TravelBulletin for November 2015 - Family travel businesses, 2016 Hot Spots, Airlines of the World,

NOVEMBER OCTOBER 2015

The

TRavel

Bunch

Spotlight on some of the travel industry’s greatest family success stories.

WORLD airlines polar regions 2016 hot spots beautiful bali

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CONTENTS

From the managing editor Bruce Piper

COVER STORY

18

All in the family

features 38 48 54 60

Airlines of the World Polar Regions 2016 Hot Spots Bali

monthly 02 07 24 26 29 30 32 36 64

State of the industry Issues and trends Business events news Technology Your Travel Business Careers Cruise report Industry in focus Last word

columns 02 06 07 25 35

Ian McMahon Steve Jones AFTA View BEA View CLIA View

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

The long-running Qantas Holidays Global Achievers program is testament to the old adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same”. Last month the wholesaler and its brands, which also include Viva! Holidays, Rail Tickets, Ready Rooms and The Cruise Team, hosted several hundred enthusiastic travel agents and industry partners in Darwin for the 22nd annual Global Achievers gala dinner, and it was heartening to see that despite the rise of the internet, human relationships remain at the heart of our great industry.

Qantas Holidays National Sales Manager, Fiona Dalton, acknowledged the importance of connection which has run through the Global Achievers program, with top performers over the years “gathering to share experiences and create memories that have become part of the social fabric of our industry”. It was my 12th Global Achievers event, and I still remember the excitement of the first time I was invited, which was the 2004 gala dinner held on Hayman Island, hosted by Richard Wilkins and with rocker Jon Stevens wowing the crowd. Since then the program has travelled far and wide – to Fiji, Kota Kinabalu, Queenstown and even Disneyland California as well as closer to home – and while Global Achievers has evolved and the wholesaler’s partnerships have changed, the excitement and prestige of being a Global Achiever is definitely still there.

Dalton made the compelling point that in the end it is relationships that make the difference. “By working together we can continue to keep the market strong, and by working together we can continue to provide each other with the product, the tools and the support we both need to offer the Australian consumer a compelling alternative to online or the competition,” she told attendees.

And clearly the program continues to resonate with agents. The top achievers, in the elite “500 club” each sell a minimum of $500,000 worth of Qantas Holidays land product every year, and this year a new Cruise Achievers category was also introduced reflecting the increasing importance of cruise in the portfolio. The program is also a reflection of the 80/20 rule, with the wholesaler focusing on rewarding and motivating its top performers who clearly generate a significant chunk of its revenue.

It’s not just links between suppliers and travel agents – in an increasingly impersonal, transactional online world, people still crave connection, and the top achieving travel agents in Darwin are proof that consultants who focus on creating a relationship of trust with their clients can’t go wrong.

This month’s contributors Steve Jones, Brett Jardine, Jayson Westbury, Dennis Bunnik, Gary Walsh, Michael Jones, Gary Walsh, Penny Lion, Christine Retschlag

EDITORIAL Managing Editor – Bruce Piper bruce.piper@travelbulletin.com.au Editor – Kris Madden Ph: 02 8090 3125 kris.madden@travelbulletin.com.au Editor at Large – Ian McMahon Ph: 03 9568 4464 or 0414 320 321 imcmahon@travelbulletin.com.au

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

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travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

1

STATE OF THE Industry TIE doubles in size

Ian McMahon’s perspective

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN RETAIL AT the Magellan national conference in Melbourne, the group’s chief executive Andrew Macfarlane was asked to forecast future developments within Australia’s retail travel chains. Questioned specifically about implications for industry stability and the likelihood of mass movements of agents, he said: “Anything could happen.” (travelBulletin, October).

It was a typically adroit answer. It avoided making any predictions, but did not rule out the possibility of significant switching of loyalties in coming months. It is doubtful, however, that Macfarlane, even in his wildest imaginings, intended to leave open the possibility of the sort of mass movement of agents that occurred on the other side of the Tasman just weeks after his “anything could happen” prognostication.

Faced with Helloworld’s decision to launch Australia’s Helloworld business model in NZ, more than two in three members of Helloworld-affiliated United Travel voted with their feet and quit the chain.

Now that’s a truly “mass movement”.

Australia’s and NZ’s relative population sizes suggest a multiple of five could be in order.

On that basis, the 36 agents who resigned from United would be the equivalent of about 180 Australian agents walking out of Helloworld’s Australian chains.

In a statement to the Australian

Stock Exchange, Helloworld has assured shareholders that the defection of these agents “is not material to the financial results at a Group level”.

This may well be so. Also impinging on the financials is the related purchase of up to 10 former Air New Zealand retail outlets – a move into owned stores which will surely pique the interest of franchisees on both sides of the Tasman.

But no matter how the United story is spun, it is not exactly a resounding vote of confidence in the Helloworld business model – especially as the NZ agents have the benefit of seeing the results of two years of that model in Australia.

Here, there have certainly been defections from Helloworld but it has been more of a steady drip feed than a mass movement. However I believe many Helloworld agents signed two year contracts rather than the initially stipulated three years. It will be interesting to see what happens as these contracts expire in 2016.

One sector that Helloworld can be expected to defend grimly will be its strong coterie of corporate agents who write the business so important to securing airline overrides. No doubt some will benefit from what Helloworld terms “enhanced agent incentives” and others more bluntly label “pay to stay”.

The Travel Industry Exhibition will expand into a two-city event next year, with shows to take place in both Sydney and Melbourne.

2016 will be the third year of the Travel Industry Exhibition, which had a rocky start at Sydney’s Moore Park in 2014 but this year bounced back with an acclaimed event at Luna Park which included the fabulous Travel Daily 21st Birthday Party.

This celebration will also evolve next year, to become the “Travel Daily Christmas in July,” and we hope our loyal travelBulletin readers will come and join the party too.

As well as updating delegates on the latest travel and tourism product, the Sydney and Melbourne shows will also once again feature a comprehensive education program, with sessions last year so popular there was standing room only.

Bookings for exhibition space are now being accepted - for more information see www.travelindustryexpo.com.au

Helloworld NZ acquisition AIR New Zealand is set to exit retail travel operations in New Zealand, with the sale of up to ten existing stores to Helloworld Limited, and the closure of a further 12.

According to Air NZ chief commercial officer Cam Wallace the carrier has determined that with the rapidly evolving travel distribution landscape “retail stores are no longer core business for the airline”.

Helloworld will use the new companyowned outlets to formally launch the helloworld retail brand in NZ, with the move expected to see the company rebrand its existing Harvey World Travel and United Travel franchisees as helloworld. However,

business monitor OUTBOUND MARKET

Top 10 destinations, August 2015 Destination Trend Seasonally Original Trend Trend Jul 15/ Aug 14/ Adjusted

Aug 15 Aug 15

000 000 000 % % New Zealand 105.1 104.3 96.7 -0.1 +5.9 Indonesia 89.7 88.9 91.0 -1.0 -3.5 USA 85.7 84.0 88.0 +1.3 +6.7 UK 48.1 47.3 63.0 +1.0 +3.4 Thailand 48.1 49.6 43.1 +1.1 +5.8 Fiji 28.4 28.0 31.1 -0.4 +3.9 Singapore 30.9 32.1 28.6 +1.1 +2.2 China 35.8 35.0 27.9 -1.5 +9.2 Italy 15.6 15.1 22.9 +0.3 +4.2 Malaysia 20.4 20.9 17.9 -1.7 -12.9 All outbound 784.4 784.4 768.0 +0.2 +3.4

Source Trend Seasonally Original Trend Adjusted Jul 15/

Aug 15

000 000 000 % 113.1 +0.4 New Zealand 111.1 110.5 China 83.9 85.6 85.1 -0.6 Japan 27.4 27.7 41.5 +0.5 UK 57.0 57.5 38.3 +0.2 USA 48.6 48.7 37.7 -0.3 Singapore 32.8 34.1 30.9 +0.6 Malaysia 28.7 28.5 25.4 +0.4 Hong Kong 19.4 19.6 20.9 +1.7 South Korea 17.2 17.7 16.8 -1.1 India 19.1 20.1 16.8 -0.2 All inbound 612.5 619.3 573.8 +0.0

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

2

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

MAIN DOMESTIC ROUTES

INBOUND MARKET

Top 10 domestic city pairs at August 2015

Top 10 sources, August 2015 Trend Aug 14/ Aug 15 % +8.3 +12.7 -0.1 +5.2 +6.5 +5.2 +0.7 +14.8 +0.7 +12.3 +5.8

City pair

Passengers Passengers % change YE Aug 14 YE Aug 15

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

(000) (000) 8,248.4 8,514.4 +3.2 4,466.6 4,417.4 -1.1 3,283.4 3,325.3 +1.3 2,588.0 2,589.5 +0.1 2,250.7 2,290.1 +1.8 2,169.2 2,139.2 -1.4 1,788.3 1,818.4 +1.7 1,799.3 1,766.0 -1.3 1,732.1 1,775.8 +2.5 1,388.2 1,459.7 +5.1

Source: BITRE

STATE OF THE Industry more than two thirds of the United Travel members have resigned, with rival group First Travel announcing that it will grow by 34 new agencies. United Travel, which is 50 per cent owned by its members, voted earlier this year not to adopt the helloworld brand.

The departing agencies will remain within Helloworld as full and participating members until the end of November 2016 under their existing franchise agreements.

TIGER CHANGES ITS STRIPES

Flight Centre charts growth Flight Centre’s acquisition of Brisbanebased charter aircraft specialist AVMIN continues the company’s flirtation with vertical integration.

Although Flight Centre has shied away from Tigerair Australia has rolled out the taking ownership in hotels and airlines, the orange carpet and announced a number sheer volume of its passengers must make of major changes to make booking and it tempting to be in control of more parts of travelling with the carrier better than the distribution chain - and this deal certainly ever. Changes include new uniforms for opens up some interesting possibilities. cabin crew, pilots and check-in staff; AVMIN has built its business around VIP, a new booking and check in system; sporting group and conference charters, and new customer friendly website and has a solid client base including organising improved call centre; and enhanced passenger and freight charters for the customer communications, such as SMS Australian government - not to mention being notifications and flight itineraries. Tigerair contracted by Cover-More Travel Insurance to also revealed its newest addition to the conduct an evacuation of Australian travellers after the Nepal earthquakes earlier this year.

Flight Centre ceo Graham Turner hinted at what might lie ahead - including launching services in areas where charter is a YEARnew ENDED JULY 2015 viable alternative to scheduled air travel, or Chart I operating International Passengers Carried (thousands) to July Qantas has2015 advised travel agents it will be charters on underserved routes, in- July 2013 increasing its core tariff for international niche markets or even on key routes in peak 1950 INBOUND OUTBOUND fares sold in Australia by between 1-4 per periods to help meet demand.

1700 It’s understood Flight Centre paid less than cent, effective 29 October. Routes impacted include those under the joint Qantas and $2 million for a 51% stake in AVMIN, which 1450 Emirates partnership, along with QF’s routes will continue to be managed by its founder 1200 to South Africa, Hawaii, South America, Hong Paul O’Brien.

Qantas jacks up fares

fleet – new Airbus A320 aircraft, which will be based in Sydney from 8 December to facilitate more domestic flying around Australia including additional services between Sydney and Cairns and between Sydney and Adelaide. The airline has also recently announced new services between Melbourne and Coffs Harbour commencing 9 December and its first international services to Bali from Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide commencing March 2016 (subject to regulatory approval).

Kong, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. A Qantas spokesperson confirmed all international routes including Tasman services but excluding destinations in mainland USA (LAX, JFK, DFW, SFO), will be subjected to the rise. Return Economy Continues over page

950

business monitor

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700

DOMESTIC AIR MARKET – August 2015

International Air Market Share

Chart II

International passengers by major airline – year ended July 2015

International Passengers by Major Airlines - Year ended July 2015

Qantas Airways, 15.7% Others, 26.7% Emirates, 9.8%

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

Jetstar, 9.0%

Malaysia Airlines, 4.2%

Cathay Pacific Airways, 5.1%

Domestic On Time Performance – September 2015

Air New Zealand, 7.4%

Virgin Australia, 7.7%

Source: BITRE Table I

Departures on Time Arrivals on Time Cancellations No. % No. % No. %

Jetstar 6,041 Qantas 8,664 QantasLink 8,814 Tigerair 1,736 Virgin Australia 10,101 All Airlines 42,875

Singapore Airlines, 8.6%

Change Yr to Yr to Change (%) Aug 14 Aug 15 (%) -1.0 57.58m 57.27m -0.5 -0.5 67.95bn 67.55bn -0.6 +1.0 89.36bn 88.44bn -0.1 -1.1* 76.0 76.4 +0.3* +0.6 638.2 636.2 -0.3

Source: BITRE * Percentage points difference

Etihad Airways, 2.6% AirAsia X, 3.4%

Aug Aug 14 15 4.84m 4.79m 5.74bn 5.71bn 7.43bn 7.51bn 77.2 76.1 53.8 54.1

80.4 6,242 83.1 91.8 8,669 91.8 88.8 8,750 88.2 86.9 1,726 86.4 92.0 10,024 91.3 88.6 42,742 88.3

161 104 230 16 159 821

2.1 1.1 2.3 0.8 1.4 1.7

Source: BITRE

International Passengers by Uplift/Discharge City Pairs (a)

Foreign

Australian

Port

Port

Year ended

Year ended

Year ended

% of

% Change

July 2013

July 2014

July 2015

Total

2015/14

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

3

STATE OF THE Industry Continues from previous page class fares will increase between $10-$40, while return Business class fares will jump between $20-$200, depending on the route.

Agents should contact Qantas with any queries, in particular flights ticketed on or before 28 October 2015.

AOT set for listing The AOT Group has appointed financial advisory firm Ord Minnett to assist in a possible public listing of the company. AOT owners Andrew and Cinzia Burnes already hold almost 10 per cent of Helloworld, with HLO ceo Elizabeth Gaines recently confirming the company was in talks about a potential acquisition of AOT. However, two weeks later Helloworld announced the discussions were off because the “strategic and financial merits of the acquisition on the terms proposed were insufficiently compelling to warrant proceeding”. Burnes has now apparently decided on a different approach, after expressing anger at the Helloworld rebuff. Ord Minnett’s most recent travel industry float was for Captain Cook Cruises owner SeaLink, with the broker also involved in share sales for Corporate Travel Management and the Mantra Group.

Meriton trips up MERITON Apartments attracted mainstream media attention recently, over alleged attempts to manipulate TripAdvisor reviews.

Meriton emails TripAdvisor feedback forms to guests after their stay, with allegations that in the case of people who complain at the front desk their email addresses were deliberately changed so they didn’t get a reminder.

Networking takes flight tHERE’S no doubt the travel industry enjoys a party, and participants at last months’ Travel Daily/JITO networking night made the most of the evening.

Around 400 people from across the travel, tourism and hospitality industry’s packed Sydney’s trendy Ivy nightspot, showing that there’s nothing like faceto-face connection.

JITO founder Helene Taylor highlighted the massive impact the jobs portal is having on the industry, while other presenters included Simon Dodds from American Airlines who gave away a trip to the USA to the best “selfie” taken on the night - a prize won by Nema Gyori from TravelEdge. Other major sponsors of the night included Trafalgar, Travel Counsellors and Travelport, along with Breakaway Travel Club, Travelzoo and Merivale.

A former staffer also described efforts by Meriton to pressure clients to increase low ratings, in some cases by offering reduced rates or discounts off bills. TripAdvisor wouldn’t comment on the Meriton cases, but issued a statement saying attempts to boost the reputation of a business by selectively soliciting reviews only from guests who have had a positive experience “is considered fraudulent, and subject to penalties”.

Cuts bite at Malaysia Airlines The restructuring at Malaysia Airlines following the MH370 and MH17 tragedies

has seen the carrier significantly revamp its Australian sales operations, with the carrier confirming the closure of offices in Adelaide, Perth and Darwin.

Having already axed its Brisbane flights and reduced frequencies to other ports including Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, the latest change will see Damien Van Eyk’s Melbourne-based office become responsible for Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

Perth will be serviced by the Sydney office managed by Gabrielle Vicari who looks after NSW, ACT, Queensland and Western Australia.

MH assured travel agents that flight

business monitor INTERNET AGENCY MARKET SHARES

August 2015, compared with July 2015 Rank Company

Market share Rank Aug 2015 Jul to Aug

1 Webjet Australia 15.78 2 Expedia Australia 9.13 3 Wotif.com 8.79 4 Skyscanner Australia 6.92 5 Flight Centre 6.57 6 Lastminute.com.au 2.95 7 Cheap Flights Aus & NZ 1.70 8 Luxury Escapes 1.68 9 CheapOair 1.61 10 FareCompare 1.38

+1.5 +7.28 -0.6 -4.43 -5.89 -13.78 -3.84 -0.09 -0.85 -7.0

Rank

Jul 2015 1 3 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

* Not in top 10 Source: Experian Marketing Services’ Hitwise – www.experian.com.au/hitwise

4

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

SHARE PRICES

INTERNATIONAL AIR ROUTES

26 October 2015

Top 10 city pairs (at July 2015)

City pair

Passengers YE Jul 14

Passengers YE Jul 15

% of % change total 14/15

Flight Centre (FLT)

$39.17

Helloworld (HLO)

$0.31

Auckland-Sydney 1,459,653 1,511,552 4.4 +3.6 Singapore-Sydney 1,368,929 1,399,811 4.1 +2.3 Singapore-Melbourne 1,130,628 1,167,068 3.4 +3.2 Auckland-Melbourne 1,012,073 1,109,181 3.3 +9.6 Singapore-Perth 1,063,217 1,003,551 3.0 -5.6 Auckland-Brisbane 891,925 956,569 2.8 +7.2 Hong Kong-Sydney 940,090 933,670 2.7 -0.7 Denpasar-Perth 837,916 906,806 2.7 +8.2 Los Angeles-Sydney 897,157 903,120 2.7 +0.7 Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne 912,549 857,935 2.5 -6.0 Top 10 city pairs 10,514,137 10,749,263 31.6 +2.2 Other city pairs 22,025,855 23,247,336 68.4 +5.5 ALL CITY PAIRS 32,539,992 33,996,599 100.0 +4.5

Webjet (WEB)

Source: BITRE

Disruptive Investments (DVI)

$4.82 $0.034

Qantas (QAN)

$3.90

Virgin Australia (VAH)

$0.47

Ardent Leisure (AAD)

$2.70

Air New Zealand (AIZ)

$2.78

Auckland International Airport (AIA)

$5.18

Sydney Airport (SYD) Corporate Travel Management (CTD)

$6.34 $11.24

Cover-More Insurance (CVO)

$2.32

Regional Express (REX)

$0.90

Sealink (SLK)

$3.58

STATE OF THE Industry frequencies, airport operations and accounts would continue to operate as normal in each region.

Woolies less QF rewarding Major changes to the Woolworths Everyday Rewards Program will see the scheme’s close links with the Qantas Frequent Flyer program dissolved from 1st January 2016, with the retailer instead deciding to direct the money paid to Qantas for points into a more focused in-store rewards program for shoppers.

It’s estimated that Woolworths was paying Qantas Loyalty as much as $100 million annually for the points, but Qantas has said the pullout “isn’t financially material”.

Although some consumers have expressed dismay at the split, Woolworths has done its homework and found that for the majority of its customers Qantas points aren’t as

compelling as first thought.

About half of the members of Woolworths Everyday Rewards didn’t even link their card to a Qantas frequent flyer account, while a survey of customers found that only about 10% of shoppers “very much preferred” the opportunity to earn points, with the other 90% not so interested in the tie-up.

Despite the break-up with Woolworths, Qantas can certainly count the six year relationship as a success, with the pact estimated to have added as many as two million Australians to its now 11 millionstrong QFFF membership base.

Qantas has assured members of the programs that it will work with Woolworths on an alternative offer once the existing agreement expires at the end of the year.

Co-branded Woolworths and Qantas credit cards will also continue to earn QF loyalty points on member spending.

QF GETS RETRO ROO TWO

Qantas is set to inspire a fresh wave of Australian aviation nostalgia with a second Boeing 737-800 to be painted in a retro livery as part of celebrations marking the national carrier’s 95th Birthday. The new livery will be chosen from the 12 liveries that Qantas has had since its first aircraft in 1920. It will be applied to one of Qantas’ existing 67 Boeing 737 aircraft, which are undergoing a refurbishment program in Brisbane and Sydney. Once the cabin refresh is completed, the aircraft will be flown to Townsville to be repainted in a classic new livery – a process which is expected to take four days, before entering service on flights across Australia and the Tasman to NZ. Qantas will unveil both the livery and the name of Retro Roo II at a hangar event for employees at Sydney airport on Monday November 16, the day it celebrates its 95th birthday.

AUSTRALIAN AIRPORTS

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

Passengers Passengers YE Jul 14 YE Jul 15

Sydney 13,240,854 Melbourne 7,741,870 Brisbane 4,838,303 Perth 4,083,439 Adelaide 929,369 Gold Coast 881,795 Cairns 467,737 Darwin 336,358 Norfolk Island 11,763 Sunshine Coast* 8,504 n/a Port Hedland~ All Airports 32,539,992

13,577,543 8,464,577 5,150,430 4,186,692 915,055 891,633 498,155 288,323 11,638 10,669 1,884 33,996,599

% of total

39.9 24.9 15.1 12.3 2.7 2.6 1.5 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0

% change 15/14

+2.5 +9.3 +6.5 +2.5 -1.5 +1.1 +6.5 -14.3 -1.1 +25.5 n/a +4.5

* Operated scheduled service from July 2012 to September 2012, June 2013 to October 2013 and June 2014 to October 2014. ~ Scheduled services recommenced April 2015.

