Australia now viewed on mobile devices. While mobile enabled sites barely existed five years ago, Australia is now averaging a 50/50 split for mobile and traditional sites. Approximately 55% of Contiki’s web traffic is now fed by mobile sites, with all marketing campaigns built for mobile before traditional outlets. The company also spends upwards of 85% of its marketing spend on digital campaigns. “People are still using traditional media, but they’re using social media while they’re doing it. That’s the big shift,” Contiki’s Barry said. Barry also touched on the quality of content, noting that it is being compromised because of the nature of the medium and the pressure to post frequently. “Times have changed and a lot of [travel] brands don’t invest in quality of content. They’re more interested in how much they’re spending on sponsored Facebook posts,” she said. Experts agree that social

media will continue to evolve, but as Barry put it: “If you’re not thinking about social and digital first, the old adage rings true – adapt or die.”

issues & trends

OTAs & LLCs mounting pressure: tollman By Guy Dundas “Reinvention” is a word commonly used by Brett Tollman to describe how travel companies need to come of age to ensure they remain relevant in an age of the ‘do-it-from-home’ travel booker. Relevant, and competitive. During a recent visit to Australia, The Travel Corporation (TTC) global chief explained to travelBulletin that the rise-and-rise of online travel agents and low-cost carriers was hurting traditional tour operators, and will continue to do so if businesses rest on their laurels. Tollman is well positioned to make the claim. With touring and guided holiday brands such as Insight Vacations, Trafalgar, Contiki and AAT Kings among his stable, the LA-based executive outlined how TTC was in the midst of a “massive reinvention program” of brands. While Insight and Trafalgar experienced brand overhauls seven years ago, he said AAT Kings was next on the agenda. “Our industry is under significant pressure from OTAs, whether that’s Expedia or Priceline… or the way Airbnb is going, and the Ubers of the world,” he commented. The burgeoning internet means travellers now have a copious range of tools to help plan, build and book their own self-drive holidays which can be married with low-cost airfares to construct inexpensive fly and drive packages. This is particularly so for domestic holidays which has had a sizeable affect on AAT Kings’ business model. Wind back a decade and Tollman said there “wasn’t huge demand for touring in Australia”. “In the last several years we’ve seen so much change, not just in Australia and New Zealand, but also in Europe and North America. Ten years ago there was no ocean cruising out of [Australia] but this year the region will probably hit over one million. River cruising didn’t exist 10 years ago,

MAKE EVERY DAY PAY DAY.

Our industry is under ‘significant pressure from

OTAs, whether that’s Expedia or Priceline... or the way Airbnb is going, and the Ubers of the world

’

Brett Tollman, The Travel Corporation Global CEO

so certainly our touring model is under significant threat,” he commented. “People who come to Australia from traditional markets don’t need to do an escorted tour because of the ability to flydrive, with low-cost airlines making it possible to fly ... at a significant saving as to what it would have been five to ten years ago.” To counter the concerns, AAT Kings has introduced more short breaks and brought Inspiring Journeys into the fold (five years ago) to build cultural experiences and encounters with locals. “We are constantly working on fine tuning our service quality, coming up with new products and experiences that meet or match people’s expectations, or changing needs and desires. We’ve spent the last several years trying to reinvent the business, from branding to the quality of experiences we’ve got coming out. “A nationwide footprint was the initiative behind working with APT and buying out their Connections business 3 or 4 years ago. We are working with Down Under Tours now so that we have a presence in Cairns to address the inbound Chinese and the newer markets that are developing. And we just met with

Anthony Hayes [AAT Kings managing director] to talk about where we go next as the markets continue to evolve.” One product that has been fine-tuned to appeal to a more global market is Inspiring Journeys, with Tollman conceding that it is still a work in progress. “I think we are still refining the product. Launching [Inspiring Journeys] purely for the Australia/NZ market wasn’t a wise decision. It was very much a consumer direct focus. At about $600 per day it was a mismatch in the market. The itineraries were a bit longer than we needed. The 4WD vehicles we had weren’t necessary and were very high cost to maintain and operate. We’ve refined some of that and it is working fantastic now,” he said. Despite concerns, Tollman welcomed competition. “Business is not growing from the core traditional markets of the USA, Germany, and the UK , so we’re looking at what we can do in these economic times. “Competition is always great. For those who respond timely enough, it helps you to look at your business to determine ‘are you doing enough to engage your customers, deliver great value & experiences’ and to to compete in this very competitive, disruptive business.”

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issues & trends

ATEC view Peter Shelley, managing director ATEC

further govt commitment needed ATEC has been pursuing an important agenda this year with the aim of supporting our members and the broader tourism industry to be more competitive and capable of engaging in the international tourism marketplace. From bringing down the barriers to growth through visa reform, increased air capacity and taxation amendments, to building engagement with international markets, and via education and training designed to help tourism businesses understand and access the export tourism environment. It is now clear that the economy is no longer led by the mining sector and the value of tourism exports is beginning to show its true strength. In the near future, the contribution export tourism will make to the Australian economy will grow to more than $33 billion, and annual international visitor numbers will surpass seven million. We are a growing industry that has shown an ability to weather the ups and downs of global impacts and remain a competitive Australian export. In last month’s Federal Budget, the government went some way to acknowledging the importance of our industry by providing additional funding for Tourism Australia’s (TA) international marketing efforts. This money will only ‘top-up’ TA’s marketing budget which has been eroded by the slump in the Australian dollar and its in-market advertising buying power. We know that each dollar of marketing money spent creates an additional $15 for our economy, so a real commitment of new money from the government would be more beneficial in growing our visibility on the international tourism stage. There were also some negative tourism messages sent out through the Budget, with visa fee increases and the removal of the tax-free-threshold for working holiday makers, and they will present an added barrier which can work against the best marketing effort. Both industry and governments must focus on the future growth of export

tourism and maximising our visibility in the international market. For ATEC’s part, we have commenced the redevelopment of our Export Ready program that will deliver an industry based training program to assist businesses to make strong and informed decisions for growth.

It is now clear that the ‘economy is no longer

led by the mining sector and the value of tourism exports is beginning to show its true strength

’

ATEC is also focused on some of the barriers to growth including visa applications and processing. Our members have told us there are visa issues in a number of markets including South America, Indonesia and China, and we are establishing a Visa Reference Panel to help capture issues from different markets and give these concerns a voice. We will look to use global benchmarking studies to demonstrate where Australia is falling behind in progressive policy development, and to identify ways we might improve. With all the positives in our industry we are excited to be heading to Australian Tourism Exchange in Melbourne this year where more than 100 Australian tourism sellers will be attending for the first time. This is a doubling of new product numbers from previous years and a great sign for the future. As part of our commitment we will once again be providing Mandarin speaking translators for our members, and for the first time this year, we will be extending our offering to Korean and Japanese translators too. This has been a highly popular service and has proven to be a valuable advantage for ATEC members at ATE. I look forward to seeing our members and the rest of the industry in Melbourne.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

issues & trends

Alliance rivalry spells good news for customers

The rationale of airline alliances is simple – team with global airlines to improve connectivity for frequent travellers and keep them coming back. But the core focus has evolved over the years, with alliances now shifting their attention to improving the customer experience now that most of the major airlines have signed on the dotted line with one of the three big players – oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam. This is particularly the case for SkyTeam which this month marks its 15th year in the business. Speaking at length with travelBulletin, SkyTeam representative Vince Arnone explained that the alliance’s initial focus back in 2000 was

to adopt a “strategic approach” to growth by selecting members that “add value” for passengers and other member airlines. With each of the airline alliances emerging within three years of each other from 1999, Arnone said the initial state of play was to muscle out the competition by getting the biggest airline partners on board. And while growth is always on the cards for SkyTeam – such as the addition of Garuda Indonesia last year – he said numbers were becoming less important while improving the customer experience was moving to the foreground. And it’s a trend that has been mirrored by SkyTeam’s rivals oneworld and Star Alliance. “With over 26 million passengers transferring between our member airlines annually, we have moved our focus from growing network scale to increasingly developing customer initiatives that deliver seamless travel,” he said. Arnone conceded that each of the alliances offered “comparable benefits”, adding that the pressure to break from the mould was a strong catalyst for change. While Star Alliance is billed as the largest alliance with 27 member airlines and oneworld touts its interline ticketing as its point of difference, Arnone claimed that SkyTeam’s priority service solution, SkyPriority, sets it apart from the other players. He also stressed that SkyTeam has never wavered from its focus of putting customers first. “Our size and scope have changed but SkyTeam remains focused on delivering improved benefits for customers,” he said, adding that the organisation’s SkyPriority initiative has been one of the single greatest achievements in the alliance’s 15 year history. SkyTeam is also continuing to roll out airport lounges across the globe, with new facilities in Dubai, Hong Kong and Beijing slated for this year. Touching on the challenges experienced over the past 15 years, Arnone said rivalry was a “healthy” hurdle, along with challenges in servicing emerging destinations such as India. But he remained confident the alliance’s commitment to customers would get it over the finish line. “We’re investing in new initiatives to improve the seamlessness in our passengers’ travel experience [and] our member airlines are working on improving the accrual and redemption experience of frequent flyers,” he concluded.

We have moved our ‘focus from growing

network scale to developing customer initiatives that deliver seamless travel

’

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

issues & trends

C&K rolls out the red carpet Love it or loathe it, the travel industry is riding a period of rapid change. Customers are becoming more demanding, the lines between retail and wholesale are blurring, and then there’s the internet which has made its wares known to the entire travel food chain. Such emerging trends are high on the radar of Cox & Kings’ new CEO Damian Perry who stepped into the lead role several weeks ago after a long stint in retail and strategic development for Destination Management Companies (DMCs). Perry is no stranger to the travel scene, stepping foot in wholesale with Peregrine and Intrepid almost two decades ago. Like many punters, the adventure of travel bit Perry hard. What started as a casual job with Peregrine as a rafting guide landed him a role as Peregrine’s sales and marketing manager. Working his way up the food chain, Perry later moved to the UK to set up the European arm of the business, and rolled out new destinations such as South America and Morocco. He also spearheaded a joint venture with Flight Centre for the creation of adventure specialist, My Adventure Store. But after ballooning the business to its limits and realising that both businesses were after “different things”, he called it quits and instead turned his focus to developing a growth strategy for Peak DMC. When the top job came up with C&K, Perry threw his hat into the ring. “They wanted some fresh blood and new ideas, and concepts to build the business, and that grabbed me,” he told travelBulletin just

a week after stepping into the shoes of outgoing CEO Caroline Kennedy who resigned after twelve months in the role. While Perry is new to the C&K team, he’s well acquainted with the inner workings of the travel sector. And strategy is his forte.

has been a loss ‘ofThere identity and confusion

about what we’re offering

’

“C&K is working off a solid base of business, but there are so many things to build on and so much change that needs to happen,” he commented, signalling that “opportunities” existed across C&K’s entire portfolio. For instance, while Tempo is a “stable brand”, Perry said the wholesaler was now facing a competitive market place and needed to differentiate itself from the market. C&K’s Explore Worldwide brand was suffering much the same fate, he added. “There’s an element of confusion with the brand at the moment. C&K is a developed brand but we need to hone in on the fact that it has a number of brands with different products available,” he said. “There has been a loss of identify and confusion about what we’re offering. We need clarity in the market and we need to reinforce what it is that we offer to differentiate ourselves from the market.” While it’s clearly early days for Perry, he has big plans for the future. And agent

engagement is central to his plan: “The first thing for us is to engage with agents and the trade and get a clear understanding of how they see us. They influence the direction of the business so engagement is absolutely crucial moving forward.” Perry also pointed to shortfalls in the company’s current digital strategy, claiming it “hasn’t moved along much” over the years. “We need more people in this business to speed up processing and update our partners at the front end of our digital strategy with better communication and an updated website. We have lots to do,” he said. Speaking on plans for the future, Perry said the vision was to deliver something that’s “easy and quick to sell, and profitable for agents”. But Perry acknowledged that a dramatic strategy shift was needed to take the company to new heights. “We have to innovate and refresh to save being left behind,” he said. Cox and Kings had a solid year in 2014, clocking up a gross profit improvement of just over 10%. Perry described the result as “pleasing”, but was confident that further improvement was within reach in 2015. He has wasted no time rising to the challenge, cutting costs and “redundant technology”, and pouring the savings back into the business. With a number of “growth strategies” up his sleeve, Perry also flagged plans to leverage off C&K’s global reach by bringing other brands to Australia to grow the business, but remained tight lipped on details. “The business is in good shape and we’re ready to roll in to the next stage,” he concluded. travelBulletin JUNE 2015

2015

NTIA FINALISTS

Category 1 | Best Travel Agency Group (100 outlets or more) Helloworld Limited Flight Centre Travellers Choice

Category 2 | Best Non Branded Travel Agency Group Magellan Travel Group ATAC Independent Travel Group Select Travel Group helloworld for business

Category 3 | Best Travel Agency Retail – Single Location Bicton Travel Gippsland Travel Centre helloworld Lane Cove MTA Travel TravelManagers Australia

Category 4 | Best Travel Agency Retail – Multi Location helloworld Hunter Travel Group/RACT Travel italktravel Phil Hoffmann Travel RAC Travel

Category 5 | Best Travel Agency Corporate – Single Location Anywhere Travel Goldman Travel Corporation DBT Donna Barlow Corporate Travel Sean Simmons Travel helloworld Newcastle Corporate

Category 6 | Best Travel Agency Corporate – Multi Location

Category 9 | Best Business Events Travel Agency American Express Meetings & Events cievents CPE Travel Event Travel Management Platinum Event Solutions

Category 10 | Best Travel Consultant – Retail Laura Musgrave Martine Hero Phil Smethurst Scott McGlynn James Jang

Category 7 | Best National Travel Management Company American Express Global Business Travel Corporate Travel Management FCm Travel Solutions QBT ATPI Voyager

Category 8 | Best Online Travel Agency (OTA) BYOjet Cruisefinder.com.au Global Journeys helloworld.com.au Expedia Cruise Guru

NSW QLD WA NSW VIC

Category 11 | Best Travel Consultant – Corporate Fiona Hyde Larissa McKenzie Lee Wissemann Paulo Fernandes Ric Pattaro

ATPI Voyager helloworld Newcastle Corporate Corporate Travel Management Corporate Travel Management TravelManagers

VIC NSW QLD VIC NSW

Category 12 | Best Travel Agency Manager – Retail Single Location Aaron Ainsworth Carole Smethurst David Hammett Christine Balch Uschi Howard

Flight Centre Belconnen Bicton Travel Bunnik Tours RACV Club Tours & Travel The Travel Authority Northern Beaches

ACT WA SA VIC NSW

Category 13 | Best Travel Agency Manager – Retail Multi Location Lisa Tjandi Michelle Mickan Natalie Cherry Russell Wilkie Melissa Devlin

Corporate Traveller Platinum Travel Corporation The Travel Authority World Travel Professionals Show Group Enterprises Ltd

Flight Centre Globenet Travel Bicton Travel helloworld Winston Hills Where 2 Travel

helloworld Hunter Travel Group NSW Phil Hoffmann Travel SA Noosa Cruise and Travel & Cooroy Cruise and Travel QLD helloworld Waverley Gardens, Endeavour Hills, Fountain Gate and Ferntree Gully VIC itravel Penshurst and Revesby NSW

Category 14 | Best Travel Agency Manager – Corporate Single Location Donna Meads-Barlow Calvin Wilkinson Sean Simmons Kerby Reimer Shelley Leven

DBT Donna Barlow Corporate Travel Corporate Travel Management Melbourne, Sean Simmons Travel Complete Business Travel Corporate Travel Management Brisbane

NSW VIC VIC QLD QLD

Category 15 | Best Travel Agency Manager – Corporate Multi Location Andrew Kemp Kerrie-Ann Kettle Kingsley Dawes Renee Buller Darren Partridge

Corporate Traveller ATPI Voyager Carlson Wagonlit Travel American Express Global Business Travel Show Group Enterprises Ltd

