septemBer 2015 - Travel Bulletin

Transcription

September 2015
Selling travel insurance has always been part of
a travel agent’s arsenal, but what of the future?
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contents
From the managing editor
Bruce Piper
COVER STORY
16
Risky business
features
34 44 50 54 58 Europe
Middle East
China
Hong Kong and Macau
Ocean Cruising
monthly
02 10 22 26 27 28
30
32
72 State of the industry
Issues and trends
Careers
Brochures
Travel management
Business events news
Cruise report
Industry in focus
Last word
columns
02 06 10 29
31 Ian McMahon
Steve Jones
AFTA View
Linda Gaunt
CLIA View
www.travelbulletin.com.au
Travel Bulletin is part of the
Travel Daily family of publications
Anyone who wants an example of the ongoing relevance of travel agents
to the distribution landscape need only look to the Virtuoso luxury travel
network, which last month held the 27th annual Virtuoso Travel Week
in Las Vegas. The massive conference attracted almost 5000 travel
professionals from across the globe to the Bellagio Resort & Casino.
Australia is a key part of the Virtuoso network, which has enjoyed
a higher profile in the last couple of years since the organisation
appointed Michael Londregan as its Asia-Pacific managing director. The
group’s visionary founder, Matthew Upchurch, has continued to drive
Virtuoso to ever greater heights, with recent expansion into Europe,
the UAE, Hong Kong and Singapore meaning it now comprises 373
travel agencies with almost 700 offices in 30 countries, all focused on
providing extremely high levels of service to their upmarket clientele.
As if more than US$14 billion in sales wasn’t enough to underline
the importance of Virtuoso, the group also enjoys serious muscle
when it comes to marketing luxury travel – an opportunity which has
been grabbed with both hands by Tourism Australia. TA md John
O’Sullivan announced a groundbreaking partnership during Virtuoso
Travel Week, with the aim of helping “build greater connection between
the international luxury market and Australia’s highly desirable luxury
offering”. It’s not clear exactly what Virtuoso is getting out of the deal,
but O’Sullivan confirmed Tourism Australia would be investing to ensure
Australia’s “premium story is told and sold well in the US”.
Londregan is likely to have had a key part in brokering the pact.
He knows the US market well, having spent many years based in Los
Angeles both as head of Tourism Australia’s North American operations
as well as running Stella Travel’s Qantas Vacations, before returning
to Australia as head of JTG wholesale. During his US stint Londregan
moved in rarefied circles, making frequent appearances alongside
celebrities on the G’Day LA red carpet, so he’s certainly well versed with
the ultra-luxury consumer.
Whatever sparked the connection between Virtuoso and Tourism
Australia, it is clear that the luxury network is a beacon for what travel
agents can achieve when they single-mindedly focus on the value they
add. Despite the rise of the internet and OTAs, Virtuoso chief Upchurch
warmed the hearts of travel consultants across the world during his
opening address at Virtuoso Travel week when he reminded delegates
that “as technology continues to spread into every facet of life, there is
a desire – even a craving – for real human connection”.
This month’s contributors
Steve Jones, Brett Jardine, Jayson Westbury, James Kavanagh, Gary Walsh,
Kerry van der Jagt, Linda Gaunt, Jasmine O’Donoghue
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor – Bruce Piper
bruce.piper@travelbulletin.com.au
Co-ordinating 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 Co-ordinator
Sarah Piper
Ph: 1300 799 220 or 02 8007 6760
sarah.piper@travelbulletin.com.au
www.travelbulletin.com.au
DESIGN TEAM
Wendy St George, Sarah Piper
FINANCE
Jenny Piper
jenny.piper@travelbulletin.com.au
4/41 Rawson Street Epping NSW 2121
PO Box 1010 Epping NSW 1710 Australia
Tel: 1300 799 220 (+61 2 8007 6760)
Fax: 1300 799 221 (+61 2 8007 6769)
travelBulletin SEPTEMBER 2015
1
STATE OF THE
Industry
Gurney to head EK USA
Ian McMahon’s perspective
Flight centre’s win for all agents
WELL over three years ago, in March
2012, when the Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission (ACCC) hauled
Flight Centre before the Federal Court
and accused the company of price fixing, I
wrote: “The principle at stake is one that
affects all travel agencies”.
As travelBulletin reported at the time: “At
the core of the ACCC’s prosecution of Flight
Centre … is an issue that causes angst
for travel agents around Australia – airline
websites offering fares direct to the public
at prices that undercut fares available
through their agents”.
Of course, airlines have always been
free to offer the public deals unavailable
through agency channels.
But are agents entitled to negotiate
preferred supplier deals that require airlines
to give them access to all such deals? As
I put it at the time: “Does a travel agency
which has invested in premises, people,
technology and marketing to provide an
airfare distribution network have the right
to insist on access to all of an airline’s
fares when it negotiates a deal for preferred
sales through its network?”
No, said the ACCC. The competition
regulator said this amounted to retail
price maintenance.
Agents would not agree. They would say
they just want a level playing field. But this
was a legal issue. As I wrote at the time:
“Learned lawyers and judges will decide
the outcome of the case”.
The lawyers have taken their time –
more than three years – and at one stage
things looked grim for Flight Centre. In
December 2013, the Court found against
the company and fined it $11 million.
But on July 31, the Full Court of the
Federal Court of Australia overturned the
initial judgement and found against the
ACCC. The Full Court ruled that the $11
million fine, plus interest, be refunded to
Flight Centre and it ordered the ACCC to
pay the company’s legal costs.
Flight Centre managing director Graham
Turner summed up the impact of the
decision with the statement that “it is a
logical and natural business request” for an
agent to ask airlines for “reasonable access
to all deals that they release to the market”.
Apart from anything else, Turner pointed
out, such an approach ensures that agents’
customers, comprising around 80 per cent
of people who purchase international air
fares, are not disadvantaged.
Indeed. And while agents will no doubt
continue to experience the frustration of
airlines and other suppliers using their
websites to undercut agents’ prices, at least
Flight Centre has established that agents
can attempt to negotiate a level playing field.
Aviation is most definitely in Rob Gurney’s
blood, with the Emirates Australasia chief
this month relocating to New York where he
will take up the role of Emirates senior vice
president for North America. Before heading
up Jetset Travelworld Group (later Helloworld)
Gurney was head of commercial operations
for Qantas, and there was therefore little
surprise that after his controversial detour
into the travel agency business he turned
up as Emirates vice president Australasia
– albeit with speculation that this was likely
part of a bigger plan.
Less than a year later he’s moving on
within Emirates, where he will take on the
gargantuan task of overseeing the carrier’s
rapid expansion in the US, at the same
time battling the entrenched opposition and
lobbying power of the “Big Three” legacy
airlines, United, American and Delta.
Replacing him in Australasia will be Barry
Brown, who is returning to Sydney from
Dubai where he has been Emirates senior
vice president Commercial Operations East
for the last two years. Brown will continue
to report to EK chief commercial officer
Thierry Antinori, with senior industry sources
speculating that his return is evidence of
the importance EK places on the Qantas
relationship where having an Australian who
knows both businesses well is a key asset.