ATAS ACCREDITED LOCATIONS 22 September 2015

New South Wales 1012 Victoria 735 Queensland 657 Western Australia 322 South Australia 231 Australian Capital Territory 50 Tasmania 40 Northern Territory 23 total 3070

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HEADLINES 22 Sep Hoffmann targeting $210m 22 Sep Virgin blasts Qantas, IASC 23 Sep VA heading into the black 23 Sep Topdeck readies for growth 24 Sep DOH-SYD barrier cleared 24 Sep Live Amtrak link launched 25 Sep Thriving AKL thru-traffic 25 Sep Technology key for CTM 28 Sep NZ reinvests for longevity 28 Sep Tigerair Bali green light 29 Sep Quest expanding Sydney?

29 Sep Helloworld NZ acquisition 30 Sep ‘Insider’ brand resonates 30 Sep ACT set to legalise UberX 01 Oct QR confirms SYD service 01 Oct Bali ash cloud hits arrivals 02 Oct Australasia key for NCL 02 Oct Helloworld NZ agent exodus 06 Oct EK mulls secondary cities 06 Oct 2016 travel show in Syd, Mel 07 Oct CVO: low A$ hits outbound 07 Oct ANA now commissionable 08 Oct Travel.com.au still alive 08 Oct Air NZ tips strong 2015/16 09 Oct United back to Auckland 09 Oct AHA seeks authorisation 12 Oct AU agents top TAAP users 12 Oct ACCC rejects ihail taxi app 13 Oct Airbnb and eDreams fess up 13 Oct Capital cities trump regions 14 Oct Qatar Airways adding ADL 14 Oct NTA transitions to ACCI 15 Oct Hawaiian Airlines to move to self-handling 15 Oct Helloworld agent-friendly app 15 Oct QF Solomon Airlines pact 16 Oct Qantas adds 40 new US codeshare routes 16 Oct Walshe takes Abu Dhabi 16 Oct Creative wholesale evolution 19 Oct QH flags Calypso upgrade 19 Oct Qantas boosts international fares 20 Oct DriveAway Hols expands 20 Oct Six-star Crown Melb hotel 21 Oct Etihad teams up with Coles 21 Oct Tiger Navitaire upgrade 22 Oct AOT set for public listing 22 Oct ACCC reviews Tasman JVs 23 Oct Tigerair focused on Bali 23 Oct QF-MU alliances takes off travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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ISSUES & Trends

Steve Jones’ Say

Tourism taxes hard to fathom How truly disappointing it was to see New Zealand introduce an arrivals and departure tax for air and cruise passengers.

From 1 January they will be slugged near-on $22 for the privilege of spending time in New Zealand and injecting countless millions into the local economy.

They will cough up a small fortune hiring campervans, pay over inflated tourist prices to visit attractions, spend more money in restaurants than they will in a year back home, buy souvenirs, splash out on fancy hotels, the list goes on.

And as a thank you, the New Zealand Government is demanding an additional $22 from each and every one of them for a “border security levy”.

As with anything government related, the blame must ultimately lie with the Prime Minister, John Key, who, of course, also has tourism in his portfolio.

This is the same John Key who I

interviewed several times over the years at New Zealand trade show TRENZ, during which he consistently and earnestly stressed the value his country places on tourists and their economic benefits.

The creeping cost could ‘make the difference

between those toying with two or three destinations

’

Back in 2012 Key took issue with Australia’s proposal to increase the Passenger Movement Charge (PMC), deriding it as a “barrier to growth” and raising it with then Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Yet he has now taken the same easy path to raise money by slugging the very people who inject more than $10b into the economy – international visitors.

Key appeared to contradict his comments from 2012 by suggesting the tax “will not make a blind bit of difference” to tourism numbers. I’m not sure that’s true. If you’re visiting New Zealand, be it for a short break or a longer self-drive tour, the addition of $88 for a family of four is unlikely to be the proverbial deal-breaker. But the creeping cost could make the difference between those toying with two or three destinations and where budgets are tight.

Whatever the impact on tourism, it’s not that which irks me.

What I find irritating is the ease at which governments lump additional taxes on international visitors who are the lifeblood of countless tourism-related businesses across the country.

New Zealand, and Key in particular, have been at pains to acknowledge the role tourism plays in the economy. Which makes this move so hard to fathom.

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Issues & trends

Experiential travel booms

AFTA view Jayson Westbury, chief executive AFTA

NDC: Enabler to Success

Asia travel specialist, Insider Journeys (formerly Travel Indochina), has announced strong results following its first six months trading since the company rebranded in February this year.

The company’s Small Group Journey forward sales revenue and passenger numbers are both up more than 10 per cent year on year. Sales from the Insider Journeys Japan brochure has seen an impressive 69 per cent climb in sales (over a four month period, compared to 2014), and India jumped a massive 109 per cent (based on one month’s sales).

Insider Journeys managing director, Paul Hole, is buoyed by the results, and attributes the strong showing to a more clearly articulated brand offering.

“I’m extremely proud of our results to date since the rebranding,” says Hole. “Such a significant rebrand can result in a significant dip in awareness and sales. We have defied this trend and delivered strong returns in the first six months since introducing Insider Journeys to the market.”

A recent travel survey demonstrated understanding of the brand amongst travel agents, with 88 per cent reporting awareness of the rebrand; 95 per cent able to identify Insider Journeys’ key travel style (small group journeys); while 70 per cent reported a likelihood to use Insider Journeys for their next Asia booking.

Likewise consumers have rated Insider Journeys well, with 97 per cent indicating they would travel with the company again.

“We thank the travel agent community for embracing Insider Journeys, and we want them to know we value their continued support.”

According to Hole, travellers are looking for life changing experiences, and agents play an important role in that process.

“Today it’s not about the photograph of the Buddhist temple, it’s about meeting the monks of that temple; the exchange that our travellers have with those monks; and the insights they take away from that meeting. That’s what’s important to them.

“Experiential travel is not just a trend. Our customers are telling us that it is the future and it’s booming.

“I don’t think of us being in the travel industry. I think of us as being in the happiness business. The fact is that every day, together we make it possible for our travellers to have these types of travel experiences. And when we get that right, we can quite literally change people’s lives.” n www.insiderjourneys.com.au

travel ‘isExperiential not just a trend. Our customers are telling us that it is the future and it’s booming

’

The recently released research report funded by IATA and undertaken with a coalition of World Travel Agents Association Alliance members including AFTA has presented some interesting perspectives on IATA’s proposed New Distribution Capability (NDC).

Australian travel agents represented 15 per cent of the 1,034 respondents from across the globe to a significant survey asking questions about what they think about NDC, selling airline tickets and ancillary products.

Clearly, travel agents do not feel that they are in the best place from a connectivity point of view when it comes to selling airline ancillary products. This is by no way a fault of the GDS. The GDS offers the content that is provided to them and it is hoped that the new NDC communication standard will enable a simplification of processes such that more content can be provided to travel agents in the future.

The report also identified a lack of awareness by travel agents about NDC. I am not surprised about that whatsoever - the discussion that has been going on across the global industry has been about “IATA resolution 787” - no wonder agents have a low awareness.

There seems to me to be little point in tuning into what is currently a hypothetical discussion. After all, NDC is a standard and not a new system or technology. I think most agents would love to engage in the discussion once there is something material to talk about. IATA has been, on a global stage, very vocal about the NDC, but there has been little direct communication from airlines about their grand plans for NDC use.

In Australia there seems to be a few conversations going on that have some NDC tones to them, but nothing game changing.

Most importantly from this report is the fact that there are now some perspectives from travel agents on the subject - including the unsurprising finding that they expect to be paid to sell NDC enabled products. A new standard does not give rise to a compelling reason for why the commercial model should change.

The report looked at several options for how travel agents might be rewarded for selling airline products and the overwhelming result was the desire to be paid commission. The report did explore other options but at this stage there has not been any serious suggestion about alternatives that could be commercialised. Travel agents are the agent of the principal and a new standard which may enable new ways to communicate via the valued technology provided by the GDS does not necessarily give rise to a new commercial model.

I commend the report (NDC: Travel Agencies’ Enabler to Success) to everyone in the industry with an interest in selling airline products.

Travel agents are ‘frustrated by the way

they have to access many aspects of airline products that fall outside of their GDS...

’

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

7

ISSUES & Trends

Hawaiian ushers in a new era

By Steve Jones When Mark Dunkerley took the reins of Hawaiian Airlines back in 2005, the job looked a thankless one. The carrier had just emerged from bankruptcy, was suffering perennial losses and, according to the CEO himself, “was a byword for inefficiency”.

Furthermore, its operational performance was dire and its product “threadbare”.

Hardly a job for the faint hearted.

But over the past decade, Dunkerley, who joined the airline in 2002 as chief operating officer just before it filed for bankruptcy, has led a successful turnaround that has seen the carrier regularly top punctuality tables, double its revenue, build a 22-strong A330 fleet and expand its international routes to Asia.

And last month management unveiled the latest product development; lie flat seats in its business class cabin.

It will, claimed Dunkerley, “usher in a new era of premium service in Hawaii” that will drive up yields and “underscore our mission to be the premier destination carrier”.

In addition, the carrier will increase the number of extra comfort seats, a class of travel it introduced last year, from 40 to 68.

Speaking to journalists at its inaugural global media day, where HA provided a behind-the-scenes glimpse of its spacious Honolulu headquarters, Dunkerley described the transformation as “unimaginable”.

“The company has come a long, long, long, way,” he said. “I can’t tell you how different the first five or six years were to where we are now.”

So is he surprised just how far the carrier has come?

“Oh yeah,” he exclaimed. “I remember in 2008 making the order for six A330s and thinking ‘God, where the hell are we going to fly all those?’ Come next summer we will have 8

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

23 of them with an order for 16 Airbus 321s.”

Those 321 aircraft, which typically have 185 seats against the A330’s 294 (although that will fall to 278 when the lie flat beds are installed) will start arriving in 2017 and will operate to the US west coast, freeing up more A330s for longer haul routes.

Among those longer sectors, of course, are the flights to Australia, a market which has played a major role in HA’s story.

The carrier began Sydney flights in 2004 and last month announced its local operation was now deserving of an in-house commercial team that will assume the duties carried out for many years by World Aviation Systems.

Sydney, which is served daily, and Brisbane with four weekly flights, are expected to be

we are bullish,” Dunkerley told travelBulletin.

“We are not announcing any firm plans yet but neither are we talking down the prospects that we will increase services to Australia.

The question [of additional flights] is more a case of when, not if.”

Also on its radar is a deepening of its relationship with Virgin Australia, a scenario that would help it achieve another goal, that of increasing traffic behind the gateway cities.

Hawaiian is up against Qantas and, in particular, Jetstar in the local market with the latter targeting the price conscious traveller.

But the airfare battleground is not one Dunkerley is keen on fighting, nor does he feel the need to, arguing Australian travellers are becoming increasingly savvy in their

I can’t tell you how ‘different the first five or six years were to where we are now

Mark Dunkerley CEO Hawaiian Airlines

among the first routes to see the lie flat business seats when they are progressively fitted on its A330 fleet from the second quarter of 2016. Dunkerley made clear that further expansion of its Australian route network was in its plans.

“Australia has grown tremendously over the years. There is a bit of a pause in terms of outbound growth associated with the domestic economic situation but long term

’

approach to the add-ons of low cost flying.

“Jetstar has certainly forced us to think about our product and our price point but we have discovered people coming to Hawaii are not necessarily looking for the cheapest price,” he said. “I think consumers are becoming increasingly well educated about the difference between an all-in price where you get a meal, a glass of wine and blankets, verses an item-by-item price that all adds up.”

Issues & trends

TravelTech – Disruptive Influences BRUCE PIPER reports on this year’s TravelTech conference, which took place in Sydney last month.

Continuing its longstanding focus on the impact that technology is having on the travel sector, the agenda of this year’s TravelTech conference titled “Disruptive Influences,” appropriately featured speakers from some of the biggest upcoming names in travel and e-commerce, with executives from Uber, Airbnb, Expedia and even Spotify taking to the stage alongside other more conventional travel names such as Helloworld and the Travel Corporation.

One of the most intriguing presentations was from Stefan Cordiner, regional director for Hotel Tonight which is targeting the last-minute accommodation market via its mobile-only hotel booking system.

Hotel Tonight launched in Australia earlier this year, and claims that “unlike traditional OTAs, we don’t compete with our hotels”. Almost 50 per cent of same-day hotel bookings are made on smartphones, and Hotel Tonight leverages this trend by presenting a curated list of offers to potential bookers.

The app utilises geo-location to ensure deals are highly relevant to users. Cordiner gave the example of a search for Melbourne hotels conducted on a mobile phone by a user currently at Sydney Airport.

He said there’s a high probability of conversion of such a search because the travellers is obviously just about to fly interstate and needs somewhere to stay, with Hotel Tonight targeting the “last resort vacancy problem” which helps properties fill unsold rooms.

Other TravelTech presenters included James Gaskell from Creative Holidays, who outlined the major disruption experienced by traditional travel wholesalers due to the internet. Previously an exercise in buying power, destination knowledge and brochure racks, wholesaling is “now an attempt to keep up with the consumer’s wants, needs and own research while still making some money,” Gaskell said. Creative has rebuilt its website from the ground up to provide a consumer-like shopping experience for travel consultants, and he revealed the initial impact of the change which resulted in a seven-fold increase in sales activity with one of the company’s key retail partners.

Helloworld’s Jeremy Reitman also gave an intriguing insight into the company’s “omni-channel” strategy, and the impact of the company’s controversial abandonment of the former Best Flights operation. With

FROM

Aolistair Venn from Groupon; Helloworld’s Jeremy Reitman; and James Gaskell from The Travel Corporation at the 2015 TravelTech conference.

a firm focus on “driving online offline for our agents,” the dedicated digital team has delivered an online marketing and sales platform, while at the same time extending the reach of agent members and franchisees via paid commission on bookings made through the Helloworld.com.au smartphone app. Reitman revealed that Helloworld pays agents nine per cent on hotel bookings, seven per cent on car hire, three per cent on international flight bookings and $5 on domestic and trans-Tasman flights booked via the app – and that many of the bookings are made in-destination by clients who booked their overall trip with a Helloworld agency.

The day wrapped up with a “Pitch it to me” session where fledgling travel businesses had five minutes to pitch their concept against fellow go-getters. Presenters included Lisa Pagotto from Crooked Compass, Luxico’s Alexandra Ormerod and Steve Johnson & Christian Schaefer of Carhood who were named winners of the contest via an audience vote.

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ISSUES & Trends

World Expeditions launches animal welfare policy Australian adventure travel specialist, World Expeditions, has launched a new Animal Welfare in Tourism Code of Conduct incorporating the five universally accepted principles of animal welfare.

Formulated in partnership with international animal advocacy organization, World Animal Protection, World Expeditions is leading the charter to become the first travel company to develop a comprehensive policy.

According to Nicola Beynon, from World Animal Protection, the new policy is an industry-leading step towards integrating animal welfare with broader responsible tourism.

“Through this partnership with World Animal Protection, World Expeditions is transforming an industry and educating travellers on animal-friendly tourism,” Beynon said.

The five point policy aims to: end the needless suffering of animals; influence decision makers to put animals on the global agenda; help the world see how important animals are to all; inspire people to change animals’ lives for the better; and move the world to protect animals.

Acknowledging that it is often difficult for travel companies and travellers to determine what is a ‘good’ and what is a ‘bad’ animal sanctuary, shelter or orphanage, part of the charter involves an audit of the World Expeditions 800 or so individual itineraries, focusing on any content that may include animal experiences.

According to Donna Lawrence, Responsible Travel Manager at World Expeditions, the process begins with a questionnaire being supplied to local partners, who visit the site and complete the Animal Sanctuary Checklist.

“The results are then forwarded to World Animal Protection who review responses, together with other relevant information, and provide an assessment on whether the facility is one we should continue to send travellers to or not,” Lawrence said.

“We collect information about facilities, which can be shared with tourism companies worldwide so there is a sharing portal which will be useful in itinerary planning stages,” she said. “Those facilities that are not meeting the standards of World Animal Protection will receive feedback so that they are able to improve and adapt to become accepted facility for travellers to visit.”

WE has also just released the latest edition of its Responsible Travel Guidebook. The new edition coincides with the company’s 40th birthday celebrations and outlines the company’s responsible travel policies on a range of issues including child protection, mitigating the carbon emissions, litter disposal, porter protection and minimal impact in wilderness. n www.worldexpeditions.com

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travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

CATO view Dennis Bunnik, chairman Council of Australian Tour Operators

Why Land Makes Sense I recently attended one of the retail consortium conferences and one topic that frequently came up was the question of yield. Yield has always been a major issue for travel agencies because they have little direct control over it. Airfare margins are continually pushed down by market forces and for land product it is the wholesaler that generally determines the commission rate.

Speaking to numerous agencies and hearing some of the guest speakers it is clear that margins have reduced in the past few years – hardly surprising considering so much of the cost of an airfare these days is made up of taxes and levies.

So as a retail travel agency how do you turn around your yield and get it moving back in the right direction? I believe that CATO members can provide the answer.

The key to improving yield is to focus on changing your sales mix. Across the board commissions on land product are much higher than airfares. This is especially so at this time of the year when airlines tout their earlybird specials further limiting the scope for travel agents to set their own flight pricing.

By focusing not on the flights but the land components that make up the bulk of a client’s holiday experience you’re shifting your focus to a much higher earning product. You’ll also be helping your clients avoid a nasty pricing shock when they get their post-holiday credit card bill.

The Australian dollar has devalued as much as 20 per cent against the USD in recent months. This, together with fluctuations in the share market, has created a lot of uncertainty for travellers. Especially for those travellers who book online and pay locally at the time of travel. By encouraging them to book with you through Australian-based wholesalers, your clients are able to reduce this uncertainty and lock in their holiday costs now in Australian Dollars. Your clients will be grateful and you’ll reduce your reliance on low yielding airfares.

The time to act is now. This is brochure launch season for CATO members so there are plenty of opportunities for your staff to attend product updates and brochure launches. You might even want to put some incentives in place to get them thinking land as well as air. You’ll find most CATO members would jump at the chance to work with your team to increase sales.

CATO as an organisation is also going through a period of change and refocus. The committee recently held a strategic planning day and the new plan will be launched at CATO events in Melbourne and Sydney on 24-25 November. There are a number of exciting initiatives planned for 2016 and beyond and all CATO members are encouraged to attend.

As part of our desire to work closer with the other sectors of the industry we are also inviting airlines and the managers of the retail consortia to attend and network with Australia’s leading product suppliers – email Peter Baily on pahbaily@bigpond.net.au for details.

The key to ‘improving yield is to focus on changing your sales mix

’

Issues & trends

Top achievers celebrate in Top End Qantas Holidays hosted its 22nd annual Global Achievers gala dinner in Darwin last month, with several hundred top selling travel agents experiencing the region courtesy of key partners including Tourism NT, Qantas and a range of generous local suppliers.

A range of activities were on offer including helicopter and seaplane flights, fishing trips and excursions to the spectacular Litchfield National Park, with Qantas Holidays/Viva!

Holidays head of sales Fiona Dalton saying “it was fantastic to bring our top travel consultants to such a beautiful location that is so rich in culture and history�.

The gala dinner itself, held on the Darwin waterfront to the accompaniment of a stunning fireworks display, had a 1940s theme which included plenty of frivolity with a fabulous band which had guests up and dancing in no time. Once again hosted by TV star Hugh Sheridan, the evening had a touch of authenticity courtesy of the Qantas Heritage Collection which supplied historic Qantas posters and even a 1940s tie which was worn (with much care) by Qantas executive manager of sales, marketing and distribution, Steve Limbrick.

The top achiever this year was Angela Kaluzyn from Skilled Travel in NSW, while the awards for the first time in 2015 also included separate Cruise Achievers categories, with the National Cruise Consultant of the Year award taken out by Kerri Page from helloworld Buderim.

The state winners included the one and

only Jenny Cooper from Queanbeyan City Cruise & Travel (ACT), Angela Kaluzyn (NSW), Kirsten Simpson from helloworld Echuca (Vic), Baden Brown of helloworld Launceston (Tas), Gaynor Vantsant from Travel Focus International (WA), Jill Johansen of helloworld Mackay (Qld) and Sarah Phillis of Platinum Escape (SA).

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ISSUES & Trends

AW’S LIFE-CHANGING JOURNEYS Adventure World has released is latest collection of life-changing journeys for 2016/2017, with a big focus on agents and giving them tools to help sell to their clients.

KRIS MADDEN reports.

In response to popular demand from agents, Adventure World has reintroduced its standalone/dedicated destination brochures, with ‘mix and match’ product modules; best-selling multi-country itineraries; accommodation profiles; detailed route maps; scheduled departure dates and trip styles; essential destination and travel information; and personal expert recommendations.

General manager, Neil Rodgers, says that Adventure World’s 2016 brochure collection acts as the perfect toolkit for agents to easily guide their clients step-by-step through sometimes complex destinations and activities. The brochures provide the “nuts and bolts” on a vast array of custom products for which Adventure World is renowned.

“We aim to provide agents with the product knowledge, expertise and support to help them sell to their clients. We want them to look good, and ultimately know they can call Adventure World because we’ll have the destination and the expertise to help them sell it,” he says.

The collection comprises four stand-alone brochures: South America; Africa; India & Asia; and Canada.

The South America collection also features Mexico, Central America and Antarctica; with two new destinations: Uruguay and Suriname.

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travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

Speaking exclusively to travelBulletin, Rodgers explained that the addition of Suriname, while it might not be top of everyone’s current bucket-list, is an emerging destination with a fantastic culture and wildlife. He says “it’s Classic Adventure World” and fits perfectly with the Adventure World brand of taking customers to new and exciting places and exploring unchartered territories.

Also new in South America is a train journey by steam locomotive from Quito to Guayaquil in Ecuador. Clients can travel in one direction by rail, pick up a Galapagos Islands cruise in Guayaquil, and then fly in the other direction back to Quito, with opportunities for enhanced sightseeing on the way.