SA VIC/NSW/WA WA/SA/VIC VIC NSW

Category 16 | Rookie of the Year – Agent Alex Castillo Jonathan Pichaloff Kimberly Ober

Suncity Travel – Caloundra helloworld Newcastle Corporate Flight Centre Balaclava

QLD NSW VIC

Category 17 | Best Specialty Wholesaler

Category 28 | Best Wholesaler – Australian Product

Bench International DriveAway Holidays Rail Plus Sun Island Tours Insider Journeys

Infinity Holidays Intrepid Travel Qantas Holidays and Viva! Holidays Sunlover Holidays TravelCube

Category 18 | Best Domestic Airline

Category 29 | Best Wholesaler – International Product

Qantas Airways Virgin Australia

Contiki Infinity Holidays Intrepid Travel Qantas Holidays and Viva! Holidays TravelCube

Category 19 | Best International Airline – Online Air New Zealand Emirates Etihad Qantas Airways Singapore Airlines

Category 30 | Best Agency Support Service

Category 20 | Best International Airline – Offline Finnair Jet Airways Lufthansa Swiss International Air Lines Turkish Airlines

Category 31 | Best Sales Executive – Industry Supplier

Category 21 | Best Cruise Ship – Domestic Deployment Carnival Spirit Celebrity Solstice Voyager of the Seas Radiance of the Seas Diamond Princess

Carnival Cruise Lines Celebrity Cruises Royal Caribbean International Royal Caribbean International Princess Cruises

Category 22 | Best Cruise Operator – International Deployment Celebrity Cruises Holland America Line Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean International Silversea

Category 23 | Best River Cruise Operator APT Avalon Scenic Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection Viking Cruises

Category 24 | Best Tour Operator – Domestic AAT Kings APT G Adventures Scenic Topdeck

Category 25 | Best Tour Operator – International APT Scenic G Adventures Insight Vacations Trafalgar

Category 26 | Best Car/Campervan Rental Operator Avis Tourism Holdings Limited - Britz/Maui Campervans Europcar Hertz Thrifty Car Rental

Category 27 | Best Tourist Office – International Dubai Tourism Hawai’i Tourism Oceania Singapore Tourism Board Visit California Tourism Fiji

Air Tickets Cover-More Travel Insurance Qantas Industry Centre Industry Sales Site SureSave Travelport

Justin Southern Kim Knight Kristine Chippendale Stella Hritis Elizabeth Hutchison

TravelCube Qantas Holidays and Viva! Holidays Qantas Airways Trafalgar Air New Zealand

VIC QLD NSW NSW NSW

Category 32 | Rookie of the Year – Supplier Brenton Reidy Cameron McDonell Daniel Holwerda Greg Lawson Sarah Arane

P&O Cruises G Adventures Topdeck Busabout Cover-More Travel Insurance

SA QLD NSW SA/WA NSW

Category 33 | Best Hotel/Resort Group Accor Club Med QT Hotels & Resorts Shangri La Hotels & Resorts Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Category 34 | Best Registered Travel Industry Training Institution Australian Pacific Travel & Tourism Franklyn Scholar TAFE SWSi Travel & Tourism Bankstown COTAH - TAFE Queensland Brisbane Sydney TAFE Travel & Tourism

Category 35 | Best Travel Writer Louise Goldsbury Kerry van der Jagt Louise Wallace Roderick Eime Tara Harrison

Category 36 | Best Travel Agent Technology Innovation Amadeus Ticket Changer helloworld Mobile App Round the World Ticketing Sabre Red Mobile Workspace Smartpoint/Rich Content and Branding

Amadeus IT Pacific helloworld Air Tickets Sabre Travelport

Category 37 | Emirates Travel Consultant Scholarship Breeanna Perez Emily Dickson Fiona Peck Jamie-Lee Holloway Kerri-Anne Kasprzycki

Globenet Travel helloworld Corio helloworld South Melbourne helloworld Kotara helloworld Winston Hills

QLD VIC VIC NSW NSW

issues & trends

Everything is awesome at Arabian Travel By Bruce Piper Dubai is set to make a long-anticipated foray into the family market, with the imminent launch of two major theme park developments. The projects were one of the highlights of Arabian Travel Market, which welcomed more than 23,000 delegates – including travelBulletin – to the emirate late last month. Dubai Parks and Resorts, which is currently taking shape in the Jebel Ali area, displayed a massive model of the precinct which will appeal to a wide cross-section of the market, with three distinct theme parks. As well as the Middle East’s first LEGOLAND, the attraction will boast an Indian-themed Bollywood Park along with “motiongate Dubai”, which will feature a range of popular Hollywood animated characters from DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Studios and Lionsgate – think Shrek, Smurfs and Madagascar. The other big project is IMG Worlds of Adventure, which is being billed as “the world’s largest indoor themed entertainment destination”. Worlds of Adventure will borrow characters from popular entertainment franchises, including Cartoon Network and

Jodie Collins, Dubai Tourism

Marvel. That meant obligatory Arabian Travel Market appearances by some of the Avengers including Captain America and Iron Man, who were happy to pose with excited delegates from across the globe. The indoor theme park will also have an IMG Boulevard and the Lost Valley Dinosaur Adventure. While Dubai is a key focus of ATM, many other destinations also featured. Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain were there in force as well as other places as far afield as the Caribbean, the Americas, South East Asia and even Australia, which was represented by Sydney-based JC Holidays which has made the journey to ATM each year for more than a decade despite the pullout of Tourism

Dubai pulled out all the ‘stops to welcome ATM delegates ’ Australia some years ago. ATM isn’t just about destinations either, with technology a key focus. The major GDS operators were all out in force, as well as a plethora of online accommodation wholesalers. Webjet’s Dubai-based Lots of Hotels offshoot mixed it up with other players such as Rooms XML and more. And airlines also showed a strong presence, with

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issues & trends

Market a massive Emirates display complemented by others such as Etihad and Qatar Airways, both of whom showcased their new routes and products. Attendees were able to try out a full scale mock-up of Etihad’s “The Residence” apartment in the sky, while Emirates president Tim Clark appeared in person to give a full and frank summary of the carrier’s attitude to US claims of anti-competitive behaviour, colourfully describing the allegations as “flim flam and tosh”. But it wasn’t all about the exhibition. Dubai pulled out all the stops to welcome ATM delegates, with the Australian group treated to a range of experiences including camel polo, patting penguins at Ski Dubai (pictured bottom left) and the towering At the Top attraction at the Burj Khalifa. As always, Emirates was a strong supporter of the event and treated participants like royalty as they were flown to and from Dubai on its flagship A380 aircraft. Delegates also experienced some of the amazing Dubai hotel product including the new Waldorf Astoria Dubai the Palm and the always welcoming Shangri-La Dubai, while lavish events were hosted by The Address, the new Taj Dubai and Atlantis the Palm.

DUBAI DEALS DELIVER TOP VALUE: GMTC Halina Kubica from Greece and Mediterranean Travel Centre was one of the hosted buyers at Arabian Travel Market this year, taking the opportunity to meet with key suppliers and build on her already extensive experience of the destination. She told travelBulletin that despite perceptions of Dubai being an expensive destination, there are often deals which can be accessed by canny operators, particularly in low season – such as stay 3 pay 2 and value-adds. She’s pictured at an ATM networking function in the Lost Chambers Aquarium at the Atlantis The Palm with, from left: James Wyndham, Atlantis the Palm; Mark de Cocinis, One & Only Hotels & Resorts chief operating officer; and Atlantis the Palm marketing chief Ravini Perera.

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cover story

What are you

worth?

The salary conversation is an awkward and delicate discussion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; employees want more of it and employers are often reluctant to dish it out. But the question remains, how much are you really worth? The inaugural Travel Daily Salary Survey asked over 1700 industry professionals the tough questions to bring you the cold hard facts when it comes to the bottom line, as Louise Wallace writes.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

cover story

he gender pay gap has long been a prickly topic with no snap-your-fingers solution, and new research shows it’s still the proverbial elephant in the room. On a national level, the latest ABS statistics show that gender pay disparity is currently sitting at a record high of around 19%, with men earning almost $300 per week more than their female counterparts. And as the inaugural Travel Daily Salary Survey demonstrates, the travel industry is not immune.

THE COLD HARD FACTS The nuts and bolts of the survey – completed by 1749 Australian travel industry professionals – shows that the average salary stands at $63,940 with a bonus of just over $5640. That’s a total pay package just shy of $70K at $69,615. But a closer look reveals that females take home an average pay packet of around $63,500 compared to men who average a tidy $21,500 more each year at $85,000. That’s a hefty 25% difference. The disparity continues right up the chain, with women entering the industry with an average salary of around $49,000 while males step their foot in the door at around $57,000. Females in middle management take home on average $61,000 compared to males at around $78,500, while women in senior management roles earn around $78,000 compared to a whopping $138,000 for males – almost double their female counterparts. To be fair, more women work part time which drags down the average – 11% of females versus 3% of males to be exact – and significantly more women work in wholesale or retail consulting which pays just a fraction of sectors like aviation and cruise. But no matter which way you look at the data, women earn significantly less than males right across the spectrum. While wage disparity has made global headlines for decades, Spencer Travel managing director Penny Spencer says the survey findings are surprising at the retail level. Flying in the face of the latest ABS stats, she says the gender pay gap has not historically touched the travel industry, with the latest figures most likely explained by the fact that men generally snatch top leadership roles while women tend to shy from the podium. Instead she says the

burning question is why there are so few women in the top jobs. “I genuinely believe there should be more women in leadership roles, but for that to happen we need more support for women having children so that they can step into positions they are qualified for after they return to work,” she told travelBulletin.

PICK YOUR PASSION A closer look at the stats shows that the aviation sector is the stand out performer, handing over a stout average salary of around $81,000 compared to a humble $60,000 for wholesale and retail. The hotel sector isn’t far behind with an average total income of $75,683, closely followed by around $72,000 in the meetings, incentives and conferences sector. Travel consultants also scrape in just a nudge above their colleagues in retail and wholesale with an average salary of around $62,000. But before retail consultants consider throwing in the towel in favour of a job in aviation, there is room to move when it comes to the bank balance. Almost 60% of cruise employees received a bump in pay in the last 12 months, closely followed by aviation with 55% of survey respondents taking home a healthier pay packet in the past year. About the same number of people in the meetings and events sector saw a spike in their bank balance over the same time, while retail travel agents again received the short straw with 60% of respondents seeing no change at all to their income. There is room to move up the chain, but employees in retail and wholesale shouldn’t expect to see too much of a spike in pay until they reach the top jobs. Wholesale and retail entry level roles lead in at an average $46,180 and $49,900 respectively and only incrementally increase to $58,000 for both sectors at middle management level. Cruise employees are a touch better off with average salaries increasing 30% to around $72,000 at middle management, and aviation follows much the same trend but with a better end result, jumping 27% from base to middle level and another 50% to an impressive $176,900 at senior level. As Spencer explains, retail consultants are unlikely to see much change in pay at any level because there aren’t many tiers between entry level and top dog, and employees at the mid level are generally consultants who have taken on a few extra skills for minimal pay. But as inPlace

The industry has a ‘perception that entry

level roles lead in at $40,000 and wholesale BDMs earn $55,000 – and the perception has stuck

’

Ben Carnegie inPlace Recruitment Business Manager

Continues over page travelBulletin JUNE 2015

cover story

Continues from previous page

Recruitment business manager Ben Carnegie explains, salaries at all levels remain sluggish and haven’t budged in his seven year history in travel recruitment. “The industry has a perception that entry level wholesale roles lead in at $40,000 and wholesale BDMs earn $55,000 – and the perception has stuck. Employers have an idea of what they will pay, and that hasn’t changed. And the reality is that they will find someone who will accept the pay and fill the gap,” he told travelBulletin. Carnegie also pointed to an increasing trend where employers offer a “much lower” base with more incentives to cut costs. “More companies are looking at the bottom line and adopting the Flight Centre model to take advantage of their group buying power,” he said. “It’s an interesting move because it has greater earning potential for consultants with good client bases, but it doesn’t offer security to candidates.” He also questioned the effects on staff retention, claiming that Flight Centre generally sees staff walk out the door after just two years.

BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE figures As the Flight Centre model shows, dollar values aren’t the only part of the parcel when it comes down to the thick of it. The perks are also worthy of a mention. Around 60% of all survey respondents claimed to have received hotel discounts, with around 50% taking home air travel discounts and 14% receiving concessions. Flight Centre seems to have the most perks,

with 86% of Flight Centre respondents receiving hotel discounts, 80% taking home air travel discounts, and over half of all respondents receiving profit shares. Travel Managers came in second place, followed by ITG and Magellan which saw around 62% of staff pocket hotel discounts and 49% access airline discounts. Helloworld came in under the average, with 57% of survey respondents taking home hotel discounts and 44% receiving airline discounts.

CULTURE KEEPS ‘EM HAPPY While aviation takes the podium on the pay scale, cash doesn’t necessarily equate to job satisfaction. For instance, retail consultants clearly take home the least cash – but they’re also the happiest employees across the board with almost 40% claiming that

TOTAL INCOME BY travel TRAVEL AGENCY GROUP What Whatgroup group isisyour your travelagency agency part part of? of? TOTAL TOTALINCOME INCOME--GROSS GROSSINCOME INCOME++BONUSES BONUSES

they’re not looking for new work and wouldn’t throw in the towel if approached about new opportunities. To put it into perspective, that’s about 10% above the average, with 30% of all survey respondents claiming they are genuinely satisfied in their current job. Most staff in wholesale and aviation fall into the passive job seeking category, with just over 60% claiming they would take a better job offer. Over 20% of staff in the hotel sector are actively looking for greener pastures, along with 19% in aviation and 15% in wholesale. So it seems the old adage rings true – cash doesn’t buy happiness. It’s a trend that is unsurprising to Spencer, who says the work life balance in retail agency environments trumps money for many consultants. The buzz of creating great holidays is also too good to trade for a cash sum, she adds. “Most retail jobs are suburban, close to home for staff, and have

TOTAL SALARIES BYsalaries GENDER Male Maleversus versus female female salaries DOLLARS DOLLARS 150000 150000

Male Male Female Female

Flight FlightCentre CentreGpGp Helloworld Helloworld

120000 120000

Megellan Megellan Travellers TravellersChoice Choice

90000 90000

Independent IndependentTravel TravelGpGp Travel TravelManagers Managers

60000 60000

CTCTPartners Partners American AmericanExpress ExpressTravel Travel

30000 30000

Other Other NET NET 0 0 10000 1000020000 2000030000 3000040000 4000050000 5000060000 6000070000 7000080000 80000 DOLLARS DOLLARS

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

Senior Mgt Middle Entry Level Total Total Salary Senior Mgt Level Salary Middle Mgt Entry Mgt

cover story The Verdict

The Verdict

Steve Wood, cruise consultant, Cruise Express

Amber O’Grady, Educationals and Inspections specialist Flight Centre

I find these results surprising, particularly how high the average salary is. I have worked in two agencies and the pay is nowhere near the average $85,000 for men. However I don’t feel there is a gender pay gap in the Australian travel industry. In fact in my office some females are earning a lot more than males. It is not difficult to strike the right balance between pay and job satisfaction in the travel industry; satisfaction is in the mind, so if you feel you are not being paid for your worth, then change career. In my mind, the ideal job and work environment is a place of great communication where ideas and new information is shared. There is a lot you need to know and everyone is some sort of expert in some field, so share the information.

a real appreciation for work life balance. They can also job share and work part time, and they get to sit across the desk from people who are travelling for the first time,” she says. “They do it for the love of the job.” Job satisfaction aside, it seems that supportive managers are what employees value most. When survey respondents were asked what matters, flexibility, career development and strong leadership were strong themes, along with recognition and a supportive environment which values work life balance. Employers must be doing something right, with most staff working in the same job for around six years and averaging an impressive 14 year stint in the industry. But whether it’s the pay, the perks, or the overall package, over half of all survey respondents plan to stick with it and stay in the same industry for years to come. And who could blame them?