Rich Virgin Australia content
Travelport claimed a major coup last month
when it announced that Virgin Australia had
signed up to its “Rich content and Branding”
merchandising solution which allows airlines
to showcase their full suite of offerings via the
GDS channel. It’s a significant evolution for
business monitor
OUTBOUND MARKET
INBOUND MARKET
MAIN DOMESTIC ROUTES
Top 10 domestic city pairs at June 2015
Top 10 destinations, June 2015
Top 10 sources, June 2015
Destination
Trend SeasonallyOriginal Trend
Trend
May 15/ Jun 14/
Adjusted
Jun 15
Jun 15
000
000
000
%
%
Indonesia 93.9 93.6104.0 -0.2 +2.6
USA
80.781.495.7 -0.6 +2.2
New Zealand 107.3 110.9
90.6
+0.8
+8.9
UK
45.847.584.2 +0.3 -0.9
Thailand 45.945.949.7 +0.3 -3.9
China
37.737.834.5 +1.5 +14.9
Fiji
28.627.932.6 -0.1 +3.3
Italy
15.415.532.6 -0.7 +0.2
Singapore
29.4
30.5
29.2
-0.1
-5.5
France
12.712.925.3 +1.4 +0.0
All outbound 777.6 782.0 899.1
-0.1
+2.4
SourceTrend
Seasonally Original Trend
Trend
Adjusted
May 15/ Jun 14/
Jun 15 Jun 15
000
000
000
%
%
102.9
+0.5
+6.8
New Zealand 109.3 108.5
China
85.1
83.6 55.1 +1.3
+21.2
USA
49.9 51.4 47.5 +0.5+11.9
Singapore 32.331.7 42.2 +0.7 +3.0
Malaysia 29.430.1 27.2 +2.3 +4.9
UK
56.7
55.9
27.0
-0.4
+3.5
India
19.1 18.5 17.9 -1.7+12.7
Japan
27.0
27.2
16.5
+0.3
-3.1
Hong Kong
18.1
18.4
14.0
+1.2
+5.8
Indonesia 12.512.2 13.8 -1.0 +0.1
All inbound 612.7 609.0
488.3
+0.2
+6.6
City pair
Passengers Passengers % change
YE Jun 14
YE Jun 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)
8,275.0
8,454.5
+2.2
4,454.2
4,408.2
-1.0
3,276.2
3,320.1
+1.3
2,587.3
2,583.2
-0.2
2,242.4
2,282.9
+1.8
2,193.9
2,131.7
-2.8
1,778.7 1,817.0+2.2
1,805.3
1,774.6
-1.7
1,713.4
1,759.6
+2.7
1,391.8
1,452.7
+4.4
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
Source: BITRE
2
STATE OF THE Industry
VA, which only embraced GDS distribution four
years ago, with Travelport’s Asia-Pacific vice
president Damian Hickey telling travelBulletin
he expects other carriers in the region to
follow Virgin’s lead.
Virgin enthused that the Travelport offering
would particularly help it promote its new
A330 business class seat, as well as the
soon to be revealed long-haul business class
offering and new premium economy cabin
on its Boeing 777 flights to Los Angeles
and Abu Dhabi. As well as enabling ancillary
sales via GDS, Travelport’s merchandising
solution also facilitates easier up-selling by
travel consultants and provides the same
detailed information as is available on airline
direct websites. More than 110 airlines
worldwide have signed up for the system,
including Lufthansa which announced its
participation in late July.
Royal Brunei committed
Royal Brunei Airlines’ Melbourne
services have proven so
successful that the carrier has
doubled the space in its city
offices, with deputy chairman
Dermot Mannion highlighting the
airline’s “very strong commitment
to the Australian market” during
the recent CAPA Centre for
Aviation conference in Sydney.
Mannion, who’s pictured with
country manager Brett McDougall,
told travelBulletin that although
its local ports have changed over
the years, BI is celebrating more
than three decades of continuous
operation to Australia.
The airline can offer 787-8
flights all the way from Melbourne
to London, with the service stopping in
Brunei and Dubai along the way – an
option which is “attractive to a particular
constituency,” Mannion said.
Also popular is a “two centre” holiday
product combining a stay in Brunei with a
couple of nights in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia’s
fastest growing tourism destination.
Travel Counsellors ups ante
The appointment of industry veteran David
Hughes as the Australian managing director
for Travel Counsellors is likely to only
increase activity in the home-based sector,
which was pioneered by the group when it
launched here more than eight years ago.
Since then the group has had a succession
of leaders, with inaugural local chief Peter
Watson abruptly departing in 2010, followed
in succession by Cathy Burke, Samantha
Hutton and Deb Duncan before current
YEAR general
ENDED
MAY Tracy
2015
founder David Speakman about 12 months
manager
Parkinson stepped
ago to
to May
private
up
in
2013.
Chart I
International Passengers Carried (thousands) - May 2013
2015equity group Equistone
Partners, sees Australia as a key growth
Parkinson remains in the GM role, working
1950
market, and Hughes will be expecting to
alongside Hughes whose INBOUND
extensive industry OUTBOUND
capitalise on local fundamentals which
resume includes senior positions with Jetset
1700
are seen as key for the group, including a
Travelworld Group, Qantas and the Global
1450
buoyant outbound market and a large pool of
Business Travel Association.
professional travel consultants.
Travel Counsellors, which was sold by
1200
The airline executive wouldn’t be drawn
on future expansion, with Mannion saying
“right now we’re concentrating on putting
the best product possible into the market”.
The carrier will take delivery of the first of
ten A320neo single aisle aircraft in 2017,
which will provide further flexibility for its
south east Asian network, he added.
Signature targets Australia
Another US agency group has turned
its sights on the Australian market, with
Signature Travel Network confirming it’s
“currently in discussion with several
interested travel agencies” here.
Continues over page
950
business monitor
International passengers by major airline – year ended May 2015
Chart II
Apr-15
May-15
Mar-15
Jan-15
Feb-15
International Air Market Share
Dec-14
Oct-14
Nov-14
Sep-14
Jul-14
Aug-14
Jun-14
Apr-14
May-14
Mar-14
Jan-14
Feb-14
Dec-13
Oct-13
Nov-13
Sep-13
Jul-13
Aug-13
Jun-13
May-13
700
International Passengers by Major Airlines - Year ended May 2015
Qantas Airways,
15.7%
Others, 26.5%
Emirates, 9.8%
*Percentage points difference
Domestic On Time Performance – June 2015
Jetstar, 8.8%
AirAsia X, 3.6%
Malaysia Airlines,
4.2%
Air New Zealand,
7.4%
Departures on Time Arrivals on Time
Cancellations
No. % No.% No. %
Jetstar
5,359
Qantas
8,694
QantasLink 8,649
REX
5,066
Tigerair
1,764
41,555
All Airlines
Singapore Airlines,
8.6%
Virgin Australia,
7.8%
Source: BITRE
Table I
Jun
Jun
Growth Yr to
Yr to
Growth
14
15
(%)
Jun 14 Jun 15
(%)
4.49m 4.47m -0.6
57.72m 57.25m -0.8
5.30bn 5.28bn -0.2
68.08bn 67.47bn -0.9
7.24bn 7.26bn +0.3
89.54bn 88.34bn -1.3
73.2
72.8
-0.4* 76.0
76.4
+0.3*
51.7
52.5
+1.7
640.9
635.9
-0.8
Source: BITRE Etihad Airways, 2.5%
Cathay Pacific
Airways, 5.1%
DOMESTIC AIR MARKET – June 2015
Total pax carried
Revenue pax kms (RPK)
Avail seat kms (ASK)
Load factor (%)
Aircraft trips (000)
81.8 5,46083.4
91.4 8,62690.7
87.4 8,51886.1
88.1 4,90685.3
89.5 1,72587.5
88.8
41,128
87.9
102
113
252
15
14
702
1.5
1.2
2.5
0.3
0.7
1.5
International Passengers by Uplift/Discharge City Pairs (a)
Foreign
Australian
Port
Port
Year ended
Year ended
Year ended
% of
% Change
May 2013
May 2014
May 2015
Total
2015/14
3
STATE OF THE
Industry
Continues from previous page
California-based Signature has long been
focused on North America, and announced
an international push in late 2014.