We aim to provide ‘agents with the product

knowledge, expertise and support to help them sell to their clients

’

Neil Rodgers, general manager AW Trekking programs in the Salta Region of Northern Argentina; and Wines of Uruguay, a sommelier experience, are unique and different ways to experience these countries.

The Africa collection features the African continent, Egypt and the Middle East. In line with Adventure World’s association with National Geographic; new offerings include a package which stays at three different National Geographic Lodges in South Africa.

‘In Mandela’s Footsteps’ visits important places in South Africa’s history and the life of Nelson Mandela; plus there’s a new collection of Kenyan itineraries staying in four-and five-star accommodation, visiting Samburu National Park and Tsavo West, which are less visited than parks such as Masai Mara.

Rodgers also asked agents to remember that because Adventure World is part of the global brand, The Travel Corporation, much of the product in

Africa is owned by the company, meaning agents can be assured of the best preferential rates when booking product such as Wilderness Safaris and the Red Carnation Hotel Collection including Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve, on South Africa’s Western Cape and The Oyster Box in Durban.

The India & Asia portfolio includes new destinations as ‘The Stans’: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. New itineraries include a ‘Flavours of India’ Culinary Adventure; and tours along the Silk Road from China to Iran. Rodgers says the ‘on trend’ destinations at the moment include Sri Lanka, which is “going through the roof”; Japan; and the Philippines.

Perennial favourite, Canada, Alaska and the High Arctic, sees new destinations Nunavut and Saskatchewan added to the portfolio. Adventure World is now the only Australian travel company profiling product in all Canadian Provinces and Territories. New trips include the annual Caribou Migration in Nunavut; and a Baby Harp Seal Safari, staying in a lighthouse near Prince Edward Island, on Canada’s east coast.

“More than the diverse destinations we visit or the high level of comfort we provide, our tailor-made journeys set the stage for true discovery. We aim to inspire, educate and delight travellers by taking them beyond the tourist trail and into the heart of the local cultures and untamed wilderness,” Rodgers concludes.

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expedia-au@discovertheworld.com.au travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

13

ISSUES & Trends

Indian shores for Swagman Tours

India’s Taj Mahal

More than two years in the making and after a quiet launch earlier this year, Swagman Tours is now turning up the volume on India – the independent tour operator’s new destination.

Established as one of Africa’s prominent independent tour operators in this market, Swagman’s expansion into India debuted last month with its maiden brochure – a userfriendly, 20-page guide featuring 12 flexible itineraries and extension in India, Nepal and Bhutan. While not appearing in the brochure, Sri Lanka can also be handled by Swagman if demand dictates.

Singapore Airlines has come on board as Swagman’s airline partner for the new destinations, rolling out a suite of encouraging fares, while Air India is also on the team for those in Sydney and Melbourne preferring a direct service to New Delhi.

Unveiled exclusively to travelBulletin, Swagman Tours managing director Wayne Hamilton said India had been designed to appeal to the same type of traveller who would visit Africa. “Two years ago we decided on another destination but it has taken us two years to develop the right type of product, the right partners in India and also the staff education. We couldn’t just wake up one day and say ‘Bang, here’s a new product’. So it’s been two years in the making.”

The new India range, Hamilton added, has been built around the four key pillars of history, culture, scenery and wildlife. He stressed that while India does have its own ‘Big 5’ for wildlife spotters, its native fauna is starkly different to Africa and doesn’t even include one of the country’s biggest and most 14

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

in ‘oneYoutripcan’tforputtheIndia whole

continent – it’s too vast

Wayne Hamilton, Swagman Tours MD

’

iconic natural drawcards – the wild tiger.

“It’s a fascinating destination that marries with Africa,” Hamilton said.

Each of the 12 brochured itineraries offer travellers the choice of staying in three, four or five-star accommodation. The trips have been designed by Swagman Tours in collaboration with a carefully selected ground operator, and where required, include the cost of Economy class domestic airfares in India to reach the next stop, sleeper compartments on local trains or even an overnight

houseboat journey in Kerala. Breakfast is included each morning, with some lunches and dinners also included depending on the city or town visited and the variety of dining options available outside the hotel, which in some cases are minimal.

Tours require a minimum of just two people to guarantee a departure, with local guides and representatives in each destination escorting and guiding passengers throughout.

“You can’t put India in one trip for the whole continent – it’s too vast. All of ours are pieces of states in India. We’ve covered all the core attractions and must-sees in our itineraries,” Hamilton said.

He told travelBulletin he was very happy with the positive reaction among the trade to the soft launch of the new India program so far, which saw a smattering of product available from the website and promotion by word-of-mouth. This period yielded “about three dozen bookings,” he said. “Over the scheme of things it doesn’t sound like a lot but considering you don’t have a full product to show people, no marketing or advertising at all, I’m happy with that.”

The Swagman boss described the addition of India to the company’s range as “without a doubt” a major professional achievement.

From here, plans are for the company’s sales representatives to “wear out their boot leather” and train the industry on the offering. Plans are under way for agent educationals in the near future. Hamilton said he was very happy with the latest product addition.

“India is an electrifying destination. It took me a long time to explain to people what I found was exciting about it. It’s an attack on the senses. It makes you feel alive.” n www.swagmantours.com.au

Issues & trends

Helloworld launches agent-friendly app any bookings made via ‘the... app by the traveller are attributed to that store ’

HELLOWORLD is rolling out a smartphone app which allows its members and franchisees to earn commission on flights, hotel and car hire mobile bookings made by their clients.

Soft launched at the recent helloworld Frontliners conference and formally unveiled at the Traveltech conference in Sydney by Jeremy Reitman, head of helloworld’s online operations, the app is claimed to be a “game-changer” in the fast-evolving online travel booking landscape.

Reitman told travelBulletin, agents simply enter, complete and return the mobile app opt-in form; then enter their client’s name and mobile phone number into a special page on the Helloworld website linked to their store.

That in turn sends an SMS to the customer who uses a link to download the app – and thereafter any bookings made via the app by that traveller are attributed to that store.

Agencies automatically receive nine per cent commission on hotel bookings, three per cent on air and

seven per cent on car rental bookings made via the app – and the payments are generously based on TTV rather than net rates. A fee of $5 is also paid for domestic and trans-Tasman flight bookings and overseas originating flights.

Reitman said more than 100 stores had already signed up for the app, with a planned marketing campaign expected to significantly boost uptake.

“We’ve launched a unique program that allows retail travel agents to earn commission from in-app bookings made by their customers; helping our agents to take a share of the growing mobile market.

“We believe this will be incremental business for the agents,” he said, with clients on extended trips likely to use the app to make add-on bookings.

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ISSUES & Trends

Trafalgar unveils standalone CostSaver Trafalgar has repositioned its CostSaver program as a standalone sub-brand. The move has involved a branding redesign as well as a new CostSaver by Trafalgar tagline, with the company touting its “envied position as the industry leader in providing unbeatable experiences at unbeatable prices”.

The company says it’s responding to guest feedback citing a market for great value tours. The program also provides a defence for Trafalgar against the plummeting Australian dollar, giving it a lower price point for “value-conscious” travellers.

CostSaver – operated by Trafalgar, boasts a “robustly redesigned program” and its own dedicated website which is lnow live at costsaver.trafalgar.com. Showcasing 34 different tours throughout Europe and Britain, prices start at $129 per day.

“At Trafalgar, we put our guests at the heart of everything we do,” said Trafalgar global CEO Gavin Tollman. “Thanks to their valuable feedback, we renewed our approach and have the utmost confidence that with CostSaver, we are unequivocally offering the absolute best when it comes to both value and quality.

“Appreciating the challenges that the diminishing dollar presents to many travellers, we’ve gone above and beyond

to ensure that their holiday aspirations are attainable. We sincerely thank our agent partners for urging their clients to not settle for anything less than the CostSaver way.”

Like the traditional Trafalgar product, CostSaver comprises hand-picked accommodation and itineraries incorporating the must-see sights. All tours include airport transfers and “the services of a qualityassured Trafalgar-trained Travel Director, ensuring a hassle-free holiday all-round”.

The lead-in $129 per day tour is the 11-day Wonders of Turkey taking guests through Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Pammukale, Izmir and Gallipoli The Highlights

Insight Vacations Luxury Gold Insight Vacations has announced its new Luxury Gold collection featuring more than 30 itineraries in Europe, India, Bhutan, Nepal, North America and South America.

“Luxury Gold is the fulfilment of a dream, the bringing together of a 100-year legacy in luxury experiences, with four generations in our family-run company giving a lifetime of service,” says John Boulding, Global CEO of Insight Vacations. “It brings true attention to detail, exceptional service, outstanding quality and above all, superb value, and it is these qualities that make Luxury Gold, like our sister luxury brands Uniworld and Red Carnation Hotels, the best in the world.”

Exclusive VIP experiences enable clients to go behind the scenes of the world’s most iconic attractions and events, staying in the best hotels and accompanied by a Travelling Concierge. Insight Vacations’ Early Payment Discount offers savings of up to $965 per couple, if paid in full by 17 December 2015. n www.insightvacations.com

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travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

of Spain, Morocco and Portugal takes in Humphrey Bogarts’ Casablanca and the Corniche, the celebrated shrine at Fatima and the insider knowledge of Local Specialists in Madrid, Toledo, Seville and Lisbon, from only $155 per day. There’s also the 15 day Highlights of Bohemia, delving beneath the surface of Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna and Prague from $157 per day.

With up to 30 per cent saving against the costs of comparable independent travel, clients can not only spare themselves holiday hassles but also earn commission for agents when they book a CostSaver tour. n www.trafalgar.com

DriveAway Holidays Acquisition DriveAway Holidays continues to expand its self-drive product range, recently acquiring the Renault Eurodrive Car Leasing business in both Australia and NZ providing the business with the exclusive sales and distribution rights for both the Peugeot Open Europe and Renault Eurodrive Car Leasing programs in the Australian market.

DriveAway Holidays’ managing director, Chris Hamill, said this is just one part of the company’s expansion and growth plans, stating “independent travel continues to grow, selfdrive continues to grow and as a true specialist in this area, it’s important that our product range and offerings continue to develop and expand to support our agency partners”.

The news follows the earlier announcement this year that DriveAway Holidays has expanded its Luxury and Prestige Car Hire product range adding particular emphasis on rentals within Europe, along with offering a specialised sports range such as ‘Muscle Cars’ for rental in the USA. n www.driveaway.com.au

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All in the family Around 70 per cent of Australian businesses are family-owned and operated, including many travel businesses. KRIS MADDEN shines a spotlight on some of the travel industry’s greatest family success stories.

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COVER

A

fter trading as a conventional travel agency since 1991, MTA – Mobile Travel Agents was founded by Roy and Karen Merricks in February 2000, in a tiny office on the Gold Coast.

In the 90s, Karen was working as a commission-based travel advisor for a small travel agency, and with a young family, she worked from home much of the time.

“We were aware of emerging trends overseas, particularly in the US where the home-working concept pre-dated our start-up in Australia. We would talk about the likely need of others in similar circumstances around Australia…the rest as they say, is history,” says Roy. Today, Karen and Roy’s adult children, Ben and Sara, both work in the business. Ben is head of business information, which includes IT, communications and business systems.

Sara started with MTA when all the systems and processes were manual and paper-based. She worked though virtually all aspects of the business. One day she told her parents that the support office was running so smoothly she didn’t need to do very much, so they moved her to the role as head of product, where she is today, based in Melbourne.

“Many businesses espouse ‘family’ but we truly are and are very close,” says Roy. “At the outset of MTA, Karen and I had always said that we wanted to build a business that could provide work for our kids, but only if they really wanted to be there. We didn’t ever push them.

Sara Merr icks, Jasmin M erricks (Ben’s wif e), Ben Merricks, Karen Merricks and Roy Merricks in more recent tim es.

Meet the Merricks

of MTA, Karen ‘andAt Ithehadonset always said we

wanted to build a business that could provide work for our kids, but only if they really wanted to be there

’

“We’ve been told many times that our name ‘Mobile Travel Agents’, and the fact we are a family business with our children working in the business with us, are very strong aspects of the business.

I don’t think we fully realised the value of that in the early days.

“We make most major business decisions together with Ben and Sara. We appointed CEO Don Beattie to the company over two years ago.

Besides bringing more structure to the business, the plan was for him to mentor Ben and Sara to take up more prominent roles moving forward, which they are doing.

“As parents we would be proud to think that in years to come, if Ben and Sara remain keen to keep the business under family stewardship, they’ll be properly skilled to do so. We already know they reflect our family values. Beyond that to the grand kids, well who Karen, Roy, Be n and Sara M erricks in the knows what the future may bring!” n early da

ys travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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Golden opportunities

G

oldman Travel was founded 32 years ago by Tom Goldman OAM. After 20 years at agencies including Paxtons, Amex and Astronaut Travel in Sydney, travel was in the blood, with Tom’s father, Alf, working alongside him in the travel business. Aged 39, Tom decided to start his own travel business.

Several previous clients followed to support him.

Today, all aspects of the Goldman Group are run jointly by Tom’s two sons, David and Anthony. Tom is executive chairman of the group - steering and advising the boys in the right direction and providing daily counsel based on his knowledge gained through more than half a century in the industry. Recently, Tom’s daughter Danielle joined the business as people and development manager.

Three generations have graced the industry, which started with Alfons (Alfred) Goldman, working as a travel agency in Europe in the 1940s, before making his way to Australia. Alf worked with Roland Hill at American British Travel Headquarters, The Orbit Travel and Paxtons, and then in 1962, at the invitation of Nevin Paxton, Tom joined the business.

Tom didn’t have a grand plan back at the beginning of Goldman Travel in 1983. Over time, he realised that there was a bigger opportunity to share the business with the family and use the various skills of family members to help it develop and grow.

Anthony says it’s not so much the differences, but rather the similarities he sees in the different generations.

“We all share a love of travel, hotels and airplane food (joking). The Goldman kids

were fortunate to take many family holidays at some great hotels when growing up. It was part of our upbringing. Still today, we share stories of hotel stays, the latest destinations and places to visit,” he says.

“Tom didn’t push either David or I into the business. David joined after time away learning the basics of the industry. After a career in advertising and marketing, I decided to join the business to help it expand.

And expand it did, with Goldman Travel Corporation, Melbourne-based Travelcall, Travel Phase in Double Bay Sydney and SmartFlyer Australia, a new home-based consultant business, now all under the family’s auspices.

biggest benefit ‘ofThea family business is

being able to share in the success together

’

Testimony to the success of the family business, Goldman Travel Corporation recently won Best Corporate Agency, Single Location at the 2015 NTIA Awards for the second consecutive year as well as 2015 Top Virtuoso Agency Producer in Australia/NZ. “The biggest benefit of a family business is being able to share in the success together.

Accepting these awards together as a family is very gratifying, and David and I know it makes Tom very proud. It’s a lot of hard work - but it’s all worth it.” n

C

oming up to its 21st anniversary, the doors to Marion Bunnik Travel opened on 15 March 1995. Having been in the travel industry since leaving high school; and following 25 years working for airlines, managing travel agencies and lecturing in travel and tourism, opening her own agency was the fulfilment of a long-term dream for Marion.

Shortly after founding the business, Marion was joined by her two sons, Dennis and Sacha.

Eldest son Dennis had recently returned from working in the tourism industry in London; and younger son Sacha was just completing his tourism management studies, so they were always destined to be part of the business.

those early days, ‘weInwere a retail travel

agency that did everything from footy weekends in Melbourne to complex around the world holidays

d David Goldman

Anthony, Tom an

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travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

“In those early days, we were a retail travel agency that did everything from footy weekends in Melbourne to complex around the world holidays,” recalls Marion. “We quickly gained a reputation for excellent customer service and specialising in more complex international trips. We did a bit of corporate travel too, and worked a lot with the Ansett groups department looking after sporting team travel.”

’

COVER

Marion, Dennis and Sacha Bunnik on a recent trip to Egypt.

And in 2007 on Wilson Island.

Building Bunniks Today, there are six family members involved with Bunnik Tours: Dennis as managing director; Marion as product director; and Sacha as operations director.

Dennis and Sacha’s wives also work in the company, Julie as customer care manager; and Inger in admin support.

Marion’s husband Frank escorts an annual tour to Sri Lanka and oversees the company’s international aid projects.

“There are two generations currently working at Bunnik Tours however as we’ve all been there from the beginning we all feel like first generation,” says Marion. “The third generation is already starting to emerge with Sacha and Dennis’ children having completed work experience or school holiday work with us.”

Marion says that the biggest benefits of running a family business are being able to have a long term vision and all be working together to achieve its success.

“Naming the business Marion Bunnik Travel then Bunnik Travel and eventually Bunnik Tours has ensured the continued focus on family. The advantages of having a family business far outweigh any disadvantages because at the end of the day we are all 100 per cent committed to its success.

“This generation will be here for many years to come so our future is secure. The first of the third generation will finish high school over the next couple of years so it’s still a little too early to tell what their future holds.” n

The Russells

The Russells on a camping holiday along the Queensland coast in 1982.

T

osh Russell owned and operated an American Express retail agency from 1994 until 1999, before she and husband Peter, who came from a career in aviation and marketing, together founded GlobeNet Travel in 2000. The original plan with was to focus on Queensland’s island resorts on the back of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. The company has had a cruise focus via Clean Cruising since 2007.

The business took off ‘quickly and Mum and Dad really had their hands full ’

“The business took off quickly and Mum and Dad really had their hands full. I was in Vancouver and my sister Jean was in Melbourne and couldn’t provide much help remotely. My brother Casey helped out with the website but had a fulltime job at the time,” recalls Dan, who is now general manager.

“Jean and I both joined the business when we returned to Brisbane in 2002. The growing business needed more resources and there was a real opportunity. Casey then joined the company, and Mum and Dad were very generous, and by including us as equal shareholders it gave us plenty of motivation right from the start,” says Dan. “We are a young family and enjoyed growing up together making the most of what

Australia’s surf, reef and ski fields had to offer.

Individually, we all succeeded in our endeavours early in life, knowing the essentials of teamwork, integrity and a positive approach to get there.

“Mum has been in charge of finances since the start. We still make jokes about her being Dutch which makes her perfect to ensure every cent is accounted for. Dad is involved in the website and newsletter campaigns but gets plenty of enjoyment out of organising the regular breakfast cook-ups in our office kitchen.

“Jean looks after our recruiting and Casey has been our jack-of-all-trades IT resource, taking care of everything from complex SQL procedures to broken keyboards. The extended work family has grown in recent years too, with Uncle David and Aunty Jackie preparing well researched content for the website; while our cousin Emily joined as our Finance Manager. Casey decided this wasn’t enough and married our marketing manager, Anna, two years ago.

“Each of us has made huge sacrifices to get the business to where it is today, and sometimes this can add extra emotion to our discussions,” says Dan. “There have been some robust debates around the boardroom over the years but a lot of our best ideas happened over a beer and a weekend BBQ or even a family camping trip.” n travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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COVER

Three Gens for McGeary

A

family-owned company since its conception in 1927 as De Luxe Motors by Bill McGeary, Australian Pacific Touring (APT) had its beginnings when Bill built a bus body on a tray truck after a tram strike affected the city of Melbourne. When he passed away, more than 50 years ago, Bill’s son Geoff took over the business.

“In 1964 I took a group of Melbourne students on a camping trip to Central Australia. In those days, the roads were dirt, we travelled in the 2WD school bus and accommodation options barely existed. But on that trip, I found my calling,” says Geoff.

Today, the APT Group is a multi-brand business with an extensive global portfolio of touring and cruising products still owned and run by the McGeary family, including the third generation, Robert and Lou, who are both non-executive directors of the APT

was small when ‘DadThefirstbusiness managed it... when Rob and I became involved APT was larger and more complex

’

Group. Robert’s wife Rebekah is involved in Botanica World Discoveries; and Lou’s husband Rob Tandy is general manager Australian Touring and Cruising.

Geoff’s wife Anne was involved in the early years as a sales rep and tour hostess. She used to be frightened to walk into travel agencies and still says she was probably the worst sales rep the company ever had.

“The business was small when Dad first managed it, and he was able to grow professionally as he grew the business. However, when Rob and I became involved APT was larger and more complex, and as such our roles have had to be different within it. This has meant that we (the younger generation) have had a very different experience within the family business to the previous generation,” says Lou. “Dad has always had a vision that his grandchildren would have the opportunity to enjoy the business as he has (if they choose), so my brother and I feel it is our role to be custodians of the business and ensure its growth and success, meanwhile raising children capable of such a responsibility.”

“It is a huge privilege to be able to work with your family and also to take long term view on the business. When other companies might be looking one to two years out, we can look further ahead and have our eyes on the long term goals,” adds Rob. “It’s been an exciting journey,” says Geoff.

“Luckily for us, it’s only just beginning. We’ve already had three generations, perhaps in another decade it will be four.” n 22

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

COVER

A

long time ago, in a bootshaped country far away in Europe, CIT stood for ‘Compagna Italiana Turismo’ or the ‘Italian travel company’.

Operating for 45 years in Australia, the business was originally run by the Kernot family, and is still family owned and operated, but now by the Newsom family who purchased the business in early 2015.

Peter Newsom was no stranger to the travel business, having owned Adventure World for 30 years from 1976 – 2008.

Today, two generations work in the CIT business: Peter who is managing director, and his two daughters Kate, who is general manager; and Sally who is marketing and communications manager.

“It was pretty simple really, I knew the CIT business very well, and talked to the girls about getting involved and they thought it was a great idea,” says Peter.

Kate had previously held a senior position at Commonwealth Bank; while Sally had worked with Radio Networks after completing her degree in journalism and communications.