It’s disappointing to see that there is a gender pay gap across the board – especially given that the travel industry has a high proportion of female employees. Working for an organisation like Flight Centre where the pay structure enables all consultants to have an impact on their salaries, regardless of gender, I would like to believe that such a disparity doesn’t happen here. Sometimes it may be a sacrifice to achieve great pay because of family obligations, but that may also increase job satisfaction at the same time. I have tried many roles within the travel industry and now have a great fit and high job satisfaction, and my salary has suffered because of that - but I would still prefer it to be that way for the job satisfaction that I have.

Total Salary Total salary NET Retail (travel agencies) Wholesale Aviation Hotels, Accommodation, Resorts Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions 0

10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 DOLLARS

The full Travel Daily Salary Survey report is available for purchase for details contact us on research@traveldaily.com.au.

Job satisfaction and job seeking

Changingjobs jobs Changing

Job satisfaction and job seeking

61 62

80 70

60 52

18 14 1 2 NET

Extremely saFsﬁed

1 0 1

9 0 1

Not looking for new Not looking for new AcFvely seeking a new work and would not work but would take an posiFon change oﬀer SaFsﬁed

DissaFsﬁed

Extremely dissaFsﬁed

13 7

10 0

Changed job last month / recently

Not looking for new work and Not looking for new work but would not change would take an oﬀer NET

New job -‐ too early to tell

Retail (travel agency)

Wholesale

AcFvely seeking a new posiFon AviaFon

Changed job last month / recently

Hotels, AccommodaFon, Resorts

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

careers

dfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdf

shortages

return to the front line

The travel industry is facing a chronic skills shortage as the workforce ages, fewer people consider travel as a career, and talented staff leave the industry in search of better pay. Experts agree that perceptions need to change to lure new talent into the industry, but it’s not as easy as it sounds, as Louise Wallace writes.

travelBulletin MAY 2015

he thorny issue of skills shortages has done the rounds in the travel sector as the workforce ages and new talent trickles through at a modest pace. Advocacy groups have been vocal on the subject in a bid to spur the industry into action and encourage younger generations to step foot in the profession, and yet it’s estimated that the Australian tourism industry is facing a labour shortage of over four times the national average. The latest World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) report, released earlier this year, singled out workplace shortages as one of the greatest challenges facing the global tourism industry. And as other industry sectors continue to poach some of the top staff, the report painted a rather harrowing view of where the industry is heading: “Talent labour shortages where many hard to fill vacancies go permanently unfilled lead to below potential employment levels and growth in the near term, and foregone investment and growth in the longer term.” Closer to home, accurate employment figures for the tourism sector are hard to come by, but the Australian Government has estimated that half of all travel and tourism businesses face recruitment, retention and skills shortages. Australia is in fact a high performer on the global stage, with the WTTC rating Australia among the top five countries with the least demand for skilled staff over the next 10 years. However, the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Advisory Committee issued a stern warning in its latest report, claiming the Australian industry is experiencing a “critical shortage” with up to 152,000 jobs expected to be vacant by the end of this year. There are no hard and fast answers to combat the problem, and the reasons behind the shortages are many and varied.

The WTTC claims that social issues which paint tourism as a “less attractive” option than other professions may be to blame. Low barriers to entry which attract transient and low skilled staff are another culprit, the report said, along with “uncompetitive pay” and lagging career development. Travellers Choice CEO Christian Hunter weighed in on the topic at the group’s annual conference last year, branding skills shortages as a “major issue”. “We are not seeing the numbers of young people choosing travel as a career [and] numbers of students undertaking travel and tourism related qualifications are diminishing,” he said. Express Travel Group HR and marketing services manager Jackie Gordon agrees there is an imbalance between talent and demand in Australia which is resulting in longer time to fill vacancies and difficulties finding competent workers – which in turn puts more pressure on existing staff. It’s also sapping time from employers who have to invest more effort into training staff to bring them up to par with existing employees, Gordon said. inPlace Recruitment managing director Sandra Chiles echoed Gordon’s calls, but warned that the issue is nearing tipping point after failing to gain traction from higher up the chain. “Skills shortages have been happening for years, but it’s getting worse,” she told travelBulletin. While there is little doubt that staffing issues are front of mind for many agency owners and managers, some insight into how the cracks appeared in the first place is worthy of discussion. In Chiles’ view, skills shortages have emerged from lagging investment from already pressured agencies who simply don’t have the time or resources to take on trainees. And as agencies become increasingly strapped for time as more competition emerges, she says the industry could be in for a tough ride

www.travelbulletin.com.au EDITOR EDITOR Ian Ian McMahon McMahon (03) (03) 9568 9568 4464 4464 or or mobile mobile 0414 0414 320 320 321 321 imcmahon@travelbulletin.com.au imcmahon@travelbulletin.com.au FEATURES FEATURES EDITOR EDITOR Kate Kate Atherton Atherton –– 0412 0412 254 254 762 762 katherton@travelbulletin.com.au katherton@travelbulletin.com.au

careers

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DIRECTORS DIRECTORS AND AND ASSOCIATE ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS: PUBLISHERS: Eddie Raggett (Sydney) Eddie Raggett (Sydney) and and Ian Ian McMahon McMahon (Melbourne) (Melbourne)

NATIONAL SALES without adopting a cohesive NATIONAL SALES industry approach. SYDNEY SYDNEY OFFICE OFFICE MANAGER MANAGER (02) 6683 (02) 9969 9969 number 6683 “Employers want someone with a minimum of years’ Eddie Raggett (02) Eddie Raggett (02) 9969 9969 6683 6683 PO Box 492 PO Box 492 Mosman Mosman or 0408 599 or mobile mobile 0408 289 289 599 experience who is ready to hit the ground running. Due to low margins NSW 2088 NSW 2088 eraggett@travelbulletin.com.au eraggett@travelbulletin.com.au MELBOURNE OFFICE in travel agencies today, there is no money set aside in the budget MELBOURNE OFFICE HAWAII HAWAII (03) (03) 9568 9568 4464 4464 Eddie (02) 6683 Eddie Raggett Raggett staff. (02) 9969 9969But 6683travel and to take on entry level tourism companies need Box 818, Carnegie Box 818, Carnegie or or mobile mobile 0408 0408 289 289 599 599 Victoria 3163 Victoria 3163on board before the to budget foreraggett@travelbulletin.com.au that trainee person and take them eraggett@travelbulletin.com.au PRODUCTION PRODUCTION crisis hits,” she said. Chiles also suggested that taking on staff with CO-ORDINATOR CO-ORDINATOR Marlene 0407 skills that translate to––tourism – such as call centres and customer Marlene Poon Poon 0407 676 676 177 177 mpoon@travelbulletin.com.au mpoon@travelbulletin.com.au service – could also help to bridge the gap. ART ART DIRECTOR DIRECTOR A number Wendy of potential St Wendy St George George solutions have made the rounds, with more CAB CAB Audited Audited –– circulation circulation 5918* 5918* wstgeorge@travelbulletin.com.au wstgeorge@travelbulletin.com.au net Apr attractive salaries a common theme. But*Average Chiles doubts that 2013 better *Average net circulation circulation Apr 2012-Mar 2012-Mar 2013 salaries would make much difference, as low pay is not a “deal breaker” for good staff. Gordon agrees it is not the sole solution, but she concedes that higher salaries could help to lure more people into the industry and boost the profile of travel as a career. “Salaries in the industry are generally lower than compared to similar roles in other industries, and entry level staff aren’t as attracted to roles in the industry as they were in the past,” she said, adding that the travel perks and free holidays of the past have lost their lustre as travel becomes more affordable. “Candidates now tend to work where they can earn more and afford to pay for a holiday.” Gordon also pointed to the need$30 to change perception **And travel agents pay only for a fullthe year’s of travel as a career and to subscription to travelBulletin invest in staff to encourage Join publication that Join the the rush rush to to subscribe subscribe to to travelBulletin, travelBulletin, the monthly publication that themthe tomonthly stay within the makes makes sense sense of of the the electronic electronic news news bombardment. bombardment. industry. In her view, the most Why Why pay pay $149 $149 aa year year for for aa travel travel industry industry newspaper newspaper when when travelBulletin travelBulletin logical solution is to focus on provides provides comprehensive comprehensive industry industry coverage coverage for for only only $50 $50 aa year year attracting staff at entry level (even less if you’re a travel agent). (even less if you’re a travel agent). and committing to ongoing training programs. Certainly To: To: travelBulletin travelBulletin subscriptions subscriptions ABN ABN 47 47 112 112 661 661 613 613 there3084 is no snap-your-fingers PO PO Box Box 7043, 7043, Banyule Banyule Victoria Victoria 3084 solution, but Gordon says inaction will continue to put pressure II am am aa travel travel agent agent and and enclose enclose cheque cheque or or money money order order for for on agencies.$30 “Skills shortages are creating holestointravelBulletin the quality of $30 (inc. (inc. GST) GST) to to cover cover 12 12 months months subscription subscription to travelBulletin service by having under-qualified staff in senior positions. As a result, II am am not not aa travel travel agent agent and and enclose enclose cheque cheque or or money money order order for for more time and energy has cover to be invested into accelerating training $50 $50 (inc. (inc. GST) GST) to to cover 12 12 months months subscription subscription to to travelBulletin travelBulletin for juniors and ensuring they are multi-skilled, not just focused on Name Name ................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................... repetitive tasks,” she said. Job ................................................................................................................ Job title title ................................................................................................................ AFTA is doing its bit to narrow the gap on skills shortages and Agency .................................................................................................... encourage newcomers consider a career in travel, but as AFTA Agency name nameto .................................................................................................... Education and Training director Myatt told travelBulletin, skills Company ............................................................................... Company // organisation organisationRick ............................................................................... shortages areAddress nothing new. “With around 4800 agents in Australia we Address ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... will always have skills shortages and we will never catch up. But at ................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................. least the industry is mindful of it and is doing what it can,” he said. Email .................................................................................................................... Email .................................................................................................................... AFTA has developed a range of initiatives to bring industry newcomers up to par withLike employee expectations, and Flight Centre PRIVACY you, PRIVACY POLICY: POLICY: Like you, we we abhor abhor spam. spam. We We do do not not pass pass on on email email addresses (or details of to parties. from addresses (or any any other other details of subscribers) subscribers) to third third parties. We We may mayindustry from has been at the forefront of industry training, welcoming time to time contact you with information we believe may be of interest time to time contact you with information we believe may be of interest to to you you such items, notices promotional such as as breaking breaking news items, registration registration renewal notices and and promotional newcomers onboard andnews positioning FCrenewal Business School as a off ers. To opt out of receiving these, tick this box offers. To opt out of receiving these, tick this box complete training solution for travel professionals. *Overseas subscriptions: $70 (Asia $90 (rest world) *Overseas subscriptions: $70 aa year year (Asia Pacifi Pacific), c), $90 aa year year (rest of ofhave world) also Travel industry groups including Express Travel Group **Off **Offer er not not valid valid outside outside Australia Australia introduced their own in-house training solutions to combat the issue head on, but as Gordon stressed, easing skills shortages takes more than a few industry training platforms – a whole of industry approach is required. For an industry that has long been resilient to change, experts agree that acknowledging the problem is one of the greatest hurdles, followed by the implementation of training and recruitment strategies at agency level. The need to invest time and effort to training has been traditionally hard to swallow for time strapped agencies – particularly when there is no guarantee that staff will stay on the books – but as Gordon and Chiles put it, the alternative is to do nothing and risk losing talented staff to other professions.

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relationships,BUSINESS this dynamic travel online SYSTEMS provider needs you! AND Due they looking grow Due to to expansion expansionMANAGER they are are ANALYST looking to toSYDNEY grow their their sales sales team. – team. Your will and dynamic Your primary primary objective objective will be be to to develop develop and secure secure dynamic PACKAGES FROM $85K travel products from new and existing clientele for their SYDNEY – SALARY PKGEforTO $85K travel products from new and existing clientele their direct direct If you are anrewarded experienced whoand canenjoy find consumers. You will with aaBDM top consumers. Youexperienced will be be rewarded with top salary salary and enjoy Are you with online booking systems newworking leads inand winfunky newenvironment. business, this role will working in aa fun, fun, funky environment.

CORPORATE CORPORATE BDM BDM X X 44 JOIN THIS FORWARD MEL, SYD SALARY PACKAGE MEL, SYD & & BNE– BNE– SALARY PACKAGE OTE OTE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS! THINKING PCO $120K+ $120K+ CORPORATE BUSINESS IfIf you BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MGRnew you have have the the passion passion for for sales sales and and love love building building new relationships your here. relationships your talents talents will will be be rewarded rewarded here. You’ll You’ll be be joining joining DEVELOPMENT MANAGER NORTH SYDNEY LOCATION –and the aa leading corporate TMC offering a long term career and leading corporate TMC offering a long term career real BRISBANE – SALARY OTE $80K the real OTE $120K opportunity opportunity of of progression. progression. With With aa leading leading brand brand behind behind you, you, you’ll you’l Reap the rewards by joining this dynamic travel be able to take aim at an amazing salary package and work with be ableThis to take aim at an amazing package well-known PCO is salary looking for anand work with management company as a BDM. will be fantastic unique fantastic unique clients.Youon experienced BDM. The role is clients. focused lead

opportunity opportunity to to join join an an industry industry leader. leader. You’ll You’ll be be well well versed versed inin the the creation creation and and delivery delivery of of unique, unique, motivational motivational and and exciting exciting events events for for corporate corporate clients, clients, including including incentive incentive groups, groups, conferences conferences and and KICK START YOUR launches. Top package and global progression WORK FOR THIS DYNAMIC launches. Top salary salary package and global career career progression on on offer. offer. EXECUTIVE CAREER ORGANISATION

product product managers managers and and retail retail businesses businesses to to identify identify new new business business opportunities opportunities along along with with maximising maximising current current supplier supplier relationships relationships Working Working on on aa large large marketing marketing strategy strategy your your knowledge knowledge of of the the LEADING ASIA TRAVEL industry and development skills HERE’S YOUR BIG industry and strong strong business business development skills will will be be the the key to key to success. success. SPECIALIST CHANCE TO STEP UP

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RISE TO GREATER GLORY FOCUS IfIf you passionate and you are are passionate about about product product and have have established established key key BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT relationships, this dynamic travel online provider needs you!

and have a strong background in technology? suit you. You will establish, maintain and grow In this role, you will be responsible for building commercial relationships through the travel and executing new system processes to agency channel. The role requires extensive travel LOVE ORGANISING BIGidentify TICKET improve business performance, areas of around NSW, so you’ll be flexible and you will EVENTS? improvement relating to business and technology need EVENTS to be confident in delivering information and SENIOR DIRECTOR/ TEAM LEAD SENIOR EVENTS DIRECTOR/ TEAM LEAD processes, together with overall analysis of speaking in front ofPACKAGE people. If you love$90K+ life on the SYDNEY –– SALARY OTE SYDNEY SALARY PACKAGE OTE $90K+ business practices and procedures. Bring road and have proven experience in a similar role, IfIf your lies conference program your analytical approach to &this winning travel your experience experience lies within within conference & incentive incentive program please apply now. management and teams, this management and you you have have managed event teams, this isis aa rare rare company withmanaged ongoingevent career progression.

