TravelBulletin for June 2018 - Pioneers of the industry, Cuba, Indochina, New Zealand, Wildlife,

June 2018

THE WORLD OF CRYSTAL ILLUMINATES EVERY JOURNEY. CRYSTAL SYMPHONY AND CRYSTAL SERENITY RETURN TO ASIA-PACIFIC CRYSTAL CRUISES. CLEARLY DIFFERENT.

Clearly Different

CLOSE to HOME S A I L I N G S T H AT W I L L S U R P A S S E X P E C TAT I O N S

CRYSTAL INSIGHTS WITH KAREN CHRISTENSEN

From February to May next year, the reimagined Crystal Symphony® and Crystal Serenity® will again visit sun-drenched Hawaiian and South Pacific islands, the eclectic cities of Asia and the rugged coastline of New Zealand and southern Australia.

Karen Christensen Senior Vice President & Managing Director Australia & New Zealand

These close-to-home sailings present your clients with an ideal opportunity to experience Crystal. Crystal’s elegant journeys are defined by stunningly stylish ships, epic land adventures and a level of six-star service simply unrivalled in luxury travel today.

ALL

2 019 F EAT U R E D ASIA- PAC IF IC VOYAGES

TAKEN CARE OF Acclaimed dining† in up to seven dining venues Select fine wines, champagne & spirits TAHITI & THE COOK ISLANDS

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF & BEYOND

SOUTH CHINA SEA COLLECTION

CRYSTAL SY MP HON Y O CS 1903 07-16

C RYSTA L SYM P HO N Y OC S19 0408 -18

C RYSTA L SY MP H O N Y O C S 1 90 4 26-1 3

Papeete to Auckland Dates 07 – 23 March, 2019 Days 16 days Fares from US$6,665pp* (E1)

Sydney to Singapore Dates 08 – 26 April, 2019 Days 18 days Fares from US$7,325pp* (E2)

Singapore to Hong Kong Dates 26 Apr – 09 May, 2019 Days 13 days Fares from US$5,530pp* (E1)

FO R

MORE

RECEIVE

A

I N FO RM ATIO N , B R O CH URE ,

TO

BO O K

CO N TACT

OR

TO

CRYSTA L.

Gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff Crystal Visions Enrichment Series Unlimited WiFi

1300 059 262

C R YS TA LC R U I S E S .C O M

*Your Exclusive Fares are cruise-only, per person, in U.S. dollars, based on double occupancy, apply to new bookings only, and include taxes, fees and port charges. Solo Traveller Fares available on request. †Crystal Cruises offers each guest the opportunity to dine at least once on a complimentary basis in Prego and at least once in Umi Uma or the Sushi Bar (Sushi Bar is not available for pre-reservation via PCPC and is available on a first-come, first-served basis). Additional reservations including “walk-in” visits are subject to a US$30 per person fee, subject to availability. Optional dining in the Vintage Room attracts an additional fee. Cruise-only fare does not include land programs. All offers may not be combinable with other promotions, apply to first two full-fare guests in stateroom or suite, are capacity-controlled, subject to availability and may be withdrawn or changed at any time without notice. All fares, itineraries, programs, policies and shore excursions are subject to change and correct at time of printing. Restrictions apply. For complete Terms & Conditions, visit crystalcruises.com/legal. ©2017 Crystal Cruises, LLC. Ships’ registry: The Bahamas.

June 2018

RS

TR

2018

RS

TH

E

TR

JUNE IONE P21 E JUNE 2018 21

RS

TH

E

E

O N I E P

s r e e n o i The P t S r e z a l b l i a r T 0 1 D L Q r e e n Pio cuba

indoChina

new zealand

wildlife

E

RS

E

A

A

I L IL B L A Z Z BLA

4825

cultural experiences

Featuring an extensive selection of hotel rooms, transfers and touring options, ReadyRooms provides a seamless experience for Agents with easy to use search and filter functionality, opportunities to update itineraries, group booking functions and much more.

Experience ReadyRooms today at

www.readyrooms.com.au

Contents

T

EE

TH

R SE R S

TRA

TR

A

I

RS S

14

PION E H JUN E 21 E P I O N E 201 JU21NE 8 2018 IL E L BLAZ R BL AZE

ers The Pione zer St 10 Trailbla D Pioneer QL

28 34

4825

46 Features

50 Cultural experiences

08 Issues and trends

Brian Johnston takes a look at Chinatowns around the world

28 Cuba Kristie Kellahan discovers the wonders of Cuba

34 Indochina Hold on tight as Ben Groundwater explores Vietnam by scooter

40 New Zealand Jasmine O’Donoghue finds out where to go on the North Island

46 Wildlife Go on safari with Amanda Woods as she gets up close with polar bears

20 Business view 24 Cruise

Cover story

27 Industry in Focus 39 Brochures

14 Pioneers of the industry Get to know some of the trailblazers of the travel industry

Monthly

62 Last Word

Columns 06 Steve Jones

02 From the publisher

08 AFTA View

02 State of the industry

26 CLIA View

This month’s contributors Steve Jones, Joel Katz, Jayson Westbury, Oliver Tams, Bruce Piper, Ben Groundwater, Kristie Kellahan, Brian Johnston, Ben Piper, Amanda Woods, Ayna Davies, Nadine Kutz, Carol Giuseppi, Sarah Fairburn, Jasmine O’Donoghue, Adam Bishop, Jon Murrie, Guy Dundas, Sarah Beyer Above – Vietnam scooter image © Ben Groundwater; Polar bear image © Amanda Woods

www.travelbulletin.com.au travelBulletin is part of the Business Publishing Group family of publications

904 5,355

Avg Net Distribution per Issue

This publication is independently audited under the AMAA's CAB Total Distribution Audit.

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief and Publisher – Bruce Piper bruce.piper@travelbulletin.com.au Co-ordinating Editor – Sarah Beyer Ph: 1300 799 220 or 02 8007 6760 sarah.beyer@travelbulletin.com.au

www.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 Beyer Ph: 1300 799 220 or 02 8007 6760 sarah.beyer@travelbulletin.com.au

DESIGN TEAM Sarah Beyer, Wendy St George ART DIRECTION and FINANCE Jenny Piper jenny.piper@travelbulletin.com.au Suite 1, Level 2, 64 Talavera Rd Macquarie Park NSW 2113 Australia PO Box 1010 Epping NSW 1710 Australia Tel: 1300 799 220 (+61 2 8007 6760)

1 Apr Reporting Period: 16 Apr2017 2016––30 16Sep Sep2017 2016 - Publisher Statement

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

1

State of the industry

From the publisher Bruce Piper

IN BRIEF

2

American tourism has a problem.

Whether you blame the policies of Donald Trump, the strong US dollar or other factors, America’s global market share has been showing a steady decline, despite the best efforts of the US Travel Association.

At last month’s IPW trade show in Denver, Colorado, USTA president Roger Dow noted that America’s market share declined from 13.6% to 11.9% between 2015 and 2017.

It’s not all doom and gloom, with plenty of bright spots, but overall the economic impact of the decline is more significant than the closure of ten manufacturing plants, Dow said, with the drop translating into US$32 billion in lost visitor spending and 100,000 fewer US jobs.

Questions from the floor related mostly to visitors from Muslimmajority and Spanish-speaking countries, who are reportedly voting with their feet by going elsewhere in the face of US policies.

However I strongly suspect the negative sentiment is also likely to be impacting Australian arrivals.

As a case in point, I needed to renew a journalist’s visa in order to travel to IPW, a task which is necessary every five years.

That required a visit to the US consulate in Sydney, and although

QF launches NDC platform Qantas has launched a new “direct connect” technology platform, with the aim of improving the functionality of direct agent channels by giving trade partners access to rich content such as images of cabins and meals, the ability to book ancillaries and providing Qantas Frequent Flyer information and tier status at the point of sale. The new Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP) has been developed in partnership with FareLogix, and has been certified to NDC Level 3 – the highest certification available from IATA. Trade partners are able to access the QDP either via approved partner connections, or by developing their own connection to the QF NDC XML Application Program Interface.

Qantas chief customer officer Vanessa Hudson said the platform was a “key part of a broader digital evolution of Qantas’ booking channels, and an important step in the delivery of the best possible experience for trade partners and customers”. However the announcement didn’t clarify

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

a time-consuming (and expensive) process, things went smoothly.

Waiting in the queue I had a chat to another applicant, and asked her why she was applying for a visa.

This woman was an avid traveller and was eagerly looking forward to exploring the USA on an upcoming extended, big-spending holiday.

However when she applied online for the US$14 ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program, she was denied – simply because she had recently travelled on a holiday to Iran, with that passport stamp meaning she had to go through the complex process of a formal visa application.

Another negative factor is a plan to request social media histories from prospective visa applicants.

It’s all well and good to support the Global Entry Program, which pre-vets arrivals and smooths the process, but this costs US$100/pax – not money a leisure traveller will spend.

And don’t get me started on the still awful arrival experience at LAX. I love the USA and have had many great family holidays there – in fact I’ll be there again in a week’s time.

But every negative factor puts a question mark in the mind of potential tourists, who literally have a whole world of alternatives to consider for their holidays.

whether the new platform would see Qantas follow other carriers by introducing a fee for GDS bookings, with a spokesperson for the airline insisting it was a technology announcement rather than detailing commercial aspects.

The carrier did note that “private and published fares available via the QDP will continue to be made available to approved trade partners via existing platforms”.

Helloworld Asia Escape buy Helloworld Travel’s appetite for acquisition continued unabated last month with the announcement it was buying 60% of Perth-based Asia Escape Holidays. The company said Asia Escape’s product range was a complement to the existing Helloworld wholesale brands, and also provided the opportunity to offer a “greater mid-haul allinclusive package range”. There is increasing demand for all-inclusive packages in retail leisure markets, an ASX announcement noted, “and Asia Escape Holidays has

considerable expertise in creating and delivering these packages throughout the region”.

Under the deal Helloworld is paying $2.88 million for 60% of Asia Escape’s parent company, Keygate Holdings Pty Ltd, along with an option to boost its stake to 100% in four years time. The remaining 40% is held

by Asia Escape managing director Mason Adams, who will become part of the ever-expanding Helloworld senior management team. Helloworld Travel CEO Andrew Burnes said “Asia Escape Holidays is an excellent strategic fit to Helloworld Travel’s existing wholesale businesses and provides the group with a trade focused brand that has the expertise and speed to market to compete in the growing package and impulse buying market for travel throughout the Asia Pacific region”.

Bling is king in California

These California Tourism delegates flashed their “Markle Sparkle” rings, created in order to celebrate newly royally married Meghan Markle’s Californian heritage, at the recent IPW conference held in Denver.

Melanie Bednall, Aida Osta and Lindsey Guinn (pictured above) were part of the large California contingent at the conference, with the state eagerly anticipating the September reopening of “Highway 1” – the iconic coastal drive between Los Angeles and San Francisco which has been blocked for some time at Big Sur due to landslides.

Dreamlines takes Cruise1st German cruise OTA giant Dreamlines last month boosted its global presence with the acquisition of rival Cruise1st. In so doing Dreamlines has established a new beachhead in the UK where it previously didn’t have any operations, and at the same time created what it’s claiming to be the largest cruise-focused online travel agency in Australia. Cruise1st Australia managing director Carl Frier will continue to run the local operation based in Sydney, while Alastair Fernie, who heads up the CruiseAway business purchased by Dreamlines some years ago, will also stay in place and the pair will jointly pursue growth in the Australian market.

Dreamlines said the combined global TTV of both businesses was expected to be more than 400 million euros this year. As well as combining expertise to create unique cruise products and experiences, the companies also said they would expand their distribution channels “enabling suppliers to target customers more efficiently and with even greater effectiveness”. The acquisition means Dreamlines now has a presence in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Russia, Brazil and the USA as well as the UK, Australia and Singapore.

“

[The platform is a] key part of a broader digital evolution of Qantas’ booking channels, and an important step in the delivery of the best possible experience for trade partners and customers

”

Vanessa Hudson, chief customer officer, Qantas

Dubai to shut Australian office There was disbelief across the industry last month when Travel Daily revealed the planned closure of Dubai Tourism’s office in Australia after more than 18 years of local representation. Dubai has had a huge place in the market in recent years, particularly with the major alliance between Qantas and Emirates which saw QF shift its European stopover point to Dubai. Although QF’s one-stop London flights now once again operate via Singapore, Emirates continues to have huge capacity in the market and thousands of Australians travel to Europe via Dubai each week. Julie King and Associates has created great awareness of the destination, with Dubai a key partner for AFTA and the destination featuring in scores of wholesale programs.

A statement from Dubai Tourism’s head office confirmed the closure from August 2018, saying the move aimed to “consolidate Dubai Tourism’s position across key international markets”. Thereafter operations in Australia and New Zealand will be managed directly from global

headquarters in Dubai, the statement added, concluding: “This move aims at deepening the direct long-term alliances with key partners in the region including airlines and trade, forging strategic collaborations in line with the longstanding commitment to, and confidence in, the potential of both markets.”

CTM Platinum Travel deal Corporate Travel Management last month announced the purchase of the NSW and Queensland offices of Magellan Travel Group member Platinum Travel. The $5 million deal does not include the Melbourne operations of Platinum Travel, which continue to be headed up by Magellan board member Carl Buerckner. CTM said the business being acquired was a “renowned Australian boutique agency that has an excellent reputation for customer service and a culture very similar to CTM,” with the deal also providing an opportunity to expand the company’s global executive team by appointing Platinum Continues over page

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

3

State of the industry Continues from previous page

HEADLINES 23 Apr Entire Travel, CIT merge 23 Apr AccorHotels Ctrip alliance 24 Apr QF adjusts int’l network 24 Apr Group buying commission 26 Apr ACCC airport concerns 26 Apr Chimu teams up with QFFF 27 Apr Cruise lines back AA/QF 27 Apr Westin Perth now open 30 Apr Hilton flags growth push 30 Apr Amadeus QF booking revamp 01 May CTM expands in Australia 01 May Accor takes Movenpick 02 May Qantas fast-tracks fleet 02 May HLO sells out of US-based

Down Under Answers 02 May Melb agent sentenced 03 May EK boosts published fares 03 May NTIA finalists revealed 04 May Armstrong joins Silversea 04 May CATO Platinum membership 07 May TC plots massive growth 07 May Touring sales increasing 08 May AFTA seeks recognition 08 May Travel Partners surges 25% 09 May Budget hits OTAs with GST 09 May Leisure fares decline 5.4% 10 May HLO acquires Asia Escape 10 May Regional marketing collateral 11 May NZ faces tourism impact 11 May Qantas $5b regional lift 12 May APT adds Qantas points 14 May Qld tour operator jailed 15 May HLO Ready Rooms update 15 May Facebook seeks travel head 16 May Thomas Cook to return 16 May Asian visitation jumps 17 May FCTG seeks land system 17 May Bali arrivals bounce back 18 May SilkAir to merge with SIA 18 May Dreamlines takes Cruise1st 21 May Holiday arrivals slowing 21 May FC franchise switch 22 May Qantas launched NDC 22 May Brand USA plans MegaFam 23 May US battles dip in arrivals 23 May VA revises agency deals

4

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

owner Greg McCarthy as its Australian and New Zealand CEO. “Greg has an impeccable reputation in the travel industry and possesses leadership skills highly valued by CTM,” the company said. CTM also said the acquisition was in line with a planned strategy for 2019 to boost its corporate SME and events segment.

The deal is effective from 1 July, and will see a reduction in the number of agencies acquired by Helloworld under its takeover of Magellan Travel Group.

It’s understood that McCarthy will have to repay moneys received as part of the Magellan takeover, which will in turn reduce the overall $32.5 million price paid by Helloworld for the group.

Singapore Airlines to absorb SilkAir Singapore Airlines is set to consolidate its operations to offer a single full-service brand, with the planned merger of wholly owned regional offshoot SilkAir into the parent company. The rebranding of SilkAir will follow a planned $100

million upgrade starting in 2020, including the installation of new business class seating and inflight entertainment systems to provide a consistent product for Singapore Airlines customers. Currently SilkAir operates 11 A320 aircraft along with 22 Boeing 737s, with the move seeing narrow bodied aircraft join the Singapore Airlines fleet alongside its existing 777s, A380s, 787s and A350s. SilkAir is also in the process of phasing out its A320s to move to an all-737 fleet.

SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong did not provide a timeframe for the merger, saying it would take place “only after a sufficient number of aircraft have been fitted with the new cabin products”. He said there would also be transfers of routes and aircraft between different airlines in the Singapore Airlines portfolio, “consistent with ongoing efforts to optimise the SIA Group’s network”.

Once the merger is complete Singapore Airlines will have just two brands, with full service operations under the SIA banner while Scoot, which recently absorbed Tigerair Singapore, will be its low-cost brand.

Agents celebrated on new day Trafalgar Tours declared 23 May to be agent’s day in an inaugural celebration for the Australian travel industry.

Matt Cameron-Smith, Trafalgar MD, decided to launch the initiative after attending the TTC global leadership conference and hearing how agents in the US & Canada had been lauded on their own National Agents Day. In appreciation of agents, Trafalgar handed out 20 $100 Uber Eats vouchers for agents to get lunch on them, mega I LOVE MY AGENTS cookies for sales calls received on the day and a special French inspired prize for every agent who secured a new Trafalgar and CostSaver booking and deposit on the day.

Matt Cameron-Smith is pictured right with AFTA chief executive Jayson Westbury who also threw his support behind the initiative.

Data Room

All the latest statistics from the ABS and BITRE to keep you in the loop.