“I think the fact that the girls had worked elsewhere, and not necessarily in travel, was a great bonus. I think they have more insights from coming outside the company first, not tainted by the old predictable ways of thinking that pervade the travel industry. The skill sets they have brought to the business are extraordinary and have allowed us to think and work outside the box,” he says.

“Working with family is rewarding, you could say I’m finally getting my return on investment!”

Sally says that if someone had of said to her a year ago she would be working with her dad and sister in a years’ time, she would have laughed.

with family ‘isWorking rewarding, you could

say I’m finally getting my return on investment!

’

“All coming from different industries, the thought of working together in a family business had never crossed my mind. I’m so happy this opportunity came to us, I couldn’t think of two better people to work with and learn from. We all bring something unique to the business, which I think is really important. One thing we do have in common

The Newsoms Kate hter, Peter and Father and daug ly.

Ita ed lov be eir Newsom in th

According to PwC’s ‘Family Business Survey

2014, family businesses have a proven track record of achieving better results than other businesses

’

is our love for travel, so it seems like we picked the right industry to work together in.”

Kate says that working in a family business is very different, particularly to her previous career in finance, but it’s also extremely rewarding.

“Having come from a different industry provides an interesting perspective for Sally and I, however, it is also an enormous opportunity for us to think about things differently to how things have been done in the past.”

“We couldn’t think of anyone else we’d rather be learning from in the travel industry, than our dad who is considered a pioneer of the industry and still has so much passion and drive, it’s incredibly inspiring.” n

Sisters in arm s: Sally (L) and Kate Newsom

business events news

ON TOP FOR EVENTS

By Kris Madden From the iconic landscapes, rich culture and wildlife of the World Heritage Listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Kakadu National Parks, the Northern Territory is a much-loved event destination.

With extraordinary meeting spaces from purpose-built convention centres to remote wilderness lodges, unique experiences and activities, the NT has everything you need for a successful business event.

The NT presents an impressive face to the world; and you won’t find another meeting destination that marries professionalism and state of the art technology with such spectacular natural scenery.

The NT continues to be the breeding ground for a number of emerging industries across scientific research, information technology and communications. Together with its role as a supply and distribution hub for northern Australia and Asia, the state has cemented its position as a world leader in energy development, mineral exploration and extraction.

Easily accessible from within Australia and no more than a short flight from Asia, the NT is a safe and friendly destination where delegates can experience the most outstanding natural and cultural wonders Australia has to offer in a truly wonderful meeting place.

Whether you’re planning a conference, incentive, or meeting and event, the NT Convention Bureau will help your event be the best it can be. n www.ntconventions.com.au

Darwin is the ideal base for your event with the option to explore extraordinary places like World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, Litchfield and Nitmiluk National Parks and the Tiwi Islands.

Uluru at sunrise, Tourism Australia

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travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

time out of their day to spend with the local Indigenous artists and get in touch with the local unique Aboriginal culture.

Alice Springs is the geographical heart of Australia – making it perfect for bringing together delegates from across the country.

Alice Springs adds a true outback adventure to an event itinerary. With hot air ballooning, quad biking, camel riding or a cattle station experience, the Alice is sure to impress all event guests.

Arnhem Land, Tourism Australia

An area of immense beauty and aboriginal significance. One of the world’s most famous wilderness areas, Kakadu National Park can be the perfect addition to an event itinerary with a touch of nature and luxury combined.

For event attendees, Arnhem Land offers an experience unlike any other. Owned by the local Aboriginal people, Arnhem Land is 91,000 square kilometres of untouched natural spectacles. The perfect addition for a pre or post event itinerary or as a highlight destination of an incentive itinerary, guests will receive invaluable insights into the 50,000 year old Aboriginal way of life.

Katherine is ideal for pre or post touring for delegates wanting a touch of adventure to kick off their trip with a cruise, canoe, bushwalk or flight over the spectacular Katherine Gorge. Delegates can even take

Ballooning in Alice Springs

A cultural site, Uluru is the perfect addition to any event itinerary whether at the start of an event to engage and motivate your guests for the days ahead, or to close an event leaving a lasting impression of a truly memorable experience. Uluru is a business event must.

BES gets $1.5m injection

BEA view Penny Lion, head of Business Events Australia, Tourism Australia

Opportunities for Aust tourism Demonstrating continued confidence in the state’s business and events sector, the City of Sydney has pledged another $1.5 million to Business Events Sydney (BESydney).

The funding injection builds on the City of Sydney’s initial outlay of $1.5 million which has delivered “lucrative incentive events”, according to Business Events Sydney chief executive officer, Lyn Lewis-Smith.

The first bout of investment had supported securing 24 events worth more than $70 million in direct expenditure, or a return of more than $90 for every $1 invested.

“To date BESydney has injected up to $249 million into the NSW economy by securing more than 53,000 Asian incentive delegates over the past three years alone,” Lewis-Smith said.

“We have confirmed 20 per cent yearon-year growth from this sector which has contributed to our strong result,” she added.

Business events deliver high yield overseas visitors who spend up to 6.5 times more per day than leisure tourists to the NSW capital.

The first instalment of funds helped activate Sydney’s city precinct during the development of the new International Convention Centre Sydney and Darling Harbour precinct. City of Sydney’s latest funding support covers the period from 2017 to 2021. n www.businesseventssydney.com.au

headlines 21 Sep AACB inducts Hall of Fame 21 Sep Storm brews over NZ GST claims 24 Sep Voyages can see the light 28 Sep Radisson Blu has looks AND brains 01 Oct Busy 2016 for conferences 06 Oct CWT rejigs M&E operation 06 Oct NSW Parliament open House 08 Oct AIME hosted buyer revamp 12 Oct Big wins for BCEC in 2014/15 12 Oct Nitmiluk takes all of Cicada 15 Oct BESydney $1.5m injection 15 Oct Amex tips meetings growth 19 Oct Pacific World into South America

Australian tourism is on the rise and working towards achieving the shared industry goal of growing overnight visitor expenditure to as much as $115 billion annually by the end of the decade as part of the broader Tourism 2020 strategy.

Currently, tracking at $88.9 billion we still have some work ahead to ensure we reach our target. However, we remain optimistic given the performance across the sector remains strong and business events in particular continues to offer significant opportunities.

In 2009, business events delegate visitor expenditure contributed A$9.6 billion to the Australian economy. In the time since, it has grown to A$13 billion annually and we believe the sector has the potential to contribute up to A$16 billion by 2020 – particularly when you factor in the high desirability of what we have to offer and the strategies in place to realise the opportunities before us.

Research shows that globally Australia continues to consistently rank highly as a destination for business events, ranking either first or second against 45 other destinations as a place offering world-class beauty and natural environments, local cuisine and wine, outstanding business events facilities, quality accommodation and exclusive experiences.

Above all the capabilities of Australia’s people has seen our business events industry flourish – where a can-do attitude coupled with fresh thinking and innovation prevails alongside creativity and a desire to succeed.

However, in an increasingly competitive business environment it is important we continue to stay ahead of the game. As such we are placing a greater emphasis on the markets offering the greatest return on investment. This also includes investing in these markets by segment – with a focus on incentive and/or association meetings business. To give an example, in Greater China and New Zealand we will concentrate on attracting Incentive business whilst in the United Kingdom and Europe our efforts are set firmly on Associations. In the United States of America we will focus

Held biennially, ‘Dreamtime allows us to

connect the Australian business events industry with qualified buyers from key markets overseas

’

on both the Incentive and Association segments.

A highlight of course of this program is our signature event Dreamtime, Australia’s largest business events showcase aimed at attracting international business.

Held biennially, Dreamtime allows us to connect the Australian business events industry with qualified buyers from key markets overseas – and we’re expecting more than 70 this year.

With South Australia’s capital, being selected as this year’s host destination, the timing is perfect for our international buyers to witness the city’s unprecedented levels of new infrastructure development and to enjoy a fantastic array of experiences on offer in both Adelaide and beyond.

When you factor in Australia’s proximity to the growing economies of Asia, and its reputation as leader in several industry sectors, our destination offers an unbeatable combination of strengths for both the incentive market and association events.

We look forward to working with our partners across government and industry in the year ahead to deliver initiatives to enable us to realise the business events opportunity for Australia.

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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TECHNOLOGY

Tramada’s connect BI

Corporate travel agencies are being required to provide more insightful information to their corporate clients with quicker lead times than ever before, but according to Tramada chief executive officer, Jo O’Brien, traditional reporting is not keeping up.

“Over the past few years, Tramada has invested heavily in the latest Business Intelligence (BI) technology, and our tramada®connect BI, provides a customised BI solution for travel agents including real time dashboards.

“Tramada recognised that if travel agents were going to survive and compete in an increasingly digital world, where the demand for data is relentless, they required an innovative tool to meet that need

and we knew we could produce a business intelligence module to do just that,” says O’Brien.

“BI is being used to take the complexity out of writing reports and putting information in the hands of the decision maker. tramada® connect BI allows agencies to make intelligent, factbased decisions; explain the past, predict the future and improve business performance. “tramada®connect BI has already been implemented with 15 of our clients, and we’ve had excellent feedback, with one client reporting they have saved 10 days per quarter in productivity by using the system.”

The software automates data collection and aggregation; generates customised reports; and is easy to learn using modern drag and drop tools.

Dashboards are designed to visually display business information in real time in a visual or easy to understand format. Dashboards can also contain Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in order to allow quick and clear examination of actual performance. Storyboards allows users to create slideshows with fully functional reports as well as text, images and videos.

“The module can be activated on an agent’s existing Tramada system that gives them these tools and the capability to use their data and compete on the global stage. It is easy to use, delivers a unique way of producing information that no one else is offering, and uses real-time data by being embedded in an existing tramada system.”

Travel agencies are transforming into lean, business-focussed organisations, striving to provide the best value for the lowest cost whilst maintaining profitability and engaged employees. A key component in achieving the right balance is often about reshaping technology and systems to make sure they deliver the best possible value to the business.

“Within Tramada, reports can link to the actual bookings in real time. tramada® connect BI has over 47 different chart types to choose from.

This means decision makers can easily compare values, and leads to an understanding of key information, trends and tracking KPIs. “Business managers can access data in real time, schedule reports to capitalise on automation and leverage storyboards to collaborate with customers. As your business grows and your requirements change tramada® connect BI can scale and grow with your business.

“We think we have something special,” says O’Brien, “It’s scalable, robust and unique.”

agencies ‘areTravel transforming

into lean, business-focussed organisations

’

Supercharge your productivity with offline automation

Booking creation Receipting - NEW Hotel payments - NEW Hotel chargeback - NEW Hotel commissions (Net Trans) – NEW

How is your travel ecosystem empowering your business? +612 8227 7333 | sales@tramada.com | www.tramada.com

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travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

TECHNOLOGY

guest comment With Travelport general manager - Pacific Kaylene Shuttlewood

Travelport – already ahead of the NDC curve We are all now quite familiar with the term “merchandising” when it comes to air travel. It generally means the ability to take all the inventory from airlines such as air fares, upgrades, add-ons and ancillaries and pump it through to the travel agencies so they can “technically” sell everything the airlines have to offer. However, with the introduction of Travelport’s Merchandising with Rich Content and Branding, Travelport sees it as so much more.

We believe doing “merchandising” right means empowering every participant from the airline, along the whole distribution chain, right down to the end traveller. In fact, for merchandising to truly succeed, every participant must experience increased value to ensure continued buy-in. With that in mind, we make sure that the priorities and needs of every participant in our rich content and branding feature has its priorities and needs addressed. So let’s look at the airlines, agencies and travelers in turn.

For airlines, Travelport Merchandising with Rich Content and Branding offers the ability to present their brand, products and services within the Travelport Commerce Platform (GDS) in the exact visual and descriptive manner that they wish – usually a mirror of their own airline website display. This means, with Rich Content and Branding, a seat upgrade or meal add-on is marketed with photos and descriptive text, rather than a cryptic 2-alphabet code.

Well over 100 airlines globally have signed up for Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding, including many of the leading Low Cost Carriers (LCCs). The flexibility and effectiveness in selling upgrades, add-ons and ancillaries are critical to the business model of LCCs and now Travelport connected agents can sell LCC fares, add-ons and ancillaries from within their GDS, without interrupting their work flow to search on the carrier’s website.

For agents, merchandising needs to empower them to sell more “stuff” and do it more efficiently. Travelport has made it easy for agents to quickly understand what’s on offer, thus speeding up the selling process. Everything is accessible on a single screen within the booking workflow. With all that information at their fingertips, the agent becomes the expert, is well informed and can be confident that their traveller is being offered every possible option. All achieved without searching and checking multiple websites.

Travelport Merchandising with Rich Content and Branding has in fact put our airline and agency partners ahead of the curve with regards to IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) guidelines which aims to promote technology standards to enable airlines to differentiate their products with rich content to create a transparent shopping experience.

Travelport Merchandising already does all that and more.

For the end consumer, when the merchandising is done right, all their needs can be met by their travel agent. There is no need to look for travel insurance or search and book local attractions on their own.

All their travel needs can be met from one source. And let’s face it Who has time to mess around or get it wrong?

Travelport continues to invest in its merchandising capabilities, having been recognised as TTG Travel Awards’ “Best GDS” 2015 in Asia Pacific for the 7th year in a row, and in 2014 AFTA’s Best Travel Technology Innovation and the TAANZ Best Technology Supplier.

With all that ‘information at their

fingertips, the agent becomes the expert

’

AMADEUS & QANTAS TRAVEL INTELLIGENCE Amadeus has launched a cutting-edge Travel Intelligence solution for airlines, Amadeus Schedule Recovery, which minimises disruptions to operations caused by external events such as bad weather or air traffic control congestion. Amadeus Schedule Recovery serves as a recommendation engine, to help quickly and efficiently identify the most critical issues, and act upon them.

This solution helps airlines make rapid choices such as whether to delay or cancel flights, swap aircraft, or reassign landing slots. Schedule Recovery reduces manual effort and improves the quality of decisions while closely controlling the strain on the airline operating costs and minimising the overall impact on passengers.

The launch customer of the solution,

Qantas Airways, has been using Schedule Recovery to improve operational efficiencies when dealing with disruptions.

“At Qantas, we take the impact of disruptions on our customers very seriously.

The Amadeus solution helps reduce the number of and length of delays, whether due to excessive traffic, operational delays, or weather conditions, leading to an overall improved experience for travellers,” said Paul Fraser, Head of Operations at Qantas.

“Amadeus has developed a product that improves our efficiency and speed to ensure any delays to our services are minimised.”

Schedule Recovery supports any airline where the size and organisational complexity of its operations, and the need to act quickly, makes it difficult for

manual decision-making to take in the full operational and customer picture. It does not require an airline to use any other Amadeus solution, and can be integrated with any passenger service system.

The solution is divided into three modules: Airport Resource Tracker, Schedule Manager and Schedule Optimiser.

Pascal Clement, Head of Travel Intelligence, Amadeus, said: “In today’s business, providing an excellent customer experience is essential to maintaining loyalty.

One of the biggest pain points for travellers has been how airlines manage disruptions.

Schedule Recovery has been designed to help airlines make quicker and more informed decisions about how to handle disruptions, regardless of their cause.” travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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Brochures

SUNSAIL SAILING HOLIDAYS

2016 CHARTER & FLOTILLA

SS_AUS_0515_DIRECT-Brochure cover NEW.indd 3

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17/09/2015 11:43

GLOBUS has popped the cork on its 2016 collection of European holidays, introducing new tours and a string of new unforgettable experiences – including a peek into the cellars of Pommeray, one of the finest Champagne houses in France. Until 1 December 2015, Globus is offering earlybird savings of 10 per cent on all Globus Europe 2016 holidays, allowing savings of up to $1892 per couple. Additional savings of up to $600 per couple are available when combined with international airfares.

INSIDER JOURNEYS has released its latest portfolio of Small Group Journeys and is celebrating by offering a $250 travel voucher for bookings of 10 days or more made before 15 December 2015. With several new itineraries, a refresh of some of the most popular journeys and the introduction of a new product style combining small boat river cruising and small group journeys into one product offering, the comprehensive guide provides the insider knowledge on small group journey travel in Asia.

Sunsail’s new 2016 brochure is your passport to sailing holiday bliss, containing everything you need to know about their top-notch fleet of yachts and 25 incredible destinations worldwide; from the South Pacific to the Mediterranean.

Sunsail caters for sailors at every level; from complete beginner to expert - offering bareboat or skippered yacht charters, Flotilla group sailing holidays, Sailing Schools and events.

WORLD EXPEDITIONS’ new 2015/16 Australia brochure contains new adventures including a 7-day Remote Northern Flinders Camel Trek and four new self-guided Larapinta Trail treks and a new nine-day guided Best of the Larapinta Trail. There’s exciting multiactivity adventures for families – one in Kakadu and one in Tasmania. Both operate during school holidays and are ideal for families with school-aged children. For cyclists, there’s an exciting Bruny Island Gourmet Hike & Bike and an 8-day East Coast Self-Guided Cycle.

VENTURE HOLIDAYS’ new look Africa and Madagascar 2016/17 brochure includes a range of small group tours in southern and eastern Africa; private safaris in Kenya and Tanzania; game reserves in Kruger National Park; gorilla treks in Rwanda and Uganda; a family safari in Tanzania; plus itineraries in Madagascar. New tours include a fully guided six-day Garden Route Safari and Winelands tour, which explores the Cape Winelands and the Garden Route; and an eight-day tour tracing the life of Nelson Mandela.

SCENIC has launched its first South East Asia River Cruising brochure, a 132-page resource featuring its full collection of Mekong and Irrawaddy river cruises including a number of new experiences and activities; three new extensions in Vietnam; plus a new tour for 2017, the 22-day Indochina Explorer and Luxury Mekong. The 2016/2017 program signals the inaugural sailing season for Scenic Spirit which will launch on the Mekong in January 2016; and Scenic Aura; launching in September 2016 on the Irrawaddy.

ADVENTURE WORLD has released its 2016 India catalogue as a pre-release for its upcoming 2016/17 India tailor-made collection. A selection of itineraries explore India’s diverse regions such as the 17-day Handpicked South India and Handpicked North India trips and 15-day Rajasthan Adventure. It also offers short trips such as the 6-day Golden Triangle adventure that touches on India’s most revered cultural icons.

An upgrade to 5-star hotels is available on the Golden Triangle adventure if booked before 31 March 2016.

CIT have released a new look and feel 2016 Italy program packed with city packages; hotel, apartment and villa stays; escorted tours; and food and wine tours; with a focus on Italian travel experiences such as art, history and culture; and walking tours. Highlights include self-guided and guided walking tours across Italy; rail tours; 15-night Rome and Splendours of Italy and Grand Tour of Italy and Sicily escorted tours; cooking tours in Tuscany, Sicily, Amalfi, Florence and Rome.

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

Your Travel Business

Crowd Funded Travel in China

Shanti Hesse / Shutterstock.com

By Michael Jones

W

hat do you do when you have a popular destination and a newly wealthy region in China with high demand to travel there, but no connecting flights? In China, you crowd-fund your way.

One of the latest and most interesting recent developments in the China travel market is the emergence of crowd-funded travel, and it makes perfect sense. In a market developing as rapidly as the Chinese outbound tourism market, airlines are always going to be a quagmire to work through before the legendary ‘Chinese inbound sales explosion’ happens in your region.

However, you don’t have to wait for airlines to open up a connecting flight if you can charter a flight, which is easier than it sounds in China. We’ve all heard of Kickstarter, and like many Western online platforms, there’s a homegrown copy of Kickstarter in China built by Chinese major e-commerce player Jing Dong (jd.com).

Initially, Jing Dong’s crowd funding platform was just a Chinese clone of Kickstarter and nothing more. If you were a film student looking to make your first short film or an illustrator trying to fund a book – you logged onto Jing Dong, wrote a good pitch, set a funding target and hoped people would finance your project in return for a copy of the final product. Now, however, you can find

New Zealand honeymoon packages, Hainan beach wedding packages and itineraries such as Maidou Trip’s recent Tahiti itinerary that raised ¥ 6.6 million in 34 days. Maidou will use that neat sum to, cash in hand, simply charter flights and bypass the long wait for airlines to set up flights to Tahiti.

They can also book accommodation, activities, and destinations.

Why this hasn’t ever been done before is surprising. The mechanism of crowd funding is suited perfectly for driving sales, simply because it’s a lot more social than just rummaging around on booking.com all alone trying to find a good deal.

Any Jing Dong project is shareable instantly via China’s major social media networks such as Weibo and WeChat, both mobile and desktop. The progress bar of the funding for a project immediately creates trust for the product – the further it is, the more people want it, the more reliable it is. An added bonus is the time limit that creates urgency to get this brand new product before anyone else does. Chinese people also trust Jing Dong more, as it’s one of China’s most reliable e-commerce platforms.

Why does it work so well in China? The main reason is that Chinese social media and e-commerce is light years ahead of the West, whether we like it or not. As we speak, all payments are starting to go mobile. You can swipe your phone instead of your card when buying groceries, get a cab, book tickets or even support a charity without

leaving WeChat or using your credit card.

We’re already seeing WhatsApp starting to copy the Chinese WeChat’s features. With the super fast, streamlined mobile consumer experience developing in China, crowd funding becomes something we can take seriously. Projects are shared via mobile and supported with mobile payments, which increases exposure, support and interaction.

There are two winners here. One is dream destinations which are difficult or time consuming to reach. The other would be newly wealthy Chinese tourist markets that have the money and the desire to travel to these destinations, but who have been put off by the lack of ready-to-use, direct travel packages.

It remains to be seen whether crowd funded travel will morph into a long-term, mainstream consumer habit, or whether something better will take its place.

Nonetheless, its social, low-risk and timelimited nature has set a new standard for pushing outbound travel sales.