DON’T YOU DESERVE MORE?

responsible for developing a pipeline & building generation and pure business development relationships to acquire new business along with components. This is your chance to showcase implementing sales strategies to optimise client KNOW HOW TO SCHMOOZE your strong presentation, negation and selling spend. Attractive salary with uncapped earning YOUR SUPPLIERS? skills working for an industry leader. Monday potential. Experience as SPECIALIST a travel BDM with a PRODUCT – Friday PRODUCT role with someSPECIALIST travel and client proven sales ––track record PACKAGE along with strong BRISBANE BRISBANE SALARY PACKAGE TO $85K entertaining afterSALARY hours requirements. YouTO will$85K customer service, presentation, communication Are aa smart negotiator? Pride on supplier have industry experience, preferable from Are you you smartsales negotiator? Pride yourself yourself on your your supplier and negotiation skills essential. relationship this challenging role will relationship skills? thisproduction. challenging Apply role you youtoday! will liaise liaise with with events inskills? hotelsInInor

JUNIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MICE SALES MANAGERMGR PERTH &MANAGER SYDNEY – SALARY – SA/NTSYDNEY ADELAIDE – SAL PKG AUSTRALIA’S MOST EXPERIENCED NORTH – UP TO $95K PACKAGE TO $75K $55K + COMM PKG + MILEAGE SYDNEY – UPTO $85K PACKAGE PACKAGE EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT TEAM Aretoyou looking tothis develop an account AreThis youleading a proven professional in Adelaide Due expansion awardinto winning TMC is toursales operator is looking for an manager for a global company? Utilise your looking for a new productwho to promote? looking forrole an experienced CRM, an exciting time experienced Sales Manager can combine current experience and passion for delivering Responsible for the SA/NT market, your primary to join a dynamic team. You will be managing their high level sales skills with their strong MICE Email: results in the travel industry. You will be role is developing strategies a portfolio of high profile executive@aaappointments.com.au accounts andfocused be network. This is your chancetotoincrease step intosales, this on growing existing accounts for this global TMCVACANCIES growing sales revenue, building strong ongoing FOR MANY MORE EXECUTIVE VISIT OUR WEBSITE responsible for identifying growth opportunities management role, with one direct report. Your withtravel progression growth. YouEssentially will be a born relationships industry agents, and trends inforthe industry. you key strengthswith will key include strong proventogether sales www.aaappointments.com networker who can demonstrate confidence and with attending trade shows/expos. will have experience from a TMC or similar, with skills in the B2B space, the ability to win and the ability to build and nurture relationships in a Previous the travelbrand industry as outstanding knowledge of managing multiple nurture topexperience clients andinmaximize profile fast paced environment. Call the exec team and a sales executive or solid sales consulting accounts and reporting requirements. Claim your across Australia. Exciting opportunity not to be don’t miss opportunity! experience essential. travelBulletin June 2013 spotthis andfantastic apply today! missed – apply today!

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MEMBER

Travel management

Improving the

guest experience By Kenneth Rogers

ccommodation providers are under pressure to deliver customer service experiences that differentiate them in a competitive market. Whether travelling for business or pleasure, guests expect a certain level of customer service when staying in a hotel or serviced apartment. The standard of customer service a guest receives often determines whether or not they choose to stay with the brand again and how they speak of it within their extended networks and on social media. Traditionally, customer service is mainly in the hands of front office staff, employees from the concierge desk, reservation departments, as well as cleaners and room service operators. They are expected to be polite, helpful, knowledgeable, and accessible at every interaction. But excellence in this area of customer service is not enough to set you apart from your competitors in the current market. Recent customer service innovations in the accommodation industry have come in a myriad of forms; from the implementation of self-service facilities, smart technology in rooms, and specially curated lifestyle programs. Lifestyle programs are an ancillary offering focused on providing guests with exemplary customer service by taking the concierge concept to the next level with the provision of specially curated itineraries. The Ascott Limited recently launched the Ascott Lifestyle program which is an example of how the company is responding to customer requirements. The program offers guests a selection of tailored experiences such as cultural and gastronomical activities, allowing guests to explore the cities they are staying in with activities that have been tailored to their interests, attitudes and lifestyles.

Recent customer service innovations in the accommodation industry have come in a myriad of forms...

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One such example of the Lifestyle program is the Citadines on Bourke Melbourne’s microsite which features a section on things to do in Melbourne, as well as an interactive map which shows guests how to get around the city using the apartment hotel as a base. The microsite is just one example of how The Ascott Limited is embracing digital technologies to improve the customer service offering. It makes finding information about the city easy for guests, with links to sightseeing tours, shopping, restaurants, bars and major events. In other states in Australia, the Ascott Lifestyle program also extends to offering discounts at restaurants and major tourism

attractions, and complimentary access to state-of-the-art gyms. Guests and travel professionals can view a collection of featured experiences on The Ascott Lifestyle website to improve their knowledge of selected cities before their arrival. All activities are regularly updated so that guests can make the most of their stay. Lifestyle programs deliver customer service at a level above and beyond the traditional concierge offering. They are also an example of how leaders in the industry are looking for new ways to engage existing and potential guests through unique services.

Kenneth Rogers is the regional general manager for The Ascott Limited in Australia & Indonesia and oversees the operations of 15 serviced apartments across the two countries.

cruisE Report

The end of last minute cruise pricing? By Bruce Piper Some years ago travelBulletin was chatting to a now former senior cruise executive at an event overlooking Sydney Harbour. As we talked, one of the company’s ships berthed at the Overseas Passenger Terminal and departed for a South Pacific voyage, and I asked whether the vessel was sailing full. “It had better be, or I’ll be getting a call in a few minutes from head office overseas to explain why not,” the cruise chief remarked – reflecting the pretty much industry-wide policy of ensuring that inventory is always fully utilised. However, recent remarks by Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited chairman Richard Fain have signalled that a switch in policy is in the works – and that may be bad news for bargain hunters. Cruise passengers – particularly retirees who are able to be flexible with their departure dates – have long taken advantage of the well-known “always sail full” policy, often waiting until the last minute to make bookings to ensure steep discounts. Cruise lines also offered exceptional “travel industry family and friends” deals on lesspopular sailings, which could be accessed by pretty much anyone who had a loose acquaintance with someone working within the travel sector. While occupancy has been a key metric for the cruise industry, this 100% full policy has certainly affected yield, particularly with the rise of the internet which has seen an increasing ability for web-savvy cruisers to access the plethora of last minute deals. As well as these last-minute bookers getting their holidays at bargain basement prices, this has also, in some cases, impacted guest satisfaction as those on board boast about the cheap prices they paid, disconcerting others who booked further ahead and paid top dollar. However, according to Fain, the golden days of last minute cruise bargains may be coming to an end. Speaking after a recent earnings announcement by Royal Caribbean, Fain said there would be a significant shift in policy, with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises both ceasing last minute price cuts. He vowed that after a certain threshold, RCCL brands would no longer continue to drop prices. “Depending on the type of cruise, that last minute may be 10, 20 or 30 days out. From that point on, we will hold our price at the prior level,” Fain said. He conceded that this might mean some Royal Caribbean vessels would cruise at less than 30

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

We are not doing anybody any favours by discounting. We work too hard developing phenomenal products to then charge too little for them

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100% occupancy – but in the longer term the “price integrity” would be good for the brand and improve net revenues. “It was really important to strengthen our brand, because in the long run it is our brand that is going to drive our yield improvements,” he said. Although Fain was referring to voyages out of North America, RCCL’s UK chief Michael Bayley also backed the initiative, saying that “from 2016 the price will never drop… there will be no discounts beyond 30 days from departure”. “We are not doing anybody any favours by discounting. We work too hard developing these phenomenal products to then charge too little for them,” Bayley said. RCCL’s policy shift follows similar rhetoric by Carnival Corporation, which in late 2013 signalled a strategy of staying strong on pricing at the expense of slightly lower occupancies. And while Norwegian Cruise Line hasn’t issued a “specific

pricing promise,” president Andy Stuart has confirmed that “it is our goal to raise pricing as we get closer to sailing” – a policy similar to that adopted by more upscale cruise lines such as Crystal Cruises. This is all good news for travel agents, who will hopefully no longer be caught out when they manage to secure a great deal for their clients, only to have the rug swept from under their feet by a cruise line desperate to fill some last minute berths. The policy shift is also a great motivator for consultants to use with their clients, who should be informed that the good times of last minute deals could be coming to an end. However one major caveat to the policy change is the massive growth of capacity – particularly in Australia where cruise lines seem to be constantly adding new ships. Industry observers will be keenly watching to see whether the new rhetoric on last minute pricing matches reality, or if it will just be too tempting for cruise executives to lock in some last minute bookings by putting cheap fares on sale. One avenue to watch will be the various group-buying “deals” sites, where in recent months some major operators have been observed selling South Pacific voyages from just $99 per person for a week. Cruise lines have declined to comment on the specifics, hinting that these steep discounts on sites such as Webjet Exclusives are being funded by the deal providers themselves in order to boost traffic and attract new customers.

cruisE REPORT

CLIA view Brett Jardine, general manager CLIA Australasia

A tick for the bucket list Given that much of my working week is spent advocating the pleasures of cruising, I’m pleased to report that I recently spent some time practising what I preach by taking a cruise holiday in Tahiti. Sailing the waters of French Polynesia has been high on my bucket list for years, and the holiday certainly lived up to my expectations. Although there are no direct flights from Australia to Tahiti, a prevailing wind ensured our hop across the ditch from Sydney to Auckland was a speedy two hours 20 minutes and the Auckland to Papeete leg was just as impressive in under four-and-a-half hours. From Papeete we joined a diverse range of people on the spectacular Paul Gauguin for a journey around the Society Islands & Tuamotus. Both the product and the destination exceeded the expectations of most onboard – myself included. With plenty of time to ponder life’s challenges, I did stop to think what fulfilment such an experience delivers. The presentation of MS Paul Gauguin was first class with my OCD tendencies unable to fault any aspect of the charming 320-passenger vessel. Meanwhile in the northern hemisphere, the start of the European river cruise season is well underway and the segment continues to experience an amazing new build boom with CLIA member cruise lines accounting for 16 brand new river cruise ships in 2015 alone and another 14 scheduled for 2016. Not only is there remarkable growth in the number of river ships being built,

there’s been a significant change in where these ships are sailing. As river cruise demand has exploded, the cruise lines have shifted itineraries to take advantage of new destinations and opportunities. While the waterways of Europe remain very popular, river cruisers can now take their pick from countries like Egypt, Russia,

COMMUNIQUÉ FROM… KAREN CHRISTENSEN General Manager & Director Sales/Marketing, Australasia

SAVOUR EUROPE’S AUTUMNAL SUNSETS

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It’s not too late to explore the sun-dappled delights of the Mediterranean with voyages departing until November 2015.

the cruise lines have shifted itineraries to take advantage of new destinations and opportunities

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’

MEDITERRANEAN VOYAGES ABOARD SILVER SPIRIT

India, China, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia, not to mention the US. It is this diverse destination experience as well as the high class onboard amenities which is drawing more and more holiday makers to the allure of river cruising. In fact, river cruise lines are working hard to differentiate their onboard products, ensuring potential guests are spoiled for choice. But it’s not just travellers who are set to benefit from the growth of the river cruising sector. For agents, river cruising differs from ocean cruising with longer booking windows and longer itineraries on average, making a “river” conversion great for the bottom line.

Piraeus (Athens) to Venice Departs 4 Sep, 7 days Fares from au$4,950pp Istanbul to Piraeus (Athens) Departs 7 Oct, 9 days Fares from au$5,850pp Civitavecchia (Rome) to Barcelona Departs 2 Nov, 7 days Fares from au$4,050pp

headlines april & may 2015 21 Apr 23 Apr 23 Apr 28 Apr 30 Apr 30 Apr 05 May

End of an era for Rhapsody Lindblad on expansion trail Scenic goes to eleven P&O’s Eden and Aria revealed Bhaya appoints local rep ASF studying other sites Grand Circle down under

05 May 07 May 07 May 12 May 14 May 19 May 21 May

For a copy of Silversea’s 2015 brochure, visit tifs.com.au

1m Dubai cruisers by 2020 Carnival returning to NZ ‘Glut’ of river cruise ships Le Lyrial makes its debut Cruise ships up for NTIAs NZ targets superyachts New CLIA global chief

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

For more information or to book call 1300 306 872 or visit silversea.com Visit silversea.com for full terms and conditions.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

cruisE Report

RCCL throws weight behind Quantum River cruising may be gaining on its bigger sister ocean cruising, but the big players are pulling out all the stops to take ocean cruising to the next level. Viking has introduced its ‘no nickel-anddiming’ philosophy to its first ocean cruising venture the Viking Star, while Carnival has made over its culinary experiences by slashing the buffet in favour of gourmet food markets on board Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden. But ocean cruise lines are also moving on CLIA’s projections that ocean cruising will continue to swell in the coming years – and Royal Caribbean is positioning itself as a leader of the pack, entering an agreement with Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard for a fourth vessel in its highly touted Quantum series which debuted just last year. The yet to be named vessel will join the RCCL fleet in 2019, accompanying the first two mega liners in the series; Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, along with Ovation of the Seas which is set to be delivered next year to cater for explosive growth out of the Chinese (and Australiasian) market. The cost of the latest addition has not been disclosed, but RCCL has confirmed

Kellie Browning Supporting you in VIC

that its projected capital spending for 2019 is expected to top $1.3 billion. Much like Viking’s Longships and Scenic’s Space-Ships on European rivers, RCCL is following suit by rolling out similar takes on the same theme in a bid to woo repeat clients on board. But the cruise giant is also upping the ante with new hallmark features such as high speed internet, bars with robot bartenders, and digital check in that is expected to slash boarding times to under 10 minutes. RCCL is clearly confident its Quantum

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class is making waves, and it’s equally bullish that capacity increases will follow suit at an average of 5% year on year until 2019. The latest addition to its Quantum fleet is expected to deliver a 6.5% capacity spike in 2019 alone, with the mega liner set to carry more than 4,900 passengers at maximum capacity. The new order is dependent on financing, but if the cruise giant’s log book comes anywhere close to projections over the next four years, financing is not going to hold RCCL back.

Cruise lines vie for podium finish The National Travel Industry Awards gala dinner is edging closer, with five cruise lines to battle it out for a place on the podium for the new Best Cruise Ship category. This year marks a shift from last year’s night of nights, with the category now recognising individual ships rather than cruise lines. Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity, Princess and Royal Caribbean are up for the top gong, with Carnival Spirit, Celebrity Solstice, Voyager of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, and Diamond Princess all in the running. Carnival Cruise Lines failed to make the cut for the Best Cruise Operator category, with Celebrity, RCCL, Princess, Holland America Line and Silversea all in the running. APT, Avalon, Scenic, Uniworld and Viking are all up for the new Best River Cruise Operator award, introduced this year to recognise the performance of the booming river cruise sector. APT is also going head to head with rival Scenic in the Best Tour Operator category (domestic), with APT keen to retain its double podium finish for the award in both the domestic and international categories last year. The 2015 NTIA Gala Dinner will take place at the Dockside Pavilion at Sydney’s Darling Harbour on 18 July.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

brochures

Infinity Holidays’ latest Western Australia brochure has hit agency shelves with new hotels and tours among the offering in 2015/16. More than half a dozen properties are new this year including three in Perth and others in Scarborough, Busselton, Albany and Kalgoorlie. A full day Rottnest Island multitour adventure has also been added including a coach tour, cycle adventure, and a guided wildlife tour from $109 per person.

Sunsail Australia has released a condensed brochure featuring two new Greek destinations; Corfu and Lefkas. The additions open up the northern and southern Ionian Sea to qualified sailors in search of selfguided sailing holidays. With a fleet of over 800 yachts in 29 locations, Sunsail covers the Caribbean, Mediterranean, South Pacific, the Indian Ocean and North America.

Singapore Airlines Holidays has released a Singapore & Beyond 2015/16 brochure, with cruise product a stand out feature following a string of new partnerships this year. Princess Cruises, Star Cruises and Pandaw River Cruises are featured alongside airfares, land, and accommodation options to allow agents to craft tailored holiday packages in Singapore.

More than ten new tours have been added to Russian Travel Centre’s latest program, including escorted coach tours, cruises, and rail journeys by private train. Outlined in the 72-page program is the new St. Petersburg in Style tour, the Orient Silk Road Express itinerary, and the new small group tour from St. Petersburg to Moscow which includes a six-night river cruise on MS Chernyshevsky.

A range of itineraries, expedition cruises and travel options from Australia and New Zealand are outlined in Chimu Adventures’ latest Antarctica brochure. The 42-page program covers East and West Antarctica, including travel to the sub Antarctic islands. Featuring cruises and experiences for the 3-5 star traveller, Latin American add-ons are also available for travellers visiting East Antarctica.