Domestic On Time Performance

ARRIVALS

April 2018

Jetstar

Qantas

Arrivals on time Departure on time Cancellations

79.9% 77.3% 1.0%

Arrivals on time Departure on time Cancellations

DEPARTURES

Top 10 destinations, Mar 18

83.0% 81.8% 1.4%

Source

Trend (000)

Original (000)

China New Zealand UK USA Japan Singapore Hong Kong Malaysia India South Korea All inbound

116.6 114.6 63.3 68.6 37.3 36.8 24.9 32.0 28.1 24.1 761.8

122.5 115.9 90.3 80.7 50.0 40.0 36.1 34.8 33.0 26.4 872.4

Trend Feb 18/ Mar 18 % +0.4 +0.1 +0.0 -0.1 +0.4 +1.5 +1.1 +2.8 +0.5 -2.7 +0.4

Top 10 destinations, Mar 18

Trend Mar 17/ Mar 18 % +6.8 +2.3 +3.3 +5.5 +2.5 -0.6 +10.7 -1.9 +19.7 +0.0 +5.3

Source: ABS

Destination

Trend (000)

New Zealand Indonesia United States India Japan Thailand China Singapore Vietnam UK All outbound

116.9 94.9 88.8 32.8 36.2 49.1 43.8 33.2 27.9 55.0 888.1

Original (000)

Trend Feb 18/ Mar 18 % -0.3 +0.5 +0.0 +0.4 +0.2 -0.5 -1.1 -1.7 -0.7 +0.9 +0.1

116.9 77.0 61.0 47.2 45.6 37.9 34.0 24.9 23.8 23.0 1,336.7

Trend Mar 17/ Mar 18 % -2.5 -5.6 -2.4 +12.7 +13.1 +5.9 -0.7 -5.0 +23.0 +3.0 +2.6

Source: ABS

ENDED DECEMBER 2017 All airlines

Arrivals on time Departure on time Cancellations

83.2% 83.1% 1.2%

-0.9%

85.2% 85.6% 0.9%

3%

Virgin Australia

Arrivals on time Departure on time Cancellations

-0.

International Passengers Carried (thousands) - December 2015 to December 2017

+4

DOMESTIC AIR MARKET

.9 %

February 2018

+3 .1%

+ 1.

Dec-17

Nov-17

Oct-17

Sep-17

Aug-17

Jul-17

*Percentage points difference

Jun-17

May-17

Apr-17

Mar-17

Feb-17

Jan-17

Dec-16

Nov-16

Oct-16

Sep-16

Aug-16

Jul-16

Jun-16

May-16

Apr-16

Mar-16

Feb-16

Jan-16

4.53m 5.13bn 6.58bn 78.0 48.6

.8 %

4.36m 4.93bn 6.56bn 75.3 49.0

Yr to Yr to Growth Feb 17 Feb 18 % OUTBOUND 59.01m 60.26 +2.1 69.36bn 70.29 +1.3 88.79bn 88.28 -0.6 78.1 79.6 1.5* 642.0 638.6 -0.5

+2

INBOUND

Growth % +4.1 +4.0 +0.3 2.7* -0.7

-4.5%

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

Feb 18

+1.9%

Feb 17

+3.1%

4%

-1.8%

Source: BITRE

International Air Market Share

International Passengers by Major Airlines - Year ended December 2017

International passengers by major airline – year ended Feb 2018 Qantas Airways, 16.4% Qantas Airways,

Others, 30.9%

Jetstar, 9.1%9.1% Jetstar,

Emirates, Emirates, 8.2%8.3%

China Southern

China Southern Airlines, 3.1% Airlines, 3.1% Etihad3.2% Airways, 3.2% Etihad Airways,

Singapore Airlines, 8.1% Singapore Airlines, 8.1%

AirAsia 3.8% AirAsia X,X,4.0%

Top 10 city pairs, Feb 2018

City pair

16.4%

Others, 30.7%

INTERNATIONAL AIR ROUTES

Cathay Pacific Air New Cathay Pacific Air New Zealand, 6.6% Airways, 4.6% Zealand, 6.6% Airways, 4.6% Australia, 6.1% VirginVirgin Australia, 6.0% Source: BITRE

Auckland-Sydney Singapore-Sydney Singapore-Melbourne Auckland-Melbourne Singapore-Perth Hong Kong-Sydney Auckland-Brisbane Los Angeles-Sydney Denpasar-Perth Singapore-Brisbane Top 10 City Pairs Other City Pairs ALL CITY PAIRS

Year ended

Year ended

Year ended

Passengers YE Feb 18 1,564,688 1,494,807 1,415,343 1,237,266 1,149,192 1,078,036 974,638 882,570 843,291 823,408 11,463,239 28,461,395 39,924,634

% of total % change 18/17 3.9 -1.8 3.7 +2.8 3.5 +3.1 3.1 +3.1 2.9 +1.9 2.7 -0.3 2.4 +1.4 2.2 -0.9 2.1 -4.5 2.1 +4.9 28.7 +1.0 71.3 +7.2 100.0 +5.4

Source: BITRE

International Passengers by Uplift/Discharge City Pairs Australian

Passengers YE Feb 17 1,593,641 1,454,153 1,372,831 1,200,536 1,127,828 1,081,462 961,094 891,020 882,760 784,965 11,350,290 26,543,258 37,893,548

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

% of

% Change

5

State of the industry MAIN DOMESTIC ROUTES Top 10 domestic city pairs, Feb 2018

City pair

MelbourneSydney Brisbane-Sydney BrisbaneMelbourne Gold CoastSydney AdelaideMelbourne Melbourne-Perth Gold CoastMelbourne Adelaide-Sydney Perth-Sydney Hobart-Melbourne

Most popular websites in travel - agencies Apr 18 compared with Mar 18

Passengers Passengers % change YE Feb 17 YE Feb 18 (000) (000) 8,885.8

9,164.7

+3.1

4,666.2

4,754.3

+1.9

3,487.5

3,548.1

+1.7

2,692.4

2,750.5

+2.2

2,400.4

2,468.2

+2.8

2,062.3

2,035.3

-1.3

1,970.5

2,025.2

+2.8

1,873.1 1,747.9 1,575.3

1,897.2 1,712.1 1,631.7

+1.3 -2.1 +3.6

Rank Website

Visits % share Apr 18

Relative % diff Apr to Mar

Rank Mar 18

-0.97

1

1

Webjet Australia

12.76

2 3

Expedia Australia Skyscanner Australia Wotif.com Flight Centre Velocity Frequent Flyer Luxury Escapes Lastminute.com.au Cheap Flights Aus & NZ I Want That Flight!

10.72

-2.65

2

9.53

+3.06

3

7.90 5.99

+3.47 +2.19

4 5

3.86

+1.64

6

3.39 2.47

+3.32 -5.19

7 8

2.38

+0.60

9

1.88

-9.31

10

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Source: Hitwise

Source: BITRE

AUSTRALIAN AIRPORTS

International passengers through Australia’s major international airports, Feb 18 City pair Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Perth Gold Coast Adelaide Cairns Darwin Canberra (a) Townsville (b) Sunshine Coast (c) Port Hedland (d) Norfolk Island (e) ALL AIRPORTS

Passengers YE Feb 17 15,235,473 9,741,496 5,470,771 4,375,867 1,101,195 937,844 640,427 278,386 37,746 42,641 13,728 8,001 9,973 37,893,548

(a) Scheduled services recommenced Sep 2016 (c) Seasonal services only (e) Scheduled services ceased May 2017

Passengers YE Feb 18 16,157,182 10,459,233 5,783,395 4,362,432 1,078,415 979,518 674,164 269,322 86,467 50,343 13,719 7,486 2,958 39,924,634

% of total % change 18/17 40.5 +6.0 26.2 +7.4 14.5 +5.7 10.9 -0.3 2.7 -2.1 2.5 +4.4 1.7 +5.3 0.7 -3.3 0.2 +129.1 0.1 +18.1 0.0 -0.1 0.0 -6.4 0.0 -70.3 100.0 +5.4

(b) Scheduled services recommenced Sep 2015 (d) Scheduled services recommenced Apr 2015

Source: BITRE

Steve Jones’ Say As I assume it does for everyone on solo long haul flights, my mind wandered as I made my latest trip back to the motherland.

Movies and magazines will get you so far through a 24-hour journey - sleep plays a bit-part role in the world of the economy traveller - so there is always time to ponder the meaning of life.

This month’s column is, in fact, being written at 38,000 ft somewhere over Germany.

Incidentally, the first leg of the trip, to Dubai, was barely a third full. Not great for Emirates, but it

6

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

afforded that rare luxury of four seats to myself. Who needs business class when you’ve got a fully lie-flat bed for a fraction of the cost and almost oneto-one personal service?

My idle mind turned to a trip to China eight years ago with Tourism Australia. It was to cover the launch of There’s Nothing Like Australia (TNLA), the marketing slogan that is still with us today.

For how much longer is uncertain.

Tourism Australia has invited agencies to pitch for its creative account, a move that inevitably throws the future of TNLA into doubt.

The slogan and initial campaign was created by DDB back in 2010.

Since then it has underpinned pretty much all Tourism Australia’s advertising and marketing activity.

It even survived a change of agency in 2013, with then TA boss Andrew McEvoy, anxious for continuity.

There has yet to be any such certainty provided by John O’Sullivan, although that’s not unexpected. If you must seek new ideas it would be unwise to restrict the creative thinking of those agencies who throw their hat in the ring.

But survive it should. For years Tourism Australia struggled for advertising continuity. Even today it is lampooned for the ill-conceived “Where the bloody hell are you?” schmozzle where someone thought it a good idea to swear at

“

[There’s Nothing Like Australia is] a simple and effective message that works across all media and any number of int’l markets and ad campaigns

”

prospective visitors.

With TNLA, they finally hit upon something. A simple and effective message that works across all media and any number of international markets and ad campaigns.

Tourism New Zealand’s 100% Pure is always held up as the vanguard of tourism marketing.

That is partially because TNZ simply stuck with it. It created a consistency of brand message that consumers began to relate to and, critically, stakeholders could work with without fear of constant changes in strategic direction.

Dismantling such a sound marketing pillar as TNLA would be a terrific shame.

Still on tourism bodies, Dubai is closing its local operation, a shock if only because the emirate has had a presence in Australia for so long, almost 20 years.

It prompted one of those statements that attempts to dress up bad news as somehow positive.

Dubai said running the Australian and NZ operations from its global headquarters “aims at deepening the direct long-term alliances with key partners in the region including airlines and trade, forging strategic collaborations in line with the longstanding commitment to, and confidence in, the potential of both markets”.

What meaningless drivel.

Issues & trends

America welcomes the world More than 6,000 international buyers, media and suppliers descended on Denver, Colorado last month for the 50th annual IPW trade show, hosted by the US Travel Association. The event first started in a small hotel in New York in 1969 under its former name of Discover America International Pow Wow, and has grown 40-fold from about 150 delegates to its current enormous scale.

Australia’s Visit USA committee had a significant presence, with a 50-strong delegation which hosted one of the “must attend” events to kick off the show – attended by several hundred US suppliers keen to leverage the strong Australian market.

Denver also pulled out all stops to welcome visitors, with a succession of parties, receptions and other functions which truly wowed the crowd. Even the lunchtime entertainment in the massive ballroom at the Denver Convention Centre was outstanding, with the first day featuring iconic 80s party band the B52s, followed the next day by performers from no less than five Broadway musicals who flew to Denver to present highlights of their shows. Denver’s Mile High Stadium was the venue for one of the lavish evening events providing guests with a true taste of Colorado including line dancing, native American performances and the enigmatic “DJ Yeti” (that’s right – a performer who stands at the mixing deck dressed like the Abominable Snowman), and to top it all off the closing function took place at the city’s famous Red Rocks Arena, an incredible outdoor concert venue where attendees were treated to a performance by Denverbased music superstars One Republic.

A huge variety of new product was unveiled, with tourism infrastructure development clearly on the agenda for many cities, states and regions across the USA. New York’s burgeoning Hudson Yards precinct was unveiled ahead of its formal opening in March 2019, and is set to become a new tourist drawcard with a host of galleries, restaurants and public spaces located at the end of the already hugely popular High Line. There’s a huge amount of development and investment going on in New Orleans, while other cities and regions highlighted during IPW press conferences included California, Philadelphia, Washington DC and Anaheim, which will host IPW next year.

8

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

AFTA view Jayson Westbury, chief executive AFTA

As the ATAS scheme turns four there is no question that it has really now found its feet in the travel industry landscape. It is pleasing to see the continued support for the scheme as more and more agents looks to join and maintain their accreditation.

The month of June will see a very large number of ATAS accreditation renewals fall due and AFTA has been working behind the scenes to make the process efficient and simple.

We have also included the ability to join the chargeback scheme (ACS) as a part of the process.

An agreement to undertake a review of the scheme at the four-year mark was made when the original negotiation was put in place with all the state governments. This was a way to ensure that the scheme was continuing to deliver a standard for agencies in Australia, and underpin consumer confidence to continue using travel agents.

The results speak for themselves and from the responses AFTA has received and submissions made to the review, it is clear that all stakeholders are pleased with how the scheme is tracking.

There have been some suggestions for changes and once the reviewers’ report is released, the AFTA Board will need to consider any recommendations that enhance the scheme.

In parallel with this review, AFTA has conducted some significant consumer research.

82% of consumers The results are pleasing with 1 in 5 consumers being aware [said] that once they of the ATAS brand and 82% of understood was consumers saying that once ATAS was about, it they understood what ATAS was about, it would influence would influence their their decision to seek out an decision to seek out ATAS travel agent next time an ATAS travel agent... they look to book a trip.

This research has also provided AFTA with a consumer’s perspective and as such there will be two significant strategies put into place to support ATAS travel agents.

The first will be an industry-wide broad-based education campaign to help ATAS agents realise the full potential of the value of being accredited and look to increase awareness with travel consultants including front line sellers, who need to be talking about the scheme with clients more often.

The second will be a new television commercial being created and a new tag-line. The tag-line came directly from the consumer research and the groups used to deliver messages that matter in the minds of the consumer. While I am not going to let the cat out of the bag over what the campaign will say, keep a keen eye out for the new TVC, which we will be running on a national basis.

It is exciting times in the travel industry with Australia now ranked as the eighth largest (by physical traveller numbers, not per capita) outbound market in the world. We are fortunate that Aussies like to travel overseas and with so many looking for a good deal, ATAS agents should be well placed to grab a big portion of this market going forward.

“ ”

Select shines in Macao Macao was the location for the 2018 Select Travel Group (STG) conference in May at the brand new $4.5 billion MGM Cotai, providing all 160 attendees a level of luxury beyond expectation.

Opening the conference, Tom Manwaring CEO of parent firm Express Travel Group (ETG), highlighted several key results including 37 new members joining STG over the past year to reach 369 in total.

Across all brands there are now a total of 774 members spanning the Independent Travel Group, italktravel and Select Travel Group brands.

Staff numbers at ETG also increased to 96 in order to service the growing travel agent members and supplier partners.

Manwaring highlighted 5% growth was achieved in product sales across STG with several key product categories including river cruise, touring, hotels and ocean cruising surging in demand. For destinations, Europe, North America and the Pacific had the fastest growth.

Speaking with travelBulletin, Manwaring said total transaction value (TTV) across ETG had grown by more than a third over the past four years, eclipsing the one billion dollar mark.

Achieving this result was not without its challenges with Manwaring attributing collapsing yields in airfares to Asia,

reduction in commissions and some wholesalers selling direct as pressure points to the business. Overall though Manwaring was “comfortable” with the results saying that while gross revenue grows at “doubledigit” levels there was “no massive nett revenue growth”.

The conference was also an opportunity for STG members to reconnect, develop new networks and to learn from the many sponsors through speaker sessions and a product market.

One STG member, Sharon Wu of BE Travel Services in VIC told travelBulletin that “the sessions allow me to get a lot of information such as product updates.

Things are always changing so it’s good to keep up to date. It’s good to know what’s happening with the group and gain more knowledge.”

In fact many members shared their experiences of the conference with travelBulletin highlighting in particular what they saw as the greatest benefits of being a part of the close-knit group.

Joe Lin from Holiday Xperience in Victoria said “as we’ve grown to 11 stores, ETG has given a lot of help in terms of getting the right support, the right fares, the right structure and the right attitude to developing commercial agreements.”

Lin was not alone, with similar sentiments

shared by Mehdi Juddani from Best & Less Travel in NSW who said “I believe in business the most important part is relationships and what I have found with ETG is their transparency with business, which is attractive to me.”

The notion of building strong relationships was a common thread among STG members with Jigisha Patel of Fantasy Travel in Queensland praising her ETG representative.

“Katherine Chan is our Queensland state manager for ETG and we’ve built a great relationship and the support is always good. Even though I’m a small agency, if I need help with airlines or land suppliers, Katherine is always there to help.”

When not in conference mode, attendees were given the opportunity to explore the historic Portuguese sites of old Macao via a city tour as well as sampling the famed egg tart.

The conference concluded with a lavish gala dinner and hotly contested awards ceremony which recognised members for their achievements. A particular highlight this year was Best & Less Travel in NSW winning national agent of the year award for the third year running.

Manwaring announced that in 2019 all brands within ETG would unite for one larger conference though at this stage no destination has been decided upon.

“

ETG has given a lot of help in terms of getting the right support, the right fares, the right structure and the right attitude to developing commercial agreements

”

Joe Lin, Holiday Xperience

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

9

Issues & trends

Kaylene Shuttlewood, regional managing director and Fred van Eijk, general manager Netherlands and Belgium

Travel Counsellors plots expansion Travel Counsellors reaffirmed its commitment to ambitious growth plans and signalled a massive technology overhaul, revealed at the group’s annual conference in Cairns last month.

The company is working to double the number of its Australian members in the next two years under a goal declared last year by CEO Steve Byrne, who earmarked the Australian division for growth between 250300 agents.

Travel Counsellors’ new regional managing director Kaylene Shuttlewood told travelBulletin the group would be doing “absolutely everything” to reach 300 agents.

“That is still part of our plan and we’re putting everything in place including the team, including my appointment to continue driving towards that goal,” Shuttlewood said.

Last year Byrne also set the group a global goal of reaching 3,000 consultants in three years from a starting point of 1,600.

Global member numbers have since climbed to around 1,780, which digital and innovation director Waseem Haq said was “on plan” with the growth strategy.

“We recognise if we grow we’ve got to put all the right foundations in to actually sustain that growth,” he said.

“All of that recruitment to the 3,000 is on plan, but it has a slower start to then accelerate in the future because of the fact that we’ve got to get our technology in the right place.”

Travel Counsellors will this year invest $11 million on revamping its technology offering for agents, up from a spend of $5.4 million three years ago.

10

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

“There probably isn’t another home-based travel company in the world that is spending that amount [on technology],” Haq said.

“We’ve actually got a backlog of about 75 items and features that are being built and we have an internal development team in the UK that focuses purely on rolling out new features for the app, so there’s a lot that will come out over the next 12 months.”

“

There probably isn’t another home-based travel company in the world that is spending that amount [on technology]

“

Waseem Haq, digital and innovation director, Travel Counsellors A major change in the space is what Haq described as a “heart transplant” for its in-house system Phenix, which doubled its capacity and provided more scalability.

The company has upgraded its contact centre to allow agents a better view of their clients’ preferences, which could be leveraged to provide better services and tailored marketing.