Michael Jones is the co-founder of Create Consulting, a Beijingbased agency focused on promoting travel and tourism companies in the lucrative Chinese outbound tourism market. www.cconsulting.com.cn

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

29

Careers

career in

focus AMANDA BRUNO

today where it is a shopfront and a tool for delivering and sharing information and travel experiences instantaneously. Digital has certainly presented many opportunities, as well as challenges, however embracing this as a whole has been incredibly important particularly as to how digital channels complement traditional marketing channels.

Marketing Manager, Wendy Wu Tours

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

My current position is marketing manager which I have now held for the last ten years.

My role was developed to bring awareness to the consumer and trade market of the Wendy Wu Tours brand and to develop partnerships between suppliers, media and product. My position includes a variety of roles from advertising to campaigns, events and compliance. The marketing team works closely with every department in the company including sales, product, brochure development and reservations.

Working within an ‘intimate team gave me the advantage of exposure to every department...

’

How did you start out in your career? Were you always destined to work in the travel industry?

My core interest has always been the travel industry, so when the opportunity arose to join a small team with Wendy in 1999 it was a great chance to get my foot into the challenging and exciting industry it is today.

Working within an intimate team gave me the advantage of exposure in every department, as the company grew, so too did the need for specialised departments and I found my passion in marketing. Over the years I have been privileged to gain skills in a number of areas including the overall business as a whole.

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

I studied travel and tourism and was 30

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

Seeing a campaign ‘through from initial stages to execution is incredibly rewarding

’

fortunate enough to enter the travel industry soon after completing my education where I was able to utilise my skills. While I do feel formal qualifications are important, the skills and knowledge you gain through the work place are invaluable. Growing a company with a close knit team has been the best hands-on experience.

What do you love about your job?

Each day is different and brings with it its own challenges and rewards. We work in one of the best industries in the world. Is there any better product than travel? Personally, seeing a campaign through from its initial stages to execution is incredibly rewarding.

Our company has grown considerably over the years and being a part of that growth has been amazing. The number of times I have been stopped to be told how much someone has enjoyed their tour with us will never get tiresome.

How has your job changed since you started?

Something called the internet! It has been phenomenal to see the changes that have occurred over the years whereby the internet was primarily a research tool to

What factors were central to your success?

I am fortunate to work with a wonderful team who are passionate about what they do. I am also surrounded by peers and mentors who encourage you to constantly strive within your role. I am continually learning which is important – whether it be on the job, through people I meet, books I read or additional courses I take.

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

Our founder Wendy Wu has been a strong influence throughout my career and has provided me with the opportunity to work alongside her from the initial stage of the business to where we are today. I have gained incredible insight into different areas of the company which has been invaluable. From our humble beginnings to the successful business we are today I have been extremely fortunate to work with a number of amazing people within our business and within the industry.

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

Enjoy what you do – we are working in the best industry in the world! Surround yourself with people who are knowledgeable in what they do and keep learning and evolving.

Careers

INCREASING JOB SATISFACTION

By James Adonis No aspect of organisational psychology has been studied more extensively than job satisfaction. In fact, more than 10,000 academic studies have been conducted on this topic so far. And yet the results of all this research might surprise you. For example: n Does job satisfaction result in fewer rates of absenteeism? No. n Does job satisfaction reduce the rate of staff turnover? No. Okay then, what about performance?

Surely employees who love their work will generate a greater amount of productivity and quality, right? Unfortunately not.

That’s why, in a new analysis published in the Journal of Organizational Behaviour Management, researchers have found there’s really only one reason why leaders should increase their employees’ job satisfaction: simply because it’s the right thing to do.

How come? Well, even though there’s no evidence to indicate job satisfaction has a direct effect on organisational outcomes, there’s a lot of evidence to suggest it

n Support, which can be a quick chat, a helping hand, some vital resources, or… n Information, a lack of which can be frustrating and restrictive, which is why… n Feedback is essential – positive and negative, timely and tactful, aligned with… n Goals that, if possible, are mutually negotiated or, at the very least, rewarded. And… n Respite, so that difficult and exhaustive periods are broken up with moments of recovery and expressions of genuine gratitude.

As the scholars conclude: “People deserve to be treated well… It is now time to lead. culminates in less heart disease, fewer accidents, lower rates of depression, less burnout, and fewer infections. It even improves marriages and family life.

Job satisfaction, then, becomes a moral responsibility that ethical leaders pursue enthusiastically.

So, consider doing more of the following: n Identify people’s strengths and incorporate these into their work. This necessitates… n Autonomy so that employees have freedom to make decisions, to innovate and to… n Learn so that they’re constantly growing and developing. This means they’ll need…

James Adonis is one of Australia’s most well-known employee engagement and team leadership educators. He is currently a PhD candidate researching the ways in which leaders can engage employees during organisational crises and significant change. His previous qualifications cover a diverse range of disciplines including business leadership, marketing management, and political science. n www.jamesadonis.com

BUILDING YOUR BRAND The social web is now woven into almost every nook and cranny of our personal and business lives. How we look online has become an important component of our persona and who we are in a digital world.

So creating, polishing and taking control of your personal brand online is now essential for the modern professional.

The content you create on social media now defines you, and social networks amplify your content creations as people discover and share them.

If you want to continue to be effective and relevant, there’s no other choice. Jobs, careers and businesses are being created, driven and determined by the social web.

Your personal brand and how you control and define it have become vital. Starting your own online brand with your own blog or website as a hub will be the journey of a lifetime. It will evolve just like your career.

So what social media outlet should you be using to build a powerful personal brand online that will enhance your career?

Twitter: Recent research shows that Twitter’s role is much more than sharing breaking news in 140-character snippets.

It is now a social network that gives online influencers a platform to share their content and build powerful distribution globally.

LinkedIn: Many people and businesses incorrectly use LinkedIn. Number one tip: Add value to your connections through sharing great content that you create and discover. Also make sure your LinkedIn profile is a good representation of your personal brand. Join groups that will

you create ‘onThesocialcontent media now defines you ’

enhance your online presence. Use it to create powerful personal business networks.

SlideShare: Creating presentations and sharing them on SlideShare is a great enhancer for a personal brand. It positions you as an expert, because experts present.

It’s also very visual, and visual content is shared more than just text.

Mobile-centric platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram and Vine should also be considered. There are some new entrants including Meerkat and Periscope. Live video streaming is predicted to feature in the future.

Building that personal brand online is not a zero-sum game. Start creating content today and build distribution for it on your social networks. In 10 years’ time, you will be way ahead of your peers and have a bank of great content.

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

31

Cruise report

Norwegian’s big plans for Australia The long-awaited establishment of a dedicated Australian office for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) is expected to significantly boost the company’s business here.

BRUCE PIPER reports.

Representing all three brands: Norwegian, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the office represents a massive boost in resources, moving from the former arrangement where there was just one local employee to an expected full head count of around 40 by early next year.

The office, which formally commenced operation on 1 October, is headed up by Steve Odell, with an experienced team including Norwegian veteran Nicole Costantin, who has been appointed as vice president of sales for Australia/NZ for Norwegian Cruise Line. Sales of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises will be looked after by Lisa Pile, who returns to Australia after an extensive career in luxury travel including her most recent role as executive director of Global Luxury Sales for Fairmont Raffles Hotels International.

Ben Angell, formerly with Royal Caribbean, returns to the cruise industry after a stint at Virgin Australia and will head up marketing across all three brands, and Elizabeth Krstevski rounds out the team as operations/contact centre manager, joining from her former role with Helloworld wholesale’s The Cruise Team.

Odell, who is now based in Sydney after several years in Europe where he headed up Silversea Cruises in EMEA and Asia Pacific, told travelBulletin he believes there is a major opportunity for the Norwegian, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas brands. “I firmly believe we are the leader in all three markets where we operate,” he said, with NCLH spanning the “upper end of the contemporary, premium

L to R: Nicole Costantin, Lisa Pile, NCLH international chief Harry Sommer, Steve Odell, Ben Angell and Elizabeth Krstevski.

and luxury cruise categories”.

Office space in the Sydney CBD is currently being fitted out, with recruitment for other team members well under way. “Having a local call centre is a big deal – not everyone

Having a local call ‘centre is a big deal – not everyone has that ’

has that,” Odell said, with all three brands operating under one roof in Australia set to ensure timely and accurate communication with the company’s travel industry partners.

Existing relationships with resellers such as Cruise Office (for Oceania) and Wiltrans (for Regent Seven Seas) will continue, with the company’s strategy being to branch out into the travel agent retail arena. “Wholesalers are a vital part of our distribution chain,” Odell said

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– particularly for destinations such as Hawaii where Norwegian has a very strong presence.

“The GSAs have been a big driver of our business, and they’ve done a great job. The local office will help us to support them better,” he added. Potential growth areas for Norwegian include Alaska and longer Mediterranean voyages, with the company hoping to step up its cooperation with groups such as Cruiseco, Infinity, Creative Cruising and others.

Odell confirmed that as well as recruiting BDMs across Australia and dedicated inside sales support staff the company would also have someone on the ground in New Zealand. “We have a huge opportunity, being the lesser known of the contemporary brands in the Australasian market,” he said. Locals will have the opportunity to see the Norwegian product for themselves in 2016/2017 when the refurbished Norwegian Star will operate a brief season out of Sydney and Auckland.

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TERMS & CONDITIONS: *Prices are cruise only per adult in AUD, based on lowest available twin share accommodation, inclusive of all promotional savings, port charges, government fees and gratuities on board. Offer valid for new bookings, prices are correct as at 14 October 2015, are subject to availability, are not combinable with other offers, are capacity controlled and can be withdrawn or varied at any time. Offer is valid for sale until 31 December 2015, unless sold out prior or withdrawn. OLife Advantage amenities are subject to change and apply to Veranda Staterooms and above. ~Shipboard Credit is in US dollars and is non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. ^Free unlimited internet applies to one guest per stateroom and Beverage package is per guest twin share. +Free Shore Excursions are subject to restrictions, depending on length of voyage. Prices subject to change due to fluctuations in charges, taxes & currency. Cruises are subject to availability at time of booking. Single passengers must pay a single supplement. Cancellation fees and conditions apply. Oceania Cruises reserve the right to correct error or omissions. To be read in conjunction with the Terms and Conditions of Oceania Cruises, which passengers will be bound by. Offer may be withdrawn at any time.

Cruise report

ECRUISING PARTNERS WITH OCEANIA CRUISES

Cruise specialists ecruising.travel have partnered with Oceania Cruises to combine ecruising’s trademark packaged cruise holidays with Oceania’s premium cruise experience.

To celebrate this new partnership, ecruising.travel have created a South American cruise, land and tour package for

travel in 2016.

The 25-night ‘Incas to the Big Apple’ package on-board Oceania Cruises’ Marina begins on April 22 in Lima for a seven-day fully escorted land tour in Peru including comprehensive sightseeing in Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu whilst

staying in five star accommodation.

The group will then board Oceania’s Marina in Lima for a 16-night cruise to New York with numerous port visits in a variety of cities in Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and the USA before reaching the final destination of New York.

Prices start from $12,249 per person twin share and include return economy airfares from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane; nine nights’ accommodation in first class hotels; transportation and most meals during the land tour in Peru, English-speaking guide and entrance fees in Peru, and sightseeing in New York.

The 16-night cruise on Marina includes accommodation with all meals; 24-hour room service, complimentary soft drinks, bottled water and specialty coffee, all gratuities and port taxes. n www.ecruising.travel

CDU becomes ACA Cruise Down Under (CDU) has rebranded and changed its name to the Australian Cruise Association to better represent its members, role and objectives, reflecting the growth and diversity of the industry group and the importance of its role in Australia’s burgeoning cruise industry.

The rebrand was one of the topics of discussion at the group’s recent conference in Darwin, where it was suggested that there was some confusion around the existing name, with CDU often mistaken for a commercial cruise travel agency rather than an industry association.

The name Australian Cruise Association was chosen to highlight the organisation’s role as the co-operative marketing cruise brand for Australia allowing it to better represent the Australia Pacific region at international business events.

To go along with the name change, the brand has been given a visual refresh with an update made to the logo, website and other content. n www.australiancruiseassociation.com

34

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

GOLDEN PRINCESS DOWNUNDER Sydney welcomed a new visitor in late October, when Princess Cruises’ Golden Princess sailed into the Harbour to make her maiden call to Australia. Golden Princess joins four other Princess ships to offer roundtrip cruises in local waters during the cruise line’s biggest ever Australian summer season.

The ship’s standout features include Skywalkers Nightclub, suspended at the rear of the ship and reached by a moving walkway above the decks, as well as more than 1300 staterooms, four pools, nine whirlpools, two show lounges and 12

dining options. Golden Princess is also the first ship in the Princess’ fleet to feature Crafted by Curtis menu items in its dining room, following the cruise line’s exclusive partnership with Australian chef Curtis Stone. Arriving after a 28-day cruise from San Francisco via the Pacific, Golden Princess then departed on a 10-night South Pacific cruise.

She will sail to Melbourne for a fivemonth season of cruising, arriving on 30 October to claim the mantle of the largest cruise ship to be based in Victoria. n www.princess.com

Cruise report

CLIA view Brett Jardine, commercial director CLIA Australasia

AUST A CRUISING POWERHOUSE CLIA recently published a global Economic Impact Study that showed total cruise passenger numbers in 2014 reached more than 22 million passengers and the total contributions of the cruise industry to the global economy was almost USD$120 billion.

North America accounted for 55 per cent or 12.2 million cruise passengers, Europe accounted for 29 per cent or 6.4 million passengers and other regions of the world, including Australia, China, Singapore, Japan and South America, accounted for the remaining 16 per cent or 3.5 million passengers.

The just released CLIA Australasia Economic Impact Study shows that swelling cruise passenger numbers and an increase in homeported ships helped drive the industry’s economic contribution to a record $3.6 billion during the 2014/15 financial year – an impressive 11 per cent increase since 2013, when CLIA’s first economic report recorded an industry contribution of $3.2 billion.

According to the report, the number of calls by homeported ships increased by eight per cent in the 2014/15 financial year, compared to the previous year, helping to boost cruise line expenditure by 11 per cent.

Also fuelling growth was a 10 per cent rise in passenger capacity on homeported ships and a nine per cent increase in capacity on visiting ships, reflecting the increasing size of cruise ships in local waters.

Overall passenger expenditure grew by 12.5 per cent to $814 million, driven by the increase in passenger days as well

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as a 3.4 per cent rise in average cruise passenger spend per day to $384.

In great news for homeports around the country, the report revealed that international cruise passengers spend big

KAREN CHRISTENSEN General Manager & Director Sales/Marketing, Australasia

International cruise ‘passengers spend big

EPIC KIMBERLEY EXPEDITIONS

before joining a cruise...

’

before joining a cruise, averaging $700 a day. While domestic passengers spend an average of $483 per day.

While there is a lot to celebrate in the economic findings, CLIA’s executive summary sounds a warning bell about the cruise industry’s future expansion, noting that capacity constraints are already being felt in Sydney and Brisbane, with regional destinations in QLD, Victoria and WA now growing at the expense of the nation’s cruising gateway, Sydney.

These constraints have limited the number of visiting international ships, prompting a 10 per cent decline in international passenger visit days in 2014-15 and costing Australia close to $7 million in lost economic benefits, highlighting the shifting structure of the industry as these limitations start to bite.

The second regional EIS has really proven its worth, not only outlining the tremendous value of the cruise industry but demonstrating the importance of appropriate support from government as we move forward.

Departing from March to May 2016, 10-day all-inclusive Kimberley expeditions from au$12,350 per person, including a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungle range.

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Crystal to build own ships Fleet shuffle for Silversea Cruise key for NSW Ports All change for AmaLotus RCI one-shop shore stop Norwegian office opens Norwegian riding the wave

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travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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Visit silversea.com full terms Terms & Conditionsforapply. and conditions.

35

Industry in focus

odle at Sydney’s Night No key industry partners in Ch n lso Ne er Cathay Pacific hosted manag tured are CX country Markets last month. Pic manager Richard Jones. es sal al ion nat CX and newly appointed

Sponsors of the massive Travel Daily/JITO networking night - Simon Dodds, American Airlines; Helene Taylor from JITO; David Hughes from Travel Counsellors; Kaylene Shuttlewood of Travelport; Trafalgar MD Matthew CameronSmith; Bruce Piper from Travel Daily Group; and Katherine Marson of Merivale.

These agents are pictured here relaxing aboard APT’s new AmaDouro ship in Portugal during this year’s APT Top Achievers trip.

Tony Archbold, Holland America Line director of sales Australia; Jerrol Golden, HAL deputy PR director; and Mark Kammerer, the cruise line’s head of international sales, on the top deck of ms Noordam on the day she arrived for the first time in Australasian waters.

These lucky agents witnessed one of Australia’s greatest Rugby World Cup victories over England during a recent Korean Air famil to London.

36

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

Club Med and Thai Airways International hosted some very lucky agents from helloworld to experience Club Med Opio en Provence in the South of France.

NOVEMBER 2015

Incredible experiences atop Isobel Glacier in New Zealand had these agents jumping for joy on the recent AOT Mega Famil 2015.

Representatives of Quest Sale we re on hand at th Gala Awards Di e annual nner to accept Quest Apartmen highest accolad t Hotels’ e, the 2015 Aust ralian Franchise of the year.

d the smiles when they visite These agents were all of Adventure t par as k Par nal tio Na magnificent Yosemite t month. an Adventures famil las World’s Grand Americ

Thai Airways and Helloworld took their top producers recently on a famil to Bangkok, sponsored by Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

They’re pictured here after dinner at W Bangkok.

Members from APT’s Retail Reservations Team joined their Kimberley and Outback Wilderness Adventures colleagues for a tour of one of their custom built 4WD coaches.

gs at the spirit of thin re getting into we at the ies ey dn lad Sy ly ve in These lo last month held t gh ni g casion. oc kin e or out for th the JITO netw members turned ry st du in 0 30 r Ivy. Ove travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

37

Airlines of the world

Flying high

KRIS MADDEN takes a look at what’s in store for Australia and world aviation in the year ahead.

38

travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

Airlines of the world

A

USTRALIA’s position as a tourism hotspot, combined with the ongoing renegotiations of aviation bilaterals with countries around the world, has seen many airlines increase their capacity to and from Australia, with more to come in the year ahead.

To date this year, Australian international passenger traffic for the year ended July 2015 was 33.997 million which is a 4.5 per cent increase over the figure for the year ended July 2014, according to the latest Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development statistics.

from Brisbane to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport; while diverting its Sydney flights to Haneda Airport, which is in fact closer to Tokyo’s city centre. Star Alliance member ANA has also announced plans to resume services to Australia, as it prepares to add its Tokyo Haneda to Sydney operation from 11 December this year.

Tigerair Australia will fly internationally for the first time when it commences flying five times a week from Adelaide to Denpasar, and daily from Melbourne and Perth to Denpasar, in March 2016.

complementing its daily service to Sydney.

The airline says the schedule fits neatly into onwards flights from Vancouver to other Canadian and US destinations.

Middle East

North America Asia opens up Qantas has renewed its push into China with the help of a code-sharing agreement with China Eastern on the carrier’s doubledaily Sydney–Shanghai and Melbourne– Shanghai flights, starting this month. The partnership opens up a raft of onward connections to new destinations including Changchun, Jinan and Wuhan, helping the Aussie airline tap into the booming Chinese market including business travel to many ‘second tier’ cities which are hubs for manufacturing. China Eastern will also launch direct flights between Brisbane and Shanghai early next year.

Air China will increase its capacity from Melbourne by 60 per cent, with the launch of a daily direct service between Beijing and Melbourne in October, making Air China the only carrier to offer a direct service between Melbourne and Beijing.

Xiamen Airlines launches its thrice-weekly Fuzhou – Sydney service from 29 November, followed by a twice-weekly Xiamen – Sydney service from 5 December. From January 2016, Hong Kong Airlines will begin service to Australia’s Gold Coast and Cairns three times per week.

This year has also seen Qantas reignite its passion for Japan, commencing new flights

Qantas also teamed up with alliance partner, American Airlines, to see the US-based airline fly between Los Angeles and Sydney for the first time; while Qantas will resume direct flights from Sydney to San Francisco.

The American Airlines flights start on 19 December this year, with QF flights commencing a day earlier. The codeshare arrangements with American Airlines, WestJet and Alaska Airlines, will see Qantas offer services on a total of more than 200 routes to over 100 destinations in North America.

Star Alliance member United Airlines will resume services between the US west coast and New Zealand from mid-next year.

UA will launch a thrice-weekly service to Auckland from San Francisco starting 1 July using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. The service will operate under a cooperative arrangement with Star Alliance NZ member Air New Zealand, which itself operates the route on a daily basis.

Further opening up the US routes, Air New Zealand will add to its destinations in the US by flying to Houston five times a week from mid-December. At the same time, Air New Zealand will stretch its wings into South America, with the commencement of thriceweekly flights to Buenos Aires.

Air Canada will start flying nonstop between Brisbane and Vancouver three times a week from June 2016,

Qatar Airways will begin flying to Adelaide in early May 2016 using its flagship Airbus A350, just two months after it launches its non-stop Qatar flights between Sydney and Doha on 1 March 2016. Qatar already flies to Melbourne and Perth.

Etihad Airways will commence daily A380 services between Abu Dhabi and Melbourne on 1 June 2016. The double daily service from Melbourne provides travellers from Victoria access to more than 900 weekly connections in 50 markets across the Gulf region, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Meanwhile, Emirates has flagged the potential of the Dubai-based carrier flying to secondary cities in Australia as part of the next stage of its alliance with partner Qantas. Darwin, Cairns, Broome and even Alice Springs are possible destinations which may be serviced over the next five years through the tie-up with Australian flag carrier, Qantas. Part of the original agreement between Qantas and Emirates was that Qantas consider the resumption of European cities when it receives its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, expected to enter service by mid-2019. European gateways mentioned which may be accessed by Qantas via Dubai include Frankfurt, Paris and Rome.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports that airlines expect to welcome some 3.6 billion passengers in 2016. That’s about 800 million more than the 2.8 billion passengers carried by airlines five years ago.