Trafalgar has released its first combined Autumn, Winter and Spring program covering travel across Europe, Asia, USA and Canada. Featuring 52 itineraries including Christmas holidays and winter escapes, the brochure covers seasonal experiences for travel from November 2015 to March 2016. Featuring a number of old Trafalgar favourites, new tours have also been added including the 15-day Canadian Rockies Winter Wonderland trip which takes in Lake Louise and Banff with a white Christmas experience.

Two new activities have been added to Scenic’s latest Norfolk Island program including the Norfolk Today tour which showcases the island’s self-sustaining lifestyle by following in the footsteps of residents. Also new is a tailored cheese tour. Scenic’s eight-day Historic Norfolk Island tour leads in from $3095 including accommodation and entertainment, with earlybird savings of $250 per couple for bookings made by 30 September.

New hotels, sightseeing options, and a number of road trip recommendations have been added to Creative Holidays’ 2015/16 USA brochure. Now featuring a range of options in Atlanta, Dallas, Memphis and Nashville, the program has new sightseeing itineraries including a Hollywood tour in LA, a cycling tour which takes in the Golden Gate Bridge, and a Flavours of New York day tour.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

industry in focus

celebrating re all smiles while we er ov Gl Liz d month. Peter Q uinn an d in Sydney last enicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new bran the launch of Sc

The team at The Lido Group couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hide their excitement after processing the one millionth booking via the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s central reservation hub last month. After boosting staff numbers by more than 50% over the past two years, the group expects to hit the 2,000,000 mark within the next 18 months.

It was all sun and smiles for these agents who were treated to a sevennight river cruise courtesy of Travelmarvel and Emirates last month.

These Aussi e agents ju mped in the the Whitsun deep end on days courte a famil to sy of Infinity Holidays.

Scenic pulled off one of its biggest trade famils in Europe last month, taking over 100 Australian and NZ travel industry representatives to Europe for the christening of Scenic Jasper. Starting in Vienna, the group travelled to Linz, Salzburg and Budapest where they stopped off for a guided city tour and a trip to the traditional steam baths. Over 300 agents and media from across the globe travelled to Europe to celebrate the launch.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

JUNE 2015

Tourism NZ put on a great show for over 50 industry professionals in Sydney last month to celebrate the official launch of the country’s 23 Great Rides. Pictured from left are NZ High Commissioner to Australia Chris Seed, Tourism NZ chief Kevin Bowler and TNZ GM Australia Tony Saunders, joined by two Maori performers.

This little guy stole the show during a quick visit to Ski Dubai at Arabian Travel Mart last month. This year’s trade show saw more than 20,000 visitors pass through the doors for four days of seminars and discussions.

Yes, it’s hard to believe that Air New Zealand just turned 75! The airline celebrated its 1940s launch of trans-Tasman flights in style with a function at Catalina Restaurant in Sydney.

Fiona Cogar fro m Arabian Adve ntures and Julie from Duba i Tour King ism stopped for a quick snap at Travel Mart in Du Arabian ba i last month.

Jodie Collins and Sheree Pekovich from Dubai Tourism were in fine form during ATM, scoring a photo with none other than Bondi Vet heart throb Dr Chris Brown.

Contiki MD Katrina Barry squeezed in a quick pic with these Air New Zealand reps who showcased the airline’s uniform evolution at the 75th anniversary celebrations last month.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

Asia

Alluring Asia South East Asia comes of age

Caves at Halong Bay, Richard I. Anson

Shwedagon pagoda, Yangon, A&K

South East Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history has been plagued by war and political upheaval, but its modern day reputation is a far cry from the days of old. Vietnam and Cambodia have emerged as tourism hot spots as the palette of intrepid travellers becomes more adventurous, but Myanmar is also gaining ground as it shakes the cobwebs of its troubled past, as Gary Walsh writes.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

World Expeditions

IETNAM, Cambodia and Myanmar are perfect examples of how travel can change the course of history. Thirty years ago, Vietnam was still recovering economically and psychologically from decades of war. Twenty years ago, the horrors of the Khmer Rouge era were still fresh in Cambodia. Ten years ago, Myanmar (formerly Burma) was an international pariah, shunned because of its repressive military regime and the imprisonment of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Tourism was limited to a few adventurous individuals or special interest groups. Now, they are firmly placed on the tourist map, all having experienced remarkable tourism growth. And given the attractions they offer, the friendliness of their people, and their

Inside Shwedagon, Gary Walsh

brilliant cuisines, it makes perfect sense. Of the three, Vietnam offers the widest range of experiences; from beach holidays right through to mountain trekking. It is also a land of contrasts, with Ho Chi Minh City, one of the most vibrant cities on earth, a stark contrast from the more sedate Hanoi with its leafy boulevards and serene lakes. South of Ho Chi Minh City is the Mekong Delta, an endlessly fascinating region of floating markets, fish farms and non-stop waterborne commerce that features the lovely cities of Chau Doc and Can Tho. Central Vietnamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hoi An is a glorious spot with a beautifully preserved historical centre and wonderful beaches. Just north is imperial Hue. Halong Bay offers stunning scenery and the chance to travel through an ethereal landscape

ASIA

Need to know Getting there Vietnam Airlines flies to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi from Sydney and Melbourne, with connections to Yangon, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. THAI Airways International has connections to major destinations in the three countries from Bangkok. Bangkok Airways has flights from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay. Courtesy Insider Journeys

Getting around Road travel is fraught with danger in this part of the world, but it is also unavoidable at times. Long-haul buses are particularly dangerous in Vietnam. Vietnam has extensive air and rail networks, including the famous Reunification Express train that runs from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Luxury vessels run from Vietnam’s Mekong Delta to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Hydrofoils run between Phnom Penh

on a traditional junk boat, while west of Hanoi is hill country with Sapa at its core. Tourism in Cambodia is understandably focused on the wonders of Siem Reap, headlined by the unparalleled Angkor Wat. But there are other reasons to visit Cambodia. Phnom Penh is a thriving city with a dark past, and as daunting as it may seem, visits to the S-21 prison and the Killing Fields are essential. Tonle Sap lake is a wonder to explore, and the south coast has some great little spots including Kampot and Kep-sur-mer. Yangon, Myanmar’s capital, is slowly emerging from its torpor. Its main attraction is stunning Shwedagon Pagoda, but the city also rewards visitors with aimless walking along streets still lined with mouldering colonial buildings. Bagan is the chief destination

with more than 1000 ancient pagodas and stupas spread over a broad plain, and further north are Mandalay, Sagaing, and Inle Lake. And through it all, the Ayeyawady River flows. Myanmar’s tourism explosion has been extraordinary, with just over three million arrivals in 2014 compared with 791,000 four years earlier. Australians accounted for 29,000 of them. More than 321,000 Australians visited Vietnam last year out of a total of 7.84 million arrivals, while 134,000 visited Cambodia which registered 4.5 million arrivals. Australian visitation increased modestly last year – by 0.5% for Vietnam, 1.6% for Cambodia and 2.6% for Myanmar, which saw an overall rise in tourism of more than 20% in 2014. Myanmar’s tourism infrastructure has struggled to cope with the massive increase in visitation, a point stressed by Intrepid Travel managing director James Thornton. “In the earlier days there were difficulties with hotel bookings due to limited room capacity and high demand, combined with poor roads, and difficulties with food hygiene. However, we are seeing this gradually improve,” he says. “The current challenge is trying to set travellers’ expectations in a destination that is still developing in terms of tourism.”

and Siem Reap, but they are unreliable and dangerous. There are frequent flights from Yangon to Mandalay and Bagan, and many vessels operate on the Ayeryawady between Bagan and Mandalay. Vehicles with drivers can be hired in all three countries – self-drive is not recommended.

When to go The northern winter (December-February) offers the best weather, but it also sees the biggest crowds. Travelling just either side of this peak provides the best chance of combining decent weather with less congestion.

Currency The AUD is worth about 16,900 Vietnamese dong, 3130 Cambodian riel and 840 Myanmar kyat.

Meanwhile, World Expeditions CEO Sue Badyari says Myanmar is slowly gaining ground on the ever popular destinations of Vietnam and Cambodia. “Although a comparatively newer entrant to the global stage, Myanmar is fast emerging as a sought after destination and our range of holidays there is growing in response,” she says. “Beautiful landscapes, rich history and culture, and amazing food make all three countries ideal destinations to explore.” Insider Journeys managing director Paul Hole, who was a pioneer in the region back in the 90s, says South East Asia has come a long way in the past 30 years. And as the destinations continue to develop, he says new locations are opening up with easier access. “A good example of this is the new highway to Sapa into the mountainous northern areas of Vietnam. Previously, the primary mode of transport had been limited to overnight train travel. The new highway which links Hanoi and Lao Cai now makes Sapa more accessible for our clients,” he says. Certainly Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar will continue to evolve over the decades to come, but as the shackles on their past continue to loosen, the evolution is edging in the right direction. travelBulletin JUNE 2015

Asia

Myanmar emerges as a key player Myanmar is emerging as a tourism hot spot as the destination opens up and operators roll out a range of new product catering for intrepid travellers through to self-funded retirees. InterAsia Tours was the first of several operators to step foot into Myanmar’s emerging tourism market after the government opened the country’s borders in the late 90s following a sixty year hiatus. While tourism was initially slow to return, InterAsia Tours director Dan Nebauer told travelBulletin that the country has re-emerged stronger than ever as travellers look to satisfy their curiosity for the enigmatic nation. While last year saw a modest increase in bookings, he said 2015 was shaping up to be the company’s strongest year on record for Myanmar. “We have been selling Myanmar since 1998 but interest is really taking off and we have seen a 20% increase in customer bookings for this year alone,” he said. InterAsia Tours recently introduced two new products including the 16-day Myanmar Explorer which covers Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Nyang Shwe, travelling by boat, train, bus and horse cart. Tailored for adventurous travellers, highlights include a visit to a local monk school and the U Bein Bridge. A bicycle tour of Bagan is also included. Also new to the line-up is a river cruise on the 62 passenger Sanctuary Amanda, and tours on Haimark vessels are set to be released in the coming weeks. While travellers to Myanmar have traditionally been interested in adventure activities, Nebauer said there was also strong interest for luxury product which combines soft adventure with five-star luxury. Travellers are also requesting more tailored tours which combine

river cruises, FIT land tours and luxury accommodation, he added. “Many travellers who visit Myanmar want to see it and smell it, but they don’t want it stuck on their shoes,” he commented. InterAsia Tours offers an extensive range of itineraries throughout South East Asia including Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. n Visit www.interasia.com.au for details.

tourism stepping up Myanmar is catching up with pent up demand for tourism services, but A&K managing director Sujata Raman says there is still some way to go until the emerging destination strikes the right balance. Myanmar has struggled to keep up with an influx of visitors since the government re-opened the country’s borders to tourists, with Raman claiming that hotels which were running at below 50% occupancy in the mid-2000s are now pretty much completely full all year round. While the country was facing a chronic hotel shortage in 2012, she said Myanmar is now in a better position to deal with the onslaught of tourists. However, peak periods still remain a challenge, she added. “It was a chaotic time in 2012 with all the deluxe hotels in Myanmar having no availability at all while guests were clamouring to visit as soon as possible. The initial wave subsided last year [and] availability at hotels is a lot better, but it is still difficult over the peak periods,” she said. Raman also stressed the need for ongoing infrastructure development and for tourism companies operating in Myanmar to invest in staff training at all levels.

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APT hones in on south east Asia APT is extending its grasp in Asia as demand continues to swell, with strong forward bookings for a number of new products setting the stage for a stellar 2015/16 season. APT is introducing a second river cruise vessel on the Mekong in August and launching another new boutique ship in 2016 featuring 30 suites, a swimming pool, complimentary Wi-Fi and cuisine inspired by APT’s Asia ambassador Luke Nguyen. As Myanmar’s tourism industry goes from strength to strength, APT chief marketing officer Debra Fox branded the country as one of the strongest performers in South East Asia, noting that APT’s latest Burma River Cruising program has been well received by the trade. “Burma is one of the most exciting emerging river cruise destinations and we’re delighted to be introducing our first ship there,” she said. “This is proving to be a popular product and our travel agency partners are already enjoying strong sales.” Travelmarvel’s Asia product manager Stuart Lyall was equally bullish about Myanmar ahead of the launch of the company’s new

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river vessel RV Princess Panhwar which will set sail next year. The custom built vessel will offer four-star river cruising with a choice of 36 staterooms and suites ranging in size from 26 sqm to 42.5 sqm. “Burma is an untouched destination that our guests are keen to explore [and] we are excited about helping our travel agents to sell this unique product,” he said.

Outlined in Travelmarvel’s 2015/16 brochure are a choice of 24 sailings between January 2016 and April 2017. Passengers travelling on the Majestic Burma itinerary can add a three-day extension to Inle Lake. Travellers can also combine the tour with a Mekong river cruise onboard La Marguerite as part of the the 27-day Wonders of the Irrawaddy and Mekong trip.

Asia

Busy year for PG Bangkok Airways has had a busy few months, entering codeshare agreements with Qantas, Garuda Indonesia and Jet Airways on selected routes. Bangkok Airways (PG) kicked off its codeshare agreement with Garuda in December and entered the next phase of its codeshare with Qantas in May. The QF tie up allows Bangkok Airways passengers to book on selected QF international services from Bangkok and Singapore to Australia. The airline also signed an agreement with Jet Airways in April as the airline looks to step up its reach on a global level. Meanwhile, oneworld invited PG to take part in the Global Explorer Roundthe-World fare in April which allows travellers to purchase a continentbased fare or distance-based fare for round-the-world travel. While PG is not a oneworld member, the tie up marks the first time that Bangkok Airways flights have been made available via the fare.

cruise Competition sees prices dive

Pandaw Cruises remains unfazed by increasing competition on Asia’s rivers, with the operator’s Australian representative John Boyd claiming that consumers are the big winners from the rivalry on the waterways. Pandaw is adding a number of new products to its line up for 2015/16 including new cruises on the Mekong, North Vietnam and the Upper Mekong. A new cruise from Vientiane to Chiang Khong via Luang Prabang has been added, along with a cruise on the Red River in North Vietnam. An itinerary from Thailand to China via Burma and Laos is also new to the 2015/16 program. With Asia’s rivers becoming increasingly

Experience the delights of South East Asia

Q&A

swamped with new product from a string of cruise companies, Boyd told travelBulletin that the Mekong was seeing a particular increase in traffic. But it comes as good news to passengers, with the competition seeing prices dive while standards creep higher. “Asian rivers are becoming very popular. Passengers now have a lot of choices and prices are very competitive now,” he said, adding that the onus was on cruise lines to keep standards at a high benchmark. Meanwhile, Boyd said interest in Myanmar was outpacing Vietnam and Thailand, with the trend likely to continue for “several years ahead”.

South East Asia specialist and helloworld Leopold manager Brett Robinson shared some tips to take the guesswork out of selling Asia.

How popular are Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar? Vietnam and Cambodia are extremely popular with our clients. Myanmar hasn’t really started to become popular yet, but it could be the next big thing as it seems to tick a lot of boxes for travellers. What is the appeal of the region? The culture, the people, the history, the food, and the price of everything which is so much cheaper than we are used to here.

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What are the biggest challenges with selling these destinations? They are fairly easy to sell, but not as “flop and drop” destinations like Bali and Thailand. Clients also need to allow enough time to visit some of the places they have only heard of; it’s hard to do these destinations as a 10-night itinerary. How can agents improve their product knowledge of the region? The best product knowledge you can get is to visit yourself. If this is not possible you should work closely with your wholesalers’ reps to find out all the information they can give you. Any tips you can share with other agents selling these countries? Be passionate about the destinations. It’s easy to learn if you like the subject you are talking about.

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USA

C a p i ta l At t r a c t i o n s P o w e r a n d P L AY T I M E

Thriving cultural life, delicious dining and unmissable landmarks make Washington DC a destination worth visiting. If the historical landmarks don’t do it for your clients, the food will, as Kristie Kellahan writes.