Another feature is a “Reasons to Call” function which was rolled out globally last month.

The dashboard prompts agents with reasons to pick up the phone to their clients, such as to remind them it’s time to renew their passport, wish them a nice holiday before they go.

The group has overhauled its flights system in a bid to improve the usability and user experience, making it easier for agents to search and compare flights.

Travel Counsellors is also placing a large focus on digital marketing by providing TCs with training courses on how to better use social media to support their business and brand.

The network is making available a video hub featuring sharable content that TCs can use to boost their social media presence.

In addition, it is looking at emerging technology, including artificial intelligence, and how it can help the business.

“A lot of businesses out there are using technology to replace the agent and that’s not our strategy,” Haq said.

“Our strategy is to use technology to empower the agent and to build the relationship.”

Meanwhile, Travel Counsellors is expecting to reach close to £630m ($1.132b) in global turnover this year, following on from achieving close to £500m ($899m) last year.

Shuttlewood also confirmed the appointment of investment bank Rothschild as one of a number of strategic projects underway to futureproof the business, but said there were no updates on its work “at this stage”.

In January it was revealed the bank had been tasked to “sell, float or refinance” the group.

Qantas upgrade to end the 747 era Australian aviation has set a course towards the end of an era in 2020, with Qantas last month confirming it had brought forward plans to retire its aging Boeing 747 fleet.

The once dominant workhorse of long-haul travel is set to be replaced by its younger, leaner rival, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, and will fittingly make its swansong during the airline’s centenary year.

Qantas has been the only local carrier operating 747s since the demise of Ansett Australia in 2001, and is one of just a handful of airlines worldwide still flying the aircraft.

The United States marked its last 747 service in December when Delta Air Lines flew its final jumbo service from Seoul to Detroit, while in other countries carriers have either phased out the aircraft in favour of more fuel-efficient options or announced plans to significantly downgrade its role.

“This is really the end of one era and the start of another,” said Qantas Group ceo Alan Joyce. “Over the years, each new version of the 747 allowed Qantas to fly further and

by Sunk days i C Hol

improve what we offered passengers. The Dreamliners are now doing the same thing.”

The earlier-than-anticipated retirement has been made possible by the airline’s decision to order an additional six Boeing 787-9s which will join its fleet over the next two years.

The airline currently has four 787s with a further four due to arrive by the end of this year. Its newest order will give it a total Dreamliner fleet of 14 by the end of 2020.

As the Dreamliners arrive, the jumbo jets will progressively depart. The current Qantas

fleet of 10 747s will begin leaving next month, with the final six to stand down by late 2020.

“The 787 has better economics and a longer range, and it has already opened up new routes like Perth to London,” Joyce said.

“With a larger fleet of Dreamliners, we’ll be looking at destinations in the Americas, Asia, South Africa and Europe,” he said.

The carrier’s spending on additional aircraft came as it announced healthy third quarter results, with group revenue up 7.5% over the same period last year to $4.25 billion.

IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME Never lose money due to a client chargeback ACCEPT CREDIT CARD AND GET ACS PROTECTED* Apply now at afta.com.au/acs

*Your agency must be a member of ACS, the credit card must be an eligible credit or debit card and the purchase must be processed with an ACS Payment Partner.

2018 NATIONAL TRAVEL INDUSTRY AWARDS FINALISTS CATEGORY 1> BEST TRAVEL AGENCY GROUP // 50 STORES OR MORE

CATEGORY 10> BEST BUSINESS EVENTS TRAVEL AGENCY

¥ Flight Centre ¥ Helloworld Travel ¥ Travellers Choice

¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

CATEGORY 2> BEST NON BRANDED TRAVEL AGENCY GROUP ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

ATAC Independent Travel Group Helloworld Business Travel Magellan Travel My Travel Group

CATEGORY 3> BEST TRAVEL AGENCY RETAIL // SINGLE LOCATION ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Bayview Travel Bicton Travel Helloworld Travel Lane Cove Main Beach Travel Out and About Travel

CATEGORY 4> BEST TRAVEL AGENCY RETAIL // MULTI LOCATION ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Hastwell Travel and Cruise Helloworld Travel Hunter Travel Group/RACT Travel Helloworld Travel Mackay & MT Pleasant Phil Hoffmann Travel Travel Club

CATEGORY 5> BEST TRAVEL AGENCY CORPORATE // SINGLE LOCATION ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Complete Business Travel DBT Corporate Travel Helloworld Travel Newcastle Corporate Sanford International Travel The Journeymasters

CATEGORY 6> BEST TRAVEL AGENCY CORPORATE // MULTI LOCATION ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Corporate Traveller Goldman Travel Corporation Platinum Travel Corporation Stage and Screen Travel Services The Travel Authority

CATEGORY 7 BEST NATIONAL TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANY ¥ Corporate Travel Management ¥ FCM Travel Solutions ¥ QBT

CATEGORY 8> BEST TRAVEL BROKER NETWORK ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

MTA - Mobile Travel Agents Savenio Travel Travel Counsellors Travel Partners

CATEGORY 9> BEST ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCY // OTA ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Cruise Sale Finder flybuys Travel Global Journeys Luxury Escapes TripADeal

www.cruisesalefinder.com.au www.flybuystravel.com.au www.globaljourneys.com www.luxuryescapes.com www.tripadeal.com.au

All Occasions Travel American Express Global Business Travel Event Travel Management Platinum Event Solutions The Events Authority

CATEGORY 11> BEST TRAVEL CONSULTANT // RETAIL ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Giselle Pennington Klara Illuzzi Louise Kinkead Matt Schmitz Teagan Underwood

Spencer Travel Southside Flight Centre Bondi Junction Flight Centre Kotara Travel Counsellors STA Travel

NSW NSW NSW VIC NSW

CATEGORY 12> BEST TRAVEL CONSULTANT // CORPORATE ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Baris Celik Kerry Boiko Madeleine Hickey Nicole Hay Sarah Hackett

Corporate Travel Management Campus Travel QBT Show Group Enterprise DBT - Donna Barlow Travel

NSW QLD NSW NSW NSW

CATEGORY 13> BEST TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER // RETAIL SINGLE LOCATION ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Debbi Ashes Joanne Miller Lena Nielson Michael Middleton Tracey Bremner

Helloworld Travel Lane Cove italktravel Castle Hill Flight Centre Edgecliff Bicton Travel Globenet Travel

NSW NSW NSW WA QLD

CATEGORY 14> BEST TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER // RETAIL MULTI LOCATIONS ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Louise Dann Monica Godfrey Natalie Cherry Renee Nightingale

¥ Stuart Ingram

Hunter Travel Group Platinum Travel Noosa Cruise & Travel Helloworld Travel Albury, Wangaratta & Wodonga Destination HQ

NSW NSW QLD NSW/VIC VIC

CATEGORY 15> BEST TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER // CORPORATE SINGLE LOCATION ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Chris Cheyne Donna Meads-Barlow Jamie Maclean Lauren Gray Zahrah Roush

Goldman Travel - Bondi Junction DBT Corporate Travel Corporate Traveller Cathedral Place Corporate Traveller Bourke Street Corporate Traveller South Brisbane

NSW NSW QLD VIC QLD

CATEGORY 16> BEST TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER // CORPORATE MULTI LOCATION ¥ Andre Moten ¥ Sam La Rosa

Corporate Travel Management Show Group Enterprise

QLD NSW

CATEGORY 17> YOUNG AGENT OF THE YEAR ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Bayden Quinn Chelsea Badger Courtney Ashes Karla Sinclair Meg Blakey

Helloworld Travel Broken Hill Jayes Travel Helloworld Travel Lane Cove The Travel Authority Jetsetter Travel

NSW NSW NSW NSW QLD

CATEGORY 18> BEST DOMESTIC AIRLINE ¥ Jetstar ¥ Qantas Airways ¥ Virgin Australia

CATEGORY 19> BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE // ON-LINE ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Air New Zealand Emirates Qantas Airways Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines

CATEGORY 20> BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE // OFF-LINE ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Finnair Lufthansa German Airlines Oman Air Swiss International Air lines

CATEGORY 21> BEST CRUISE OPERATOR // DOMESTIC DEPLOYMENT ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Carnival Cruise Lines Celebrity Cruises P&O Cruises Australia Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean International

CATEGORY 22> BEST CRUISE OPERATOR // INTERNATIONAL DEPLOYMENT ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean International Seabourn Silversea Viking Cruises

CATEGORY 23> BEST RIVER CRUISE OPERATOR ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

APT Avalon Waterways Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection Viking Cruises

CATEGORY 24> BEST TOUR OPERATOR // DOMESTIC ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

AAT Kings Adventure Tours Australia APT Contiki Topdeck Travel

CATEGORY 25> BEST TOUR OPERATOR // INTERNATIONAL ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

APT Globus Insight Vacations Intrepid Travel Trafalgar

CATEGORY 26> BEST CAR/CAMPERVAN RENTAL OPERATOR ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Avis Britz Campervan Rentals Europcar Hertz Thrifty Car & Truck Rental

CATEGORY 27> BEST TOURIST OFFICE // INTERNATIONAL ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Dubai Tourism Singapore Tourism Board Tourism Fiji Tourism New Zealand Visit California

CATEGORY 28> BEST SPECIALTY WHOLESALER ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Bench Africa Creative Cruising DriveAway Holidays Sno'n'Ski The Africa Safari Co

CATEGORY 29> BEST WHOLESALER // AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Excite Holidays Qantas Holidays & Viva Holidays Sunlover Holidays TravelCube

CATEGORY 30> BEST WHOLESALER // INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Adventure World Excite Holidays Qantas Holidays & Viva Holidays TravelCube Wendy Wu Tours

CATEGORY 31> BEST AGENCY SUPPORT SERVICE ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Air Tickets Cover-More Travel Insurance Express Ticketing Qantas Industry Centre (QIC) Travelport

CATEGORY 32> BEST SALES EXECUTIVE // INDUSTRY SUPPLIER ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Richard Waugh Michelle Nickelson Lisa McCowan Joseph Keats Rebecca Hodgson

P&O Cruises Australia Air New Zealand On the Go Tours V Travel Network Emirates Airlines

QLD QLD VIC QLD SA

CATEGORY 33> BEST HOTEL/RESORT GROUP ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

AccorHotels Luxe Brands Club Med Outrigger Resorts Shangri La Hotels and Resorts The Leading Hotels of the World

CATEGORY 34> BEST REGISTERED TRAVEL INDUSTRY TRAINING INSTITUTION ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Cornerstone Learning and Development Jetset Training College TAFE NSW - Sydney Travel and Tourism TAFE Queensland TAFE SA

CATEGORY 35> BEST TRAVEL WRITER // CONSUMER ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Aleney de Winter Barry O'Brien Christine Retschlag Helen Hayes Jocelyn Pride

CATEGORY 36> BEST TRAVEL AGENT TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Shop & Book Qantas Learning Hub Smart Trips - Smartphone Application Tramada GDS App Phenix

Air Tickets Qantas Airways Smart Trips Pty Ltd Tramada Systems Travel Counsellors

CATEGORY 37> EMIRATES TRAVEL CONSULTANT SCHOLARSHIP ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Alysha Tan Courtney Ashes Jo Arraj Kieran Mackenzie Rachel Husoy Cleary

Flight Centre Heidelberg Helloworld Travel Lane Cove JA Travel Solutions Altitude Travel Tea Gardens Noosa Travel

VIC NSW NSW NSW QLD

Cover

At a time when business is evolving at phenomenal pace, the travel industry is showing its characteristic resilience and ability to adapt. Yet in a sector that places such importance on looking towards the next challenge, it’s easy to forget the pioneers who have already steered the industry through periods of monumental change, or founded the institutions we take for granted in the modern travel landscape.

This month travelBulletin nominates some of Australia’s travel trailblazers – just a few of the industry stalwarts who helped lay the foundations for our journey from carbon-printed tickets into the digital age.

14

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

“The local travel agency in Warragul was up for sale. It was exactly what I was looking for and it changed my life,” Dale believes.

Having cut his teeth in the travel industry in rural Australia and achieving some outstanding sales results, Dale decided to take another big risk and move to the United Kingdom to open a chain of indoor cricket centres.

Despite the seachange, Dale was able to enjoy considerable financial success through the venture with his two partners, a business foray he believes instilled in him what it takes to “work in a tough commercial environment”.

“

Kevin Dale Retail

Kevin Dale’s story is one that proves you don’t necessarily need to have a clearly defined career path to achieve professional success.

Having very little idea about what he wanted to do when he left school at 16, Dale found himself contemplating a future in the unknown or working on his parent’s dairy farm at Drouin in West Gippsland.

It wasn’t long before he found himself gravitating towards the people-facing side of the farming industry, cultivating skills such as public speaking and event management with the Victorian Young Farmers.

But it was at the age of 28 that Dale had his “lightbulb moment”.

The local travel agency in Warragul was up for sale. It was exactly what I was looking for and it changed my life

”

After four years, Dale headed home to Australia where he dipped his toe in a variety of diversified business interests, from manufacturing to property development.

While again experiencing some great financial returns, it was clear there was one industry which still owned his heart.

“Travel, while possibly less lucrative, remained my passion,” Dale said.

He purchased Herald Sun Travel and renamed it National Network Travel, winning numerous awards. However, as was the case many times in his professional life, he was not one prepared to simply rest on his laurels.

“It was becoming apparent that the future

E ER

I

LB

S

TRA

JUN E 2018

embarked on its representation of Royal Viking in the Australian market.

“Royal Viking Line was probably the first of the new mode of luxury cruise lines,” Patrick said of the long-standing operator, which was wound up and merged into Cunard Line in the early 1990s. “It really was genuinely luxurious,” she said.

Patrick’s initial role at Wiltrans was as national manager of sales and marketing, when the company was owned by global shipping company Wilhemsen Lines. She soon after became general manager and later managing director, then in 2002 purchased the company in partnership with her late husband James, a chartered accountant.

S

TH

E

PION

LAZER

for independent travel agents lay in banding together to negotiate better deals to compete with emerging giants such as Flight Centre,” Dale said.

He helped form a co-operative (VTAC later ATAC), becoming chairman for eight years and working alongside Jim Clements to grow the group to 70 agents. Further ventures included the founding of Cruiseco group with Phil Hoffmann which over the next 17 years became a cruise retailing powerhouse.

“

It was becoming apparent that the future for independent travel agents lay in banding together to negotiate better deals to compete with emerging giants such as Flight Centre

”

“Phil and I gained so much satisfaction from that. I remain chairman and with new ceo Amanda McClelland look forward to continued success,” Dale said.

In the mid-2000s Dale believes there was a “huge upheaval” that saw independent agencies lose bargaining power.

“Andrew Jones, Trevor Jones and I formed the Magellan Travel Group to break that mould,” Dale said.

After 10 years he decided to semiretire and leave the group that had become a huge success. “I consider it one of my greatest successes, but I am also bitterly disappointed by the unedifying scramble that ensued when the founders tried to take most of the money for themselves, eventually settling for about half [in the recent sale to Helloworld],” he says.

“

Diane Patrick Cruising

IN A sector seemingly overflowing with new ships, concepts and products, Diane Patrick likes to point out that the current pace of cruise ship innovation is not necessarily new.

As managing director of specialist GSA Wiltrans International, Patrick has represented some of the world’s best-known luxury cruise brands over the past three decades – from their infancy in the Australian market through to household-name status.

“We talk a lot today about the specialty restaurants and celebrity chefs that cruise lines are introducing,” Patrick said.

“But Royal Viking Line had (the late French Michelin-star chef) Paul Bocuse overseeing his Royal Grill when they launched the Royal Viking Sun in 1988,” she said. “We forget how long ago cruise lines were looking at new things like this.”

It was Royal Viking Line that first instigated Patrick’s journey in the cruise industry, in which she has represented other brands including Crystal Cruises, Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea Cruises and currently Paul Gauguin Cruises.

Having started her career in wholesaling in 1969 and later operated her own travel agency in Sydney under the American Express banner, she made the decision to specialise in cruise in 1987, joining Wiltrans as it

It was a wonderful time to be in cruising – and it still is a wonderful time – but the evolution of the on-board product was so dynamic through those years

”

“We were very privileged to represent several of the luxury lines at the same time, as one company,” she said. “I think that was thanks to the way we looked after our principals and looked after our travel agents – we set a base to always have that professionalism, integrity and agency support.”

Patrick has also been a leader in the wider industry’s development in Australia, having been a co-founder of the International Cruise Council Australasia (now Cruise Lines International Australasia) in 1996. She also served as an early chairperson, from 1997 to 1999, following in the footsteps of Sarina Bratton.

“It was a wonderful time to be in cruising – and it still is a wonderful time – but the evolution of the on-board product was so dynamic through those years,” Patrick said of her pioneering days.

As for the future, she sees no end to the cruise industry’s innovation and its ability to adapt swiftly to passenger demands.

“I only see more opportunities,” she said.

“If I was a travel agent, I would certainly be trying to have cruising as a major segment in my agency.” travelBulletin JUNE 2018

15

Cover

greg mortimer Adventure

When Greg Mortimer led his first expedition to Antarctica in 1990, he found his place.

As the expedition leader on one of the first Russian ships heading to the great white land, Mortimer loved the combination of having an icebreaker “to play with” and being in a wild environment with people who were largely out of their natural environment.

Wild places were not unfamiliar for Mortimer, who is most widely known as one of the first two Australians to successfully climb Mount Everest without oxygen. His team’s ascent was the first via the North face and Great Couloir and is now one of the established routes used to climb the mountain.

Between 1983 and 1990, Mortimer continued to conquer great feats. He was one of the first Australians to climb K2, the first to climb Annapurna II by its south face, the first Australian to climb Antarctica’s highest peak, Vinson Massif, and the first to climb Mount Minto in the Admiralty mountains of Antarctica. He also trained as a geochemist

and geologist, has worked as a survivaltraining instructor and as a Scientific Affairs Adviser for the New Zealand Antarctic Division.

Jump forward to 1991 and Mortimer and his wife Margaret founded Aurora Expeditions. He described the company’s origins as “really threadbare shoestring”, beginning as a desk in the World Expeditions office. That year, Aurora Expeditions took a sub-charter of a Quark Expeditions voyage and started looking for people to go to Antarctica with. “The following year we took whitelipped risks and out of naivety, we took on substantial charter of Russia ships,” he said. “Very quickly, over the next few years we took over one of those ships and started running it for full seasons,” Mortimer explained.