The group describes itself as a “memberowned travel cooperative” and has almost
200 member agencies and 440 retail
locations in the US and Canada. Signature
added its first member in Brazil last year, and
also recently expanded into New Zealand with
the addition of Auckland-based Quay Travel.
Signature’s Kimberly Waters told
travelBulletin members have access to
the Signature Hotel & Resorts Collection,
a Destination Specialists program and
“cutting-edge technology solutions” as well
as the group’s annual conclave in Las Vegas
attended by over 2,100 travel professionals.
Last year US based Ensemble Travel
launched operations in Australia with a
fanfare under the leadership of American
Express agency Trish Shepherd; however the
organisation is yet to publicly announce any
new members here.
CX earlybirds early again
There were a few red faces early last month
when Cathay Pacific continued the tradition
of recent years by being the first carrier to
release its 2016 earlybird fares. Although
the announcement appeared to imply they
were available to all, it turned out that there
was a “pre-earlybird” period during which
the deals were offered via Flight Centre and
Helloworld only, with the carrier swiftly issuing
a corrective statement saying it had chosen
to work with “selected trade partners”.
However as travelBulletin goes to print the
CX deals have been opened to everyone,
and for the first time there are Cathay
Avis Scholarship turns 20
The Avis Travel Agent Scholarship of Excellence continues to break boundaries, with
this year’s $40,000-plus prize package expanding to include 12 months of individual
Cruise Lines International Association membership and two tickets to next year’s
Cruise3sixty Australasia.
Qantas has continued its strong support of the program, providing two business class
tickets to New York, while the winner will also receive two tickets to the 2016 National
Travel Industry Awards gala dinner, Polonius Resources professional coaching and a
scholarship to study at Southern Cross University with financial support up to $8000.
Now in its 20th year, applications for this year’s scholarship must be lodged by the close
of business on 28th September at www.avisscholarship.com.
Pictured above at the Sydney launch are Avis Travel Industry manager Russell Butler;
Adele Sheers, Qantas manager national agency development; CLIA commercial director
Brett Jardine; Robyn Sinfield from Tasmania’s Home Travel Company, the inaugural winner
of the Avis Scholarship; and Rob Harrison, Qantas head of agency partnerships.
earlybirds to North America as well as the UK
and Europe.
CX is also allowing passengers to mix and
match Premium Economy and Economy legs,
as well as offering open jaw flights which
are ideal for Australians touring or cruising
in Europe. Cathay has also increased its
economy class luggage allowance under the
deals to 30kg, “so there is plenty of room for
shopping and souvenirs”.
business monitor
INTERNET AGENCY MARKET
SHARES
July 2015, compared with June 2015
Rank Company
Market share Rank
July 2015 Relative diff
1 Webjet Australia
15.55
2 Wotif.com
8.84
3 Expedia Australia
8.51
4 Skyscanner Australia
7.25
5 Flight Centre
6.98
6 Lastminute.com.au
3.42
7 Cheap Flights Aus & NZ1.77
8 Luxury Escapes
1.68
9 CheapOair
1.62
10 FareCompare
1.48
Jul to Jun
-1.66
-7.68
-7.24
+16.46
-6.17
-3.67
+16.58
+11.45
+33.19
+8.96
Rank
June 2015
1
2
3
5
4
6
8
9
*
10
* Not in top 10
Source: Experian Marketing Services’ Hitwise – www.experian.com.au/hitwise
4
SHARE PRICES
INTERNATIONAL AIR ROUTES
18 August 2015
Top 10 city pairs (at May 2015)
City pair
Passengers
YE May 14
Passengers
YE May 15
% of % change
total
14/15
Flight Centre (FLT)
$33.51
Helloworld (HLO)
$0.31
Auckland-Sydney 1,460,4201,503,310 4.5 +2.9
Singapore-Sydney 1,379,1541,377,125 4.1 -0.1
Singapore-Melbourne1,122,716 1,160,696 3.4 +3.4
Auckland-Melbourne1,011,738 1,085,847 3.2 +7.3
Singapore-Perth 1,042,8901,007,655 3.0 -3.7
Auckland-Brisbane 891,820 949,1822.8+6.4
Hong Kong-Sydney
943,105
925,024
2.7
-1.9
Denpasar-Perth
838,935 908,1052.7+8.2
Los Angeles-Sydney
899,997
899,564
2.7
+0.0
Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne 884,516
872,476
2.6
-1.4
Top 10 city pairs
10,479,291 10,688,984 31.7
+2.0
Other city pairs 21,789,180 23,064,682 68.3
+5.9
ALL CITY PAIRS 32,268,471 33,753,666 100.0
+4.6
Webjet (WEB)
Source: BITRE
Disruptive Investments (DVI)
$4.06
$0.022
Qantas (QAN)
$3.79
Virgin Australia (VAH)
$0.45
Ardent Leisure (AAD)
$2.18
Air New Zealand (AIZ)
$2.45
Auckland International Airport (AIA)
$4.65
Sydney Airport (SYD)
Corporate Travel Management (CTD)
$5.63
$10.50
Cover-More Insurance (CVO)
$2.18
Regional Express (REX)
$0.95
Sealink (SLK)
$2.40
STATE OF THE Industry
Destination NSW looks abroad
Destination NSW has sealed a landmark two
year agreement with Air New Zealand, which
is believed to be the first time a state tourism
organisation has directly targeted a marketing
partnership with a foreign carrier. The two year
deal aims to attract Kiwi visitors to the state,
with Destination NSW ceo Sandra Chipchase
saying major events are a key focus.
“The close proximity of our countries
means that Sydney and regional NSW are
fantastic short break destinations where New
Zealanders can come to enjoy our spectacular
scenery, food and wine and many of the
best major events in Australia,” she said. Air
New Zealand ceo Christopher Luxon, who
inked the deal with NSW state premier Mike
Baird, said the carrier flies “more seats from
New Zealand to Sydney than to any other
international destination on our network”.
Destination NSW is also looking to China,
with another two year pact sealed with Ctrip,
the country’s largest online travel agency –
cementing a partnership which has been in
place since 2013. Ctrip senior vice president
Li Xiaoping said the alliance “represents the
start of a new chapter for tourism destination
marketing in China, which will see NSW
benefit from the scale of our platforms and
customer base”.