S THE power capital of the United States, Washington DC has, at times, been unfairly lumped with a reputation as a conservative town of politicians. The truth is a city far more dynamic and appealing to visitors. Located on the east coast of the United States, about a four-hour drive southwest of New York City, the District of Columbia has a resident population of about 650,000 people – roughly twice the size of Canberra. Sure, the political and historic landmarks must be seen. No visit to Washington DC is complete without a selfie taken in front of the White House, or a moment with the imposing statue of Abraham Lincoln. At almost six metres, the former president’s seated marble statue dominates the Lincoln Memorial. A wander along the National Mall – the name given to the tree-lined space between the Washington Monument and the US Capitol Building – turns up a dozen free museums that rank among the world’s best in the fields of art, science and history. But dig a little deeper and you’ll discover 44

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a thriving food-truck scene with tasty cuisine from every corner of the globe served hot and fresh from mobile kitchens whose whereabouts are avidly followed on Twitter and Instagram.

to Washington ‘DCNoisvisit complete without a selfie taken in front of the White House

’

Look beyond the modern art galleries and natural history exhibits and be wowed by the Newseum, an unmissable museum dedicated to international news media and the defense of the freedoms of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Get a taste of the undercover life at the International Spy Museum, an interactive attraction that will please kids and grown-ups alike with its role play and fascinating insider intel. Cheering on the hometown sports teams

with a cold beer in hand is a great way to meet the locals. On the baseball field it’s all about the Washington Nationals, while in the National Football League, the Washington Redskins are considered the second most valuable professional sports team in the United States. Explore the city’s open spaces and welldesigned CBD on a rented bicycle, or stand to attention and see the sights from a motorised Segway. With many of the war memorials and historic buildings spread out around the city, it’s handy to zip around on two wheels. Befitting a city that attracts legions of visitors from the worlds of diplomacy, politics and business, DC is home to many top-notch luxury hotels. The Watergate Hotel – part of the Watergate complex forever linked to the scandal which cost Richard Nixon his presidency – is set to reopen this year after an 18-month complete renovation. The Embassy Row Hotel celebrated a grand unveiling of its 231 redesigned guest rooms earlier this year following the completion of a US$15 million transformation. Formerly the Hilton Washington Embassy Row, the

USA

Images courtesy of Destination DC

Need to know Getting There

hotel is located in one of the city’s finest locales: historic Dupont Circle. Surrounded by embassies and within walking distance to dozens of restaurants and galleries, the hotel has one of the city’s few rooftop pools and claims to have the only rooftop pool bar in DC. With DC summers guaranteed to be hot and sticky, the combination of a pool and bar will be welcomed by many visitors to the area. Working together with like-minded local businesses and community organisations, the hotel has created innovative partnerships like SOME (So Others Might Eat) which helps the poor and homeless of the nation’s capital. The initiative also allows guests to make a difference, with a percentage of revenue from one of the hotel’s suites donated the cause, along with a quarter-dollar of every “special of the day” bowl sold in the hotel’s signature restaurant, Station Kitchen & Cocktails. The restaurant is the latest address in DC’s burgeoning food scene. Fuelled by local innovators and entrepreneurs, the culinary melting pot is heating up. The New York Times reported that a new restaurant opens in Washington DC “every week”. Celebrity

chefs including Momofuku’s David Chang and French wonder Daniel Boulud want a piece of the capital pie, with both opening new restaurants in recent months. Time your clients’ visit to coincide with Washington DC Restaurant Week, when more than 200 of the city’s best restaurants slash prices to offer three-course lunches for $20.15 and 3-course dinners for $35.15. The event is held twice a year – in the winter and summer – and includes French, American, Pan-Asian, Southern cuisine and much more. Perhaps the best time of all to visit the capital is in April when warm springtime weather ushers in cherry blossom season. A wildly popular festival is held each year to celebrate the beautiful blossoming of more than 3000 cherry trees that Japan gifted to the US. Photography enthusiasts and nature lovers aren’t the only ones to go weak-kneed for the glorious explosion of pink and white blossoms all over the city; visitors come from around the world to see the spectacle. No matter which season your clients visit Washington DC, there’s so much waiting to be discovered.

A number of major carriers including United, Delta, Qantas and Hawaiian Airlines fly direct from Australia to ports in the US including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oahu and Dallas. No carriers fly direct to DC but connecting flights are available to greater Washington DC’s three airports; Dulles, Reagan National and BWI.

Getting Around For fit and active travellers, the capital can be seen on foot, by bicycle or by Segway. All are easy to rent via Bike and Roll. The Washington Metro is a cheap and easy way to get around. Taxis and Uber rides are also readily available.

Currency At the time of writing, one Australian dollar was worth 78 US cents.

When To Go Washington DC has four distinct seasons. Summer (June-August) can be very hot and humid, while DC winter (December-February) is typically icy and freezing. Springtime (March-May) and Autumn (September-November) offer milder temperatures and the beauty of spring blooms and autumn foliage.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

USA

AGENT KNOW-HOW Twinkling skylines, cultural diversity, and shopping that puts other US hubs to shame – you name it, New York has got it. With so many attractions on offer, wading through depths of information is mind boggling for agents, so NYC & Company shared some tips on what to recommend and how to sell it.

Youth market unfazed by US dollar Australian travellers are skipping over the major cities to venture further afield on their US travels, according to Topdeck general manager Sarah Clarke, who says cheap airfares are also driving an increase in US bookings. While the US is a relatively new destination for Topdeck, launching four years ago, Clarke said the destination had gained favour among Topdeck’s youth demographic, with a 45% jump in sales out of the Australia market in the past 12 months. Flying in the face of industry analysts who claimed that travel to the US would suffer as the Australian dollar weakens against the greenback, Clarke said youth travel to the US was showing no signs of slowing. With flights not included in Topdeck’s offering, she said the rise of “extremely competitive” airfares was driving the trend. Clarke also noted that tours which transit major cities before venturing on to less travelled destinations were also the most popular among Australian guests, with particular interest for travel around California and the country’s east coast. “Australian passengers want to tick off Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, but they want in-depth experiences in other parts. Today’s traveller is far more educated and they want to cover more ground in a short time frame,” she said. Topdeck is set to release a range of new product in the coming months which will complement the existing line up of 20 tours in the USA.

Hit the road Jack The great American road trip is coming of age as more Australians opt for self-driving options to discover lesser known destinations such as Dallas, Denver and Nashville. Creative Holidays has reported a “surge” in interest for self-drive holidays in recent years as travellers look to visit highlights beyond city centres. In response, the operator has highlighted a selection of the most popular self-drive options in its latest USA brochure including the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pacific Coast Highway, and the Blues Highway 61 which takes in southern USA’s jazz scene. Including distances and suggested stops, the enhanced brochure also includes more properties and sightseeing options such as cycling tours in California to make it easier for agents to leverage off the popularity of self-drive trips.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

How can travel agents improve their knowledge of NYC? NYC & Company offers the trade access to exclusive discounts from our member organisations to experience shopping, accommodation, attractions, tours and dining. Agents can email traveltrade@nycgo.com to find out how to register, and visit www.nycgo.com for itineraries and product information. Which NYC attractions are best suited to families? There are so many places, but the American History of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Central Park are great places to start. The Central Park Zoo also has a section tailored for young kids, and the Children’s Museum of the Arts has fun crafts projects that kids can get involved in. What about couples? The Lincoln Centre offers last minute tickets to shows such as the NYC Ballet, and Central Park Boathouse is an elegant restaurant right on the lake. Chez Josephine, also known as Hell’s Kitchen, is ideal for post-show dining. Any sites or attractions that cover all bases? The Empire State Building is a must, along with Top of the Rock located on the 67th to 70th floors of Rockefeller Plaza. No trip to NYC would be complete without a visit to Times Square and Central Park in the heart of Manhattan. What sets NYC apart from other USA destinations? NYC is bursting with diversity and excitement. Each of the five boroughs has a distinctive flavour, while individual neighbourhoods maintain identities of their own. And finally, what are your top selling tips? Agents should encourage clients to book hotels and shows well in advance. Hotels have very high occupancy rates, particularly around key events. Popular Broadway shows are often not available at the discount ticket booth, so it’s best to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

From Washington DC to the Big Apple

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USA

Make a State-ment AMERICA didn’t earn the title as The Land of Opportunity for nothing. Covering some 9.9 million square kilometres, the US is a behemoth with endless opportunities for visitors. With 50 states to choose from such as sun soaked pockets on the coast and buzzing metropolises like New York State, travellers can choose their own adventure. Here are a few suggestions to narrow the search for your clients.

1. Party in Nevada LAS Vegas takes the podium when it comes to Nevada, welcoming a whopping 41.1 million visitors last year alone. Long viewed as a gambler’s mecca, the Las Vegas Visitors Authority is working hard to position the city as more than a pokies hub – but no matter which way you look at it, Vegas isn’t for the faint hearted. Live shows, comedy acts, theme parks and night clubs; Vegas is a night owl’s dream. For late night events that steer clear of the clubs, send your clients to Red Rock Lanes for some disco-inspired bowling, or recommend a sunset helicopter tour with Maverick Helicopters.

2. Get arty in Oregon

Portland Oregon, Bcol OREGON is a mash up of every corner of America. Its diverse geography is trumped by its even more varied inhabitants and culture. Portland is at the heart of the action, earning high acclaim as a foodie’s paradise. Think boutique beers, fixed gear bikes and thick beards, and you’re on the right track. With 56 breweries in the city of Portland – more than any other city in the world – travellers are never far from a good brew and tasty fare, but the Portland Art Museum and Museum of Contemporary Craft are also worth a look in. 48

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USA

NATURE lovers will get plenty of bang for their buck in California, with dozens of iconic landmarks scattered throughout the state. The Ventana Wilderness serves up steep crested ridges, deep valleys and hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails, while Yosemite National Park offers towering granite cliffs and glaciers for those game enough to brave the crowds. Kings Canyon National Park is like a smaller version of Yosemite without the crowds, but it’s just as impressive.

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3. Get back to nature in California

Scenic highways are easy to find in the mighty US of A, but Arizona is home to some of the top picks – including a stretch of the iconic Route 66. This stretch of unadulterated bitumen passes through the state’s old west charms and has plenty of kitsch landmarks, along with a meteor crater just past the quirky town of Flagstaff. Then there’s the Monument Valley Loop which ventures off road to cover all the best bits of Monument Valley, and Highway 89 which serves up red rock canyons, art walks and wine trails in a surprising mix of old meets new. Car rentals are easy to come by with a number of major operators in Phoenix and Tucson including Budget and Alamo.

Texas is unlike any other US state, with its very own bona fide cowboys and ranches. Spring is a high time for tourism as visitors cross the border to see the wildflowers bloom along the Bluebonnet Trail in Hill County. A number of operators offer guided tours at working dude ranches, or your clients can visit a rodeo and watch the real deal do their best to stay in the saddle. Horse riding and stock shows are also on the cards for those who want to get closer to the action. The PRCA Rodeo in late February covers all bases with live musical entertainment, livestock shows and a full carnival.

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BALI

By Sheriden Rhodes

CROSS the lush valley high above the raging Ayung River, the resonant call of the drums beckons the villagers to the temple. The sweet smell of incense and frangipani fills the air as slender Balinese men and women work the fertile rice fields. Sweet-eyed cows graze contentedly as the setting sun casts a golden glow over the age-old rice paddies. By the side of the road, before a small temple, a Balinese man sprinkles holy water over his head, presses a flower between his fingertips and bows his head in prayer. Here, far from the madding crowds, is a reminder why so many Australians are enamoured with this enchanting island where travellers come in their thousands for the sun, the surf and the charming Balinese smiles. Bali is, and always has been, so much more than cheap accommodation, binge drinking and fleshy tourists turning pink under the intense Indonesian sky. Scratch beneath the surface and the real Bali, with its rituals, festivals and ancient culture, remains firmly intact. Despite recent events placing a cloud over Indonesia, Bali remains a firm favorite with Australian travellers, with arrivals up 17% in the 12 months to December 2014. More 50

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than 92,000 Australians flew into Bali’s new Ngurah Rai International Airport in December alone, while overall Australian visitor numbers were up from 938,279 in 2013 to almost 1.1 million. Restaurateur, author and Ubud Writer’s Festival director, Janet DeNeefe, says while development on the Island of the Gods has been rapid, the real Bali can still be found.

development on ‘theWhile Island of the Gods has been rapid, the real Bali can still be found

’

DeNeefe, who moved from Melbourne to Ubud 30 years ago, laments Australians who visit Bali for nothing more than cheap drinks. Brett Morgan, another expat Aussie who runs Private Concierge Bali and VW Limo Bali, encourages Australians to spend time learning about the island’s unique and fascinating culture. “Understanding even a little will enhance your holiday,” he says. There are many ways travellers can get more out of Bali, reconnect with the island’s culture and experience some of what made the destination so popular in the first place.

One way is by joining one of Morgan’s culturerich tours, particularly the Seven Temples of Enlightenment. This fascinating day-long tour takes participants on a journey through World Heritage temples and monuments that trace the creation of the Balinese Hindu religion – all in a restored VW Kombi. The exploration of Bali’s most sacred temples starts with ginger tea at the private home of Bapak Anong Ishmail, the curator of the Sukarno Museum. Highlights include a visit to Bali’s first Hindu temple and a trek to a 10th century meditation temple hidden in a lush valley where ancient chambers are carved into moss swathed rock. Another inspiring day trip is to Bali’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed rice terraces and water temples that date back to the ninth century at Jatiluwah. You can hire a car, get a driver to take you there, or book a full-day tour with an English-speaking guide. DeNeefe’s famous Casa Luna Cooking School, meanwhile, takes an in-depth look at Balinese cuisine. The day starts with an early morning visit to the bustling Ubud market, followed by a hands-on cooking class in an open-air kitchen. The relaxed class ends with a communal lunch featuring all of the dishes cooked that morning. Alternatively, take a sunset sail aboard a traditional jukung on Bali’s northeast coast with its stunning

BALI

Q&A

Travel Counsellors’ operations and team leader Jonathan Garrett shares his top tips with travelBulletin to make selling Bali a breeze.

What are your top tips for selling Bali? Be confident with the products you are offering and ensure you stay up-todate with any travel advice from Smart Traveller. Bali is and will remain one of Australia’s most popular holiday destinations, so stay informed on all of the properties and experiences on offer. How can agents improve their Bali product knowledge? There are many resources available, from destination guides to training sessions on all things Bali, but you can’t beat seeing the product first hand. With so many competitive airfares, take a selffamil and check out the new resorts and activities on offer. Otherwise, get in touch with your preferred Bali supplier for some one-on-one training.

black sand coastline, watching dolphins frolic in the waves as the sun slips beneath the waves. You can also join a gamelan class with master musicians at Arma Museum in Ubud, or take a meandering walk among bucolic scenery and be rewarded with lunch at an organic warung set among ricefields. The open air Sari Organik in Ubud offers affordable and delicious vegetarian cuisine in a stunning paddy setting. Alila Hotels and Resorts regional vice president for South East Asia, Sean Brennan, says one of the most overlooked activities is experiencing Sideman Valley by bicycle. “Start at the craters’ edge, ride down the side of Kintamani and its villages and rice paddies, and finish up in the beautiful Sideman Valley for lunch at the foot of Mt Agung. It’s a perfect way to see the true Bali,” he says. Meanwhile, Double-Six Luxury Hotel hospitality creative director, Robert Marchetti, recommends diving into Bali’s flourishing restaurant scene with flavours from all over the world at your table. “It’s easy to order a burger from the room-service menu, but you’ll miss out on so many amazing food experiences if you do,” he says. Marchetti says riding on a motorbike through the rice paddies is a simple but life changing experience. “It really is a beautiful island,” he says.