Aurora Expeditions was founded after the Mortimers identified an opportunity and saw “there was joy and business to be had in taking people to the extreme places in the world on ships,” he explained. “It is deeply satisfying stuff because you have an impact on people.” It was the human connection which continued as a driver for Mortimer, emphasising that if people became numbers, he would know it was time to give it up.

Today Mortimer lives on a small farm in the Blue Mountains with his wife.

Although he is no longer financially involved in Aurora Expeditions, in the last year has stepped back in to help with design of the line’s new ship set to debut in 2019. Aurora Expeditions is naming the new edition the Greg Mortimer to honour its founder– a decision Mortimer said he still finds a bit cringe-worthy.

Finally, Mortimer said his advice for others in the industry is to find their own philosophical base.

“Don’t do it to make money, do it to make a difference,” he said.

Both images of Greg © Pip Smith

16

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

Peter baily Touring

Kenyan-born Peter Baily admits his entry into touring in the late 1960s was more “by default” than choice, at a time when there was little professionalism, structure and very few companies organising tours.

“People were going out and doing adventurous things that you can’t do nowadays,” Baily told travelBulletin.

“

People were going out and doing adventurous things that you can’t do nowadays

”

Baily spent his early years in the industry behind the wheel navigating overland tours from London to Cape Town with his brother Tim. Their business was named Siafu, the Swahili name for the southern African solider ant, recognised for its perseverance.

“Once those ants start moving you can’t stop them. And that was our philosophy.

Once you got on the road we just wouldn’t stop until we got to the other end. In those days it was quite an achievement to make it to the end,” Baily said.

The brothers pioneered the overland space, operating three-month itineraries through the heart of Africa, taking in 13 countries that would occasionally require bribe payments at border crossings. The driving of their Land Rovers would be split between passengers, and decisions had to

PION

TH

”

over the next 20 years put his expert knowledge of Africa to good use with roles at Adventure World and Bench International (now Bench Africa).

When the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) split from the Australian Federation of Travel Agents in 1998, Baily was appointed as the organisation’s original chairman. When he retired several years later from Bench International, CATO created the general manager title specifically for him.

It was his work at CATO over the past 20-25 years that was his most rewarding.

During that time he played a key role in successfully lobbying to have GST excluded from international travel (a threeyear battle), opened up communication channels between outbound tour operators and DFAT, and worked with the ACCC to introduce price advertising guidelines on travel and accommodation.

More recently, Baily helped AFTA introduce the AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme (ATAS) following the demise of the TCF. Baily says seeing the evolution of the touring space over the past 50 years “has probably been my biggest buzz”.

“I’ve been in outbound and pure touring all my life and it’s really fantastic to see companies like Bunnik Tours and Wendy Wu doing so well and how they do it so professionally now.”

Baily retired from CATO earlier this year.

phil hoffmanN Retail

‘Start as you mean to go on.’ It’s a phrase that could have been coined by South Australian travel industry legend Phil Hoffmann himself, after embarking on his professional travel journey in 1980 by boldly nominating himself as manager of his mate’s travel agency, Stewart Moffat Travel.

With a teaching degree and several years travelling the world already under his belt, Hoffmann admits the travel bug had well and truly bit, so when the opportunity arose, he decided to level up his professional role – and the rest, as they say, is history.

Hoffmann remained in the role for 10 years, before the business was sold and the friends went their separate ways. He had garnered a great deal of both business and travel experience since those early days, and decided to throw caution to the wind once more, opening the doors to Phil Hoffmann Travel in 1990. “Going out on your own in the beginning is one thing, but sustainable success in the travel industry cannot be a DIY pursuit,” he told travelBulletin. “It relies on surrounding yourself with outstanding and passionate people.”

It’s this very dedication to employing – and keeping – the right staff, coupled with the company’s strong client-focused approach that makes Phil Hoffmann Travel stand out in today’s crowded market. “Coming from a teaching background, I am an absolute believer in the importance of education and continuous personal development,” he said.

“Given the constant change within our industry, employee training is essential to remaining at

S

R

BL

S

I

One time we went off course for three days in a desert and were running low on water. These days, thanks to technology and social media, if you go off track... someone on the trip would know about it in a minute

the forefront of customer service.”

A career highlight for the pioneering businessman was his key role in setting up the Australian Federation of Travel Agents’ (AFTA) training college, of which he was a director for 13 years. He worked hard lobbying airlines and wholesalers to raise the levels of integrity and credibility for the global travel industry, a role he says “had been previously lacking”.

But it’s Hoffmann’s commitment to his clients that is perhaps his most endearing quality, with his firm belief that building and maintaining customer relationships has helped him survive in an age where smaller agencies are often swallowed up by the bigger players. “Despite our growth over the years, we haven’t lost sight of the vital importance of establishing and maintaining personal relationships with our clients,” he said firmly. “Our vision is to look after clients for life; we’ve worked extremely hard to build a reputation for our personal and friendly service, and an experienced travel consultant still has a very important role to play as the trusted advisor to anyone wanting the best possible travel experience.”

L

“

ER

TRA

be “made on the fly”.

“One time we went off course for three days in a desert and were running low on water,” Baily admitted. “These days, thanks to technology and social media, if you go off track by about 200 to 300 metres someone on the trip would know about it in a minute,” he quipped.

In 1975, Baily moved to Australia and

E

E JUN E 21 2018

AZE

“

Given the constant change within our industry, employee training is essential to remaining at the forefront of customer service

”

Today, Phil Hoffmann Travel employs more than 200 staff across 10 branches throughout South Australia. Each is strongly entwined in its local community, giving back to local charities and helping local businesses through its community sponsorship program.

“We take our role as corporate citizens very seriously,” Hoffmann said. “Each staff member receives two days a year to volunteer for a non-profit organisation, which not only provides benefits to the charity itself, but does a lot for our own staff morale.”

Hoffmann is an active member of the Adelaide Convention & Tourist Authority, as well as serving as chairman on the board of the South Australian Tourism Commission. He has received numerous accolades for his dedication to industry training and his community work, most notably as a Member of the Order of Australia, which he received in 2013. travelBulletin JUNE 2018

17

Cover

James & hayley Baillie Hotels

When James and Hayley Baillie opened Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island in 2008, they created a whole new look for Australian tourism.

Within months of its opening, images of the striking property and its spectacular location were appearing across the pages of glossy magazines from Paris to New York.

The island had been placed on the world stage, and Australia no longer seemed to lag so far behind New Zealand in the luxury lodge stakes.

“We were very much aware of the burgeoning local and international market for a new breed of Australian luxury lodges,” said James Baillie. “New Zealand had enjoyed success with its high-end experiential lodges in magnificent locations for many years, and so we realised this was an untapped sector in Australia.”

South Australia’s Kangaroo Island had been on the itineraries of visiting US travellers for several years, Baillie said “and when we were shown the site on the island’s remote southwest coast – surrounded by incredible natural icons and roaming native 18

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

wildlife – we knew it was the spot”.

Five years in the making, Southern Ocean Lodge was a collaboration between the Baillies and architect Max Pritchard. It

soaring volcanic peaks, Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird.

Nor was it their last. Today their portfolio also includes the luxury desert camp Longitude 131 at Uluru, while a fourth lodge is in the planning stages, to be developed on a site in Tasmania over the next two years.

Though not alone among luxury lodge operators in Australia, the Baillies have successfully elevated the concept to new prominence and helped ensure the high-end experiential traveller remains front of mind among the country’s tourism marketers.

They were instrumental in creating the Luxury Lodges of Australia group to promote the sector at an international level, while Hayley Baillie is a Tourism Australia board member and has been a key contributor to the body’s Restaurant Australia marketing campaign.

The Baillies’ area of specialty is no surprise given their backgrounds. James spent much of his early career in high-end resorts and was the managing director of P&O Resorts Australia. Hayley is a former expedition cruise leader, and as the daughter of entrepreneur and explorer Dick Smith has spent a lifetime in pursuit of unspoilt natural locations.

With their own expansion plans underway, the couple still see room for luxury lodges to become a major growth segment for Australia.

“Savvy tourism operators and hoteliers have seen the robust success of the luxury lodges and are keen to play a part in it,” James Baillie said. “We see it as the growth of the whole sector; it just becomes a larger, richer pie.”

“

New Zealand had enjoyed success with its highend experiential lodges in magnificent locations for many years, and so we realised this was an untapped sector in Australia

”

combines contemporary design with local food and wine, a dramatic cliff-top location and a series of natural experiences close by.

But it wasn’t the Baillies’ first project.

The husband and wife team began in 2004 with the opening of Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island, offering their own brand of “barefoot luxury” at the foot of the island’s

On the Kangaroo Island site before building Southern Ocean Lodge

PION

TH

ER S

R

S

The formidable chief executive officer of Helloworld Travel was just 26 when he founded the Australian Outback Travel Company, better known today as AOT. Andrew Burnes had studied law and commerce at Melbourne University and worked as a solicitor at Blake Dawson Waldron, but ultimately Australia’s wide open spaces proved a stronger calling for the young entrepreneur who launched a range of 4WD tours from Cairns to destinations like Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Over the following decades he and wife Cinzia managed successive expansions that culminated with the merger of AOT with Helloworld Travel in January 2016.

He has also been a deputy chairman of Tourism Australia, honorary treasurer of the Liberal Party and chairman of the Australian Tourism Export Council.

I

Perhaps the best-known of Australia’s cruise industry identities, Sarina Bratton became the first woman to found a cruise line in 1997 when she launched Norwegian Capricorn Line, then pioneered luxury expedition cruising in the Asia Pacific region in 2004 when she introduced Orion Expedition Cruises.

She spent 14 years with Cunard Line, ultimately as vice president and general manager Asia Pacific, and was the first chairperson of the International Cruise Council of Australia (now Cruise Lines International Association – Australasia). Today she serves as chairman Asia Pacific and special advisor for Ponant and has a string of accolades to her name including an Order of Australia for services to tourism and the 2006 Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year Award.

TRA

Sarina Bratton

E

E JUN E 21 Andrew Burnes 2018 L BL ZE A

Roy and Karen Merricks

Andrew McEvoy

As the co-founders of MTA – Mobile Travel Agents, Roy and Karen Merricks were among the first to champion the home-based evolution of travel retailing.

Inspired by the models emerging from the US and Europe, the Merricks adapted the concept and applied their own affable style of business, creating a network known as much for its family spirit as its commercial prowess.

From just two home-based consultants, the MTA brand has in almost 20 years evolved into one of the Australian travel industry’s great success stories.

Today, MTA home-based members number over 390, with the Gold Coast head office support team now exceeding 45 personnel.

Andrew McEvoy is a well-known face in the travel industry, having held management positions with both Tourism Australia and the South Australian Tourist Commission.

Most recently he was managing director, Life Media & Events at Fairfax Media, where he managed the new business portfolio, including events and content marketing.

He is currently the chairman of the SeaLink Travel Group, and is a member of the company’s remuneration and nomination committee.

McEvoy is also chairman of the Adelaide Riverbank Authority and has been awarded Life Membership of TTF Australia (Tourism and Transport Forum).

Reporting by Guy Dundas, Jasmine O’Donoghue, Jon Murrie, Adam Bishop and Sarah Fairburn. travelBulletin JUNE 2018

19

Business View

Career in

focus Cameron Neill

enjoy learning new things then you have an arsenal to use when a challenge comes up.

Trade Relations Manager, Bench Africa

7. Did you have a mentor, and if so, how did you find them?

I’m been lucky. Apart from giving me freedom to work, Martin Edwards (GM of Bench Africa) has taught me so much about the industry and has never been protective about information and his position. Being exposed to a bigger world outside your own small sphere helps you to see how all the pieces fit together. Before that, Brett Wendorf (currently with Princess Cruises) was very open to sharing information and opportunities with me in a similar fashion, throwing me into situations way above my head.

1. What does your role involve and how long have you been in your current position?

I essentially create materials and new programs for our BDM’s and travel agent partners to use, anything from basic marketing materials to fleshed out virtual reality videos, whatever I can conjure up. I’d say the position is half creative director, half sales manager. I’ve been with Bench Africa for close to six years but this position was only just created to better service our travel agents and make sure they had what they needed to grow their Africa business with an eye to the future.

2. How did you start out in your career?

Were you always destined to work in the travel industry?

I have a mishmash of various experiences and qualifications that I picked up around the world during my eight years of travel. This knowledge and experience suits the travel industry more than any other as they actually count being a randomly skilled nomad as an asset! Back in Australia I started in this industry as a travel agent before moving onto being a BDM and now this.

3. Did you complete formal qualifications, and do you think they are important?

I did, but not in this area. I have a degree in theatre performance. Formal qualifications are only useful if they provide some framework to further develop from, they shouldn’t be seen as the finishing line.

4. What do you love about your job?

Being able and encouraged to use my creativity means that I’m not bored by the same day endlessly repeating, I’m always

20

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

“

trying to look at new ways to do things.

The fact that it is tied to Africa means that inspiration usually comes easily. It helps that Bench Africa is a wonderful company to work for and I feel supported, appreciated and encouraged to push the envelope.

5. What are some of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in your career?

Boredom and staying motivated. I’m a creative person and get bored easily with repetition so I have had to learn to figure out a way to incorporate that restless energy in a productive way that benefits the company and my personal growth.

6. What factors were central to your success?

Without sounding sycophantic, the support of Bench Africa. They gave me the freedom to work on numerous side projects which took away some time from my “real” job, knowing full well that it would end up benefiting the company in some way. I also think if you

If you enjoy learning new things then you have an arsenal to use when a challenge comes up

”

8. What are the keys to good business?

Take care of your staff. Enthusiasm for a brand is easily recognisable and contagious so take care of your own people and it will flow through to their customers. Secondly, know what it is you do, and do that as best you can.

9. What advice would you give to others in the industry who would like to follow in your footsteps?

I find that if you are passionate about something, people will respond to it. Find a way to effectively communicate that passion and your work is almost done. Explore what you are good at outside the job description, learn new skills and incorporate those into your work. Photography, cooking, coding – whatever it may be, it can all be useful and help you to stand out.

Amadeus Smart Cities launch Amadeus plans to play a big part in the cities of the future, last month announcing the establishment of an Asia-Pacific task force promising to enable “Smart Mobility” for the world’s most densely populated urban centres and “changing the way we will live and travel in the future”. Last year the company committed US$800 million globally to research and development for the

project, half of which is linked to technologies such as biometrics, traveller identification, passenger handling platforms, “massive data platforms” and smart devices.

The company confirmed it was currently working on a number of key projects in Asia Pacific, including working with several Asian national tourism boards as well as the Hong Kong International Airport.

Earn what you deserve Enjoy more as a personal travel manager Receive the best value commission split when you join TravelManagers, Australia’s premium home-based mobile travel network. Choose how much you want to earn with our handy online calculator.

If you’re an experienced leisure, cruise, luxury or corporate travel consultant, enjoy the freedom and flexibility of running your own business, with the full security of being in partnership with TravelManagers. Our model offers the industry’s most comprehensive package with unrivalled rewards and support.

Over 500 personal travel managers in our network are enjoying a better work/life balance. Isn’t it time to make it happen for you and earn what you deserve?

Earn. Travel. Live. More.

For a confidential chat, call or email us today

1800 019 599 Visit Email

join.travelmanagers.com.au

graciela.craig@travelmanagers.com.au

“As urbanisation increases and governments are faced with challenges around traffic congestion, pollution, inadequate energy and resources, it will be vital for cities to harness technologies to solve complex problems,” said Simon Akeroyd, Amadeus vice president of corporate strategy and business development. “The future of travel will be driven by multi modal journeys and data to deliver more personalised and smart experiences,” he added.

Akeroyd said the rise of Smart Cities will boost travel and tourism, and so the public and private sector must collaborate to share data and use technology.

“When done successfully, we believe that this will enable the immersive travel experiences and services that citizens and travellers expect in the future”.

The Smart Cities initiative is focused on Asia given that 22 of the 39 megacities worldwide are in the Asia Pacific region, including 11 in China. Additionally, the emerging middle class means half of global air passenger traffic is expected to come from Asia by 2030.

Business View

Comply or else

T

he issue of compliance when it comes to travel has long been a bone of contention between companies and travellers with “no one knows how difficult it is on the road” a common retort from travellers when faced with required explanations at the month end reconciliation talks. So what’s the answer and what are the best companies doing?

Did your company hire you as an adult or are the company travel rules so draconian as to be unworkable?

If the former is true, does your company need a travel policy? Consider Netflix’s travel policy encapsulated in one line, “act in Netflix’s best interest” backed up by their HR hiring policy, “hire, reward, and tolerate only fully formed adults”.

If the latter is true, was the policy put together by Ron in procurement, who has since left, with no traveller collaboration and only aimed at the 1% of rogues and Ron’s yearly bonus? You will always have the Scott Pruitts of the world, now under 11 federal investigations for spending $105,000 on first class travel instead of economy, but policies shouldn’t be built for them.

A lot of companies rely on technology advancements in the areas of savings and safety. Google is a good example with its use of Rocketrip to benchmark the most appropriate travel requirements for its travellers. In the area of safety, when used by travellers and crisis management, technology has the ability to find, communicate and extricate if required, all within common sense boundaries. Such automation can also help remove decision fatigue if the policy is aimed fairly and squarely at the intelligent traveller helping them make the right decisions with the right information.

Yet travel managers have always had a problem educating their travellers if the policy weighed more than a gram of paper.

A GBTA survey indicated travel managers who say they communicate with and train travellers regularly, still only have a 20% recollection from travellers about the policy.

Certainly saving not sacrificing is a good road to walk but it should never include hitch-hiking rather than Uber, sleeping in parks when the weather is good, using bridges when the weather is inclement or bringing your own food when you travel – spam and beans top of the list as they require no heating. Extreme maybe but don’t

22

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

kid yourself, this is still the lizard thinking be brief and it should make sense for the of many companies today. Mandating is traveller so they act in the best interests the last bastion of legacy of the company. If buy-in is thinking and has no required then what is good place in today’s travel for management is good for A policy should environment. everyone else, and if HR The best companies hires the right people policy be about what is have figured out that more becomes a moot point. reasonable, it should policies equal less passion I’ll leave the last point to be brief and it should Mr Jobs, who knew a few from their travellers and that they need to let things about getting the right make sense for the their staff mix travel with people to do the right things, traveller so they act leisure, while not punishing “It doesn’t make sense to in the best interests hire smart people and then overspending but rather rewarding savings. A policy tell them what to do, we hire of the company should be about what smart people so they can tell is reasonable, it should us what to do.”