Low fuel boon for airlines
Airlines around the world are enjoying a
respite from high fuel prices, and Australian
carriers are no exception. Qantas and Virgin
both reported significantly improved financial
results for the 12 months to 30 June, with
both also benefiting from the détente from the
previous year’s domestic capacity wars.
With fuel being one of the biggest costs
AUSTRALIAN AIRPORTS
International passenger through Australia’s
major international airports – May 2015
Airport
Passengers
YE May 14
Sydney 13,218,403 Melbourne 7,610,666
Brisbane 4,802,950 Perth 4,049,046 Adelaide 884,480
Gold Coast 872,905 Cairns 472,951 Darwin 336,985
Norfolk Island 11,680
Sunshine Coast*
8,405 Port Hedland~
n/a
All Airports 32,099,997
Passengers
YE May 15
% of
total
13,478,092
39.9
8,361,540
24.8 5,122,389
15.2 4,168,334
12.3 943,618
2.8 876,163
2.6 483,391
1.4
296,714
0.9 12,043
0.0 10,248 0.0 1,134
0.0
33,668,868 100.0 % change
15/14
+2.0
+9.9
+6.7
+2.9
+6.7
+0.4
+2.2
-12.0
+3.1
+21.9
n/a
+4.9
* Sunshine Coast operated services from Jul 2013-Sep 2012, Jun 2013-Oct 2013 and Jun
2014, ~ Port Hedland services recommenced Apr 2015.
Source: BITRE
of operating an airline the sub-US$50 per
barrel price automatically flows through to
the bottom line - but nevertheless Virgin’s
result was still a $49.5 million net loss, which
the carrier highlighted as a $213 million
improvement on the previous year, as it
continues its Virgin Vision evolution and claws
back on the poor performance of Tigerair.
Qantas on the other hand met expectations
by reporting a $789 million pre-tax statutory
profit, with every part of the business in the
black, according to CEO Alan Joyce.
The Qantas announcement also saw the
carrier confirm it would not invest any more
in the failed Jetstar Hong Kong venture, while
the turnaround of its international division has
allowed it to finally make firm fleet plans with
the acquisition of eight 787-9s (see page 9).
Quest looks internationally
Home-grown accommodation group Quest
Serviced Apartments is spending $10 million
for what on the face of it seems to be a fairly
simple name change, evolving to become
Quest Apartment Hotels.
CEO Zed Sanjana told travelBulletin the
move would “ensure we remain relevant,”
with “lots of terminology globally for what
our segment reference is called. Some say
Apartment Hotels, some say Apart’hotel and
some say Residences...it’s all over the place,”
he said, with the new name seen as more
appropriate to a global company, as opposed
to one focused on Australia and New Zealand.
Sanjana said Quest was looking to build
a pipeline of growth in the UK, as a key
milestone in exporting its successful model.
Plans for the new operation would primarily
involve newbuild properties, he said, because
in building a new brand in a new market
“consistency is critical”.
ATAS ACCREDITED AGENTS
As at 18 August 2015
NSW 1003
VIC731
QLD658
WA321
SA230
ACT50
TAS40
NT23
total
3056
Got something to say?
We’re all ears, so share your thoughts at
haveyoursay@travelbulletin.com.au
HEADLINES
22 Jul Tourism Aus, Expedia JV
22 Jul Qantas returns to Sunshine Coast plus MEL-OOL flights
22 Jul QF revises ADM disputes
23 Jul Discounted QF SME fares
23 Jul WA agent strands clients
24 Jul TransPac fares set to rise
24 Jul Changing of guard at TTC
24 Jul AA trans-Pacific services to debut 19 Dec
27 Jul ATAS submissions sought
27 Jul Scholarship cruise boost
28 Jul New Travel Counsellors MD
29 Jul Tigerair Aus losses halved
29 Jul Star Alliance adds Y+ RTW
30 Jul AFTA and GfK launch ‘Travelscan’ partnership
30 Jul Radisson Red Aus-bound
31 Jul Flight Centre vindication
31 Jul BYOjet TTV increases 46%
03 Aug VA boosts Travelport pact
03 Aug HX confirms Australia flights
04 Aug Indo AirAsia X to Sydney
04 Aug Helloworld $205m write-off
05 Aug Loyalty key to AccorHotels
06 Aug QF rallies for MU alliance
06 Aug Qantas adds POLi payment
07 Aug Virgin Australia to revamp international operations
07 Aug Arrivals up 6.6% in 2014/15
10 Aug CX pre-earlybirds launch
10 Aug TA studies high spenders
11 Aug TA Virtuoso partnership
11 Aug Flight Centre most used
12 Aug Axis says goodbye to HLO
12 Aug HA’s claim ‘inappropriate’
13 Aug Crown regional growth
13 Aug STB sport event strategy
14 Aug ACCC reauthorises Virgin/Delta trans-Pacific alliance
14 Aug Virgin/Etihad seek 10yrs
14 Aug Signature targeting Australia
17 Aug ACCC launches freight probe
17 Aug Kiwis keen on QF/AA ties
18 Aug SYD takes control of T3
18 Aug Border Big Brother plan
19 Aug Quest gets export-ready
19 Aug NSW boosts China profile
20 Aug $975m profit for QF, will order eight Boeing 787-9 aircraft
20 Aug Webjet profit jumps 10%
5
steve’s say
Unfortunate goodbye for Helloworld
By Steve Jones
By the time you read this issue of
travelBulletin, Helloworld Limited will have
publicly opened its books and reported its
2015 full year financial results.
At the time of penning this column, the results
were some days away, but we already know what
the top line figures were going to be, courtesy of
an update to the market in early August.
In disclosing details of a $205m non-cash
impairment charge, Helloworld revealed it was
reporting an adjusted pre-tax profit of $7m, with
earnings before interest and tax of $27m to $28m.
But if outgoing chief executive Elizabeth
Gaines can rightly leave the business pretty
satisfied having steadied the listing ship and
presided over a pre-tax profit, she will have been
less pleased with the news that another high
profile agency, Axis Travel, has quit the group.
The charismatic Max Najar, whose agency
has been part of the fabric of Travelscene
American Express for more than 30 years,
blamed too many management changes, poor
transparency and a lack of focus on the Amex
blue box as his reasons for calling it a day.
Helloworld may have reported an
improvement in its financial performance
but it can ill afford to lose agents of Najar’s
experience and profile. And if he is concerned
about those issues, you wonder how many
more agents are asking questions.
While the business has unquestionably
settled after the initial upheaval of
Helloworld’s launch and the management
issues surrounding Rob Gurney, there is still
much work to be done, notwithstanding its
impressive showing at the AFTA awards.
ill afford
‘toHelloworld...can
lose agents of Najar’s
experience and profile
’
The Helloworld board uses earnings as
its key metric of assessing the financial
performance of the group and that being the
case you have to assume the $27m-$28m it
achieved in 2015 would be viewed with some
concern, given it was more than $40m last year.
This year’s figure has been impacted
by a number of factors, namely increased
investment in marketing, improved incentive
payments and a smaller agency network.
But there is no question the board will want
a marked improvement as it moves through
this current financial year.