As airlines search for durable models for the future, new joint venture models, bilateral and global alliances, and code-sharing seem to be the way forward. And the number of airlines looking to make a toehold in Australia remains unabated. travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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Airlines of the world

NEW ERA FOR SWISS SWISS will usher in a new era in the history of its longhaul aircraft fleet in January with the arrival of the first of its nine new Boeing 777-300ERs, featuring totally redesigned cabin interiors in all three classes.

First class seats can be transformed into a private suite that includes a 32-inch screen, the largest in the industry. Guests will also enjoy electrically-adjustable window blinds and their own personal wardrobe.

SWISS has refined its business class inflight product based on customer feedback. Voted ‘Europe’s Leading Airline Business Class’ for short and long-haul at the World Travel Awards in September for the fifth year in a row,

seats are easily converted into a lie-flat bed over 2m long.

Economy customers can look forward to a new travel experience, with new seat-cushion technology and innovations that include large personal touchscreens. In addition to cabin service, guests can make use of a selfservice kiosk offering drinks and snacks. The new craft will also feature broadband wireless internet, enabling passengers to surf or send emails on their laptop, tablet or smartphone devices.

Australian customers can experience the product from 30 April 2016 when the first aircraft is deployed on the Hong Kong-Zurich route. n www.swiss.com

LH’s Historic upgrade It’s been a big year for Lufthansa, with the German carrier continuing to roll out its new premium economy cabins, launched last year, the first time in 35 years it has had a new product.

The premium economy cabin offers considerably more space and comfort as well as many additional product features. For one, the free baggage allowance is double that allowed in economy class. Lounges can be accessed for a fee. On board, each passenger is greeted with a welcome drink and upmarket amenity kit.

Meals are served on china tableware, and there is an extensive inflight entertainment program.

Australian customers can experience Lufthansa’s premium economy class to Germany from a choice of hubs; Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Nagoya, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Mumbai. Lufthansa offers a value for money mixed class fare from Australia allowing customers to book economy class to Asia with one of many interline partners and fly in the new premium economy cabin long-haul to Europe.

Karl Ulrich Garnadt, chief executive officer of Lufthansa German Airlines said that premium economy was an important part of the “biggest

Premium economy class

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product upgrade in Lufthansa’s history”.

“Booking levels to date have significantly exceeded our expectations”, said Garnadt.

“This shows that we are striking a chord with customers with our new offering. As well as cost-conscious business travellers, we’re also attracting the rapidly growing target group of leisure travellers who don’t want to skimp on comforts during their holidays.”

Lufthansa is also working intently on upgrades to its first and business classes on board its long-haul aircraft. The new Lufthansa business class seat boasts a horizontal sleeping surface measuring almost 2m in length. At the press of a button, it converts into a comfortable bed. The innovative V-shaped seating arrangement, which almost doubles the distance between two seats at shoulder level, giving passengers greater privacy. There are also generous storage spaces; and greater inflight entertainment system options.

Lufthansa has also extended its position as an innovation leader for digital services. From early 2016, Lufthansa will be the first network airline in Europe to offer broadband on board its short and medium-haul flights in addition to long-haul flights. n www.lufthansa.com

Business class

Austrian invests in product and fleet Honoured with the Skytrax World Airline Award 2015; Austrian Airlines’ business class catering, onboard and ground services, are among the best in the world.

From October Austrian Airlines began revamping the interiors of 29 Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft to be completed in 2017. The main changes involve business class improvements, with greater seat spacing and higher quality seat cushions. A unique ‘Flying Chef’ puts finishing touches to culinary specialities. The Flying Coffee House, based on the tradition of the Viennese Coffee House, serves a variety of freshly prepared classic coffees.

Two per cent of passengers, around 188,000 people per year, purchase a business class ticket, so Austrian hopes its upgrade will attract more higherspending customers.

Flight services begin for the first time to three long-haul destinations in October 2015: Miami, Mauritius and Colombo. The airline will also operate weekly flights from Vienna to Marrakech from November 2015. n www.austrianairlines.ag

www.koreanair.com

Where dreams are made Korean Air A380

Make flying on a whole new scale a reality Step on board the all new Korean Air A380 and watch your dreams take flight.

Inspired by wonder and innovation, it blends more space, privacy and luxury across every class, with the finest service in the sky. Bring dreams to life with the new Korean Air A380.

Departure

0900

Daily

1740

Arrival

0655 +1 Daily

1845

Departure

Sydney

Seoul Arrival

* Period : 2 DEC 2015 ~ 27 MAR 2016

Sydney : (02) 9262 6000 / Brisbane : (07) 3226 6000

Airlines of the world

IN FLIGHT Emirates The route Sydney to Dubai.

Class First Class, seat 1F on the upper deck.

Entertainment Emirates is famous for its Information, Communication, Entertainment (ICE) system, which offers a huge range of movies, TV shows, music and games. There are live news updates during the flight, and the EK A380 offers full connectivity so you can also get on the internet to send urgent emails if required.

The seat The Emirates First Class suite is a private cocoon in the sky, with a sliding door for privacy. A delightful touch was the welcoming basket of snacks as well as an in-seat mini-bar - in the very unlikely prospect that the attentive crew aren’t on hand to cater to our every whim. Thoughtful touches include a concealed make-up mirror complete with cosmetics for those vital in-flight touch-ups before heading down to the bar shared with business class passengers. A full size desk provides plenty of room to work.

Service The crew on board didn’t disappoint, offering thoughtful and anticipatory service throughout the flight which included premium beverages (think a choice of vintage Champagne) and an appealing variety of meal offerings. When it was time for sleep we were offered comfy pyjamas and the spacious seat was made up into a bed which made for a great night sleep.

A highlight would have to be the in-flight shower spa on the Emirates A380. It’s surreal being able to shower at 38,000 feet and then enjoy a refreshing herbal tea - an experience not to be forgotten.

The plane A380.

Complimentary Limousine Services Passengers who purchase ticket on Air China's specified routes and business classes are entitled to free luxury chauffeur transfer service between the airport terminal and downtown in selected cities. With personalized guidance through the airport terminal in selected cities. For details, please visit: www.airchina.com.au; To book this service, please kindly contact Air China office or email the request to: sydca@airchina.com or melddca@airchina.com.au at least 3 working days before departure

Air China Sydney:02-92327277 Air China Melbourne:03-86025555 Australia Call Centre:1800860999

Premium Economy Class.

Europe fares:

$2799 plus taxes & charges

Offer your customers More.

Whether travelling for business or pleasure, your customers will appreciate the advantages of the new Lufthansa Premium Economy class. Offer your customers a new, comfortable Premium Economy seat with 50% more room, an increased baggage allowance, lounge access for a fee plus more benefits onboard.

lufthansa.com

Book from Australia to one of our many gateways in Asia with our partner airlines Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, or via Auckland with Air NZ, to our Frankfurt and Munich hubs.

More information at: http://premium-economy.lufthansa.com/en

Airlines of the world

Air NZ to Houston On 15 December 2015 Air New Zealand commenced flying its completely refitted Boeing 777-200 aircraft to Houston from all Australian capital cities via Auckland.

The service sees completely new interiors and the airline’s award-winning on-board experience including lie-flat Business Premier beds, comfortable new Premium Economy seats and the popular Economy Skycouch.

Operating five times a week, the flights will open up the state of Texas as well as popular nearby states such as Louisiana and Florida. Air New Zealand will code share from Houston to other key USA domestic destinations as well as Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean with Star Alliance partner United Airlines.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Luxon, says the airline is excited to be adding Houston to its list of international destinations, particularly as the move comes hot on the heels of the airline’s commencement of three services a week to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“The addition of Houston to our network means our customers can fly to Texas and then set out to explore one of the most vibrant and fascinating parts of American culture and experience down home southern hospitality through the food, music and sights of Texas and the American south.” n airnewzealand.com.au

Taste New Caledonia Aircalin, New Caledonia’s international airline, provides a taste of this wonderful country as soon as you step on board, with a relaxing atmosphere that is a combination of real Melanesian hospitality combined with true French class.

Aircalin has a modern Airbus fleet comprising of Airbus A330 wide body and A320 narrow body aircraft, each offering economy and business classes.

The word calin in French means a hug, which reflects the airline’s attitude. Cabin service managers and flight attendants do the utmost to ensure that flying is comfortable and enjoyable.

From Australia, Aircalin offers a total of 12 direct flights per week from three major cities – Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne (on Aircalin flight numbers) with additional cities serviced by our domestic codeshare partners to connect with Aircalin’s international services.

New Caledonia has been described as one of the finest French gourmet experiences outside of France, and gives a real taste of this delicious experience. High quality food is a priority and on-board menus feature selections of both international and Melanesian specialities. All meals are served with a selection of beverages including fine French wines.

Depending on the aircraft type, a full entertainment program is provided either through the personal screens, portable devices (after downloading the Aircalin Player APP) or on centralised screens.

Economy class on Aircalin is in a league of

EK mulls secondary cities EMIRATES president and chief executive officer, Tim Clark, has flagged the potential of the Dubai-based carrier flying to secondary cities in Australia as part of the next stage of its alliance with partner Qantas.

EK currently operates 77 weekly flights to five capital cities in Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Clark listed Darwin, Cairns, Broome and even Alice Springs as possible destinations which may be serviced over the next five years through the tie-up with the Australian flag carrier.

The Emirates boss recently met with Qantas chief executive officer, Alan Joyce, to “map the way forward over the next three to five years”.

“Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are going to be primary areas,” he said, with growth on the local market with Qantas “unabated”.

Part of the original agreement, Clark added, includes Qantas considering the resumption of European cities when it receives new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, expected to enter service by the end of QF’s 2019 financial year. European gateways mentioned which may be accessed by Qantas via Dubai include Frankfurt, Paris and Rome.

In August, Emirates’ announced its eight daily flights to London will all be served by the popular A380s from January 1st 2016. n www.emirates.com 44

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its own, with aircraft specially configured to give passengers the maximum individual space available, ensuring relaxation and comfort.

Aircalin’s premium Business Class, the Hibiscus cabin, is ideal for the luxury and business traveller looking to fly in greater style. With dedicated cabin and service managers, priority boarding, French champagne and access to club lounges, Hibiscus Class passengers experience a smooth and comfortable flight.

New Caledonia is one of Australia’s nearest neighbours, situated just 1,200kms east of Queensland. This makes New Caledonia an easy flight from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, with a journey time of between two and under four hours. n www.aircalin.com

THE DOOR TO NORTH AMERICA IS OFFICIALLY OPEN.

Daily non-stop to Vancouver with same-plane service to Toronto and connections to over 100 Canadian and U.S. destinations.

Fly our International Business Class and enjoy fully lie-flat beds, over 600 hours of in-flight entertainment and access to our award-winning Maple Leaf™ Lounges and concierge services.

All this is conveniently offered on daily non-stop flights from Sydney to Vancouver with smooth connections to more than 100 destinations in North America.

For more information, visit aircanada.com.

International Business Class is available on overseas flights on all Air Canada-operated wide-body aircraft. ™Maple Leaf is a trademark of Air Canada.

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Airlines of the world

BNE-YVR non-stop with Air Canada

New craft for Korean Air Korean Air, the flagship carrier of South Korea, recently welcomed its first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental at a ceremony in Seattle.

Present at the ceremony to celebrate the delivery of the aircraft, representing Korean Air, was the airline’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Mr. Walter Cho; and president and CEO for commercial aircraft, Mr. Ray Conner, representing Boeing.

With the addition of the B747- 8 Intercontinental to its fleet, Korean Air became the first airline in the world to operate both types of the B747-8. About 70% of the aircraft, by structural weight, incorporates new advanced aluminum alloys and carbon composites to reduce the weight drastically and giving a 16% improvement in fuel consumption and emissions over its predecessor the 747400, while generating 30% less noise.

With a range of 14,815 kilometres, the new B747 will be the fastest wide body passenger jet in the world with a normal cruising speed of Mach 0.86.

Korean Air’s new B747-8 Intercontinental is configured with 368 seats in a three-class configuration; 6 First Class, 48 Prestige Class (26 seats on the upper deck and 22 seats on the main deck) and 314 Economy Class. The

aircraft also features new First Class Kosmo Suites 2.0 designed with a sliding door and higher partitions to provide added privacy for passengers. Suites are also equipped with updated in-flight entertainment systems, with large 24-inch high-definition monitors and new handheld touch remotes. The airline’s Prestige Class Suites will feature staggered seating and privacy panels, along with 18” high definition touch screens. The aircraft also features an all-new, 787 Dreamliner-inspired interior that includes new curved, upswept architecture, giving passengers the feel of more space and comfort.

Korean Air began operate its B747-8 Intercontinental from Seoul on the Frankfurt and Singapore routes in September. The airline also plans to introduce the aircraft on the San Francisco and Hong Kong routes from November.

Korean Air has also signed MOUs with Airbus and Boeing for the purchase of more than 100 new aircraft, the largest fleet order made in Korean aviation history. The purchase will be a stepping stone for the airline’s evolution and enhanced flight safety by replacing older mid-long haul aircraft with newer and more fuel-efficient ones. n www.koreanair.com

QF BEEFS UP US CODESHAREs Qantas has announced a significant expansion of its codeshare arrangements with American Airlines, WestJet and Alaska Airlines, seeing the QF code will placed on 40 additional routes across the US, Canada and Mexico.

The move will see Qantas offer codeshare services on a total of more than 200 routes to over 100 destinations in North America.

“With the launch of our nonstop flights to San Francisco later this year, we’ve identified an opportunity to position this port as another key US hub for Qantas customers, by extending the codeshares we already have in place,” said QF International CEO Gareth Evans.

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The new Qantas codeshare routes include flights ex LAX with American Airlines to Charlotte, Columbus, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Raleigh Durham in the US as well as Vancouver in Canada. San Francisco codeshare services will include AA flights to Charlotte, Philadelphia and Phoenix as well as Alaska Airlines services to Seattle, Portland and Palm Springs.

There’s also a major expansion of the Qantas codeshare network in Canada, with QF adding codeshares on an additional 25 city pairs in partnership with WestJet, while Mexico services will expand from LAX with AA codeshares to Mexico City, Guadalajara and San Jose de Cabo. n www.qantas.com.au

Air Canada has plenty of news for 2016, with the commencement of its new non-stop B787 Dreamliner route between Brisbane and Vancouver, and a reconfiguration of its B777 bringing premium economy to its daily Sydney services.

From 17 June 2016, Air Canada will commence flying non-stop from Vancouver to Brisbane three times weekly, with the intention to increase to daily service, subject to government approvals. The flights complement Air Canada’s yearround, daily non-stop flights to Sydney.

The state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft features 20 International Business Class lie-flat seat suites, 21 Premium Economy and 210 Economy Class seats offering upgraded in-flight entertainment at every seat throughout the aircraft. Flights are timed to optimize connectivity to and from Air Canada’s extensive North American network through the airline’s Vancouver hub, providing Queensland passengers with the option of a ‘two-nation vacation’ combining Canada and the US. One month earlier, in May 2016, the Canadian flag-carrier’s daily direct service between Sydney and Vancouver will feature an upgraded Boeing 777-200LR jet sporting the same business class as its flagship Boeing 787 fleet. The pointy end of the plane will see 40 ‘Executive Pods’ – next generation 80 inch fully lie-flat seats arranged in a 1-2-1 layout so that every passenger has direct access to the aisle. The refreshed jet will also debut Air Canada’s premium economy onto the route, with 24 seats of 19.5 inches wide with a 38 inch pitch and 7 inch recline, plus an AC power outlet.

Paul McLean, Air Canada’s GM for Australia and New Zealand says the refurb means that not only is Air Canada’s network expanding out of Australia, but from mid2016 all passengers will experience the airline’s latest world-class on-board product. n www.aircanada.com

Airlines of the world

Air China launches Mel-PEK direct The Premier of Victoria, Australia, the Hon. Daniel Andrews MP, recently visited Air China’s headquarters in Beijing, meeting with Mr. Wang Ming Yuan, vice-president of Air China.

Over the course of 2015, Air China will increase its capacity from Melbourne by 60 per cent, the largest increase in a single year since Air China first entered the Australian market 30 years ago.

A daily direct service between Beijing and Melbourne commenced on 25 October, making Air China the only carrier to offer a direct service between Melbourne and Beijing. The carrier also operates a non-stop service from Melbourne to Shanghai four times a week.

Both routes are operated by the latest Airbus A330-200 aircraft offering 28 lieflat bed business class seats and 199 economy class seats with a generous seat pitch of 32”.

The direct services connect Air China customers to Beijing and Shanghai, two signature cities in China, and from there to Air China’s extensive domestic network.

The airline also has the largest capacity

to Europe and North America from China, with passengers having a choice of 24 daily flights to 16 Europe cities, 12 daily flights to 8 North America cities and 30 daily flights to 12 Japanese and South Korean cities.

Air China business class travellers can enjoy a complimentary chauffeur-driven limousine service in Beijing and eight other major cities in China, as well as on-arrival lounge service with shower and changing room facilities. Air China also offers one of the most generous baggage allowances of any airline flying from Australia to China, Europe, Japan and North America.

In 2014, Air China celebrated its 30th anniversary of flights to Australia. The

direct service builds on the strong aviation traditions between the two countries.

The Star Alliance member operates 350 routes, including 87 international routes, 16 regional routes and 247 domestic routes.

It serves 168 cities in 35 countries and regions, including 58 international cities, 4 regional cities and 106 domestic cities.

Every week, Air China offers over 1.47 million seats on over 7700 flights per week. n www.airchina.com.au

direct to our closest Direct from Sydney in under 3 hours Direct from Brisbane in just over 2 hours Direct from Melbourne in under 4 hours

aircalin.com

POLAR REGIONS

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POLAR REGIONS

I

T was not so long ago that seeing the Arctic or the Antarctic was the domain only of explorers, adventurers and scientists. After all, it’s barely a century since the first explorers got to the North and South Poles. And in the Antarctic, in particular, tourism remains in its relative infancy.

Antarctic tourism really kicked into gear at the turn of this century, while tourism in the Arctic has been enjoyed since the mid1800s when the advent of railways made it much easier for large numbers of people to travel, even into what was then for most an unknown part of the world.

Their similarities are obvious – generally pristine and fragile environments, stunning scenery, wildlife in amazing profusion, lots of history – but the two regions also are enormously different in the experiences they present to travellers.

For a start, the Antarctic is much harder to get to than the Arctic, which inevitably means greater travel costs and, as a result, fewer travellers. Most tourists visit the Antarctic Peninsula, which is a two-day cruise from Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentine Patagonia, although a smaller number fly to King George Island in the South Shetlands, where a polar research base is situated, and then cruise to the Peninsula, cutting the transit time considerably.

pristine and fragile ‘environments, stunning scenery, wildlife in amazing profusion, lots of history...

’

Travellers generally need to allow at least eight nights for a standard cruise – much longer if they join the classic cruises that add the Falkland Islands and South Georgia to the itinerary, which means the best part of three weeks on board.

Fewer still travel to the opposite side of the Antarctic continent, sailing from Hobart or New Zealand to the remote Ross Sea region, which means an even greater expense in terms of time and fares. The great payoff is a chance to visit some of the great historical sites of the Antarctic such as Mawson’s Hut. Visitors to the Peninsula, and especially to South Georgia, will receive their benefits in terms of wildlife – hundreds of thousands of king penguins at places such as Salisbury Plain on South Georgia, seals and whales in stunning numbers – as well as a chance to

explore some of the region’s dark whaling history and active research stations.

The scenery, of course, is also astonishing, from the frozen majesty of ‘Iceberg Alley’, the eerie volcanic beauty of Deception Island and the ice cliffs and fjords of the Antarctic continent to the green hills of South Georgia with reindeer herds thundering down their flanks – a nod, if ever there was one, to the shared history of the Polar Regions.

The reindeer are on South Georgia because Norwegian sealers and whalers early last century wanted both hunting opportunities and fresh meat. The animals thrived in the familiar climate to the point where they have had to be culled in recent years.

Scandinavian whalers were among the first to establish themselves in the sub-Antarctic, with their vessels – and themselves – perfectly acclimatised to the region. Whales and seals were hunted in staggering numbers, with whales virtually wiped out around South Georgia. Even today few whales are seen in this part of the South Atlantic, perhaps sensing this was once a slaughter ground.

To the north, tourists have the chance to visit far-flung indigenous communities in the deep Arctic, whereas in the Antarctic, the only human contact is with research scientists and rare characters such as those who man the Port Lockroy Post Office for the UK Government, or look after the museum at Grytviken in South Georgia.

The British-controlled Falkland Islands do

provide some sub-Antarctic human warmth – quite literally in pubs in the capital Stanley that sell fish and chips and English beer, and on some of the outer islands where farmers welcome visitors to their properties for afternoon tea.

Northward bound In the Arctic, penguins are swapped for polar bears – less frequently seen, of course, which makes their sighting all the more thrilling – and Arctic foxes, and the birdlife is especially prolific. Arctic travellers can cruise in five-star comfort through Alaska or join more adventurous journeys to places such as Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland.

In the north it is easier to travel closer to the pole, and so the endless daylight of the “Midnight Sun” is a phenomenon that is easily experienced, as are the Northern Lights. The most adventurous journey of all is to the geographic North Pole, which can only be reached by ice-breaker and with favourable weather conditions, but the Arctic can be enjoyed and explored in such disparate places as Russia, Norway, Greenland, Canada and Alaska.