“

”

Oliver Tams has over 35 years’ experience in travel. He was part of the original 30 travel agents that started UTAG (which then became Travelscene Amex and now Helloworld). Since then he has owned retail and corporate agencies, taught travel at TAFE, worked with franchisees as part of head office teams, and been on greenfields GDS projects with Amadeus. Today he works on e-commerce solutions for a tech start-up.

Careers advice Carol Giuseppi, Tourism Accommodation Australia

Australia’s $40 billion tourism industry is a major contributor to the country’s future economic growth. Yet despite the positive outlook for the industry, the Australian Tourism Labour Force Report 2015-16 (Deloitte Touche) highlighted a need for 123,000 workers by 2020 to meet the rising demand.

The accommodation industry is an $8 billion sector, employing over 190,000 people. 34,702 rooms are currently under construction, approved for development or in advanced planning stages across Australia. Over one third of visitors coming to Australia travel to NSW with 57 hotels and over 10,000 rooms in the pipeline for the Sydney metropolitan region – all of which need staff.

The industry has an ongoing focus to attract staff across a range of disciplines including accommodation management;

finance; sales, marketing and events; IT; engineering and maintenance; people and culture, and food and beverage to create world class hotels.

“

We need to convey that hospitality is not something you do in your gap year or until you decide on your career choice

”

We need to convey that hospitality is not something you do in your gap year or until you decide on your career choice – this sector is the opportunity for secondary and tertiary students to commence an

interesting career that has long term growth opportunities.

This is supported by extensive training programs, internship programs and staff mentoring which help to progress young people along an exciting and evolving career path.

We now have multiple success stories of rising young stars within the industry which reinforce this message providing inspiration to our school leavers to consider a pathway into a career in hospitality either directly with hotels or through undertaking courses at university, TAFE or hotel schools.

Planning for the next Hotel Career Expo in 2020 has now begun. For more info see www.hotelcareerexpo.com.au.

Cruise

Silversea seeks growth under Armstrong Silversea Cruises will place a renewed focus on the Australasian market under its new regional head Adam Armstrong, who was last month confirmed as the line’s next managing director, Australia and New Zealand.

His appointment ends several months of speculation after February’s surprise announcement that Armstrong would step down from his current role as Royal Caribbean’s associate vice president and managing director, Australia and New Zealand.

He will take up the new role in August, replacing Amber Wilson who is leaving to pursue other opportunities.

“I am delighted to be joining Silversea at such an exciting time in its long history as a leading luxury brand,” Armstrong said.

“I look forward to working with the local team and our valued agent partners to grow the business and take Silversea to the next Silver Muse level.”

The highprofile executive has spent the past decade steering the Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises brands in the local market, having joined as the group first opened a Sydney office in 2009.

“Adam is a terrific addition to Silversea,” said Silversea CEO Roberto Martinoli. “His experience and achievements in the Australian and New Zealand cruise markets will support our ambitious plans for growth and develop closer relationships with our travel agent partners.”

Australia and New Zealand represent Silversea’s third largest market and remain the fastest growing cruise market in the world. The line has set ambitious growth plans down under, having announced its new flagship Silver Muse will sail to Australia for the first time in early 2019.

Silversea has also announced an unprecedented 2019-20 deployment of 10 cruises in local waters, featuring itineraries in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Peter Shanks, Silversea’s managing director United Kingdom, Ireland, Middle East & Africa, will oversee the Silversea team in Sydney on an interim basis until Armstrong’s arrival.

24

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

River operators commit to Myanmar Several river cruise operators voiced their support for Myanmar following Avalon Waterways’ decision to cancel its 2019 river cruises in the destination. Avalon Waterways cited a reduced interest in the destination from US travellers and stressed that safety and security were not factors in the decision, with the brand’s 2018 Irrawaddy departures to continue as scheduled.

At a recent CLIA river cruise conference, it was suggested the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar’s north-west has had an impact on sales.

APT CCO Debra Fox told travelBulletin the company had seen “steady interest in the Myanmar itineraries resulting in limited cabins left on sailings for the season ahead”.

“APT continues to support the locals of Myanmar by sharing their incredible culture and landscape with guests and will continue to do so into the future,” Fox said.

Marco Rosa, vice president sales & marketing for Pandaw, confirmed the line would remain in the market, admitting that while there had been a slight decrease from some markets for journeys through Myanmar, the company had not experienced a significant drop.

Scenic and Evergreen Cruises and Tours also confirmed they would continue to operate cruises to Myanmar.

At the time of print, Smartraveller advice for the regions of Myanmar where APT, Pandaw, Scenic and Evergreen Cruises and Tours operate sailings ranged from the lowest category of “exercise normal safety precautions” to the second of “exercise a high degree of caution”.

Odell honoured for LGBTI leadership Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) regional head Steve Odell has been included on a list of Australia’s Outstanding 50 LGBTI Leaders of 2018.

The list is an initiative of Deloitte and Google Australia, recognising Australians for their leadership in progressing rights and inclusion.

As NCLH senior vice president and managing director for Asia Pacific, Odell has been lauded alongside politicians, government officials and other business leaders.

“I am incredibly honoured to be recognised by both Deloitte and Google as one of Australia’s Top 50 LGBTI Leaders,” Odell said.

“I am a vocal and proud member of the LGBTI community and am delighted to be part of a movement which is focussed on fostering inclusion, equality and diversity in the workplace for members of today’s workforce, and for those of the future.”

w

New Brisbane terminal green light The highly anticipated verdict from the ACCC on a deal to construct a new $158 million mega cruise ship terminal in Brisbane has been handed down, with the project receiving approval, subject to two conditions.

Under the agreement, Carnival Australia will pay a fixed annual amount to the Port of Brisbane for 15 years in return for preferential berthing rights at the new terminal.

Carnival will receive first pick of 100 days at the terminal each year, up to a maximum of four days a week.

“We recognise that the deal with Carnival helps to underwrite the projected $158 million investment for the Port of Brisbane to build the new terminal,” ACCC Commissioner Roger Featherston said.

“Brisbane has no dedicated ‘mega’ cruise ship terminal, and the construction of this terminal is expected to increase tourism and deliver a real benefit to the community and the Queensland economy.”

The consumer watchdog’s approval is subject to two conditions which the ACCC said would “reduce the agreement’s anticompetitive effect and promote

competition and choice for cruise customers”.

Under the first condition, Carnival would not be able to book more than two of the three "weekend days" (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) in any given week.

“This means one of these premium weekend days will be available to competitors so other cruise operators can compete with Carnival in Brisbane,” Featherston said.

“If no other operator books the third

weekend day, Carnival will be allowed to use it,” he added.

The second condition is that if the terminal is expanded in the future to provide a second berth, Carnival cannot be given the first right of refusal for an agreement which would give it first choice of days at that berth.

“Our decision means that if a second berth is built, we should see improved competition between cruise lines,” Featherston said.

Artist’s impression of the new cruise terminal

SELL 3 SAIL FREE LET US TAKE YOU CLOSER TO THE FINEST DESTINATIONS IN THE WORLD All-Inclusive Package • Intimate ships • All Ocean-view Suites • Butler Service • Complimentary Beverages • Culinary Excellence • Included Gratuities

MAKE THREE BOOKINGS ON A SELECTION OF VOYAGES TO SAIL FREE OFFER VALID FOR LIMITED TIME ONLY, ON SELECT VOYAGES - FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT SILVERSEA.COM OR CONTACT SILVERSEA RESERVATIONS FOR MORE DETAILS ON 02 9255 0600, 1800 426 957 OR EMAIL APRES@SILVERSEA.COM

#ThisIsSilversea *T&C’S APPLY

Cruise Spirit’s extension complete Silversea’s Silver Spirit has emerged from drydock with an extra 15m in length after a US$70 million transformation that has added 34 new cabins and a series of new dining options.

The ship had been cut in two in March as part of a complex operation in the Fincantieri shipyards in Palermo, Sicily (travelBulletin April), then extended with a new 1,000-ton section that was inserted into its mid-section.

After another two months of works to rejoin the sections and complete an interior refit from bow to stern, Silver Spirit is now operating a new season of European cruises before heading to North America in September.

The new-look ship is modelled on Silversea’s flagship Silver Muse.

P&O spotlights PNG in 2019/20 P&O Cruises will offer six cruises dedicated to Papua New Guinea during its 2019/20 program, visiting destinations including Alotau, Kitava Island, Rabaul, Kiriwina Island and the Conflict Islands.

The season features one cruise to Papua New Guinea on Pacific Aria departing from Sydney in mid-November 2019 and five 10-night New Guinea Island Encounter cruises sailing from Brisbane.

The cruise line also confirmed Pacific Aria will sail from Brisbane instead of the previously anticipated port of Cairns.

The reshuffle follows the news that Pacific Eden will leave the fleet in April 2019 to join Cruise & Maritime Voyages, with P&O noting “such a significant change to the make-up of the fleet means that Pacific Aria will be needed elsewhere”.

Seabourn Ovation christened Seabourn has officially named Seabourn Ovation in a festive ceremony in the harbour of Valletta, Malta.

A series of celebratory events took place, including a performance by the ship’s godmother, actress and singer Elaine Paige.

Paige then made a traditional blessing and released a bottle of champagne that was broken against the ship.

During the festivities a full orchestra ensemble performed on the Pool Deck and the evening was capped off with a fireworks display.

26

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

CLIA view Joel Katz, managing director CLIA Australasia

Charting your course At CLIA, we love cruising so much we often use metaphorical cruise phrases in communicating about our industry. One such phrase is “charting your course”.

Charting your course for success is something that is easy to do if you break down the parts of your professional life and set clear and specific goals for each aspect of your career, including time management and professional development and growth.

If you are not already a CLIA travel agent member, we encourage you to reach out to our membership team to discover more about what CLIA membership entails.

For those of you who are already CLIA members, you have already taken the first step in making an investment in yourself, entitling you to a myriad of professional development opportunities. To help you succeed, you have a responsibility to yourself to take advantage of the opportunities that CLIA membership provides. Here are some ideas: • The CLIA Australasia Cruise ACCREDITATION PROGRAM is the industry benchmark for travel consultants wishing to develop extensive cruise industry knowledge and superior selling skills. The program is continually evolving to meet the industry demands and is recognised as a highly professional program suitable for consultants of all levels of experience.

• Check out our weekly members-only WEBINAR SERIES hosted by CLIA cruise

lines and executive partners. To join the webinar series, register via CLIA’s members’ hub.

• Join your peers at CLIA LIVE 2018.

This exclusive training event for CLIA members includes presentations from CLIA cruise lines on what makes their brand unique.

• The CRUISE360 AUSTRALASIA Conference and Trade Show will once again feature an incredible speaker line-up of global industry leaders, including CLIA president and CEO Cindy D’Aoust, and Norwegian Cruise Line president and CEO Andy Stuart. An exciting new addition for 2018 will be a Destination Showcase of the many destinations and ports that CLIA Cruise Line members sail to. Cruise360 2018 takes place on August 30 and 31.

Early-bird tickets are still available, but are expected to sell out again.

• Limited cabins are still available for CLIA Australasia MASTERS CONFERENCE. Masters is an opportunity for Ambassador-accredited CLIA travel agents to advance their cruise sales and marketing skills while cruising on board a CLIA Cruise Line Member vessel. This year’s Masters will take place in October onboard P&O’s Pacific Aria.

We encourage you to take advantage of the benefits that CLIA membership provides and deepen your level of involvement in the cruise industry this year.

Headlines April & May 2018 24 Apr Carnival Corp continues reshuffle 24 Apr Explorer bids farewell 26 Apr Crystal details new Endeavor suites 26 Apr MSC set for Asia boost 01 May P&O commits to Papua New Guinea 01 May Crystal’s expert panel 03 May Pacific Aria to take up Brisbane post 03 May Myanmar commitment

08 May Armstrong to lead Silversea growth 08 May Silversea’s ANZ 19/20 10 May New Brisbane terminal green light 10 May Dream’s Global to Aus 15 May Heralding a new Dawn at Silversea 15 May Spirit of Europe launched 17 May Aqua Expeditions plots new dest 17 May Vasco da Gama in Sydney

Industry in focus Travel Portland and Co nsolidated Travel took these agents to visit the quirky city of Portla nd. As well a Forktown downtown food tour the group did iFly , go-cart racing and vis ited a local winery.

Nine lucky agents recently got to experience some of the best Southern Africa has to offer on a recent Bench Africa famil through the region including a visit to Victoria Falls (pictured).

nd 15-day famil d these agents on a gra Contours Travel hoste king class and coo ir the s . A highlight wa of Chile and Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Argentine Experience gourmet dinner at the

These six TravelManagers enjoyed a cocktail or two on board their five-night Carnival @ Sea famil from Sydney to Melbourne via Hobart and Port Arthur.

To celebrate the launch of the new Qatar Airways A380 route from Perth, the airline took a group of WA travel agents to Doha to experience the fascinating city.

These top-selling cruise Flight Centre agents experienced a seven-night Bermuda cruise, starting from New York as a reward trip recently.

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

27

Cuba

Cuba Libre Classic cars, glam cabaret shows and lots of rum cocktails! Cuba is the place to visit this year, writes Kristie Kellahan.

28

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

very Cuban adventure should begin in Old Havana. There's more than a bit of magic in a city that has managed to keep thousands of classic cars on the road for more than 50 years, while dancing on in the face of global isolation.

Vintage Chevrolets, Buicks and classic Mercedes line the streets, doubling as unofficial taxis. After wandering the old squares and churches of the cobble-stoned historic centre, hail a classic convertible and go riding along the Malecon, the waterfront boulevard.

As the sun sets, Havana comes alive with an intoxicating nightlife that hints at the glamorous playground Cuba once was.

International stars including Edith Piaf, Josephine Baker, Marlon Brando and Ernest Hemingway jetted in for sunny weekends and boozy nights at the Tropicana cabaret show under the stars.

Described as the largest and most gorgeous nightclub in the world, the Tropicana is now a sophisticated throwback to the 1950s when headliner stars performed there or came to enjoy the spectacle of scantily-clad chorus lines. Even

with an entry price of more than a hundred bucks, and seating for more than 1,500 guests, it still regularly sells out.

The stars still come to Havana, though now it’s names like Jay-Z and Beyoncé, who recently stayed at Hotel Saratoga. The boutique property has a delicious rooftop pool, five-star luxury and wifi, which in itself is luxurious in Cuba.

Also worth considering is the Habaguanex group of hotels, beautifully restored historic properties in the oldest parts of Havana.

There's an incomparable charm to sitting down to breakfast in an airy courtyard that has stood for more than 250 years, as we did at Hotel Palacio del Marques de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal.

Homestays and private apartment rentals are also popular with visitors from around the world. In fact, since Airbnb launched in Cuba, the number of accommodation listings in the country has more than tripled. According to a source at Airbnb, it took some of the lodging company's biggest markets – including San Francisco and Berlin – three years for the community to grow to 1,000 listings. In Cuba it took just two months.

Cuba

The existing network of "casas particulares" or private home rentals made Airbnb a natural fit for Cuba. Locals have a reputation as warm and welcoming hosts, and visitors to the Caribbean island nation often report that the best Cuban food is served straight out of home kitchens.

About 40 per cent of Airbnb listings in Cuba are for Havana properties, with the rest spread over 30 locations including historic trading ports and stunning beachfront towns.

It's easy to fill four or five days in Havana, and if you have more time to spare there is plenty more of Cuba to experience. Sun-worshippers head to the upscale resorts that line Varadero beach or along the keys in Santa Maria. Powdery soft white sand and no-filter-required turquoise warm water make these the kind of Caribbean beaches dreams are made of during long, cold winters.

A day trip from Havana to Vinales offers opportunities to hike to magnificent waterfalls, visit farms where the world's finest cigar tobacco is grown and enjoy the down-home hospitality of Cuban countryfolk.

In the UNESCO World Heritage town of Trinidad, architecture buffs will enjoy historic plazas, Spanish Colonial-era buildings and open-air music casas, where the sensual sounds of Afro-Cuban jazz fill the night.

Need to know • Australians need a visa – known as a tourist card – to enter Cuba. It's possible to buy the tourist card at check-in at most airport departure points for Cuba.

• The smartraveller.gov.au website advises exercising a normal degree of safety precaution in Cuba. Most Cuban people you'll meet will be friendly and welcoming, however don't be surprised if strangers ask you for spare pesos, candy and soap.

There is widespread poverty and imported items are coveted.

• Spanish is the official language, and the local dialect is known as Cuban Spanish. While English is widely spoken, it's a good idea to brush up on your "por favor" before you go.

• Wifi is hard to find and usually expensive. Internet cafes in general are scarce, often with slow connections.

• Don't rely on using your credit card in Cuba: this is a cash economy and most businesses do not accept credit card. American Express cards are not accepted at all. It can also be difficult to withdraw cash from ATMs, so it's essential to take as much cash with you as you'll need.

• It's better to bring Euros. Travellers must change their currency to CUCs (the Cuban convertible peso) and are charged a three per cent fee to do so. However, those converting from US dollars are whacked with an additional 10 per cent tax.

Australian dollars are accepted at some, but not all, currency exchange vendors.

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

29

Cuba

Australians side-step Cuba restrictions Cuba’s fledgling tourism industry has been dealt a blow by the Trump Administration’s tightened restrictions on American travel, but the island remains open for business to Australian travellers.

In November, US President Donald Trump announced a crackdown that largely overturned the easing of travel restrictions made during the Obama era.

As a result, American travellers can only visit under a reduced number of approved categories of travel, which may only be arranged through authorised tour operators.

Trump has also banned US citizens from almost 200 businesses linked to the Cuban military, including more than 80 hotels and a string of shops and rum stores visited by tourists. Among them is the Hotel Ambos Mundos, famous for being the home of American author Ernest Hemmingway during the 1930s.

With the new US measures came initial confusion around their impact on travellers from other countries. The thaw in US-Cuba relations under President Obama had opened the way for new tour operators, new air routes and new cruise itineraries, all of which are now required to comply with the tightened restrictions.

Cruise lines largely escaped the change and have been allowed to continue their rapidly expanding range of Cuba itineraries.

But US airlines operate in a new environment and can no longer

30

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

accept online bookings to Cuba from independent travellers. Reduced demand has seen several American carriers cut services, though the US Department of Transport has tentatively approved new routes to Havana for several airlines.