Then, of course, there is the small matter
of the share price, currently languishing at
around 31c. Over the past 12 months, the
share price peaked in May at 41c, but it has
generally hovered just above 30c, half what
it was in early 2012. And it is a far cry from
the relatively heady days of early 2011 which
investors must view with misty-eyed wonder.
Then, the share price was a dizzying $1.
But even that is nothing compared to
2007 and 2008 when JTG was reporting
record profits and the share price hit a now
unthinkable $3.24.
That was in the days before JTG and Stella
Travel Services struck their uneasy merger
which ultimately morphed into Helloworld.
The JTG back then and the Helloworld of
today are, of course, unrecognisable and there
have been any number of twists and turns that
have impacted the various agency networks.
Let’s not forget that Travelscene American
Express and Harvey World Travel also traded
through the MFS debacle.
With all that in mind, you have to
conclude that it’s little wonder Max Najar
has called it a day.
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ISSUES &
TRENDS
Roy Morgan: Time to give tourism a rev
How will Australia fare in the new, increasingly
competitive environment of travel and
tourism? That was the question posed at Roy
Morgan’s State of the Nation: Spotlight on
Tourism seminar held recently in Sydney.
The event suggested the commercial
models for airlines, travel agents, tour
operators, accommodation providers,
destinations and business events are in a
‘state of flux’ with shifting consumer leisure
and lifestyle preferences, politics, economics
and technological advances all disrupting and
fragmenting the tourism and leisure world
and shaping the Australian tourism industry’s
21st-century evolution.
Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, said
with the end of the commodities boom,
the need to identify long term sustainable
industries is imperative, providing a golden
opportunity for sectors such as tourism, if
they play their cards right.
“With an estimated $100 billion of
aggregated expenditure in 2014, tourism can
be the industry that stays the distance,” said
Levine. “Having adapted to the enormous
challenges thrown at it by digital technology
and globalisation, it is currently the country’s
fifth-most valuable export industry.”
Levine added that the economy is the
single most important factor that shapes
consumer confidence and determines
discretionary spend. A higher unemployment
rate tends to curtail consumer sentiment,
while fluctuating interest rates, the price of
data indicates that
‘it Our
is not all doom and
gloom for bricks-andmortar chains; not only do
Australians still use them,
but many are open to the
idea of using them for their
next trip
’
oil and the affordability of airfares all have
a big impact upon whether people decide
to go on holiday or not. Terrorism was also
cited as a significant factor in more recent
years as influencing consumer sentiment;
counterbalanced by Australia’s progressive
and multicultural society and how this is
influencing our destination preferences.
So who within the market represents strong
8
Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan
long term potential? According to Roy Morgan
Research, the age group that’s growing the
fastest and has the largest spending power is
the Baby Boomers (those born between 1946
and 1964), so Levine advises commercial
operators to “follow the money”.
However she issued the caveat that there
could be some short term softening with
consumer travel intentions, particularly retirees,
as low interest rates impact their savings.
That said, with a reported more than 123
million accumulated days of annual leave
accrued within the Australian workforce, it’s
a question of providing the right impulse
to get people travelling, Roy Morgan
Research suggests.
The figures confirmed that travel agents
are still a considerable influencer on
customer choice where complex bookings
are involved, with the internet being cited
as the number one source for information
gathering and customer purchases for
younger travel segments.
“Our data indicates that it is not all doom
and gloom for bricks-and-mortar chains: not
only do Australians still use them (albeit to a
much lesser extent than ten years ago), but
many are open to the idea of using them for
their next trip. Particularly for overseas travel,
when specialist knowledge and personal
service are often required, bricks-and-mortar
agents have the edge over their strictly online
rivals,” said Levine.
“Focus on the dollars; focus on the
business, tourism is not just fun and games.
The big dollars are in the affluent market,
socially aware with in excess of $12 billion
being spent in that segment,” claimed Levine.
We must stop thinking
‘ageing
population and
therefore conservatism;
they are now spending
big dollars
’
“We must stop thinking ageing population
and therefore conservatism; they are now
spending big dollars. It’s not just the snappy,
young and cool – they stay at friends’ places
on couches,” she said.
While inbound and outbound travel will
continue to be affected by worldwide factors
such as exchange rates, global unrest,
engagement with Asia, and consumer
confidence, the industry has already shown
that it is up to the challenge of these
tumultuous times.
“Our view is that now is the time to put all
our effort into the tourism industry. We no
longer have to sit back, it’s time to give it a
real rev,” Levine concluded.
More direct flights on ultra-efficient B787-9 deliver
superior network and competitive cost base
•
4 x B787-9 to arrive in FY18 and 4 x in FY19
•
Base plan for 8 x B787-9 to replace 5 x older
B747, maintaining flexibility for growth
Increased Direct Range of B787-91
& TRENDS
(Range shown fromISSUES
East Coast Australia)
New QF Horizons
There was reportedly spontaneous applause in Qantas offices
• B787-9
provides
flexibility
around
the country
and thelonger-term
world last month
when CEOtoAlan Joyce
increase
frequencies
on
existing
routes
or of
add
confirmed firm plans for the carrier to finally take
delivery
new
Boeingnew
787-9services
aircraft. Announced
part of the
airline’s blockbuster
to longer,as
thinner
routes
profit turnaround, the next generation planes “overcome the tyranny
Ultra with
longa range,
unit
of•distance,”
base plan
for cost
eight reduction
of the 787s presents
to replace five of
the carrier’s
older
747-400 workhorses,
conservatively
maintaining
future
opportunity
for growth
into markets
existingpresently
capacity but
offering new
optionsfrom
for the
airline.
unserved
directly
Australia
Joyce said the Dreamliners would provide longer-term flexibility to
increase
frequencies
on existing
or add
new services
to longer,
• Smaller
aircraft
gaugeroutes,
provides
greater
level of
thinnerprotection
routes. The ultra-long
range of themarket
aircraft “presents
a future
against potential
downturns
opportunity for growth into markets presently unserved directly from
Australia,” he added.
The order has been a very long time coming. Almost exactly ten
years ago Qantas announced its first big deal for Dreamliners, which
at the time would have made it the largest customer in the world for
the aircraft type. The massive announcement by former CEO Geoff
Dixon included 45 firm orders, 20 options and 50 purchase rights.
1.
Based on modelled
787-9
cabin configuration.
However
with the
delivery
of the 787 repeatedly delayed due to
technical issues at Boeing and the subsequent global financial crisis
in 2008, the plans evolved, eventually seeing the order significantly
reduced to incorporate fewer 787-8s, directed to Jetstar’s long-haul
operations - and none at all for Qantas International mainline which
was incurring deep losses.
This year’s profit turnaround has changed all that, and QF mainline
will now finally be able to spread its wings. An intriguing graph
included as part of the presentation (pictured) provided a titillating
glimpse into what might be possible using the new aircraft. Detailing
the direct range of the 787-9 from the Australian east coast, non-stop
flights will be possible to destinations such as Santiago, Cape Town,
Addis Ababa or Chicago. Moscow is just out of range from Sydney, but
37
would be accessible non-stop from Perth.
Eight 787-9s could be just the start, with Qantas still having 15
remaining options and 30 “purchase rights” for the aircraft type which
offers a 20% lower fuel consumption than a 747, significantly lower
maintenance costs and a range of passenger comfort enhancements.