What are some things to consider before booking your clients a Bali holiday? Keep in mind the type of client you have. Bali has something for everyone, but travellers and destinations don’t always match up. Get to know the different areas of Bali and make sure you are qualifying your clients on the type of accommodation they want. Although villas

can be a popular luxury option, some clients love the resort atmosphere that a villa just can’t match. What are some of Travel Counsellors’ top selling products to Bali? We book a wide array of Balinese products, but if I had to pick a handful they would be the W Resort Seminyak, the ever popular Padma Resort, Double-Six Seminyak, and Alila’s hotels throughout Bali. What are your top recommendations for different traveller types? For families, the Padma resort in Bali is a clear standout. Their family rooms are great value. Couples who want iconic sunset views should look no further than the Ayana Resort in the south Kuta area of Jimbaran. With its luxurious surrounds and iconic rock bar, this place was built for romance. And for off the beaten track travellers, Alila Manggis along the eastern coast of Bali is a beautiful secluded property set among coconut groves. If your clients want a boutique, relaxed feel for their next holiday, this is a winner.

strong start for Garuda Garuda Indonesia has posted a “strong” 2015 first quarter, with the airline’s updated schedules delivering better connectivity for Australians travelling to Indonesia and beyond. Garuda Indonesia vice president for Australia and NZ Uun Setiawan told travelBulletin that the airline had experienced year on year increases in passenger traffic and seat load factors, with particular growth from Indonesia’s east coast into Europe and North Asia. He also remained confident further growth was within reach as the airline continues its aggressive marketing campaign for its routes to Europe and Asia.

“Australians are travel lovers and we see that as an opportunity to fly them to destinations beyond Bali,” he said. Setiawan also flagged plans for new routes to Europe in the “near future”, and stressed the importance of the trade in driving bookings for the airline. “Trade is an imperative part of our business in Australia; they are a key sales channel and also an important part of the way Australians book and co-ordinate their holidays,” he said. Garuda also plans to step up its social media marketing this year to build its profile among Australian travellers and raise awareness of its expanding portfolio.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

BALI

Aussies opt for creative side of Bali Bali is shaking its reputation as a flop-and-drop destination and re-emerging as a soft adventure hub with a hint of luxury, according to Creative Holidays managing director James Gaskell. Bali has been a stand out performer for the operator, with bookings increasing 23% on last year for March and April. Speaking with travelBulletin, Gaskell branded the increase as “surprising”, noting that the figures were a far cry from the results in 2014. “Last year was a different story,” Gaskell said, attributing the increase to a renewed interest in soft adventure and luxury family holidays. “Nusa Dua has re-emerged as a popular destination, and the Gili Islands have really come back.” With over half of Creative’s bookings in Seminyak comprising two bedroom villas, Gaskell said Australians were increasingly looking for high end luxury. Soft adventure was also coming to the foreground as travellers look beyond Bali’s beachfront, he added.

“Australians are turning away from flopand-drop holidays in favour of adventure activities like elephant and rainforest experiences,” he said. Creative Holidays has added a range of luxury properties to its 2015/16 Bali product line up including Maya Sanur and Mulia Bali in Nusa Dua. New tours which allow guests to interact with locals have also been added

including the half-day Mas Village experience where travellers can visit a local astrologer. The Village Cycling Bongsaka tour is another new addition which takes guests through local rice terraces by bike, while the True Bali itinerary covers the island’s volcanic region and villages over seven days. Priced from $1089 per person, accommodation, most meals and entrance fees are included. Creative Holidays has also launched a new trade website showcasing its entire inventory in real time. As Gaskell explained, the site has been designed to provide a consumer booking experience for agents that goes beyond the “constraints” of the previous booking system. “We weren’t getting the right choice of inventory so we’ve unconstrained ourselves so we can deliver new products more efficiently. Essentially, it’s a more visual system that is easier to sell,” he said. n www.creativeholidays.com/agents

What’s New Bali’s tourism industry continues to outshine expectations, welcoming an impressive 3.7 million foreign visitors last year. Up almost 15% on the previous year, visitor numbers are showing no signs of slowing and a wave of new hotel developments are coming online to keep up with demand. Here are just a few of the latest additions. The brand new Holiday Inn Bali Benoa opened in April, offering 171 contemporary rooms, four pools, a restaurant, fitness centre, and a circus-themed kids club. It is Holiday Inn’s second Bali property.

Club Med Bali Nusa Dua has unveiled a chic new look with an adults-only Zen pool – the first phase of a refurbishment designed to offer an increasingly upmarket and tailored experience to Australians. Designed by renowned architect, Marc Hertrich, other resort improvements include a Baby Club Med to be introduced later this year and three new children’s facilities including a music academy, local art studio and a games factory. New concept dining and bar spaces will also be added, complementing the resort’s new zoning strategy for families and couples. 52

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

Alila’s fifth Bali property is set to open in September. Alila Seminyak Bali will open on the southwest coast, moments from the buzz of Seminyak. The five-star tropical resort will offer 240 chic, contemporary rooms, including 143 suites (some with ocean views) and one superlative penthouse. Facilities will include Spa Alila featuring Asian-inspired spa therapies, a wellness and fitness centre, several pools and a beach bar. Maya Sanur Resort and Spa has opened a new 103-room hotel along Sanur’s iconic beachfront. The resort – the second for the team behind the award-winning Maya Ubud – features deluxe lagoon access rooms, meaning guests can step directly from their deck to the 158-metre pool.

Your Journey Starts with the Garuda Indonesia Experience Enjoy a wide selection of culinary delights thoughtfully prepared by our Chef on Board1. Relax in the comfort of your lie-flat seat1 and experience our comprehensive in-flight entertainment. We offer a generous baggage allowance with 40kg of checked baggage in Business Class and 30kg in Economy Class, plus an additional 23kg for sporting equipment. Garuda Indonesia has an extensive international network from Australia covering Asia and Europe. Reaching the highest honour, Garuda Indonesia is now one of only seven five star airlines in the world and was also awarded the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Cabin Crew in 2014. Visit www.garuda-indonesia.com Available in Business Class on selected flights from Australia

JAPAN

Castle Town Matsumoto, Music and Mountains

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

JAPAN By Kris Madden

LTHOUGH known to many Australians as a top ski destination, beyond the Olympic ski jumps at Happo-One and the towering peaks at Hakuba, many of the lesser-known towns and cities in Japan’s Nagano Prefecture are a must to explore for their rich history and a glimpse inside rural Japan. One of the most renowned is the castle town of Matsumoto. Nestled at the foothill of the Japanese Alps just a few hours from Tokyo, the local Matsumoto Tourism Bureau bills it as the home of “Music, Mountains and Education”. While the ‘education’ bit might not sound like much fun, the blend of ancient history versus the quirky ultra-modern makes it a fascinating place to visit. At the heart of the town, and the first stop on my visit, is the 400 year-old Matsumoto Castle, which gives the city its name. With its peaked gables and shimmering black tiles, the castle seems to hover over the flat plains of the town, like some fantastically inspired wedding cake. It’s Japan’s oldest castle and one of four nominated as National Treasures of Japan. Across a small bridge on the way to the castle, Nawate-dori is a charming narrow stone-paved street full of restaurants, antique shops and tiny stores selling everything from kimonos to books. The beautifully restored buildings and houses on Nakamachi Street have earned it the title ‘Old House Street’; although with more than 40 restaurants, it’s also known locally as ‘Gourmet Street’. For an insight into the origins of Japanese art, the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum houses the largest private collection of woodblock

prints, paintings, and old books in the world, with more than 100,000 pieces collected over several generations by the Sakai family. Here you can buy limited edition prints by some of Japan’s greatest masters. The town’s music theme comes from the fact that Matsumoto is also home of the famous Suzuki method of teaching music.

Oodles of noodles Nagano is the centre of soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles), but it’s said that Matsumoto’s soba reigns supreme. At Takagi restaurant I learn the art of soba making from the practiced hands and seriously sharp knife of master, Ken Takagi, whose family has run the restaurant for five generations. Tagaki’s wife also runs workshops in the traditional craft of temari ball making, another of the symbols of the city which are said to bring good fortune. You can also buy lovely high quality ones at the souvenir shop below the restaurant. The chance to dine with a real Sumo wrestler is an opportunity too good to miss. Sumo-tei is run by a former Sumo champion, Tochi Sagami, who will fill you up with a Sumo-sized ‘Chanko Nabe’, a secret stew of meat and vegetables eaten in vast quantity by sumo wrestlers. For a sublime dining experience, the Matsumoto-kan restaurant is the pinnacle. Originally opened in 1890, the restaurant is a designated ‘National Cultural Property’ which showcases Japanese tradition and the transition of the seasons through its cuisine. The ceilings are hand-painted and carved with birds and flowers – it’s like a Japanese version of the Sistine Chapel, and its sophisticated and delicate dishes are as flawless as the artwork.

Beyond the city Venture a little south of the city and you’ll find the postcard-perfect Kiso Valley, dotted with small towns that were originally part of a historical road connecting Kyoto and Tokyo. The town of Narai-juku provides a taste of what Japan was like when samurai travelled these roads. The buildings that line the kilometre-long main street remain much the same as they were back in the Edo period (1603-1868), although today there are many gift shops lining the main street along with small restaurants. Also within an hours’ travel from Matsumoto is the remarkable Daio Wasabi Farm, Japan’s largest. Its restaurants offer not only the popular soba noodles with freshly picked wasabi, but also wasabi-flavoured ice cream, wasabi chocolate, beer and pretty much any wasabi-themed product you can imagine.

Monkey business One of Japan’s most popular images is that of the Japanese macaques that bathe in the natural hot springs at Jigokudani Yaen-Koen, which is only about two hours by train from Matsumoto. Called ‘Hell Valley’ because the hot water bursting from the earth’s surface was thought to resemble the place, it’s also monkey heaven and from late October to early April you can see them bathing in their steaming onsen. Don’t even think about getting in the hot pools with the monkeys. For a start, the water’s about 50 degrees, and those floaty things aren’t pine cones. So to the city of ‘music, mountains and education’, add Matsumoto’s wonderful wildlife, samurai history, sumo-sized experiences, superior soba, and a journey into the heart and soul of Japan to the list. n Visit jnto.org.au or matsumoto-tca.or.jp.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

JAPAN

Low yen drives visitor numbers

More than 108,000 Australians travelled to Japan in the first three months of this year, up almost 27% on the previous year, according to the latest statistics from the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO). JNTO attributed the trend to a number of factors, including the perception that Japan is better value for money due to the weaker yen, and improvements to Japan’s duty-free shopping system. The country’s tourism industry took a sharp downturn in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, however it has rebounded strongly, welcoming more than 13 million visitors last year – the highest ever recorded since data collection began in 1964. The JNTO has set a goal of 20 million inbound visitors by 2020, buoyed by the 2020 Olympic Games.

Olympics fuel hotel boom

In the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Japan is expecting a boom in new hotels. Here are some of the most recent luxury openings.

Starwood debuts Luxury Collection Starwood Hotels & Resorts opened Suiran in Kyoto in April, the first of the group’s Luxury Collection hotels in Japan. Located in the Arashiyama district in western Kyoto, Suiran stands by the river with sweeping views of the Arashiyama hills and features 39 luxurious guest rooms. Rates start from AUD$760 per night. n www.luxurycollection.com/suiran

Opened in November last year, Keio Plaza Tokyo’s Hello Kitty rooms are located on the 22nd and 23rd floors of the South Tower of the popular Shinjuku hotel. Rooms come in two types: the “Kitty Town” room offers a fun, pop-art feel, while the “Princess Kitty” allows guests to relax like a princess. Prices start from AUD$650 per night. n keioplaza.com

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

New QF flights Qantas will begin direct flights from Brisbane to Tokyo’s Narita Airport and a new direct daily Sydney-Haneda service from August this year. In total, Qantas will add more than 4000 seats per week across 14 return flights between Australia and Japan on a combination of B747 (to Haneda) and A330 (to Narita) services.

New Shinkansen The new Hokuriku Shinkansen high speed rail line commenced operation in March between Nagano and Kanazawa (Ishikawa Prefecture), cutting travel time between Tokyo and Kanazawa from four hours to two-and-a-half, and opening up new regions such as Toyama. Several new shinkansen routes are currently being built. The Hokkaido Shinkansen extension from Aomori through to Hakodate is due for completion in March 2016, and there are plans to extend the Hokuriku Shinkansen further from Kanazawa to Tsuruga.

More tax free The Japanese government increased the number of tax-free goods available for foreign visitors last October to also include consumables including groceries, beverages (sake, alcohol), medicine and cosmetics. Visitors to Japan can avoid the 8% consumption tax usually payable on these items by showing their passport at around 5000 tax free stores throughout Japan.

Hello Kitty at Keio Plaza

What’s New

Zen in the city

Easier ATMs

The Aman Tokyo, the brand’s first city property, opened its doors last December. Sitting on the top six floors of the recentlybuilt Otemachi Tower in Tokyo’s financial district, the luxury resort and spa draws its design inspiration from traditional Japanese residences. It also features views of the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Skytree and Mount Fuji. Rates start from approx AUD$920 per night.

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mind, an initiative is underway to increase the number of ATMs in Japan allowing cash withdrawals using foreign credit cards. Japan’s three largest banks are all planning to roll out ATMs that accept foreign credit cards, making travel and shopping easier for international visitors.

SMALL GROUP TOURING

Japan 2015/16

MAXIMUM

GROUP SIZE

20 Our maximum group size in Japan is 20 people, because smaller groups make for a better holiday experience.

Summer, Autumn, Winter or Spring - Japan is full of surprises year-round! From ultra-modern Tokyo, the scenic beauty of Mt Fuji, speeding bullet trains to the peace and tranquility of Kyoto. You’ll journey from metropolis to mountains on Japan Discovery, spend time with local families on our Cultural Japan tour, and enjoy the winter wonderland of Sapporo’s Snow Festival during Winter in Japan.

JAPAN DISCOVERY

CULTURAL JAPAN

days:

Flights Included

DATES: 9 departure dates available in 2015/16

Flights Included

DEPARTURE DATE: 17 Nov 2015

WINTER IN JAPAN SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL days:

Flights Included

DEPARTURE DATE: 26 Jan 2016

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS: Tokyo, Nikko, Kegon waterfalls, Lake Chuzenji, Mt Fuji, Hakone, 2 nights in an authentic ryokan guesthouse, Owakudani Valley, Takayama, Shirakawago Village, Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, Kyoto, Nara & Mt Hiei

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS: Fukuoka, Kouyasan - overnight in Historic Buddhist Temple, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Kawaguchiko & Hakone - overnight in authentic Ryokan guesthouse, Mt Fuji & Tokyo

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS: Tokyo, Hakone - 2 nights in an authentic ryokan guesthouse, Nagano, Mt Fuji, Yudanaka Onsen Snow Monkeys, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto & famous Sapporo Snow Festival

ALL PRICES INCLUDE AIRFARES, AIR TAXES AND TIPS. ®

2015/16

www.bunniktours.com.au

SMALL GROUP TOURING

ASIA

Lanka including India & Sri

New 2015/16 Brochure! Order your free copy today.

Call

us on

1300 125 007

email reservations@bunniktours.com.au

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All prices shown are per person based on twin share. Single rooms are available at a supplement, check our website for details. Prices are correct at time of printing but are subject to change. Note air supplement may apply depending on airline availability and departure cities. Bunnik Travel Pty Ltd - trading as Bunnik Tours • ATAS accreditation #A10484.