For Australians, travel to Cuba remains largely unchanged, aside from the need to side-step measures implemented in the US. Australians cannot travel to Cuba on US airlines, for example, unless they comply with the For Australians, travel requirements of America’s system of approved travel categories. to Cuba remains The Department of Foreign largely unchanged, Affairs and Trade warns against booking with US airlines in its aside from the need advisory for Cuba, to side-step measures Smartraveller and reminds Australians who implemented in the US travel via Canada that they will need a Canadian eTA (electronic Travel Authorisation).

It also warns there is no Australian embassy in Cuba, and that consular services in the country are instead provided on Australia’s behalf by the Canadian embassy.

“ ”

Cuba

Cuba plots tourism revival

The Cuban Government has set a goal of welcoming a record five million tourists during 2018 as part of its recovery plans in the wake of Hurricane Irma last year.

While the country was hit less severely than other parts of the Caribbean, September’s disaster was followed by a sharp decline in tourism that has only been compounded by new American restrictions on travel from the US. Cuban media last month reported the country was on track to welcome two million visitors by the end of May, despite a decrease of 7% in the first three months of the year when compared to last year, and expected to overtake the 4.7 million international arrivals achieved in 2017 by the end of December.

Tourism officials said Cuba had largely recovered from the impact of Hurricane Irma and that industry was confident of a prosperous year thanks to competitive pricing in relation to other Caribbean destinations.

International arrivals had been up 20% in Cuba last year prior to Hurricane Irma, but had slipped in the last months of 2017 to finish the year with overall growth of 16.2%.

Canada remains the country’s largest source of international visitors, while recent travel trade shows held in Cuba have targeted secondary markets in France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany and Italy.

Chimu adds Cuba program Chimu Adventures has added Cuba to its Latin America program, introducing a series of small-group itineraries aimed at both solo travellers and those who want a group dynamic.

They include the eight-day Beautiful Cuba (from $2,135) which contrasts the weathered beauty of Havana with visits to farmland for a chance to mingle with the locals.

It includes a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Trinidad to explore the cobbled streets and Spanish-era churches, and to agricultural areas around Vinales to see the farmers who grow tobacco for Cuba’s famous cigars.

Chimu also offers a seven-day Cycle Cuba itinerary (from $1,650), providing a chance to explore the island’s lush interior and white tropical beaches by bike.

32

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

Agent Know How travelBulletin sat down with Experience Cuba’s director Ayna Davies, to find more about touring to this unique country.

How can agents improve their product knowledge of Cuba?

There are plenty of books, travel guides and reviews about travelling in Cuba. But the country is continuously changing nowadays, making some of the information outdated quickly.

Experience Cuba Tours relies on our in-house in-depth knowledge; our director Ayna is Cuban, and our Australianbased team is continuously informed by our local expert team based in Cuba. We are always willing to help anyone requiring information, so drop us a line or give us a call.

What activities would you recommend for first-time travellers?

For those travelling to Cuba for the first time, we would recommend a walking tour of Old Havana, a classic convertible car ride, the show at Tropicana Cabaret, a visit to the Viñales Valley (make sure not to miss a tobacco plantation tour while there), the rum and cigar tour in Havana, panoramic tours of Cienfuegos and Trinidad, Che Guevara’s mausoleum in Santa Clara, and a visit to Fidel Castro’s tomb in the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery.

Is FIT or guided tours more popular to Cuba?

Due to the nature of Cuba and its current volatility, independent travel can be challenging, making guided tours a favourite option when travelling to the island. Guided tours provide a much deeper understanding of Cuba’s enigmatic society, without the hassle of organising things on your own, as well as providing up-to-date local expertise via a local guide.

What makes Cuba a unique destination?

Cuba is a place where time appears to have stood still, and we believe is the most exciting island in the Caribbean. It’s not just the old American cars in the streets or the colonial architecture in Old Havana. It’s a sense that the world of modern tourism has somehow largely bypassed the nation, helping conserve Cuban society’s personality. You can feel the pulsating heart of what it means to be Latino, with music, dance, and fiesta at the core. This mixture makes Cuba an undeniably appealing destination.

Trinidad

Cuba

Melia mounts Cuban hotel boom Spain’s Melia hotel group has opened five new properties in Cuba this year as part of an expansion that will add more than 2,000 rooms to its stock in 2018.

More than 400 rooms opened during the first quarter in heritage locations around Cuba, with another 1,700 due for introduction

La Union Hotel by Melia Hotels International

before the end of the year.

"The new hotels offer us a great chance to show our commitment to the development of balanced and sustainable tourism in Cuba and to show the value that our brands can add,” said the deputy managing director of Melia Cuba, Francesc Camps.

“These hotels in heritage cities are well integrated with the cultural and social fabric of their destinations, and give us a chance to provide travellers with experiences focused on discovering more about the local culture and heritage."

The new additions include three properties in the southern colonial city of Cienfuegos – the Melia San Carlos, La Union Hotel by Melia Hotels International, and the Jagua Hotel by Melia Hotels International. Two others are located in the inland city of Camaguey – the Hotel Colon by Melia Hotels International and the Gran Hotel by Melia Hotels International.

At the end of 2018, Melia will open two new “flagship hotels” for the Cuban hotel industry in the popular destinations of Varadero and Cayo Santa María. The grandscale Melia Internacional will have 934 rooms, 10 restaurants, two buffets and fourteen bars, while the slightly smaller Paradisus Los Cayos will have 802 rooms, eight restaurants, fifteen bars and facilities for meetings and events.

Cuba is not a holiday, it's an Experience!

Experience Cuba Tours: Your Experts in Tailor Made Tours to Cuba!

For all your questions regarding Cuba call us now on: 1300 79 55 31 info@experiencecubatours.com.au www.experiencecubatours.com.au

Indochina

© Ben Groundwater

Vietnam by scooter Ben Groundwater has the adventure of his life when he hires a scooter to explore Vietnam via it’s famously frantic roads. his was a huge mistake.

That’s the feeling I’m, shaking as I pull my scooter onto Saigon’s insanely busy streets, as cars honk, as trucks swerve, as motorbikes weave around me, appearing from nowhere at my shoulder, drifting across my front wheel, pushing up onto the pavement to get past and around me.

Vietnamese roads are not for the fainthearted. Anyone who’s tried to get across one on foot could tell you that. These are rivers of humanity and machinery, vast tides that seem to have lives of their own,

34

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

torrents that pour around any pedestrian game enough to step into their path, like floodwaters around a lonely home.

This idea to pilot a scooter of my own sounded great – in theory. Scooters are, after all, the vehicles of the people in Vietnam, the affordable and simple mode of transportation that most of the country’s citizens utilise day by day, so it made sense that the best way to explore the country would be to follow their lead. Live like a local. Takes things slow.

And yet there’s nothing slow about Saigon’s streets, nothing that seems particularly relaxing about steering this vehicle through these reams of traffic to get it back to the

safety of my hotel. It’s a hair-raising, whiteknuckle introduction to Vietnamese roads, and a portent of things to come.

The journey I’m about to undertake is a four-day adventure on two wheels, a circular scooter ride through the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. This is part of the country that moves at a pace to match the languid flow of its many waterways: roads are quiet and lined with little coffee shacks; sleepy towns straddle rivers and live off their bounty; wide channels need to be tackled by car ferry; guesthouses cost next to nothing, and very much seem as if they should.

All of that, however, lies outside of Saigon,

Indochina which means getting outside of Saigon, and that involves a hellish two-hour ride through some of the worst traffic you’ve ever seen on a single-lane, dust-choked highway that plays host to every single truck, bus, car and scooter trying to get down to the Delta. Once I make it through that however, I power my little 110cc Honda Blade past the outskirts of this huge city and into the countryside, and life is suddenly good.

Fifty kilometres outside Saigon – that’s all you have to travel. Once you’re 50 kilometres outside Saigon, everything changes. The traffic disappears (well, mostly). The roadsides open up, revealing rice paddies and banana plantations and perhaps the greatest thing known to man: “ca phe vong”.

Vong is the Vietnamese word for hammock, and a ca phe vong is a coffee shop that provides hammocks for weary riders. Brilliant.

You also find that once you get 50 kilometres south of Saigon, people have barely ever seen a foreigner. No one speaks a word of English in these parts. People stare at you like you’ve just dropped in from space.

It’s a feeling of complete discombobulation, of freedom and anonymity, and yet you’re still so close to the big, bad city.

My first port of call is Ben Tre, a small riverside town with a host of decent lodgings.

I putter down the road at night to get food from a local market. I sit on a plastic stool and drink a beer and toast the good fortune of a day on the roads survived.

There are a few essentials, I discover, that you need to make a trip like this work. One is experience riding scooters or motorbikes – Vietnam is not the place to be a learner. You also need to be covered by travel insurance, and the only way to do that is to have a

© Ben Groundwater

motorbike or scooter license in Australia.

You’ll also need a local Vietnamese SIM card so you can access Google Maps throughout the journey and figure out where you are, and preferably a trusted companion riding pillion to call out directions.

It’s also handy in the Mekong to have a huge dollop of patience. Things will go wrong on this trip. Traffic will be jammed, car ferries won’t run on time, roadworks will happen, storms will hit. And as long as you’re not in a hurry, none of those things will really matter.

I’m in no hurry. The following day I make a leisurely journey via quiet country roads to the town of Long Xuyen, before continuing west the day after to the Cambodian border at Chau Doc. It’s then time to turn for home, calling in at a guesthouse in Tan An before making the final run back through the insanity of outer Saigon.

The riding throughout the trip is crazy, of course. I get run off the road – literally, run off the road – by trucks twice. I hit plenty of unmarked potholes. I have to dodge and weave through all manner of humanity and livestock.

But was this a huge mistake? Definitely not. It was an adventure.

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

35

Indochina

SEEDS PLANTED FOR FUTURE AGRITOURISM Vietnam is often heralded for its allure as a bustling tourism mecca, however, the future appeal of the country’s tourism industry could well be throttled up a few gears as the recent spike in agritourism continues to demonstrate strong economic promise.

With more than 70% of its population still living in rural areas, Vietnam is home to a plethora of ancient rice farms and fruit orchards, creating fertile ground for continued tourism development in the country’s vast agricultural regions.

In the north of the country, many agritourism adventures have been created that allow visitors to explore the life of rural villages in the Ninh Binh and Hai Duong provinces. Some of these attractions include learning about how traditional pottery is made, or taking in the unique folk painting styles crafted in the village of Dong Ho. Rural adventures in Vietnam’s central region focus on the sheer volume and variety of produce farmed, with tours available to either trek through the Tra Que vegetable village in Hoi An city, the flower meadows in Da Lat city, or the sprawling coffee plantations in the central highland provinces.

The One Commune One Product (OCOP) program recently implemented by Vietnam’s National Administration of Tourism will likely provide an improved access to funds, enhanced rural infrastructure, and cultivating more fusions between the local agricultural and tourism sectors. Now that’s a grassroots tourism strategy!

IN FLIGHT Vietnam Airlines – SYD-SGN The seat Business class is sectioned into pairs with plenty of personal space allocated for each duo, and every seat feels very much like your own personal travel pod. Both the back rest and seat can be reclined separately to achieve an individual level of comfort, and a spacious amount of leg room enables you to really stretch out and, if you’re inclined, grab some shut-eye. Feeling relaxed and fresh is also easy with plenty of mint scented towels handed out by the friendly staff, as well as amenity kits stocked with face masks, lip balms and hand cream.

Entertainment You are never short on entertainment with a plethora of movies, music, and games available at the touch of a conveniently located remote control. An adjustable flat screen moves to your optimal level of proximity, with comfortable headphones

36

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

helping to forget you are even travelling. The film options hedge nicely between Hollywood blockbusters and Vietnamese productions that get you in the right cultural frame of mind for your holiday.

Food and beverages Upmarket food options such as appetisers including smoked duck and grilled prawns are on offer, with stir-fried beef with peppers served up for mains. Those with a sweet tooth are also taken care of, with the decision to go with the black forest ice cream with or the selection of soft cheeses always a tough choice.

The service Cabin staff were friendly and attentive to the needs of all passengers. You won’t have to reach out for too much however, because let’s face it, in VN’s Business class everything you need is at your fingertips.

®

SMALL GROUP TOURING South East Asia 2018/19

MAXIMUM

GROUP SIZE

MAXIMUM

Cambodia & Laos in Depth

GROUP SIZE

20

MAXIMUM

Highlights of Vietnam

GROUP SIZE

20

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

Return International Flights Included with the world’s leading airlines, with flexibility to extend or upgrade to business class.

No Hidden Extras We include all the must see sights plus unique local experiences. Even taxes and tips are included where appropriate.

New Tour days

14

New Tour from

4,195pp

$

Explore the incredible temple ruins of Angkor See the poignant Killing Fields and Security Prison 21 in Phnom Penh Cruise past the floating villages on Tonlé Sap Lake Explore the French colonial capital of Laos, Vientiane Stop at the famous Nam Ngum Dam, the first hydropower dam in Laos Cruise the Mekong at sunset in Luang Prabang

Unique Itineraries Designed to give your client the perfect balance between sightseeing and leisure, and enough time to really get to know the places we visit.

AIRFARES INCLUDED

Myanmar Discovery

MAXIMUM

GROUP SIZE

12

days

13

from

3,995pp

$

AIRFARES INCLUDED

Discover the many sides of Hanoi as the city awakens in the early morning Cruise amongst the limestone islets of breathtaking Halong Bay Wander the streets of charming, World Heritage-listed Hoi An Visit the remarkable Cu Chi Tunnels complex Experience the excitement of the Cai Rang floating market on the Mekong Delta

Discover Borneo & Brunei

MAXIMUM

GROUP SIZE

20

®

days

Australia’s Leading Tour Small Group Company

SMALL GROUP

TOURING

ASIA includes Cru

Order through Tifs.

ise & Tour MAXIMUM GROUP SIZE

20

2018 | 19 www.bunniktou

2018/19 BROCHURE AVAILABLE ®

rs.com.au

13

from

5,395pp

$

AIRFARES INCLUDED

Visit Yangon’s incredible Shwedagon Pagoda at sunset Discover the limestone Pindaya Caves, home to more than 8,000 Buddha icons Cruise past the floating markets and gardens on majestic Inle Lake Experience breathtaking views over the rolling Pagoda Fields in Bagan Experience a stunning sunset at the famous U Bein Bridge

days

17

from

6,695pp

$

AIRFARES INCLUDED

Explore the old town streets, markets and floating villages of Sibu Tour the lush rainforest and caves of Mulu National Park Discover the rich heritage and fascinating oil fields of mysterious Brunei Cruise the Kinabatangan River and its tributaries to see a myriad of wildlife Visit Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

For a list of departure dates, detailed itineraries and other tours go to bunniktours.com.au Call

us on

1300 125 007

email sales@bunniktours.com.au

www.bunniktours.com.au

 We do the work  Phone answered in 3 rings - no queues  One stop shop  Personal service & commitment

All prices shown are per person based on twin share. Singles 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. ATAS accreditation #A10484. CATO Registered Operator No. TO1078. Ask your consultant for details.

Indochina

Intrepid is challenging cyclists with an environmental bent to take up a 27-day cycling trip through Vietnam and Cambodia, a journey that combines then amazing scenery of Indochina with a positive contribution in the fight against the scourge of plastic pollution.

The Peloton against Plastic trip will be accompanied by sustainability advocate Paul Hellier, musician Ash Grunwald, and comedian and filmmaker Jamie Lepre, the latter of whom will film a documentary about the trip en route.

“This trip is aimed at thinking globally and acting locally, by combating an overwhelming global issue in a way that’s accessible to everyday Australians,” said Brett Mitchell, Intrepid Travel’s regional director of Asia Pacific.

The trip will see the wheels set in motion from 16 June to 12 July.

BUNNIK GOES DEEPER Bunnik Tours is currently offering a 30-day small-group tour of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos that explores more off-the-beaten-track attractions than conventional large-scale adventures.

Traditional highlights of the trip include a relaxing cruise along the Mekong River in Vietnam, exploring the ancient temple ruins of Angkor in Cambodia, and swimming in the pristine waters of the Kuang Si Waterfalls in Laos.

More intimate experiences featured in the package extend to cooking classes and

an exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at Vietnam’s famed water puppetry production.

“We know the countries well and because we specialise in touring with small group tours of up to just 20 people, we can offer our clients glimpses into local cultures and traditions rarely seen by other tour groups,” said Bunnik’s CEO Dennis Bunnik.

The Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos in Depth tour next departs 21 June with prices starting from $8,625 per person.

Call 1300 125 007 for further booking information.

Kuang Si Waterfalls in Laos

rds 20

Postcard from...Vietnam

postca 18

Intrepid gears up for green cycle tour

Upon being invited to the Singapore Airlines, Air Tickets and Six Senses famil, I had no idea what to expect, other than complete luxury and delicious traditional Vietnamese food of course! e I was blown away at how amazing the new SQ A350’s are. The reclinabl was I like feel me made class economy in room leg spacious the seats and flying in premium economy.

Our first stay was at the Reverie in Saigon. Words can’t describe the opulence of this place, pictures couldn’t even do it justice! This was only Ana the beginning. We then moved onto Nha Trang and stayed at Evason one say, to have would I group.

Senses Mandara, which is part of the Six ese Vietnam al tradition make to how learning was of my favourite activities most the to boat speed a boarded we Trang, Nha in night a spring rolls. After can all at Nothing Bay. Van Ninh Senses Six seen, ever I’ve resort amazing it for describe the breath-taking serenity of this place, you really must see we activities e yourself! Out of all the wonderful food we had, the incredibl culture. their and people did, my favourite was experiencing the Vietnamese Our last stop was at the Capella on Sentosa Island in Singapore. Again, this is another amazing resort/destination I was blown away with. If you’re heading there soon, make sure you add a segway tour to your itinerary.

Thanks for everything SQ, Air Tickets and Six Senses!

From Megan Laureau, Helloworld Travel Toowoomba City

38

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

Brochures Silversea Cruises has created a new 2018/19 Asia brochure to showcase its most intense Asia program yet offered. The line will offer more than 20 Asian departures this season, visiting 12 countries and available with a choice of up to 170 free shore excursions. Silversea will also offer its All-Inclusive Asia Bundle in which guests can take advantage of free economy class flights and transfers.