The new planes will arrive from late 2017, with the timing also
helping the Qantas bottom line by avoiding expensive Boeing 747
maintenance checks. The business case for the acquisition was also
supported by a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement accepted by QF’s
long-haul pilots which delivered a 30% productivity improvement.
ISSUES &
TRENDS
AFTA view
Jayson Westbury, chief executive AFTA
The strength of atas
Rail Plus on track
for growth
Technology has been a key driver of activity for rail specialist
wholesaler Rail Plus in the last year, with feedback from travel
consultants seeing the addition of several significant new offerings.
The popular Live Chat online support service has been extended to
7am-7pm AEDT, while Rail Plus systems have been amended to allow
agents to copy and paste invoice details into their back office systems.
Also new is a series of online training webinars which agents can
complete at their own pace, with new modules on Canada’s Via Rail
and Rocky Mountaineer to be released shortly.
James Dunne, Rail Plus CEO Australasia, who is pictured above with
Rail Europe’s Ingrid Kocijan, told travelBulletin the wholesaler has also
just added a direct connection to Germany’s Deutsche Bahn network,
giving agents 24/7 access to point-to-point fares. And while Amtrak
sectors in the US can be currently booked via Rail Plus manually,
automating this process is also a priority, with live availability expected
to be announced in the coming weeks. Dunne said he’s also focused on
increasing the visibility of rail via the GDS. “Currently we have a tab in
Amadeus, and are now looking at working more closely with other GDSs
to create similar solutions for
consultants.”
In terms of industry trends,
Dunne said Rail Plus is seeing
more Australian passengers
opting for rail passes covering
a single country.
“Once people are travelling
on three or more sectors in
one country, a national pass
offers particularly good value,”
he said. As the European
rail network continues to expand there are ever more options for
passengers such as the new Eurostar route between Lyon and
Provence, as well as a new direct service from London to Amsterdam
which will come online next year. Eurostar is significantly expanding its
fleet, with 17 new high speed e320 trains to be added from late 2015.
Further reducing travel time between London and Paris and offering
free wi-fi for all passengers, the extra rolling stock is “inter-operable”
meaning the trains can run across diverse European signalling systems
opening up the potential for many more direct services between the UK
and city centres across the Continent.
Rail Plus has also seen strong growth of its Great Train Journeys
program, with a new brochure just released. As well as popular favourites
such as the Rocky Mountaineer, the program includes a range of additions
including Ireland’s first luxury rail journey, the Belmond Grand Hibernian,
which debuts next year with three itineraries ranging from two to six days.
Once people are
‘travelling
on three or
more sectors in one
country, a national
pass offers particularly
good value
’
10
Firstly, congratulations to Kris Madden for taking on the new
role at travelBulletin. I am sure Kris will continue the good work
and in depth stories that travelBulletin is so known for.
As we come to the end of the third quarter for 2015 and what
feels like another sprint to the end of the year, I am pleased
with the outstanding support that ATAS continues to receive
as members renew and provide their feedback. It is also very
pleasing to see how the industry has made its own mind up
about the best way to address consumer compensation as
opposed to consumer protection. More on that in a moment.
ATAS is designed to be the mark that travel agents can be proud
of and consumers can look to as a sign of quality and integrity
and consumer protection. ATAS is about being an industry-led
accreditation scheme for
travel businesses of all
sizes to use as a sign of
third party endorsement
for their business. The
fundamental promise that
ATAS participants make is
to conform to the national
consumer protection laws via
the Australian Consumer Law
(ACL). For consumers it also
means that they can identify
in a de-regulated industry a
point of difference between
businesses that are and are not accredited by the industry scheme.
The strength of this endorsement will grow over the year
ahead and with the continued support of the industry, so will the
importance of ATAS to both travel agents and consumers. As for
compensation or the protection of consumers monies there are a
raft of options now available and in market across the industry.
For small agents the simplest way to protect client funds is to
open an interest bearing trust account. There is no cost to do
this and in fact the account attracts interest, which means that
agents can earn money on the funds held in trust and should
something go wrong, the client’s funds are safe. Simple!
On top of this very simple approach a range of options have
evolved and been developed by the insurance industry for travel
agencies and consumers to chose from. No doubt there will
be more options that find their way into the market as the new
industry-led environment matures.
The new environment has also brought with it some innovation
with long standing and experienced agency owners looking to
capitalise on the simplified environment by opening new stores
like the example of the Hunter Travel Group (an NTIA 2015
winner) moving into Costco, and the future growth of the mobile
agency groups increasing their national penetration. All good
signs of growth and prosperity for the travel agency community
in Australia and signs that the industry remains robust and
confident. The future looks very bright for travel agents across
the country.
is designed
‘toATAS
be the mark that
travel agents can
be proud of and
consumers can look
to as a sign of quality
and integrity…
’
d
a
e
h
a
r
a
o
S
15 11:1
9:49
AM
24/08/20
FirstPClass
rem5 ium E
Guide 201
conomy
Guide 2
d 22
s guide.ind
First Clas
015
Stay on top of the latest first class and premium
economy class offerings from a wide range of airlines
in our combined First/Premium Economy airline guide.
In this month’s copy of travelBulletin.
ISSUES &
TRENDS
Tours venture back into Nepal
By Jasmine O’Donoghue
Months after the devastating Nepal
earthquake, the iconic mountain trekking
region needs a little help from the tourism
industry to get back on its feet.
The 7.8 magnitude 25 April earthquake and
a powerful aftershock on 12 May claimed the
lives of over 8800 people, destroyed 600,000
homes and damaged a further 280,000 in 14
districts, including the capital Kathmandu.
A report commissioned by the Government
of Nepal has identified some minor hazards on
the main trekking routes and in select villages,
but has confirmed that there was ‘minimal
damage’ to the majority of accommodation
and trails in the Everest region.
Recommendations include rerouting
a section of the Everest trail, as well as
relocating buildings in the villages of Tok
Tok and Benkar to the opposite side of
the river in order to reduce risks in the
region to tourists and to locals. The report
also recommends a follow up engineering
assessment after the monsoon season.
However, a new International Organization
for Migration (IOM) report released on 24 July
showed that aid and security gaps remained.
The third IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix
(DTM) showed that survivors are moving to
larger aid sites, with the number of aid sites
hosting over 50 households dropping from
77 to 66, while their population has grown
from roughly 49,000 to over 53,000. Some
104 of the 286 locations assessed in May
remain open, suggesting many people are
opting to return to the places where their
homes once stood.
The DTM reports that one-third of the
sites have no electricity, and lighting around
latrines and public spaces is inadequate or
non-existent in 84 per cent of sites assessed.
It also reveals that women in over a third
of the settlements do not feel safe, and just
seven of the sites surveyed had designated
12
safe/social areas for women. The report
said 26 per cent of men and 30 per cent of
children felt they were unsafe.