JAPAN

Demand drives Japan cruises

FOLLOWING a $30 million refit last year, Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess has gone all out to immerse its guests in Japanese culture. New features have been added to attract Japanese travellers who have been slow to catch onto the cruising boom, but the new additions are also proving popular with Princess’ traditional Western customers. “Initially, we had planned to fill a large number of cabins with Japanese travellers, but Japan is really hitting the mark with our Australian guests,” Princess Cruises vice president Australia and NZ Stuart Allison said. Recent refurbishments onboard Diamond Princess include the Kai Sushi Restaurant, and the world’s largest open air Japanese bath. Guests can also enjoy

Q&A

What are Japan’s strengths as a destination? Japan is surprisingly affordable. The cost of food, drinks and public transport

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

Princess Cruises has 16 scheduled Japan departures in 2015. A nine-night Hokkaido cruise on Diamond Princess from Tokyo is priced from $1349 pp twin share, visiting Kushiro, Otaru, Hakodate, Aomori and Shiretoko Peninsula. n www.princesscruises.com Royal Caribbean has a total of 80 cruises visiting Japan in 2015 and 2016. Voyager of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas and the new Quantum of the Seas will all call into or sail from Japan. Fares start from $1499 pp for an eight-night cruise aboard Voyager of the Seas, which visits the Japanese ports of Kobe and Okinawa. n www.royalcaribbean.com.au ecruising.travel’s 20-night White Gloves and Cherry Blossoms cruise on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth from Hong Kong to Osaka visits Japan during the cherry blossom season. Priced from $8669 pp twin share, the package includes return economy airfares from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, a 12-night cruise, eight nights of deluxe hotel accommodation, private land tours and transfers. n www.ecruising.travel

With more than 100,000 Australians visiting Japan in the first three months of this year, Japan is in high demand. travelBulletin’s Kris Madden asked Bunnik Tours managing director Dennis Bunnik for his top tips on selling Japan.

What are Australian travellers looking for in Japan? Japan offers Australian travellers a truly unique experience. It’s quite unlike any other country – combining fascinating traditions with cutting-edge technology. Exquisite ancient shrines, meticulously manicured gardens and areas of stunning natural beauty contrast with the skyscrapers and neon lights of sophisticated cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Australians are also fascinated by Japanese cultural traditions like the geisha, sumo wrestling and the tea ceremony. And of course there’s the amazing food!

Japanese-inspired films, join karaoke sing alongs, hear seminars by Japanese university lecturers, and learn traditional crafts like paper flower making and sake appreciation. There’s also Japanese storytelling, music and cultural ceremonies, while shore excursions showcase Japan’s colourful culture, cuisine, art and history. While Japanese travellers on Princess’ inaugural sailings last year were the largest group of passengers, Australians made up the second largest group – virtually all veteran cruisers or repeat customers. In addition to large cities like Tokyo, Kobe and Nagasaki, cruise passengers can also visit places that are less familiar to Western travellers and discover a side of Japan usually reserved for the Japanese.

BEST DEALS

compares favourably with those in Australia. And as tipping is not expected in Japan, there are no hidden extras. Feedback from our guests shows that it’s the combination of the exotic culture, natural beauty, and the very polite yet warm and helpful Japanese people that are the highlights of any trip to Japan. Travellers often comment on how easy it is to travel around using the high speed train network, how clean it is, and how safe they feel.

cherry blossom season offers the opportunity to participate in the tradition of hanami. Autumn also provides a different perspective on the gardens and natural landscapes of Japan, with the leaves of the maple trees turning a myriad of reds and yellows. Staying in a traditional ryokan is also an experience not to be missed.

What are your top tips for selling the destination to Australians? Japan offers something quite unique within Asia for those who have travelled extensively in the region. It pays to consider the time of year your clients want to travel, depending on their interests. Winter in Japan offers fantastic skiing and the Sapporo Snow Festival, while the spring

And finally, what do you love most about travelling in Japan? Aside from the culture, scenery and the polite Japanese people, we love the careful precision of Japan – from the way that the smallest purchase is carefully wrapped, to the meals that are little works of art in their own right, and the trains that run on time down to the last second.

sustainable tourism

PROFITS WITH

Principles

By Kris Madden

MAGINE you are poor, but you are part of a unique culture and country with rare natural beauty that draws foreign tourists from all over the globe. They come in droves, pointing cameras at your children, haggling with the artisans in the market over a few cents, and dressing in ways that you consider to be inappropriate. Now imagine a different tourist, one who seems to have an understanding of your culture and wants to experience it fully. One who is conscious of the precious resources they use such as water and power, and who supports local operators and contributes to the economic growth of the country. Which traveller would you most welcome? Sustainable tourism is the concept of visiting a place as a tourist and trying to make a positive impact on the environment, society and economy. It’s the end-game of responsible travel – being aware of the impact that your travel has on the places you visit, and as much as possible, minimising any negatives. Pacific Asia Tourism executive director Steve Noakes, who is also an adjunct professor in sustainable tourism at Griffith University, says there is still a long way to go until the industry is able to recommend products which can genuinely be described as having sustainable tourism practices and policies. “Some travel agents selling to niche markets would be more in-tune with

promoting products which meet minimum international standards for sustainable tourism, however, for mainstream travel agents, the harsh reality of reaching weekly sales targets still overrides any prioritisation to do the best for the planet,” he says. Noakes says he’s seen many within the industry try to do the right thing, but there still remains evidence of ‘greenwashing’ – when claims don’t line up with minimum international standards. “The journey for sustainable tourism has progressed significantly, but it’s still in the early stages – especially with the rapid growth of tourism infrastructure in China, India and other parts of Asia. It’s important for travel agents to understand sustainability because the planet depends on it – and ultimately, their business will too,” he says. Likewise, World Expeditions CEO Sue Badyari says the company relies on its travellers not only understanding, but embracing the concept of sustainable tourism. “We’ve invested heavily in our Responsible Travel Program on the basis that it’s the right thing to do and that people understand and support it. Fundamentally, we are asking our travellers to be part of our responsible travel solutions,” says Badyari. For instance, the company allows travellers to offset carbon emissions on flights, with around 40% of passengers taking up the option. Badyari says agents can support the sustainability agenda by helping to educate

their clients. “Just tell people why it’s important – that is, for the long term benefit of the places they visit,” she says. Meanwhile, Intrepid’s Responsible Business Program Specialist Liz Manning says sustainable tourism is no longer the exception – it’s now becoming the norm. “It’s not just something that a handful of niche travellers want anymore, it is well and truly in the mainstream so it’s important for tourism companies to walk the talk and provide a quality, sustainable product,” she says. “Customers are demanding sustainable experiences more and more, and it is a big reason why customers return to a brand.” Intrepid is a prime example, with all of its trips now carbon offset. The company prides itself on working with locally owned establishments and using public transport to provide a genuinely sustainable offering. Travel agents should also keep in mind that dealing with sustainable operators and establishments will deliver a superior experience for their clients. “It’s in agents’ interest to be up-to-date with sustainable tourism products, as consumers are experience driven and a sustainable product will enrich their experience and help sell more product,” says Manning. With 1.1 billion international travellers crossing borders last year, it is more important than ever for the industry to take stock of the impact tourism is having on our planet and aim to manage it as best we can for the future. travelBulletin JUNE 2015

sustainable tourism

CRYSTAL EXPANDS VOLUNTOURISM

Crystal Cruises is continuing its commitment to sustainable cruising by expanding its popular ‘You Care, We Care’ shore excursions in 2015. Three new experiences have been added to coincide with the cruise line’s 25th anniversary, marking the largest collection of voluntourism activities the company has ever offered. For example, in Canada’s British Columbia, guests can work alongside community members and volunteers at the Mustard Seed Food Bank, sorting food donations and helping to prepare meals for those in need. Meanwhile, Backyard Bounty – a non-for-profit organisation that supplies the food bank of Santa Barbara – takes participants into local orchards to gather and organise fresh produce for low income residents in California. With expert guidance from researchers at the Rehabilitation Centre in Barcelona, guests can also learn about the efforts to help endangered marine life and their habitats. “The tremendous response to the ‘You Care, We Care’ program continues to delight us, as our guests are savvy world travellers who relish the type of deeply immersive and authentic cultural education experienced during these excursions,” Crystal Cruises’ president Edie Rodriguez said. “The act of contributing to the world in which we all travel is extremely rewarding – for everyone.” ‘You Care, We Care’ adventures will be offered on 16 of Crystal’s 2015 worldwide sailings.

LEADING THE WAY Tourism may never be completely sustainable as every industry has impacts, but conservation driven tourism programs are helping to preserve our natural environments and support the recovery of threatened species, as these examples show.

Echidna Walkabout MELBOURNE-based wildlife tour operator, Echidna Walkabout, has been recognised for its commitments to sustainability, taking out a World Responsible Tourism Award for its conservation work. The company welcomes around 7000 visitors each year on itineraries such as the Koalas & Kangaroos in the Wild tour which sees participants remove weeds to improve koala habitats. Koala sightings are also up 370% since the ‘Make a Home for Koala Clancy’ habitat restoration project began in 2012. Echidna Walkabout is also working to remove discarded fishing nets from Victorian beaches and reduce the hazards to marine life. n echidnawalkabout.com.au

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

Raw Wildlife Encounters

Elephant Kiss, jeffr_travel, bit.ly/1AoeteS

Elephant ride ban INTREPID Travel last year implemented a ground-breaking decision to no longer offer elephant rides or visits to wildlife entertainment venues on any trips – the first global tour operator to do so. “We have received overwhelming support from our travellers on this. They like knowing that their travel choices are not causing harm,” Intrepid’s Liz Manning said. “We now take travellers to rehabilitation and sanctuary facilities, such as Elephant Nature Park, where they love learning about how elephants are cared for without seeing them do unnatural performances.” n intrepidtravel.com

RAW Wildlife Encounters’ 12-day Free the Bears & Ancient Temples tour is a small group itinerary that offers travellers an opportunity to share in the lives of the Asiatic Black Bear and the people who work to protect them in Cambodia. Travellers volunteer their time to work at the Australian-run Free the Bears Sanctuary, assisting their keepers in providing the bears with their daily needs. “We wanted to be able to provide our travellers with a unique view of this part of Cambodia, and for them to walk away with a feeling of achievement beyond that of the normal everyday traveller,” Raw Wildlife Encounters’ MD Messica McKelson said. The next tour departs 28 September and is priced from $2595 per person twin-share. n rawildlife.com.au

sustainable tourism

ACCOR’S PLANET 21 Accor has made great strides in helping to protect the environment and strengthen communities since the launch of its sustainable development program, Planet 21, three years ago. “Accor is proud of its commitment to Planet 21 and strives to minimise its environmental footprint while maximising its corporate social responsibilities across all levels of hotel operations. We are committed to hitting ambitious targets in 2015,” Accor Pacific chief operating officer Simon McGrath said. Accor’s hotels in Victoria have partnered with Soap Aid and are helping to reduce landfill and bring better hygiene practices to disadvantaged communities in India. It is expected that more than 1000 kg of previously used soap across 40 hotels will be stockpiled each week and collected by Soap Aid to be reprocessed, packaged, and then sent for global distribution. “Being ecologically sustainable is one of our key priorities, which is to reduce our environmental footprint in the areas of management, energy, water, waste and products,” Accor’s vice president of operations Adrian Williams added.

Being ecologically sustainable is one of our key priorities

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“We are excited by this initiative and our teams are enthusiastically involved. Not only are we reducing our landfill waste, we are positively contributing to the lives of children in communities where some of them have never seen a cake of soap before.” The Pullman, Novotel and ibis at Sydney Olympic Park are powered by solar energy. Waste recycling is practiced in 86% of the group’s hotels, while 93% of Accor properties ban endangered seafood products like shark’s fin and are progressing towards a total ban by the end of this year. In terms of health, 97% of Accor’s Asia Pacific hotels use eco-labelled products to minimise health and environmental impact. Accor submitted a very unusual proposal at its Shareholders Meeting in April this year; the Tree Resolution. The group is hoping to bring shareholders on board to step up its Plant for the Planet program, with a commitment to plant 10 million trees by 2021. n www.accor.com

Top trends in responsible travel

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EAT LOCAL Indulging in the local cuisine is a unique experience that offers tourists the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in their surroundings. Trying an organic dish that is authentic to a foreign destination enhances a traveller’s experience of a place and is a way of decreasing the pollutants caused by food transport vehicles. Not only that, it’s also a great way of supporting local farmers and creating jobs for the community.

PRESERVE CULTURAL AUTHENTICITY The rare characteristics of a culture and the wonders that surround it are what lure individuals to a particular destination. Travellers are becoming more environmentally conscious and more inclined to visit properties that ensure the preservation and authenticity of a destination. Rather than partaking in shows that are set up for tourists, hoteliers are enforcing higher standards to preserve the true essence of local communities by creating a way for tourists and locals to coexist in harmony.

VOLUNTOURISM Travellers are not only interested in seeing the world, but also in helping to preserve and protect it. Travel companies are creating more opportunities for guests to give back to a local community or environment while on their stay. Travellers can make a difference through philanthropic opportunities that range from hands-on involvement, spreading awareness, or simply staying at a hotel that donates to humanitarian causes. BUILD WITHOUT DESTROYING New hoteliers have become more aware of the areas they are developing by carefully constructing properties that blend in with the environment and cause minimal damage in the process. The neighbouring wildlife is left in peace for tourists to enjoy, and interior structures and designs are being made sustainable and eco-friendly. FOCUS ON SAVING ENERGY Energy and water usage play a significant role in “green” tourism. Travel suppliers are increasing their efforts to reduce unnecessary water usage by installing water-saving equipment and techniques. To conserve energy, hoteliers are addressing the issue through various means such as introducing energy management systems, fluorescent bulbs, ceiling fans, “no wash” linen guest cards, and motionsensing lights for public rooms.

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

the last word

Unscramble

USUAL EXPERIENCES

how many words can you make out of these nine letters? Every word needs to include an ‘E’, have four letters or more and not be a proper noun. You can only use each letter once. Good - 16 words Very good - 28 words Excellent - 42 words

Carmel Winery, via youtube.com

LOOKING to add a little spice to your clients’ culinary holidays? Historic Carmel Winery Israel has come up with a unique dining experience called Foodography, designed to take stellar Instagram photos of your meal. The experience – a crafty idea to help the winery engage with a younger audience – gives participants a crash course in how to take salivating food pictures while they wine and dine. A workshop led by iconic food photographer Dan Perez is part of the experience which helps diners to get the best pictures, and more importantly, the most likes on social media. The winery teamed up with Tel Aviv-based restaurant, Catit, which created an exclusive menu, along with a ceramic artist who crafted special plates designed to make the food look finger licking good.

> win A GUIDEBOOK!

Where in the World? Many cities around the world aim to have buildings which scrape the sky, but where are these lofty towers located? If you have any idea, send your answer to comps@travelbulletin.com.au and go in the draw to WIN your very own travel guidebook, courtesy of Marco Polo Travel Publishing. Congratulations to Lucy Atkin from helloworld Wynnum who takes home a guide book from Marco Polo Travel Publishing for correctly answering Waiotapu Thermal pools in New Zealand in last month’s Where in the World competition. 62

travelBulletin JUNE 2015

E V L L E T R A R

APP HAPPY TRAVEL insurer SureSave has launched a new app designed to offer travellers with help and assistance on the go. Available as a free download, the app allows customers to easily access their policy details, and features shortcuts to dial SureSave’s emergency assistance team if they have an unexpected emergency or accident. Travellers can directly access the claims department from anywhere in the world, meaning that claims can be made on the spot rather than having to wait until the end of a trip to begin the process. The app also includes information and tips on how to prepare for a holiday such as visa and vaccination requirements, as well as consular contact details and locations of major medical facilities. But that’s not all. The app features articles on culture and customs, advice on where crime spots are located, common scams to avoid, plus audio phrasebooks to help travellers communicate with locals. Customers can create an account to access their policy details and receive personalised content based on their trip details. No internet connection is required, meaning travellers can avoid being hit with high data charges while they are on the road.

Help designed to travel. We now offer a free travel safety app with every policy purchase.

ÂŠ SureSave Pty Limited ABN 82 137 885 262 AR 339902 is an authorised representative of Cerberus Special Risks Pty Limited ABN 81 115 932 173, AFS Licence No. 308461. This insurance is underwritten by certain underwriters at Lloydâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

WONDERS NEVER CEASE

WHAT IS WONDER? Quite simply, it’s the lingering sensation that you’ve just experienced something remarkable. We’ve spent nearly 30 years exploring the world’s most fascinating places to find those moments. Moments that will leave a lasting imprint on your memory, and will keep you enthralled for a lifetime. – We’re passionate about providing our guests the very best of all-inclusive luxury. That is what drives us, cruise after cruise, journey after journey.

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