VOLUME III ISSUE I

Tahiti, French Polynesia, Fiji & the South Pacific

Enjoy 50% off all-inclusive fares plus included roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles

Paul Gauguin Cruises has unveiled its 2019 program of cruises from Tahiti and the South Pacific aboard the M/S Paul Gauguin. The upcoming year will involve a seven-night Tahiti & the Society Islands cruise, a seven-night Society Islands & Tahiti Iti itinerary, the 10-night Society Islands & Tuamotus option, an 11-night Cook Islands & Society Islands combination, and a 14-night Marquesas, Tuamotus & Society Islands cruise.

APT’s complete 2019 Europe brochure is out now, including new tours, new river cruises and a series of “Superdeals” including fly free deals for bookings made by 30 November. Among experiences added for 2019 is a Grand Empress Steam Train trip from Budapest available to guests on Magnificent Europe river cruises sailing between April and September. APT has also introduced a 15-day Imperial Europe river cruise travelling between Amsterdam and Vienna during the festive season.

Adventure World has released its first dedicated Ocean Expeditions brochure, covering sea-going itineraries worldwide in 2018-19. The collection includes Adventure World’s hand-picked selection of ocean expeditions from tall ship experiences with Star Clippers to wildlife encounters with Lindblad ExpeditionsNational Geographic in Alaska, the Arctic, Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands and Patagonia.

Princess Cruises will offer its largest Australia and NZ deployment during 2019/20, with more than 900 cruise nights available and a total capacity for more than 200,000 guests across five ships. The season is led by the maiden arrival of the 3,080-guest Ruby Princess and the second season return of the 3,560-guest Majestic Princess, and includes a record 141 days’ sailing from Fremantle as well as the line’s first international roundtrip from Adelaide.

Collette’s 2019/20 preview brochure offers additional tours, more guaranteed departures and early booking discounts of up to 15%. As the company celebrates 100 years in guided travel, Collette is offering a total of 54 tours, with highlights including the 23-day Complete South America and the 13-day Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana. The Best of Eastern Canada itinerary is another highlight and a tribute to Collette’s North American roots.

Travelmarvel’s 15-day Majestic Myanmar itinerary returns in its 2019/20 Myanmar program, cruising aboard the RV Princess Panhwar from Mandalay to the heart of Yangon.

The program includes Travelmarvel’s range of Insider Experiences that provide a deeper insight into the destination, whether on a sunset boat excursion or exploring the historic town of Danuphyu by trishaw. New to the program is the chance for guests to extend their time in Myanmar with a stay at Pan Pacific Yangon.

New destinations such as Alaska, Franz Josef Land, Murmansk in high Russia and Atlantic Canada are featured in Bentours’ latest Hurtigruten brochure. The Nordic operator’s 2019/20 season will see the debut of the new hybrid vessel MS Fridtjof Nansen, Hurtigruten’s next generation of expedition ship featuring a high-tech battery hybrid powered propulsion system. The new brochure also details a series of new land package for pre- and post-cruise adventures. travelBulletin JUNE 2018

39

New Zealand

The mighty

North Island As an Australian, touching down in New Zealand can feel familiar. There’s no language barrier, no culture shock and the currency conversion is easy to get your head around. But peek beneath the surface and you will see this little country is a big adventure waiting to happen.

Jasmine O’Donoghue hops from one escapade to the next on the magnificent North Island.

Bay of Islands All images courtesy of Tourism New Zealand

40

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

Auckland

Bay of Islands

Most North Island adventures will begin in the major airline hub of Auckland. Only a short flight from Australia’s East Coast, it’s is the perfect base to start or end a trip. The city offers all the luxuries of a buzzing metropolis, but is situated only half an hour from breathtaking natural landscapes.

The thriving marine playground of the Bay of Islands is known for its water activities and postcard-perfect beauty. Getting from Auckland to the Bay of Islands is an experience in itself.

The windy roads of the Twin Coast Discovery Highway wrap around farmland and mountain ranges, weaving their way to the shore. Take your time to savour the stunning beaches, quaint towns and attractions along the way.

Paihia serves as a great base to explore the islands, with cruises leaving daily from the town. A day exploring the islands can be as active, or relaxing as you choose. Spot dolphins, get close with giant volcanic rocks, dive in for some boom netting, hike to the top of a hill or just sit back and marvel at the views.

Waiheke Island A short ferry ride from Auckland lies the vineyard-clad Waiheke Island. The culinary and wine connoisseurs’ paradise feels a world away from city life and offers a haven of wineries, olive groves, restaurants, cafés and boutiques. It’s an experience which is best savoured, so take your time, kick back and enjoy a long lunch. In between sips and bites, there’s plenty of opportunities to follow the scenic island’s trails, which loop along the many cliff tops, along beaches and through the native forest.

Piha Heading back towards Auckland, the route is dotted with cosy beach towns. Just one night in the lazy little village of Piha will leave

New Zealand

Piha Beach

Polynesian Spa, Rotorua

Lake Taupo

you wanting more. Wedged between rugged mountains and a dramatic black sand beach, nearly every stretch of this town boasts spectacular views. In the late afternoon, watch as the mountains melt into a gentle fog and the final glimpses of daylight bounce pink rays off the black sand.

Black water rafting, Waitomo Caves

the Geothermal Valley of Te Whakarewarewa, home to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest active geyser. The night experience provides a deeper insight into the Maori culture and includes a traditional welcome, a cultural performance and a traditional Hangi feast. The evening culminates with an invitation to revisit

Rotorua Rotorua is the adventure capital of New Zealand. From the rush of rolling down a mountain in a giant inflatable ball at Ogo Rotorua (pictured centre), to splashing your way along thundering rapids, it’s hard not to be thrilled by this city. Rotorua is one of the world’s most lively geothermal areas and it hosts a unique blend of Maori culture and natural wonders. Head to Te Puia and explore

Lake Taupo Lake Taupo is New Zealand’s largest lake and is a popular holiday destination for locals.

The tranquil lake has a turbulent history, and was formed in 186 AD by a series of nine volcanic eruptions – the most violent eruption ever recorded. Today the region is a laid-back mountain biking destination. Refuel at the strip of eateries perched on the edge of the lake, sail trip to the Maori Rock Carvings or jet boat ride to the mighty Huka Falls.

Waitomo Caves New Zealand is famous for its network of glow worm caves and Waitomo Caves will not disappoint. Driving into the town you wouldn’t believe what lies below. Take a boat tour and glide through the caves, illuminated by these marvellous creatures or take a walking tour and marvel at the history and science of the grand formations along the way. Dial up the adrenalin and jump in the river for Black Water Rafting, which will see you abseil, weave, climb and jump off waterfalls – sometimes backwards into complete darkness.

or two at Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park.

Known as “the Hidden Valley”, the geothermal wonderland features bubbling mud pools, hissing geysers and steaming hot springs.

© OGO

the geothermal valley and curl up on heated rocks and wait for the geysers to erupt.

For a birds-eye view of the city, take a gondola up the side of Mount Ngongotaha to Skyline Rotorua. Tuck into a meal, zip along the luge tracks, mountain bike or just take in the scenery. Don’t leave Rotorua without indulging in The Polynesian Spa. The retreat hosts 28 hot pools, including slightly acidic waters to relieve tired muscles and alkaline pools to nourish skin. Complete the experience with a geothermal mud body wrap at the Retreat Day Spa. On your way to Lake Taupo, dedicate an hour

Napier The coastal town of Napier is another destination where locals head for a break, with the city providing all the charms of a wine region, partnered with beautifully preserved 1920s architecture. The architecture can be attributed to the rebuilding efforts following a massive earthquake in 1931. At a time when the Great Depression saw construction in many parts of the world grind to a halt, Napier began rebuilding, and the vast majority of construction was done in the art deco style.

Today the town is one of the most revered art deco cities in the world and has a truly unique character.

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

41

New Zealand

Top itinerary ideas Stuck for ideas? Tourism New Zealand has put together a collection of itineraries showcasing some of New Zealand’s best.

Pacific Coast Highway: seven days Day one: Explore the beaches and bays on the way to the old gold mining town of Coromandel.

Day two: On your way south, stop by Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach – where you can dig your own natural spa.

Day three: The harbour city of Tauranga offers waterfront dining and live music. At Whakatane, visit NZ’s most active volcano.

Day four-five: Embark on a beautiful drive around East Cape to the Gisborne. In Gisborne, experience Maori culture and sample the chardonnay.

Day six: Take the inland route to Waikaremoana to visit Hackfalls Arboratum, or the coastal route to stop by Morere Hot Springs.

Day seven: Relax and unwind in the fertile wine-growing region of Hawke’s Bay.

Cathedral Cove

A homestay with a view

Tongariro Alpine Crossing © Tourism New Zealand

Volcanic Loop Highway: six-seven days Day one: Get to know the “City of Sails” and take in the vistas by climbing the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Day two: Make your way south to Hamilton and visit Hamilton Zoo, home to New Zealand’s largest free-flight aviary.

Day three: Journey to Pureora Forest Park and hire a bike. The full Timber Trail route from Pureora to Ongarue crosses 35 bridges.

Day four: Take a Forgotten World Adventure tour or visit the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’, a stunning stone bridge with a strange history.

Day five: Traverse the stark volcanic terrain between Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe on the challenging Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

Day six: Explore Lake Taupo by kayak and take a thrilling jet boat ride to Huka Falls.

Day seven: Take in the countryside on the journey back to Auckland.

Perched high above Lake Taupo, The Lakeview House offers beautiful, spacious and comfortable accommodation, ideal for discerning clients, who want to experience a home stay with locals, without giving up large hotel-style rooms.

The five-bedroom residence offers spacious living and dining area, a full chef’s kitchen and scullery, outdoor entertaining area with open fire, and landscaped grounds.

Hosts Jane and Andrew are warm, accommodating and helpful and are available to assist guests settle in or to make any recommendations and arrangements. The whole house can be booked, or areas of the home can be separated to make twobedroom or three-bedroom self-contained apartments.

Explore the forest by night Rotorua has put the final touches on an experience tucked away deep in the Redwood Forest.

The Redwoods Treewalk takes guests up to 12m above the forest floor to the canopy to walk among the 116-year old trees. Located a five-minute drive out of the city, the attraction allows visitors to duck between platforms and amble across giant suspension bridges which stretch between 22 majestic Redwood Trees.

Redwoods Treewalk is open from 9am to 10pm. Visit at dusk to witness the natural light fade and the forest become illuminated by 30 lanterns and over 40 colour spots as part of the Redwoods Nightlights experience. Lights wrap around the tree trunks up to 2.5 metres and hang from the branches, complementing and contrasting with the natural environment.

42

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

New Zealand

Q&A

New Zealand is a perennial favourite with Australian travellers. travelBulletin asked Travel Counsellor’s New Zealand expert Nadine Kutz how agents can capitalise on this market.

Is there much interest among Australians for travel to New Zealand?

There is always a strong demand for and interest in travelling to New Zealand amongst Australians. Not only does its proximity appeal in terms of accessibility and flying times but with such a strong and healthy trans-Tasman relationship and sporting history New Zealand is able to offer something of interest to all ages.

Which areas are most popular?

Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of the southern hemisphere and is extremely popular both in summer and winter due to the diversity of activities.

Many people visit both Milford and Doubtful Sound, travelling south from Christchurch.

Auckland is a gateway to the many attractions of the North Island including Rotorua, Taupo and Wellington which offer a range of sightseeing options.

Is there any particular time that is best or most popular to travel to New Zealand?

No, there is no time of the year that is decidedly more popular than another.

New Zealand offers a full range of winter sport options, although the South Island is generally more popular for tourists during the winter months, than the North.

The summer months however see both islands attracting a vast number of visitors with warmer weather and longer days. Our summer school holidays here in Australia coinciding with Christmas make for an exceptionally busy time in New Zealand so booking early is imperative.

coastlines and towering mountains to volatile thermal springs.

Nature is at her most powerful and most beautiful in New Zealand and it is humbling to experience.

What do you love about New Zealand?

So much….I love the people and the fact that there is a keen sense of culture still alive, though this is less seen in the cities.

I love the extremity of the topography from chilly winter oceans to temperate

What advice do you have for other agents selling New Zealand?

Get over there if you can! New Zealand is so close and the holiday options are endless! It’s a destination for travellers of all ages and abilities.

With New Zealand such a close and easy destination for travellers, how can agents capture more sales?

Tourism New Zealand is a great resource for travel agents. The trade website has a bunch of online resources including a guide to provide you with the best tools to create a wonderful trip for your clients.

Get inspired with new NZ itineraries

Tamaki Maori Village

44

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

Inspiring Journeys has released a new Inspiring New Zealand itinerary which weaves the tale of two great islands into a 10-day adventure. The itinerary covers the length and breadth of New Zealand, starting in Auckland and traversing to the country to Queenstown.

From Auckland, travellers will have the chance to pop over to the charming Waiheke Island to savour delicious Mediterranean flavours at Casita Miro before taking in spectacular views of the Hauraki Gulf at Mudbrick Vineyard.

Next up is Rotorua, where guests are treated to a traditional countrystyle lunch and a visit to the Tamaki Maori Village for insights into the local rituals and traditions, followed by a Hangi Highlight dinner.

Next the itinerary brings travellers face-to-face with New Zealand’s indigenous creatures within the Rainbow Springs Living Village.

A foodie extravaganza awaits in Wellington, where a local guide allows visitors to sample the delicious gourmet delights, before they discover Zealandia, a 225-hectare conservation project that has reintroduced 18 species of native wildlife back into the area.

The itinerary then zips over to New Zealand’s adrenalin capital of Queenstown. The first stop is the gold-rush village of Arrowtown, before settling in for an orientation tour of Queenstown. The next day sees visitors journey deep into the Fiordland National Park to explore the wonders of Doubtful Sound. Finally, guests can choose between a wine tour, a guided walk through forest or a 4WD minibus tour in Skippers Canyon before the journey comes to an end.

The Inspiring New Zealand itinerary is priced from $7,025 per person twin share.

“AGENT SPECIFIC” package rates now on TAAP.

Just another way TAAP makes you the best agent.

ENJOY TODAY

www.expedia.com.au/taap

Wildlife

Walking with Polar Bears

46

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

Wildlife

By Amanda Woods

“

All images courtesy of Amanda Woods

Y

ou’re doing what?! You know they’re the biggest carnivore on land and kill people, don’t you?”

When I told people I was going on a polar bear walking safari in Canada I sparked a range of reactions, the most common being jealousy from those who would love to do the same and alarm from those who thought I was insane.

In the weeks leading up to the trip I felt a mix of fear and excitement, but within hours of arriving at Churchill Wild’s remote Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge the fear had disappeared and the excitement had only increased.

A member of National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World, the lodge is 250km southeast of the polar bear capital of the world, Churchill, Manitoba, and more than 150km from any other signs of human life. The lodge itself is cozy and comfortable with eight ensuite rooms for up to 16 guests at a time, a large lounge with a crackling fireplace and a perimeter fence that is close enough to let us look into the eyes of curious wildlife while still feeling at a safe distance.

As we gathered for a safety talk from the lodge’s head eco-guide, Andy MacPherson, a talk that was briefly interrupted by a black bear and then a grey wolf walking by the fence mere metres away, we learned that while we would go out in all terrain vehicles when we saw a polar bear we would get out and slowly walk single file towards it.

While most polar bear excursions involve looking on from large bear proof vehicles or ships, we would be on the ground with nothing between us, and I took comfort in hearing that while there are three guides with loaded shot guns on each walk, in 23 years of operating tours they have never had to fire one at a bear.

As Andy explained, polar bears are not vocal animals, so simply talking to them or banging two rocks together is usually enough to make them stop or turn around.

If needed they also have noise deterrents called bangers and screamers that are fired from a starter’s pistol and chemical deterrents including pepper spray.

I may understand it in theory but it is not until I see a polar bear spin on the spot and jog away at the sound of a rock tapped against our vehicle that I truly believe it.

For days we had seen the bear known as Sleeping Beauty because she was rarely seen standing or moving, and had taken

hundreds of photos of her in various polar bear poses. On our last day we came across her slowly moving through a berry patch.

Despite often being described as carnivores, polar bears are really omnivores and Sleeping Beauty’s long purplish black tongue was busy picking gooseberries.

After acknowledging us with a look she went back to happily munching berries in the sun.

As time went on she moved closer and closer, and then she stopped eating, focused on us with a look of mild curiosity and walked slowly towards us.

Other bears we had encountered had simply stopped coming towards us when Andy spoke to them but when Sleeping Beauty decided to keep walking after he started talking he tapped a rock against the steel of our vehicle and she jumped and spun around, jogging a short distance away before deciding she was safe enough to sit back down in the berries and resume her morning snack.

Nanuk means white bear and while polar bears are the stars of the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge they are far from the only memorable animal encounter.

Watching a bull moose emerge from a patch of misty trees, his huge head swaying to display his massive antlers immediately became one of the most magical moments of my life. And while our black bear visitor moved on after the first day, we were regularly visited by a pack of wolves that felt comfortable enough to sleep on the other side of the lodge fence.

While watching wolf cubs playing and listening to them practice their wobbly baby howls was so adorable by day, at night the sounds of the adult wolf howls was something else.

When I was in the lounge or tucked up in bed in my room the howls sounded wildly romantic. When I walked across the outside decking where we watched the Northern Lights glow in the sky and heard a howl in the open air every hair on my body stood up.

It didn’t matter that I knew there was a high fence between us. That sound as I stood outside in the darkness sparked something primal that had me scurrying back into shelter.

We may have been in the safety of the lodge but I could feel just how vast the wilderness was around us, and just how far away we were from other human life. And it felt magnificent.

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

47

Wildlife

© Tourism Australia

Rottnest Island, more than 10,000 Quokkas There’s no denying the ‘quokka-selfie’ has taken the world by storm. Social media updates by the likes of tennis ace Roger Federer, Wolverine (aka Hugh Jackman) and Desperate Housewife Teri Hatcher posing with Rottnest Island’s most adored marsupial have reached audiences in the hundreds of thousands. And is there any wonder why?

Those critters are just so cute!

From a tourism perspective, quokkas have

cemented a visit to Rottnest Island as a must for domestic and international tourists heading to Perth. Last summer record numbers of visitors took the 30-minute ferry from Fremantle to Rotto, fuelled in part by new services from SeaLink that have seen ticket prices slashed by up to one-third.

No doubt, the lure of posing with just one of the colony of 10,000 short-tailed wallabies also played a part. Rottnest

Orangutans & the Dayak Crooked Compass has developed a new itinerary that provides the opportunity to visit orangutans in the less touristy Indonesian Borneo – a location that hasn’t been ‘set up’ for orangutan tourism. The small group tour visits Camp Leakey in Tanjung Putting National Park, a former research station that now houses the largest population of orangutans in the world.