The IOM has made debris removal and
opening transport corridors a priority in the
three areas it is focusing its operations –
Gorkha, Chautara and Charikot. To date,
61 badly damaged buildings have been
demolished by IOM-led crews.
of Nepal…
‘hasGovernment
confirmed that there
was ‘minimal damage’
to the majority of
accommodation and trails
in the Everest region
’
Much of Nepal’s health infrastructure was
also destroyed by the quake. An IOM health
team has been helping over 700 patients and
caregivers to leave hospitals in Kathmandu
for secondary care facilities. But for many
there is little surviving infrastructure to provide
physiotherapy or counselling when they return
home. Planning has begun on the creation
of a transitional or step-down facility in
Sindhupalchok, one of the worst affected areas.
But none of this is deterring tour operators,
who less than five months on, are promoting
the region.
Intrepid Travel worked with the government
of Nepal to co-ordinate the logistics and
provided the local guides for the assessment
of the safety of the region’s trekking routes.
The tour operator also launched a
campaign to help Nepal get up and running.
The Nepal Earthquake Appeal has already
raised nearly AUD$400,000 for children’s
charity Plan International (including
AUD$100,000 donated by Intrepid itself).
Intrepid now has its sights set on getting
travellers to return to the mountains and
will be donating all profits from its 2015/16
trekking season from Nepal trips back to
rebuilding efforts on the ground.
SpiceRoads Cycle Tours is also back on
track and encouraging riders to visit Nepal
by offering to donate $340 (US$250) for
every rider booked on a Nepal tour from now
until the end of March 2016. Funds will be
donated to WeHelpNepal, and organisation
made up of a network of people from various
industries who have lived or are currently
living in Nepal. WeHelpNepal projects include
delivering six tons of food and solar lighting
to Sindupalchowk district, supplying tin
roofing materials, rebuilding bamboo homes
and schools and setting up a community
kitchen in Kathmandu and Gorkha to feed
earthquake victims.
“Tourism is Nepal’s lifeblood and it is
important we support Nepal more than
ever. Every person who visits Nepal this
coming season will be directly contributing
to rebuilding the country,” says Struan
Robertson, CEO SpiceRoads Cycle Tours.
World Expeditions will also be operating
all of its scheduled treks in the Annapurna
and Everest regions from September, with
a further final review to be conducted after
the monsoon. The company has had staff
reviewing some of the main trekking regions,
while the Radisson Hotel in Kathmandu has
received an official ‘green sticker’, confirming
the hotel is structurally sound.
The tourism industry is Nepal’s largest
source of foreign exchange and the biggest
employer. It’s vital to the country’s economic
recovery that tourists get their boots on the
ground and get trekking.
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ISSUES &
TRENDS
New data service
TTF view
Margy Osmond, CEO,
Tourism & Transport Forum Australia
THE Australian travel industry is set to gain significantly better
insight via a new AFTA-backed collaboration with data firm GfK.
Under the initiative GfK will anonymously collate booking data
from participating travel agents - via an automatic process linked
to back office systems - to produce the new Travelscan report,
providing insight into forward demand and industry trends.
Described as “a new travel industry market currency” by GfK
Australia general manager, Gwenno Hopkins, participants will have
access to the regular report which is already well established in
Europe where it has become the ‘must-have’ business tool for
travel retailers. “We are certain the Australian travel community
will benefit from an aggregated read of outbound and domestic
trends,” Hopkins said.
There has long been a paucity of data about the industry,
with many agents bemoaning the fact that it is difficult to find
benchmarks for them to measure against. One useful metric is
IATA BSP data, which the airline group used to publish on a regular
basis but has not been made public for some years. The annual
report of the Travel Compensation Fund also gave a useful insight
into the size of businesses in the industry, but of course the
demise of the TCF means this is no longer available.
AFTA ceo Jayson Westbury said the GfK initiative was part
of the Federation’s work to help travel agents understand their
businesses better. “As the travel community becomes more selfsufficient and less reliant on government in this industry-related
environment, important travel data will be key to help maintain and
build good travel agents across Australia,” he said.
ASIAN VISITORS SEEK UNIQUE
AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCES
Growth in Australian tourism is being driven by increasing
demand from Asia. In the past 12 months we welcomed more than
seven million international visitors – 920,000 from China alone.
If this trend continues, we should soon achieve the one million
Chinese visitor milestone. And in a few years’ time, China may
very well overtake NZ as our largest source of short-term arrivals.
But it’s not just China. Other markets in South East Asia like
Malaysia and Vietnam are also seeing record growth, while the
massive Indonesian market on our doorstep is poised to become
a major source of visitors to our shores.
Over the past 12 months, more than 320,000 Malaysian
visitors came to Australia. This represents an increase of 20 per
cent – the highest of any of our major tourist markets.
Traditionally, the Australian experience of many tourists
comprised of trips to our great natural icons at Uluru and the
Great Barrier Reef. But times are changing. While many Asian
visitors still follow
the ‘Rock and Reef’
model, they are also
looking for more diverse
and personalised
experiences, especially
on return visits.
The grand old
Australian past-time of
caravanning has taken off
with the Chinese in a big way. As a result, our rental car companies
and caravan parks are seeing a boost in the number of Chinese
visitors renting their vehicles and staying in their facilities. With the
freedom and flexibility provided by caravanning, it’s little wonder
the Chinese are embracing the quintessentially-Aussie road trip.
Another group of visitors chasing the unique Australian
experience are those from Malaysia. Many of our alpine resorts
are experiencing huge growth in the number of international
visitors coming from Malaysia to take in the unique pleasures of
skiing amongst the snow gums.
Altogether, Malaysian visitors last year spent $1.1 billion in
Australia. According to Tourism Australia, this market segment
has even greater potential for growth. By 2020, it could be worth
$2-2.5 billion to the Australian economy annually.
And with more than 200 million Chinese forecast to take
international holidays this year alone, there is a great opportunity
for our tourism industry to take advantage of this growth and
convert it to jobs and income for generations to come.
To do this, we need our governments to reduce taxes and
charges on tourism, streamline visa processing and invest
substantially in destination marketing and tourism infrastructure.
Doing this will encourage more visitors from places like China
and Malaysia to visit our country, and make it easier to come to
our shores, stay in our hotels and – increasingly – ski our slopes.
The grand old
‘Australian
past-time
of caravanning has
taken off with the
Chinese in a big way
’
14
FORIMMEDIATE
IMMEDIATERELEASE
RELEASE
FOR
among Australians of all ages and technological inclinations, traditional travel agents retain
among Australians of all ages and technological inclinations, traditional travel agents retain
an important place in the nation’s tourism industry. Not only do several agents with bricksan important place in the nation’s tourism industry. Not only do several agents with bricksand-mortar presences feature among the most popular travel agents/tour operators used by
and-mortar presences feature among the most popular travel agents/tour operators used by
Australian holiday-makers, but many Australians say they would consider using them for
Australian holiday-makers, but many Australians say they would consider using them for
their next trip, according to the latest Roy Morgan Research State of the Nation report.
their next trip, according to the latest Roy Morgan Research State of the Nation report.
ISSUES & TRENDS
In the 12 months to June 2015, 13 million Australians 14+ (or two-thirds of the population)
In the 12 months to June 2015, 13 million Australians 14+ (or two-thirds of the population)
took at least one holiday. Data from the latest Roy Morgan Research State of the Nation —
took at least one holiday. Data from the latest Roy Morgan Research State of the Nation —
which contains an in-depth spotlight on the tourism industry — reveals that Flight Centre was
which contains an in-depth spotlight on the tourism industry — reveals that Flight Centre was
the top travel agent/tour operator used by holidaying Aussies during this time.
the top travel agent/tour operator used by holidaying Aussies during this time.