May to August is generally the time for the Arctic, but Greenland and Svalbard have winter tourism seasons north of the Arctic Circle for especially hardy types. And this is can be seriously exotic travel – some places, such as Franz Josef Land at 81 degrees north, are so remote that they were discovered after the Antarctic. travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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POLAR REGIONS

Adventure World: Antarctica in different styles For more than 30 years, Adventure World has specialised in crafting authentic, tailor-made itineraries for adventurers all around the world, including unique expeditions to Antarctica.

Through a range of exhilarating and humbling adventures, Adventure World allows guests to really experience Antarctica and choose their own style and budget.

“Antarctica has so much to offer adventure travellers, providing them with experiences that they cannot get anywhere else in the world – from breathtaking glaciers to the penguin and seal colonies in their natural habitat. Antarctica is a must for every bucket list,” says Adventure World’s general manager, Neil Rodgers.

Adventure World’s Antarctic adventures for 2016/17 cater to a range of styles and budgets: Antarctica Express Air Cruise: Departing Ushuaia, this six-day expedition sets sail through the Beagle Channel, crossing the Drake Passage and visiting the South Shetland Islands, with return by air to Punta Arenas. This is a small ship sailing experience, and perfect for clients who want to avoid the Drake Passage – at least one-way. Prices start from $7488 pp and include four nights cruise accommodation; one night in Punta Arenas; all meals on board; guided shore excursions; transfers in Ushuaia and Punta Arenas; and flight from King George Island to Punta Arenas.

Journey to Antarctica: The White Continent: This 12-day expedition gives travellers an active exploration of the Antarctic continent, with optional kayaking, and the bonus of travelling with world renowned National Geographic scientists, naturalists and researchers.

Prices start from $14,410 pp and include 11 nights cruising

accommodation; all meals and non-alcoholic beverages onboard; sightseeing and entrance fees, access permits, park fees, port taxes, all excursions and equipment; and speaker presentations.

Classic Antarctica Air-Cruise: This eight-day boutique-style adventure offers an experience that feels more like a private yacht than a cruise ship. The expedition vessel provides privileged access to Antarctica, exploring areas that are inaccessible to larger ships.

Skipping the infamous waters of the Drake Passage, less than two hours flying from Punta Arenas to King George Island, your clients will be at the gates of the white continent; followed by a six-day cruise along the Antarctic Peninsula. Prices start from $16,150 pp and include two nights hotel accommodation in Punta Arenas, five nights cruise accommodation; all meals on board; guided shore excursions; and transfers in Punta Arenas. n www.adventureworld.com.au

WHITE DESERT: BIG STEPS

Drone and Moon, Don McCullough, http://bit.ly/1Gfz5J3

No drone zone IAATO is cautioning all potential travellers to Antarctica, who may be hoping to fly a drone, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), to check with their travel agent or tour operator before packing their device.

IAATO members have agreed that for the 2015-16 season, they will not allow the recreational use of UAVs in Antarctica. If you have clients who are thinking of taking a UAV to Antarctica, make sure you discuss this with them before departure. Further information n www.iaato.org 50

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White Desert flies a small number of clients from Cape Town, South Africa to a specialist ice runway in Antarctica, before they are transferred to a newly refurbished ecological camp.

Adventures range from day trips €9,800 per person (approx.

AUD$15,315) to eight-day programs that fly all the way to the South Pole priced at €62,000 (approx. AUD$96,890) per person.

On the one-day Greatest Adventure tour, clients spend 12 hours on the ground in Antarctica, and can choose from a number of activities for both the laid-back traveller; or would-be polar explorers.

The camp comprises four wooden, comfortable and chalets that form the base for the day, complete with bedrooms, dining room, lounge and bar. There are gentle treks; visits to nearby ice grottos – and even a chance for a sauna at a Russian Science Base.

On the five and a half hour flight from Cape Town, passengers pass into the Antarctic Circle. As the plane taxis to a standstill, your clients will be one of the few who have ever set foot on the Antarctic interior.

Previous clients include Prince Harry as he skied to the South Pole, TV presenter Bear Grylls, and a variety of entrepreneurs. n www.white-desert.com

POLAR REGIONS

Q&A

Adventure travel pioneer G Adventures offer trips to Antarctica and the Arctic. Here, Belinda Ward, managing director, G Adventures Australia and New Zealand shares her insights on the polar regions with travelBulletin.

How important are polar trips to the G Adventures portfolio?

G Adventures polar tours are central to our business and commitment to sensitively introduce travellers to some of the world’s most remote and wonderful natural locations.

We fully own and operate our polar expedition cruise ship called G Expedition which means we have full control over the quality, service and itineraries in a way that many other tour operators don’t. The polar portfolio is particularly crucial to our business in Australia and New Zealand where we sell approximately 40 per cent of the global polar inventory. Operating trips to polar regions also means that we can offer our travellers a full range of product on all seven continents.

continent ticked off travellers’ bucket lists.

You typically see seasoned, rather than first-time travellers venturing to Antarctica and the Arctic. When I find myself talking about trips to Antarctica I often feel like I am doing it an injustice as it exceeds all expectations. The Arctic is also very popular amongst Australians, in particular the search for polar bears.

How tough does the drop in value of the AUD make selling such trips?

The softening Australian dollar is not having a significant impact on polar expedition sales or for adventure travel generally. Our

What is the appeal of trips to the Arctic and Antarctic?

Antarctica is often seen as the final frontier in travel, and often the seventh

The end of the world is just the beginning!

Painted in shades of white and blue, Antarctica’s landscape is as beautiful as it is forbidding. The G Expedition provides an intimate, small-ship expedition cruising experience, delivering space, comfort and expertise.

Book your clients’ next adventure to Antarctica with G Adventures aboard the 134-passenger G Expedition - they’ll come home forever changed.

1300 654 498 res@gadventures.com gadventures.com.au

type of travellers tend to be those who seek out life experiences, and often money can be secondary to having that life-changing adventure.

There is a very small window each year for when people can visit either of the polar regions, so our travellers don’t like missing out.

Are they good value for money?

Not all polar expeditions have to come at a significant cost to a traveller. I’ve read a lot of feedback from travellers on our polar trips, and have never heard anyone say that they have not received value for money on these trips. For most people, this is a once in a lifetime experience. When you consider that all meals, entertainment and excursions are included, the cost per day price is great value for money.

POLAR REGIONS

WHEN TO GO? Antarctica October Some Antarctic cruises start to operate in late October, and the advantage of being a guest on one of the first trips of the season is seeing the start of the courting and mating season of the penguins of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.

Down near the Antarctic Peninsula cruises need to push past the winter sea ice.

November Photo: G Adventures

Dollar no impact on polar journeys NO region in the world has had more spectacular tourism growth than the Antarctic – and yet no region is more heavily protected against the potential ravages of mass tourism.

In the 1999-2000 cruising season, just shy of 14,000 people visited the Antarctic, which was by then beginning to open up to tourism on a mass scale, even though the first commercial trips had begun as far back as 1966.

Last season, the number rose to around 36,200, yet it could have been so much more, if not for the activity of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) which in its selfgovernance has become a byword for responsible tourism, limiting numbers and keeping the impact on the environment to a minimum.

The Arctic is much more easily visited than the Antarctic, with land-based tourism possible in a number of countries, although most Australians visit the region on cruise or adventure ships.

Sujata Raman, A&K managing director, says the market for polar cruising is “extremely strong” and has been for some years.

“Our journeys sell out incredibly quickly, especially the top cabin categories. We are now taking goodwill deposits even before dates and prices for 2017 are confirmed, as space is so tight.

“The dollar does not seem to have had any noticeable impact, possibly because polar cruising is seen as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Even long cruises such as the Northwest Passage are selling out.”

World Expeditions CEO Sue Badyari agrees that cost is rarely a consideration on polar journeys.

“Sales to both (poles) are consistent and not yet affected by the falling dollar,” she says. “This is partly due because a polar cruise is a bucket-list experience, so it’s less vulnerable to price fluctuations.

There is a wide range of cruise durations and cabin classes, so price-driven travellers have options.”

Badyari says the diversity of the Arctic and Antarctic experiences mean that many clients book trips to both regions, sometimes multiple times, and one of the challenges for operators is to explain the differences.

“In the Arctic, for example, destinations including Spitsbergen, Greenland and the region known as the high Arctic all offer unique attractions, with varying landscapes, wildlife and flora. In the south, active itineraries are especially popular, with kayaking, snowshoeing, climbing, and camping overnight on the ice.”

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This time of year sees the winter ice in Antarctica further break up into stunning icebergs and sculptures. Wildlife courtship rituals continue, including male seals establishing their breeding beaches, and wildflowers are in bloom in South Georgia and the Falklands.

December – January High summer in Antarctica. Days are long, the temperatures are at their ‘warmest’. Penguins, seals and seabirds are active everywhere. Christmas and New Year is a very busy time for Antarctica cruise travel, so needs to be booked well in advance.

February – March These are the best months to see whales such as humpback, sperm and orca in Antarctica. Fledgling penguin chicks can be seen and sea birds are still abundant.

April – September Winter in Antarctica - stormy seas, freezing temperatures and no possible way to visit.

The Arctic June Though the austere Arctic landscape is often imagined to be a cold white wasteland, the brief months of summer from June – August see the flora blossoming and the fauna emerging from their long winter dormancy. Travellers on an Arctic cruise will have a chance to see an abundance of wildlife, from caribou and moose to humpback whales and ringed seals, and up to 200 species of birds, including fulmars, puffins, guillemots, and eagles.

July High season in many Arctic destinations, when the weather is at its warmest. These months can also be a good time to see the elusive polar bears, grizzlies emerging from their winter dens, and caribou migrating to their summer habitat.

August and September For other wildlife, late summer is prime viewing time. Another perk to visiting in August is that this time marks the first of four months of stunning displays of the aurora borealis, which can be a highlight of the dusk and night time hours on an Arctic cruise.

POLAR REGIONS

Antarctica in a day Many travellers have dreamt of visiting Antarctica, however, many are also deterred from cruising south by the reputation for wild weather in the Southern Ocean and infamous Drake Passage.

Antarctica Sightseeing Flights restarted flights to Antarctica aboard a Qantas Boeing 747-400 in 1994. Qantas introduced very strict guidelines for the operation of the flight program, including previous experience by flight captains; altitude guidelines; number of routes to ensure optimal sightseeing and safety; and regular environmental impact assessments.

The flights operate during the southern summer between November and February when the daylight is long and the skies are clear. Return flights take approximately 12.5 hours, depending on the departure city, operating at 3077 metres, however the altitude feels much lower due to the lack of pollution over Antarctica.

Flights operate from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Around three hours after departure the first icebergs start to appear. The first land sighting over the continent is usually the French research base, Dumont d’Urville, with the gigantic Astrolabe Glacier providing a perfect backdrop.

The flight heads east to Commonwealth Bay and Cape Denison where the hut of legendary Australian explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson is located. Often the crew will fly the aircraft in a figure of eight pattern so that travellers on both sides get a great view, albeit in the distance.

The flights operate ‘during the southern

summer... when the daylight is long and the skies are clear...

’

The most popular route travels over the Trans Antarctic Range to the sometimes smoking volcano Mount Melbourne; the Italian base at Terra Nova Bay in the Ross Sea; and Mount Minto, the highest mountain in the region.

Depending on weather conditions flights may head further south to the dry valleys and the American Base at McMurdo Sound; or west to the Australian base at Casey Station.

Passengers often have the chance to fly over the South Magnetic Pole, where those who bring a compass will see it spinning out

ANTARCTICA BY AIR The world’s most unique scenic flight

of control. No need to worry though, as the aircraft has three different navigational systems.

Each flight carries two Antarctic experts who talk about living and working in Antarctica; the environment; wildlife, and the experience of over-wintering at an Antarctic base.

There are a variety of different seating options on board the aircraft and most seats change around at the half-way point. Normally those in a window seat or the seat next to a window seat change to the adjacent aisle seat to ensure plenty of viewing for all. On New Year’s Eve there’s a live jazz band on board and the New Year is welcomed in full sunlight over the ice.

Prices start from $1,199 per person for economy class centre seating through to $7,999 per person for Ice Class in Qantas’ first class full-length sleeper seats. Ice Class passengers also enjoy extra benefits including champagne and complimentary gift pack. Four flights will operate this season including the New Year’s Eve Party flight ex Melbourne on 31 December; the 21st Anniversary flight ex Sydney on 7 February 2016; a Valentine’s Day flight ex Melbourne on 14 February 2016; and an Australia Day flight ex Perth. n www.antarcticaflights.com.au

10% COMMISSION on every seat!

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Starting at $1,199 per person, seats are strictly limited so hurry!

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Freecall 1800 633 449 antarcticaflights.com.au

31 December 2015 7 February 2016 14 February 2016 26 January 2017

2016 hot spots

2016 HOT SPOTS

From the Olympic Games in Rio, to surfing in the Solomon Islands, KRIS MADDEN reveals her pick of the hottest destinations and coolest activities to recommend to your clients in 2016.

BRAZIL Known as the ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ (Marvellous City), the glimmering Brazilian metropolis of Rio de Janeiro certainly lives up to its title. As the host of the 2016 Olympic Games, Rio is undeniably South America’s hottest destination. Lined with white-sand beaches, lush rainforests and surrounded by mountains, Rio delivers drama from almost every angle. From the Corcovado Mountain, the striking Christ the Redeemer statue overlooks the city’s pristine beaches, that have attracted Cariocas (Brazilians born in Rio de Janeiro) and visitors alike for more than 500 years. And there’s no livelier event than Rio’s Carnival, held every year in February. n www.southamericatourism.com

HOT

Clients can dance to the rhythm of the samba in Rio de Janeiro with Adventure World’s 12-day ‘Rhythms of Brazil’ that explores the country from north to south. The package includes touring in Rio, plus a jeep tour to the world’s largest urban forest: Tijuca. A highlight is a ride to the top of Corcovado Mountain to visit the Christ the Redeemer statue. Colonial Salvador, Iguassu falls and the Amazon jungle are also included. Prices start from $4,832 pp which includes 11 nights’ accommodation; sightseeing with a local English-speaking guide; some meals; and flights as per the itinerary. n www.adventureworld.com.au

Solomon Islands

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Rio de Janeiro, photo courtesy Adventure World

SOLOMON ISLANDS

ETHIOPIA

For those seeking an authentic South Pacific experience or an off-the-beaten-track adventure, the Solomon Islands are hard to beat. Discover WWII relics scattered in the jungle; leaf-hut villages where traditional culture is well and truly alive; and scenery reminiscent of a David Attenborough documentary. Volcanic islands jut up dramatically from the cobalt blue ocean, sideby-side with croc-infested mangroves and emerald forests. Climb an extinct volcano, surf uncrowded waves, snorkel pristine reefs and you’ll feel like you have the whole place to yourself. With traditional guesthouses and hideaways, it’s tailor-made for ecotourism.

And all just a three-hour flight from Australia. n www.visitsolomons.com.sb

Mysterious and incredibly diverse, Ethiopia has a rich history, jaw-dropping landscapes, unique wildlife and an extraordinary tribal heritage. It is home to unusual species as the Ethiopian Wolf and Gelada baboon; while its festivals are some of the most colourful in Africa. There are opportunities to experience village life and learn about local customs; explore bustling markets and old churches; and cruise to remote monasteries, as well as the source of the Blue Nile. Lodgings and food are basic, though improving all the time, but there is so much to see here that more than makes up for it. n www.moct.gov.et

HOT

HOT

Omniche Holidays has a six-night Solomon Islands Fatboys Package which includes return economy international and domestic airfares with Solomon Airlines to Gizo (including 16 kgs of checked luggage on domestic flights), airport meet and greet, return airport transfers (coach and launch), six nights’ accommodation staying in a Honeymoon Bungalow at Fatboys Resort; continental breakfast daily; transfers to Dive Gizo for diving northern dive sites; and a free guided village walk and tour. Travel is from 11 January - 31 March 2016, with prices starting from $1899 per person, twin share ex BNE; $2249 ex SYD and $2349 ex MEL. n www.omnicheholidays.com

World Journeys’ 19-day Ethiopia and Sudan tour departs 6 October 2016.

Special experiences include taking tea with a Nubian family in Old Dongola; a visit to a traditional Tej (honey wine) house; and the chance to take part in an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, an integral part of the country’s social and cultural life. Other highlights include meeting 3.5 million year old Lucy in the National Museum of Addis Ababa; a cruise on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile; medieval castles, crossing the Nile by local ferry, and shopping in colourful markets. Prices start from $10,895 per person. n www.worldjourneys.com.au

2016 hot spots

Madagascar, photo courtesy Adventure World

MADAGASCAR Lemurs, baobab trees, rainforest, beaches, desert, trekking and diving: Madagascar is a dream destination for nature lovers. The world’s fourth largest island is unique: five per cent of all known animal and plant species can be found here, and only here. The extraordinary wildlife is matched by epic landscapes of incredible diversity ranging from rainforest to desert. Those who relish adventure will come into their own: the off-road driving is one of a kind; there are national parks that only see 100 visitors a year, and resorts so remote you’ll need a private plane or boat to get there. n www.madagascar-tourisme.com/en

North Korea, photo Kris Madden

NORTH KOREA

HOT

Adventure World’s 12-day ‘Handpicked Madagascar’ itinerary gives clients an insight into the unique flora, fauna and incredible landscapes that the island has to offer. They’ll observe the lemurs and other incredible wildlife of the Andasibe Reserve and Ranomafama National Park; and the spectacular mountain scenery of Andringitra. Also included are the coastal towns of Ifaty; local beaches; and Isalo National Park, the ‘Grand Canyon’ of Madagascar. Priced from $3,703 pp, the package includes 11 nights’ accommodation, meals as per itinerary, transportation by 4WD, sightseeing, with an English speaking driver and guide, and park & entrance fees. n www.adventureworld.com.au

There is quite simply nowhere on Earth like North Korea. It’s a chance to visit the world’s most secretive nation, where the internet and much of the 21st century remain unknown, and millions live under the auspices of an all-encompassing personality cult that governs all of daily life. Few people realise that it’s even possible to visit North Korea. You’ll be accompanied by state-employed guides at all times and hear a one-sided account of history. Those who can’t accept this should stay away – but those who can will be rewarded with a journey into a world unlike any other. n www.dprktoday.com

HOT

Ethiopia, photo courtesy World Journeys

North Korea is a new destination for World Expeditions in 2016. The eight-day North Korean Explorer begins with a flight from Beijing to Pyongyang, visiting major sights such as the birthplace of Kim Il Sung; the International Friendship Exhibition and the demilitarized zone (DMZ) at Panmunjom. Accommodation is in basic, but comfortable hotels, and travel is in private vehicles, with an English-speaking guide accompanying the entire trip until the return to Beijing. Prices start from $3,690 per person, and include all meals, return airfare from Beijing and DKRP visa arrangements, with departures in April, June, August and September 2016. n www.worldexpeditions.com.au travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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2016 hot spots

COLOMBIA Newfound economic stability and a wealth of largely undiscovered natural and cultural treasures make Colombia the next hottest place to visit in South America (after Rio).

There’s an excellent emerging food scene; and of course there’s the coffee, reputedly the best in the world. Jam-packed with awe-inspiring scenery, Colombia amazes with rippling mountains, Amazonian jungles, vast lakes and plains, and a sandy coastline fringed by the sparkling waters of the Caribbean. Throw in mysterious archaeological sites, colourful colonial towns, vibrant cities and a diverse range of cultures, and it’s clear why Colombia is the new conversation at dinner parties. n www.colombia.travel

HOT

Tempo Holidays has reintroduced Colombia into its 2016 Latin America brochure.

A nine-day ‘Feel like a local’ tour includes eight nights’ accommodation; most meals; airport transfers; excursions with a bi-lingual guide; and all entrance fees and activities as per the program. Prices start from $4703 per person, with destinations including Bogota; Medellin; the World Heritage site of Santafe de Antioquia; and Cartagena. A highlight is the ‘Real Food, Real Places, Real People’ walking tour which covers some of the local flavours of Cartagena and its culture. Shorter twonight/three day city packages in Bogota and Cartagena are also on offer. n www.tempoholidays.com Columbia

Luz Adriana Villa, Columbia, bit.ly/1PT4ZwR

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Maldives

MALDIVES

Cuba

The simple mention of the Maldives conjures images of bright aquamarine waters and soft white sands. This collection of more than 1,000 islands boasts unparalleled luxury resorts and pristine beaches. Picture it: A private villa stands over crystal blue water; days finish with orange sunsets that make you hungry for local citrus fruits; gourmet room service and a masseuse are on call to avoid any unnecessary trips from your porch; and the only thing to make you want to leave is the breathtaking coral reef and underwater creatures that demand a scuba or snorkelling session for a proper introduction. n www.visitmaldives.com

With the thawing of the last bastion of the Cold War after 54 years of frosty relations with the USA, there’s never been a better time to visit Cuba. For the time being, it remains a humble place frozen in time.

There’s lots of pluses to visiting a country that’s remained untouched by mass tourism for half a century. It still retains its authenticity because it hasn’t been corrupted by the worldwide proliferation of American pop culture. Cuba means classic cars in vivid colours, fat cigars, and dilapidated colonial buildings where some of the greatest Latin Jazz musicians play. n www.cubatravel.tur.cu

HOT

HOT

Freestyle Holidays’ 2016/17 Maldives brochure is now out and offers a huge range of holidays in the Maldives, including transfers from Malé International Airport to resorts by seaplane and speedboat or domestic flight.