Guests travel and stay overnight on the Kumai & Sekonyer rivers in central Kalimantan in a deluxe houseboat of the Dayak tribe, whose people live by complex religious practices that involve numerous local spirits and omen animals. Travelling on the water means untouched tributaries can be reached, which means a less disturbed wildlife experience and improved odds of seeing exotic wildlife. In the jungle there’s also a chance of spotting gibbons, long-tail macaque and wild pigs.

Classed as ‘moderate’, the five-day itinerary operates round-trip from Pangkalan Bun on 2 September and is priced at $2,539 per person.

48

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

Island Authority’s Conservation Office Cassyanna Gray explained to travelBulletin the best time to view quokkas was in the evening, when the nocturnal mammal is most active. Though some have adapted their behaviour and are often sighted around the settlement area, drawn out by the lure of treats from tourists – a habit that is strongly discouraged.

But quokkas aren’t the only wildlife encounter for visitors.

Gray said the destination’s multitude of salt lakes are home to nearly a dozen native species of reptiles, three species of amphibian, hundreds of breeds of bush and shore (migratory) bird species. ‘Twitchers’ can spot red capped robins, rainbow beeeaters and western whistlers, while wildlife spotters might come across bobtail lizards, as well as moaning and motorbike frogs. At night, there’s a chance you’ll even hear the white-striped freetail bat – the island’s only other mammal whose call is audible to the human ear.

Beyond the land, Rotto has an abundance of marine life. “Snorkelling is popular for tourists and locals alike, with 400 fish species and 20 coral species to be found in the reserve surrounding the island. There’s also a colony of New Zealand fur seals on the western side and Australian seal lions on an islet just off the main island,” Gray said.

In the deeper waters, there also opportunities for people to see migrating humpback whales during the season as well.

A number of companies provide whale watching cruises, tours around the island for snorkelling and adventure tours to view the fur seals.

Wildlife

© Tourism Australia

New digs for Penguin Parade One of the Mornington Peninsula’s most iconic wildlife drawcards is set to receive a massive upgrade, partially funded by the Victorian Government’s Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

Construction has commenced at Summerland Peninsula on a new $58.2 million state-of-the-art Visitor Centre for Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade – the famed spectacle of penguin’s waddling along the beach from the sea to their burrows every night.

Slated to open in late 2019, the centre will consist of enhanced visitor dining and retail facilities, a theatre, interpretation space and a dedicated wing with classrooms and training facilities.

“This new building will provide not only the base for an evening penguin experience, but also a daytime centre for local residents and visitors to understand and enjoy the whole Summerland Peninsula,” Phillip Island Nature Parks’ chair Jeff Floyd said.

The former structure, built in the late 1980s, will be demolished and the site rejuvenated and returned to a penguin habitat, while remediation work is also planned for 1.5 hectares of wetlands.

Overall, the project will restore 6.7 hectares of habitat to the penguin colony.

“This investment…will ensure that Victoria remains at the forefront of global tourism, with a forecast visitation increase of up to 20% over the next ten years,” Phillip Island Nature Parks said.

Adventure lives inAfrica

2 BROC018 OUT HURE NOW !

BENCH AFRICA The Africa travel experts since 1969. We set the benchmark for African safaris.

1300 AFRICA (237 422) | benchafrica.com.au | or contact your travel agent TAILOR-MADE SAFARIS | HONEYMOONS | LUXURY TRAIN JOURNEYS | SMALL GROUP TOURS | FAMILY SAFARIS | ADVENTURE SAFARIS | SPECIALIST SAFARIS | ESCORTED TOURS J375

Cultural experiences

Melbourne ©Visions of Victoria

Vancouver © Tourism BC

Chinatown in Paris ©Paris Tourist Office

Yokohama ©Brian Johnston

Singapore’s Chinatown ©Singapore Tourism Board

London’s Chinatown ©Visit Britain

50

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

Sun Yat-Sen Gardens in Vancouver’s Chinatown

San Francisco ©San Francisco Travel

Cultural experiences

Where East Meets West The world’s Chinatowns don’t just supply good food, bargain shopping and a raucous atmosphere, but a great sense of immigrant history and culture too, writes Brian Johnston.

S

taccato bursts of Cantonese surround you. Chinese characters in neon loop across shop fronts.

Families gather around huge tables, chopsticks clicking in anticipation of a fine meal. In shops, you can buy hundred-year-old eggs, packets of green tea and embroidered slippers. You aren’t in China, however, but in Chinatown: a unique repository of culture, cuisine and imported goods.

The oldest Chinatown in the western world is right here in Australia, centred around Little Bourke Street in Melbourne. There are few original Chinese buildings left, but Chinatown has excellent restaurants and the interesting Chinese Museum, which recreates a goldfield town with cook shop, temple and a Cantonese opera theatre. In Sydney, Chinatown’s greatest asset is the Garden of Friendship, one of the best classical gardens outside China. Though miniature in size, it packs in lakes, waterfalls, pagodas and a teahouse.

Overseas, Victoria on the west coast of Canada boasts the oldest Chinese community in North America. Founded in the early 1850s, Chinatown covers just two tiny city blocks, where shops sell soybeans, sea cucumbers and shark fins, as well as souvenirs such as elegant lacquered chopstick sets, handpainted umbrellas, bamboo flutes and kung-fu outfits. Check out the goods along Fan Tan Alley, the world’s narrowest commercial street at just 1.2 metres across.

Nearby Vancouver’s Chinatown is worth a visit for Sun Yat-Sen Gardens, modelled on a famous scholar’s garden in Suzhou in China. A guided tour is informative about the philosophy behind classical gardens. Across the country, Toronto’s Chinatown extends outwards from Dundas Street and Spadina Avenue, the latter decorated with dragon sculptures and mythical Chinese figures. In summer especially, locals and tourists hunt for bargain fashions, crafts and fruit and vegetables.

In New York, head down to Lower Manhattan around Mott Street, with its

Buddhist temple, and you’ll find the largest Chinatown in the Americas. Though low on aesthetic appeal, this is a prime destination for eating, with some 200 restaurants offering a full range of regional Chinese cuisines. Sample Asian-style ice creams too: exotic flavours include lychee, jackfruit, red bean and green tea.

Thanks to its many movie appearances, San Francisco has America’s most famous Chinatown. The Pagoda Gates, decorated with curling dragons and red lanterns, mark its entrance. Recently arrived Asian immigrants still live here, and Chinatown is the most densely populated part of the city, full of family-owned shops and tiny

“

Thanks to its many movie appearances, San Francisco has America’s most famous Chinatown

”

restaurants. Pause at Kong Chow Temple, the oldest family association in the USA, before soaking up the neighbourhood ambience.

Europe is short on Chinatowns. The largest is in the 13th district of Paris, though it’s more of a Vietnamtown, having got its start after the Vietnam War. These days, Thais, Chinese, Cambodians and Laotians have joined the dense population along Avenue Choisy and Avenue d’Ivry. Facades are decorated in red and gold, and you can puzzle over unfamiliar items in shops, such as birds’ nests for soup, soybeans for making tofu, salted plums and dehydrated fungus.

The origins of London’s Chinatown are hazy, but it became popular after the Second World War, when British soldiers returned from the Far East with a taste for its food.

Chinatown is centred on Lisle Street and

pedestrian Gerrard Street; the latter has Chinese gateways and telephone boxes that resemble mini-pagodas. Few Chinese live here, but many come to eat and shop.

Restaurants once dished up Anglo-Chinese food to undiscerning customers, but offerings have now improved enormously as bright young chefs dish up increasingly authentic fare from China and across Asia.

Asia itself is full of Chinatowns. Plunder Singapore’s Chinatown for souvenirs and knickknacks before visiting Thian Hok Keng Temple, where guardians with scimitars and angry eyes goggle at the threshold. Inside, candles and incense burners throw shadowy light onto carvings and sculptures. Visitors place lighted cigarettes into the outstretched hands of two statues known as the Gambling Brothers, hoping for good luck in lotteries.

In Bangkok, you’ll find Chinatown along Yaowarat Road, marked by giant ceremonial gates in red and gold, and the alleys that run off it towards the river. Bangkok’s Chinese population moved into the district in the early eighteenth century, creating a distinctive ethnic enclave. It differs from many Chinatowns in having a population entrenched for generations and generally unable to speak Chinese. The area is full of battered shops (good for textiles and gold), market stalls and old temples, the best of which is Dragon Flower Temple, with its elegant gateway, ceramic roof dragons and statues of bearded sages.

In Japan, Yokohama has one of the world’s liveliest Chinatowns – it’s a short train ride from Tokyo – and the largest in Asia. Millions of visitors annually cram into its pedestrian streets to browse for cheap fashions, children’s toys and other imports, and eat in any of 500-odd restaurants. Stop

by Kantei-byo Shrine, beautifully decorated and wonderfully illuminated at night. It’s dedicated to the Chinese god of prosperity and business: no better presiding deity, surely, for all the world’s Chinatowns.

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

51

Cultural experiences

Walk like an ancient Japanese pilgrim

Kumano walk, JNTO

From the famous cherry blossom trees, to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Fuji, Japan truly is a place where nature and history meet – and it’s where travellers on World Expeditions tours can walk in ancient shoes.

The tour company is set to release two new Japanese Pilgrim walks to its latest brochure that will take travellers on foot and immerse them in Japan’s amazing history. CEO of World Expeditions, Sue Badyari said recovery in sales for Japan took time after the devastating tsunami of 2011, however the travel appetite for the country is back – and it’s bigger than ever. “It’s all about seeing the authentic elements of Japanese culture and history, and we’ve responded to this by introducing a new creative suite of active holidays,” she said.

“There’s profound interest in both guided and self-guided walking in Japan; the country’s natural beauty, the opportunity to see snow monkeys, wonderful food and the friendly polite people all make the destination attractive to travellers.”

The first of two new walks takes place on the ancient Nakahechi route, which was used by the imperial family on pilgrimage from Kyoto from the 10th century. Guests stay in traditional lodgings in isolated villages as they traverse the historic route. The second option takes travellers to the more remote Kohechi route, cutting through the centre of the Kii peninsula from north to south and linking the Buddhist temple complex of Koyasan and the Kumano Sanzan. The path covers steep trails and crosses over three passes of more than 1,000m elevation throughout the 70km journey.

The two new walks will appeal to the active traveller, who want to appreciate a different side of Japan.

Get to know your BDM Name: Zoe Francis

© Maria Mayer

Experience The Passion Play If it’s a religious experience you’re looking for, then Oberammergau’s Passion Play is certainly one not to miss. The moving stage performance dates back to 1633, when the German town of Oberammergau suffered brutally from the Plague. Residents pledged that if God were to spare them from death, they would perform a play each decade to celebrate the life and death of Jesus. Miraculously, the vow was upheld from above and the townspeople rejoiced by performing the very first Passion Play during Pentecost in 1634.

Fast-forward to the 21st Century, and the play is now performed every ten years on years ending in zero, and draws crowds in their thousands to the small German town. The next scheduled performances will be held between May and October in 2020, but be quick – bookings are essential and places sell out fast. Tour operators are already taking expressions of interest for spots on their waiting lists, with APT, Albatross Tours, Collette, Trafalgar and Globus all offering a range of tours that include seats at the performance – contact your representative for more information.

52

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

How long have you been working as a BDM for Bunnik Tours?

Three years this July.

What is your favourite destination?

It’s so hard to pick one! Uganda, seeing the gorillas in the wild is still my favourite travel experience of all time, but the country itself is surprisingly beautiful, too. I’ve also loved all my travels through Latin America, and St Petersburg in Russia is one of my favourite cities.

What do you love about your job?

Sharing stories and experiences of new and unique travel experiences with travel agents and seeing their eyes light up with excitement as they imagine themselves in those moments.

What destinations are on your bucket list?

It’s never ending! I tick one off and add 10. Currently Iran, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Botswana.

Soul Matters

TOP food(ie) CITIES George Bernard Shaw once said, “There is no sincerer love than the love of food”, and the latest figures released by TripAdvisor certainly reflect this. In fact, the food tours category increased by a massive 61% in 2017, compared to 2016 based on traveller spend, showing just how much travellers are seeking foodie experiences.

TripAdvisor spokesperson Laurel Greatrix says the figures show that travellers are consistently seeking local insight on their destinations, and food tours and cooking classes were a great way to tick that box.

“Guides can be a great resource for finding hidden gems, and can create an unforgettable part of your trip,” she said. “Coming home with a local recipe or new favourite restaurant is the best kind of souvenir.”

TripAdvisor’s list of the world’s top food city destinations is as varied as the food each city offers. Rome was a crowd favourite, coming in at number one, closely followed by Florence, Paris, and Barcelona. New Orleans’ unique French spin came in at number five, while New York, Venice, Madrid, Tokyo and Bangkok also rated.

Sydney and Brisbane are touted as up-and-coming hot spots in the South Pacific, along with Queenstown – so watch this space.

Vienna’s year of Modernism

Feel the unseen UP TO

Vienna this year honours four of the greats of the Modernist arts movement, marking 100 years since the deaths of Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Koloman Moser and Otto Wagner.

The four are the subject of a city-wide series of exhibitions and events celebrating the age of Viennese Modernism, under the title Beauty and the Abyss.

“Viennese Modernism was one of the most important eras for art and culture in Austria’s history,” said Vienna Tourist Board managing director Norbert Kettner.

“Paintings by Klimt and Schiele command record prices at auction and are often referred to as priceless,” he said.

“Wagner’s modernist buildings…are not only a pleasure to look at, but remain fully functional today. And Moser designed what must have been the first logo in history: that of Wiener Werkstatte (the Vienna Workshop arts community). He revolutionised design.”

The anniversary also provides an opportunity to explore other greats of Viennese art and music. For more details, search “Beauty and the Abyss” at www.vienna.info.

30%

OFF DISCOUNT

THE CONFIDENCE OF PARTNERSHIP

MELIÁ PRO CORPORATE

EXCLUSIVE RATES FOR BUSINESS & LEISURE TRIPS MELIÁ PRO MEETINGS & EVENTS

THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS THE PERFECT EVENT

MELIÁ PRO AGENTS

BOOK NET PRICES DIRECTLY MELIÁ PRO WHOLESALERS

BOOK YOUR CONTRACTED HOTEL ONLINE

OUR TOOL FOR PROFESSIONALS FOR FLEXIBLE AND PROFITABLE MANAGEMENT OF ALL YOUR BOOKING AND THOSE OF YOUR CLIENTS

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

53

(6128) 015-5294 · meliapro.com

Last word

Unscramble

App Happy

HOW many words can you make out of these nine letters?

Every word needs to include an ‘I’, have four letters or more and not be a proper noun or a plural. You can only use each letter once. There’s also one word that uses all nine letters.

Earlier this year global IT company Unisys released a brand new product to bring peace of mind to pet owners all over the world.

Called ‘Digi-Pet’, this digital solution allows pet owners to continuously monitor and communicate with their pets travelling in the cargo-hold of a plane using their smartphone. It was devised to bring comfort to those who suffer the heartbreak and anxiety of leaving their pets alone in cargo holds, as well as allowing airlines to offer a smoother and safer animal transport process.

Using IOT technology and artificial intelligence to proactively monitor and measure the conditions of each animal, Digi-Pets aims to ensure the safety and wellbeing of animals on board.

Using the Digi-Pet smartphone app, customers can make a booking with a number of approved airlines. The app also recommends suitable pet-specific kennels, equipment and service options such as special meals, which might improve the comfort and safety of the pet being transported.

In addition to the app, Digi-Pet utilises smart sensors attached to the pet’s kennel or carry case to monitor important factors such as temperature, oxygen levels, vibration and light, and then transmit this information to the pet’s owner and airline staff. Owners can also chat to their pets through their smartphone by subscribing to live video streaming and voice exchanges.

Find out more at www.unisys.com.

Good – 15 words Very good – 18 words Excellent – 21 words

G N I V I D K Y S Answers: ding, disk, dingy, dinky, diving, dying, inky, kind, king, siding, sign, sing, sink, skid, skiing, skin, skiving, SKYDIVING, viking, vising, vying

Image courtesy of Jon Clark

Where in the World THIS medieval looking rock juts out of the water like a giant tooth. The only thing in sight, this ancient structure is the last remnant of a once enormous volcano. The jagged rock is more than 500m tall, and has quite an interesting history, despite it being almost entirely devoid of life.

Do you know where in the world it is? If can name it and where it’s located, you can win a double movie pass! If you think you’ve got it, send your answer to comps@travelbulletin.com.au. Good luck!

54

travelBulletin JUNE 2018

“I come from the saltwater people, We always lived by the sea.”

– Warumpi Band ‘My Island Home’

CRUISE THE KIMBERLEY IN A&K STYLE Explore the pristine Kimberley coastline aboard the all-new, all-luxury ‘Le Laperouse’, exclusively chartered and reimagined by Abercrombie & Kent. Specially configured for only 150 guests, with beautifully-appointed cabins and spacious suites, all with balconies, plus a fi rst-of-its-kind underwater lounge, infi nity pool, and exquisite dining.

A&K’s elite Expedition Team includes award-winning naturalists, conservationists and photographers, who will be with you throughout the voyage to bring to life some of Australia’s and the world’s most spectacular landscapes and seascapes. Soak it all in while you meander through far-flung islands, ancient cultures, stunning tidal waterfalls, and biodiverse coral reefs.

Highlights of the 12 night journey from Broome to Darwin include the extraordinary Horizontal Falls, Montgomery Reef, the cave art at Raft Point, frequent Zodiac excursions, sea turtles and saltwater crocodiles, a helicopter fl ight to Mitchell Falls, and a fi xed-wing fl ightseeing experience over the Bungle Bungles, all included.

Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to experience one of the world’s last great wildernesses in incomparable A&K style.

150 Guests | 13 days | 20 June – 2 July 2019 | from AU$18,295pp* Talk to your travel agent or call A&K on 1300 851 800 ONE DEPARTURE ONLY | SELLING FAST | BOOK NOW

abercrombiekent.com.au

*Terms and Conditions apply. See website for details.

Select Select Travel Travel Group Group Conference Conference 2018 2018

16 -- 19 19 May May 16

Congratulations Travel Group Group Agency Agency Congratulations to all of the Select Travel award to all all who who attended, attended, award winners winners for for 2018 2018 and a big thank you to making conferences to to date! date! making it it one one of of the the most memorable conferences

www.selectravelgroup.com.au www.selectravelgroup.com.au