There’s a great range of resorts to suit both couples looking for a romantic escape or friends and families looking to have fun in the sun. Meeru Island Resort & Spa offers an abundance of activities as well as the award-winnig Duniye Spa for those wanting to unwind, from $316 per night per person twin share, including all meals. n www.pinpointtravelgroup.com.au

Bunnik Tours 17-day ‘Cuban Discovery’ small group tour visits both Mexico and Cuba; taking in the colourful city of Havana; the coastal city of Santiago de Cuba, the birthplace of Castro and Che Guevara’s revolution; the western province of Pinar del Rio, home to the famous Cuban cigar; swimming in the refreshing waters of the El Nicho waterfalls in the Escambaraye Mountains; and the treasures of Trinidad and Cancun. Clients even get to drive along the Malecon in a classic 50s or 60s car. Prices start from $8287 per person twin share and include airfares, all taxes and tips. n www.bunniktours.com.au

2016 hot spots

Cuba

ROME Sure, it’s been around for centuries, but Rome has even deeper significance in 2016 since Pope Francis declared it a Jubilee Year of Mercy. This historic Catholic Church event is linked to universal pardons and reconciliation, and begins on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December 2015 concluding with the Feast of Christ the King on 20 November 2016. Throughout the Holy Year, the rarely-opened doors at St Peter’s Basilica; St. John Lateran; Saint Mary Major; and St Paul Outside the Walls will be opened, giving pilgrims the chance to pass through and receive the sacrament of forgiveness. n www.visitaly.com.au

Franco Pecchio, Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, bit.ly/1LYWezV

Iran

IRAN

HOT

Globus’ new ‘Splendours of Italy’ with Rome extension, focuses on the greatest cities in Italy, travelling by modern high-speed train to maximise time in the key locations. The tour includes Milan for six nights, allowing time to explore Italy’s chic northern centre in between day-trips to Venice, Florence and Turin. An optional extension to Rome by highspeed train allows a further three nights and tours of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Square, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Prices for the 10-day tour (including Rome extension) start from $3412 per person twin share. n www.globus.com.au

One of the modern world’s most controversial nations, modern Iran is also possibly one of the most misunderstood countries in the world. If travel is most rewarding when it surprises, then Iran might just be the most rewarding destination on Earth. For those who have grown up on a diet of images depicting Iran as a dark, dangerous place full of fundamentalist fanatics, discovering the real Iran is the most wonderful surprise.

Along with atmospheric teahouses, bustling bazaars, deserts punctuated by historic oases and rugged mountain ranges, Iran has more than its fair share of fantastic places to see. n www.tourismiran.ir

HOT

Rome

Fully escorted by an Arab scholar, Adventure Associates’ 14-day ‘From Persia to Iran’ tours visit and learn about the ancient treasures of Persia and the Iran of today. Guests will walk with the people, visit their homes, talk to the mullahs and hear from locals in the bazaars.

Highlights include the famous Shah Mosque; travelling overland to Kashan at the desert edge; Isfahan, the ancient Persian capital; Pasargad, the ancient Achamanid capital; the old baths of Ganali; the remarkable Zoroastrian Tower of Silence; and the holy city of Qom. Prices start from AUD$6950 pp ex-Tehran. n www.adventureassociates.com travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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2016 hot spots

Hot New Cruise Destinations More cruise lines are setting their sights on far-flung destinations with exciting ports of call in all corners of the globe. KRIS MADDEN navigates some of the emerging hot spots for cruising.

Silver Explorer

Southeast Asia

Iceland

Asia has seen tremendous growth in the cruise industry, with a staggering 2.17 million passengers carried on Asian cruises in 2015. Many river cruise lines are deploying ships throughout the region with particular attention to Southeast Asia, especially Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Iceland has seen a significant increase in the number of expedition vessels visiting its 13 cruise destinations. In 2015, there are 415 booked cruises, a 36 per cent increase over last year. As more passengers visit the capital city, the Port of Reykjavik is working to accommodate larger cruise vessels and has invested in a new pier that will allow two mega ships to be berthed at the same time. Princess, Ponant, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line all visit the island nation.

HOT RV Paukan and RV Pandaw at Mingun, Burma

Pandaw offers a 10-night cruise of Pagan and the Upper Irrawaddy in Burma. Prices start from $5090 and include drinks and tips for crew, daily excursions, and a flight from Yangon to Kalewa for the start of the cruise. n www.pandaw.com

Croatia

Panorama

The Adriatic coast is absolutely spectacular – rugged mountains rising out of clear blue seas, with hundreds of tiny, unspoilt islands and postcard perfect medieval towns and villages. Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia have become very popular in recent years, but cruising offers a chance to explore further and see some equally spectacular but lesser-known destinations like Montenegro and the Albanian Riviera.

HOT

Explorer of the Seas

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Globus’ 10-day ‘Dubrovnik and Adriatic Odyssey’ is the latest in a growing series of sea cruise itineraries in the Globus Europe program, travelling aboard a stateof-the-art, three-masted yacht, the 24-cabin Panorama. The itinerary includes Dubrovnik; the Dalmatian island of Korcula, birthplace of Marco Polo; Montenegro; and the Greek islands of Paxos and Corfu. Prices from $4840 per person twin share. n www.globus.com.au

HOT

Silversea Expeditions has a 9-day ‘Reykjavik, Iceland to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland cruise departing August 2016 aboard the luxury Silver Explorer. Prices start from $10,450 per person. n www.silversea.com

Australia Australia will see its biggest cruise season ever to date this summer. Between now and April next year, a record flotilla of 38 different cruise ships will sail Down Under, with eight ships making their maiden visits. Between them, cruise ships will make more than 800 calls to Australian ports, including 40 maiden ports.

HOT

Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas will be the biggest cruise ship ever to sail from Australia. The maiden local cruise season will see the 3800-guest ship visit ports across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. An 8-night South Pacific Cruise departing 16 December 2015 sails from Sydney, visiting New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

Prices from $1,666 per person. n www.royalcaribbean.com.au

Sun, scenery and ancient history

Discover the Dalmatian Coast At Globus, we love to prove to even the most seasoned travellers that there’s always something new… even in the Old World! Between attractive prices and enchanting new tours, there’s never been a better time to tour.

Superior Hotels Deluxe Coaches with Wi-Fi Expert Tour Directors Local FavouritesSM Regional Cuisine VIP Access to Attractions

Paris, Champagne & the French Countryside

Dubrovnik & Adriatic Odyssey

Paris, Reims, Metz, Strasbourg, Colmar, Beaune, Macon, Lyon, Avignon, Provence, Marseilles

2 nights Dubrovnik, 7 night cruise to Korcula, Budva, Paxos, Corfu, Saranda, Kotor

9 days Was $2,599 Now from $2,339

10 days Was $5,329 Now from $4,840

per person twin share (based on 16 Apr 2016 departure)

per person twin share (based on 04 Jun 2016 departure)

PLUS

SAVE 10% SAVE 10% SAVE $600 SAVE 5% UP TO

Early booking discount*

Second tour discount*

per couple - Airfare discount*

Repeat traveller discount*

For more information or to book, call 1300 130 134 or visit globus.com.au *Terms & conditions: Discounts applicable on new 2016 Europe bookings made by 1 December 2015. Only the following offers are combinable - they may not be combined with any other offer: save 10% early booking discount, 10% second tour discount, 5% Journeys Club discount and airfare offer. 10% early booking discount based on land-only portion of core tour on twin share price, not including extra night accommodations, extensions, taxes/fees, tips and supplements/reductions. Second tour discount may be applied when multiple tours are booked at the same time for travel within the same calendar year. Airfare discount applies to air ticketed through Globus reservations/air desk and varies depending on carrier and seasonality (Low Season = $300 per person, High/Shoulder Season = $200 per person). Low/High season discount will be confirmed at time of reservation. 5% Journeys Club repeat traveller benefit (must be a Journeys Club member and present member number at time of booking and before full payment is made). Discount is based on land-only portion of core tour on twin share price, not including extra night accommodations, extensions, taxes/fees, tips and supplements/reductions. A non-refundable deposit of $250 per person per tour is required within 14 days or by 1 December 2015 (whichever comes first) to secure reservation and offers. Additional airfare deposit and payment conditions apply and will be confirmed at time of reservation. Offer reliant on space availability. Offers not applicable to group bookings. Offers applicable to singles – single supplements apply. Full cancellation penalties will apply.

Offer may be altered or withdrawn at any time without notice. Additional restrictions may apply. Refer to the 2016 Globus Europe brochure or visit globus.com.au. Licence 2TA00637

BALI

Is it a case of back to Bali, or have Australian travellers actually never left?

CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG reports on our ongoing love affair with the Indonesian island.

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D

ESPITE a turbulent few months for the Indonesian holiday haven, courtesy of its smoldering volcano, Indonesian representatives suggest Australians will continue their insatiable love affair with the island destination.

Airlines travelling the lucrative AustralianDenpasar route were caught in a game of Snakes and Ladders throughout July and August when a giant ash cloud from Mount Raung forced carriers to repeatedly cancel, then resume, then again cancel services.

Some holidaymakers were stranded in Bali for weeks, while others were unable to reach their desired destination.

Alison Roberts-Brown, the most recent Australian Representative of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism (the newly elected Indonesian Government is yet to confirm any firm contracts), says Aussie tourists to the destination are far more resilient than some people believe. “The Australian public doesn’t seem to be deterred by the volcanic activity in Indonesia and passengers continue to travel to Bali and

BALI

Visit Indonesia

beyond regardless,” she says.

“It has so many selling points. It is our very closest neighbour, it has a rich and exotic culture compared to ours, it has a unique price point and its proximity in terms of distance is second-to-none.

“It doesn’t matter where you go in the world there will be all sorts of dangers but the people who have been to Bali continue to return.”

Roberts-Brown says a lot of experiences such as diving, hiking and sacred Buddhist shrines remain “under marketed” in Indonesia and are waiting to be discovered.

“The Indonesian population relies heavily on tourism and they are an extremely warm and welcoming country with lots of diversity to offer,” she says.

“There are nearly 17,000 islands and Australians are now remembering there are other parts to Indonesia as well such as central Java and Lombok.

“Indonesia attracts every segment from families to students to well-heeled travellers.

There is something for everybody, from high-end product as well as things for the adventure traveller.”

In January, 93,300 Aussies departed for Bali with the number peaking, somewhat predictably around Easter to 94,200 before slightly tapering off to 93,900 in June.

The impact of the Mount Raung volcanic ash cloud over Bali and subsequent impact on tourist arrivals in August is becoming more apparent, as the latest temporary visitor data shows.

Preliminary arrival figures from the Bali Government Tourist Office indicate the Indonesia tourist hot-spot suffered a five-year low in August, with Aussie numbers dropping to 58,430, down a monumental 30 per cent on the corresponding month last year.

The Australian public ‘doesn’t seem to be

deterred by the volcanic activity in Indonesia

’

However, there is little to suggest Mother Nature will have a long-term impact of Australian visitor numbers.

After all, Australians have been through much with this destination, including the Bali bombings in 2002. Tourism operators around the island have always been quick to praise Aussie tourists as being the first to return and start spending again. While the jailing of convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, followed by that of the Bali 9, spooked some travellers and prompted an outcry of outrage in some quarters within Australia, Aussie tourists continued to flock to the island.

Not even the April execution of Bali 9 ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, which sparked arguably the greatest pressure on Australians to boycott Bali, has had an effect.

Beanca Daluz, General Manager of Garuda Orient Holidays which is owned by the same parent company as Garuda Indonesia, says

they experienced “a number” of cancellations due to the ash cloud as insurance companies did not cover disruptions after July 3.

“Garuda Indonesia, operating Airbus 330s out of Australia, were able to still fly to Bali on some days given their larger engine capacity and aircraft type, and also had the ability to reroute to neighbouring Jakarta and Surabaya airports,” Daluz says.

“We therefore did not experience as many disruptions compared to Jetstar and Virgin Australia passengers. Short-term confidence was challenged due to the ash cloud but due to school holidays as well as other holidays coming up, we anticipate a bounce back.

“Our partners on the ground (hotels and ground suppliers) have been extremely aggressive in promoting Bali and their own properties by providing numerous special offers and exclusive deals.

“We expect numbers to increase for travel during our peak season over the Christmas and New Year period.”

Recent figures reveal one Australian dies in Bali every nine days including Queenslanders Noelene Bischoff and her daughter Yvana who died last year from food poisoning and 18-year-old Jake Flannery who was electrocuted in 2011 after accidentally touching an exposed power line.

But still, Australians keep flocking to what Balinese have dubbed “the land of love”.

Despite the fact the odds seem repeatedly stacked against this Indonesian destination, it appears there is little to deter Aussie travellers from returning in the long run. travelBulletin NOVEMBER 2015

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BALI

PURIFY THE SOUL AT RITZ-CARLTON BALI Expanding its menu of unique, locallyinspired activities, The Ritz-Carlton, Bali is offering guests the chance to participate in an authentic Soul Purification Ritual, a time-old tradition of the Hindu-Balinese culture.

Traditionally referred to as ‘Melukat’, derived from the word ‘Lukat’ which means to purify in Balinese, the soul purification practice is centred on holy water – which is believed to cleanse spiritual impurities and dispel negative influences. The activity is often performed when a Balinese native is about to enter a new phase in their life; is recovering from sickness; or celebrating rites of passage, such as marriage or childbirth.

Opened in February 2015, The RitzCarlton, located on the southern tip of Bali in Nusa Dua, marked the brand’s grand return to the Island of Gods. The 313 suites and

villas resort is built over two levels, perched atop a cliff and overlooking the Indian Ocean and white sand beaches.

The ritual takes place on the resort’s secluded beach in the early morning to receive blessings from the Sun and Ocean Gods. Guests are accompanied by a ‘Sutri’, (priest’s assistant) who will lead them through the ritual and provide information on Balinese culture. After completing the Soul Purification Ritual, guests can continue their Balinese journey with organised guided excursions to one of the island’s many ancient temples.

Prices for a Sawangan Junior Suite, with balcony and resort view start from

5,400,000 IDR (AUD$550) per night for a seven-night stay; or get your clients to lash out with The Sky Villa, a two-bedroom villa, with balcony and sweeping ocean views for $31,950,000 IDR (AUD$3,253) per night. Discounts apply for non-refundable advance purchase bookings if prepaid in full. The Soul Purification Ritual is priced at RP 1,500,000 (AUD$152.75) pp plus 21% government tax and service charge. Two days advance reservations are required. n www.ritzcarlton.com/bali

Waves of Wellness at Mantra Sakala MANTRA Sakala Resort and Beach Club in Bali has recently opened its new wellness and beauty spa. With dedicated spa technicians, luxury treatments, highly trained personal fitness instructors and a fully equipped gym, the resort is the ultimate destination for couples or families who wish to enjoy a healthy and relaxing holiday in a beautiful beachfront location.

Pampering packages are for those who simply wish to unwind, relax and be pampered in the luxury of a five-star spa.

A diverse menu of therapies accommodate both singles and couples, with a focus on Romantic Rituals, Fitness, and Weight loss packages. Treatments can be taken in the dedicated spa rooms; poolside; beachside; or in the luxury of their private suite or villa.

The hotel has a strong focus on health and wellbeing and caters for those wishing to maintain or improve their physique with a huge, state-of-the-art health club on four levels overlooking the waters of Tanjung Benoa Beach. There’s also a multi-purpose studio for yoga, stretching, aerobics and specialised classes.

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Boot Camp provides personalised exercise and wellness programs that combine water sports, organic gluten-free meals, personal trainers, cardio exercise and sports massage.

Guests can also build strength in the customised Technogym training area, equipped with the latest weight bearing machines, adjustable benches and new generation Kinesis machines. Those seeking to connect with the world while exercising can take advantage of satellite TV and Wi-Fi. There is also a creative and fun spa menu for children, who can choose from foot treatments, body massages, and mum and daughter ‘Mini-Me’ packages. There is a ‘Munchkin’ package for really little ones.

Average daily rates start from AUD$134 for a Sakala room, through to $318 per night for a deluxe Sakala Lagoon Suite (based on a seven-night stay). n www.mantrasakala.com

BALI

Garuda claims world’s best cabin crew

In line with Garuda Indonesia’s continuous service enhancement program, Garuda Indonesia’s cabin crew has again been voted ‘World’s Best Cabin Crew 2015’ by independent airline ranking agency Skytrax.

Q&A

The award was presented by the CEO of Skytrax, Edward Plaisted to Garuda Indonesia’s president and CEO, Arif Wibowo during the World Airline Awards 2015 at the Paris Airshow in June this year. It’s the second consecutive year Garuda Indonesia has won the award.

“Garuda Indonesia’s success in winning the World’s Best Cabin Crew title once more in 2015 reflects the tireless hard work and deep commitment from everyone at Garuda Indonesia, in particular our cabin crew, to deliver the highest standards of service to our passengers. We would also like to thank our loyal passengers for continuing to support Garuda Indonesia enabling us to win their trust and the award,” said Wibowo.

“By offering our Garuda Indonesia Experience service concept that emphasizes Indonesian hospitality and the best aspects of our cultural heritage, we are confident that Garuda Indonesia will continue to be ranked among the world’s best in the years to come.”

Currently, Garuda Indonesia ranks seventh in the list of the World’s Best Airlines. The award was based on a global customer satisfaction survey by Skytrax of more

than 18 million passengers. The annual survey covers 245 international airlines, and measures standards across 41 key performance indicators of airline products and services.

Through its business transformation program, which focuses especially on fleet development, Garuda Indonesia will operate as many as 185 aircraft by the end of 2015 (including its subsidiary, Citilink).

Since joining the global airline alliance SkyTeam in March 2014, Garuda Indonesia, together with 19 other SkyTeam members, provides access to an extensive global network with over 16,323 daily flights to 1,052 destinations in 177 countries.

Passengers can also enjoy 629 lounges of SkyTeam member airlines worldwide.

Garuda Indonesia operates 33 flights per week to Australia (Sydney, Perth and Melbourne) from Denpasar and Jakarta.

Denpasar flights to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth are served daily, while Jakarta flights to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth are served four times per week. n www.garuda-indonesia.com

Bali has always been a hit with Aussies. Here Mark Pearman from Epping Travel shares with travelBulletin his insights on the ins and outs of selling Bali.

How well does Bali sell at your agency?

Bali is always popular with family and intergenerational groups. Our most recent clients to Bali were a family group of 12 including grandparents, children and grandchildren.

What are the most popular destinations?

Our clients prefer the quieter areas of Seminyak, Nusa Dua and Ubud. These areas are away from the hustle and bustle of Kuta.

Is the country seen mainly as a beach destination or is it seen as having wider appeal?

Bali is definitely still seen as a beach destination but seems to be growing in popularity amongst travellers interested in a Health and Wellbeing focused Holiday.

Eat, Pray, Love has assisted here. Bali with its romantic beach settings and world class resorts and spas also appeals as a great choice for a destination wedding.

What do you see as Bali’s strengths as a destination?

Bali’s good weather is a drawcard but it also offers a very wide range of accommodation from backpackers to five star luxury. A major strength is the wide range of private villas available. Villas can be the perfect choice for couples or a great alternative for family groups many have private pools. It’s also a relatively short flight from Australia which is a plus.

What advice would you give to other agents in selling Bali as a destination?

Bali is not just beaches. Ubud in the mountains and the paddy fields offers a cultural and craft experience. Candidasa and Lombok offer a change to get away from it all so offer more than one experience.

Bali is also an easy destination to upsell both land and business class flight options.

Visit Indonesia

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LAST WORD

bea Five minutes of lying on this

A! ch and I feel like a NEW-ME

Doesn’t it just look like paradise? The lucky Claire Phillips from Travel Counsellors will soon get to enjoy her own slice of New Caledonian paradise when she heads there after winning the competition featured in the September issue of travelBulletin.

Courtesy of New Caledonia Tourism and Air Calin, Claire will experience two complimentary return economy class tickets on Aircalin, five nights’ accommodation twin share including breakfast provided by Grand Hotels, six days car rental and return airport transfer provided by Arc en Ciel.

Claire won this stellar prize by having the best caption to the above photo. The winning caption was: Five minutes of lying on this beach and I feel like a NEW-MEA!

Funnies Flashback There’s always something kooky going on in the world of travel. We took a trip down memory lane and uncovered these gems from that day in the Travel Daily Window Seat archives: 9th February 2000 A COUPLE has made UK legal history by successfully suing a taxi company for arriving late. Bride Dawn Feldham booked a cab to take her to a registry office, but it didn’t arrive in time and she had to get a lift from a neighbour. Then she and her new husband had to catch a train from the registry office to their reception. The taxi firm shrugged off their complaints, calling them cheapskates for trying to make do with a $20 cab when they should have been using a $250 hire car. They sued and won damages and expenses of $650, which they’ll now spend on a wedding re-enactment.

29th August 2002 A Northern Territory policeman who told an NT newspaper that he drove away a huge bull buffalo that was attacking his house by simply throwing a thong at it may have dented the Top End’s tourism appeal. D.D. McNicoll, a columnist in The Australian, says today that “thousands of tourists a year flock to Kakadu to see the murderous wild buffalo that can be tamed only by Paul Hogan’s magic fingers”. But the actions of Constable Clay Evans, who lives near Katherine, may just have scuttled the tough guy image.

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APP HAPPY Now we’ll be the first to admit that checking the currency conversion rates doesn’t really get our heart racing. But when your clients are in Thailand trying to figure out whether or not they’re being totally ripped off when they’re charged 500 Thai Baht (THB) for a bowl of massaman curry (yes, they are), they’ll be thanking their lucky stars their travel agent suggested downloading this nifty little app.

The XE Currency app is able to convert every world currency and offers live currency rates and charts. It also stores the last updated rates so that even when not connected to the internet you can still easily figure out what you’re paying in Australian dollars via the currency converter. Pin your desired currency at the top so that it’s always easy to keep track of spending, and you can even add the app to your notification centre on Apple devices so you can always quickly access the rates.

XE Currency app is available for free on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android, BlackBerry, Windows, and Firefox OS devices.

There’s also a paid version which will get rid of the ads and allow you to compare 20 currencies at once (rather than the 10 that you can do through the free version), but the free version should suit most people just fine.

Sudoku 9

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SOURCE: 2013 KrazyDad.com

CONGRATULATIONS

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