Flight Centre on top with Aussies
Although booking holidays and accommodation online is now
mainstream among Australians of all ages, traditional travel agents
retain an important place in the nation’s tourism industry, according to
Roy Morgan Research’s recent State of the Nation report.
Not only do several agents with bricks-and-mortar presences
feature among the most popular travel agents/tour operators used
by Australian holiday-makers, but many Australians say they would
consider using them for their next trip, according to the report.
In the 12 months to June 2015, 13 million Australians 14+ (twothirds of the population) took at least one holiday. The data reveals
that Flight Centre was the top travel agent/tour operator used by
holidaying Aussies during this time.
With a comfortable lead over both its online and bricks-and-mortar
rivals, Flight Centre was used by 9.4 per cent of the population for a
holiday at least once between July 2014 and June 2015. In second
place was accommodation-focused OTA Booking.com, used by 5.8
per cent of Australians; ahead of booking websites Wotif.com (5.2%),
Webjet.com.au (3.7%) and Expedia.com.au (3.2%).
Centre] has a comprehensive online
offering on top of its traditional stores
’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Having such a strong brand presence
‘certainly
helps, as does the fact it [Flight
Well down the list (in eleventh place), helloworld was the secondmost popular travel agent with a bricks-and-mortar presence, used
by 1.3 per cent of Australians; with other chains Harvey World Travel
(1.3%) Escape Travel (1.1%), and STA Travel (0.7%) following.
Flight Centre’s lead is even more resounding when it comes to the
travel agents/tour operators that Australians would consider using
for their next trip. Almost a quarter (23.6%) of the population said
they’d consider using the chain, well ahead of Wotif.com (10.9%),
Booking.com.au (10.0%), Webjet.com.au (9.4%) and Expedia.com.
au (7.2%). Other bricks-and-mortar agents also feature among the
top 15 spots.
“The latest State of the Nation [research] confirms that Flight
Centre’s long-standing position as Australia’s leading travel agent
remains unchallenged. Having such a strong brand presence (more than
two thirds of the population have heard of the company) certainly helps,
as does the fact that it has a comprehensive online offering on top of
its traditional stores, said Roy Morgan Research CEO, Michelle Levine.
With a comfortable lead over both its online and bricks-and-mortar rivals, Flight Centre was
With a comfortable lead over both its online and bricks-and-mortar rivals, Flight Centre was
used by 9.4% of the population for a holiday at least once between July 2014 and June 2015.
used by 9.4% of the population for a holiday at least once between July 2014 and June 2015.
In second place is dedicated online agent Booking.com, used by 5.8% of Australians; ahead of
In second place is dedicated online agent Booking.com, used by 5.8% of Australians; ahead of
booking websites Wotif.com (5.2%), Webjet.com.au (3.7%) and Expedia.com.au (3.2%).
booking
Wotif.com
(5.2%), Webjet.com.au
(3.7%) and
Expedia.com.au
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Top
15websites
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Top
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10%
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Base: Australians 14+
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Flight Centre
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July
2014
– June 2015 (n=15,867).
Source:
Booking.com.au
Webject.com.au
(9.4%)and
and
Expedia.com.au
(7.2%).
Booking.com.au
(10.0%),
(9.4%)
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Tracking Survey (Australia),
July
2014 – June 2015(7.2%).
(n=15,867).
Source: Roy Morgan
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Top
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3.7%
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(n=15,867).
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Tel: (03) 9629 6888 Fax: (03) 9629 1250 (03) 9224 5387 melbourne@roymorgan.com www.roymorgan.com
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Cover
16
Cover
Selling travel insurance has always been part of a travel
agent’s arsenal, but what of the future? Will more direct-toconsumer products spell the end of this lucrative revenue
stream? Steve Jones breaks a leg to find out.
N
o one would have been unduly
surprised at the observations
of Mark Fitzgibbon, chief
executive of insurance
company NIB, following his
firm’s acquisition of World
Nomads in July this year.
Speaking about the travel insurance market
following the announcement of NIB’s $95m
deal for the company founded by Michael
McAuliffe and the late Wayne Tregaskis,
Fitzgibbon said what you might expect the
boss of a direct-to-consumer business to say.
“The future,” he told analysts and
investors on a conference call, “is very much
moving beyond buying travel insurance from
a travel agent.”
It was a remark – one which NIB has
since downplayed – sure to have ruffled the
feathers of some industry players, especially
those committed to working through the
agency channel.
Yet Fitzgibbon’s views are not out of step
with common thinking.
For some time the glut of online players
and their aggressive marketing tactics, as
well as the rise of travel insurance policies
attached to credit cards, have intensified
competition in a product sector that has
traditionally generated sizeable revenues and
generous margins for travel agents.
Fitzgibbon declined a request to speak to
travelBulletin, but NIB rejected suggestions
Continues over page
17
Cover
Continues from previous page
the comments carried any sinister overtones
regarding future travel trade distribution.
Fitzgibbon, a spokesman said, was merely
articulating the realities of today’s market,
namely there are several distribution
channels and several ways for consumers
to purchase. Travel agents are just one of
those channels.
But according to international market
research by consultancy Finaccord, which
specialises in the study of the financial
services sector, travel agents should prepare
to see their market share continually eroded
by these competitive pressures.
A survey of 1000 consumers conducted
in Australia last year revealed a potentially
worrying trend: more than half bought direct
from insurance companies, with only one in
five purchasing through the trade.
Other channels included airlines,
automotive associations, banks, Australia
Post, insurance brokers and comparison sites.
Finaccord was unable to provide
comparisons as last year was the first time
Australia has been included in its Travel
Metrics research program. But consultant
David Bowles, Finaccord’s international
research expert, said he would expect
Australia to follow the same patterns found
in European markets where sales through the
trade have fallen in four of the five countries
it has studied since 2010.
“It’s worth adding that in 2014 the
proportion of purchases through the travel
trade channel in Australia was actually
relatively high, but given the trends we’ve
Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue, bit.ly/1J6v2Tg
18
seen in Europe, I’d agree with the [Mark
Fitzgibbon quote]. I would certainly expect the
same pattern to be the case in Australia as
people move increasingly to direct purchases
online, and companies increasingly offer their
products in this way.”
Bowles added that its research identified
a trend to buy annual, or multi-trip policies,
which, he suggested “are naturally better
suited to buy through banks or direct from
insurers rather than being ‘packaged’ with
holidays or flights”.
While this snapshot of consumer booking
habits may make uncomfortable reading for
retailers, it is at odds with a breakdown of
sales by distribution channel, also compiled
by Finaccord and re-produced by NIB in a
presentation to investors.
According to the figures, sales through
travel agents represented more than half
the market between 2008 and 2012, way
see travel agents
‘asWea thriving
channel ...
we don’t see that trend
cooling off in any way
’
ahead of the next largest channel, classed as
“financial institutions, airlines etc.”
Observers believe the true figure is likely
to be somewhere in the middle. However,
Bowles urged caution, emphasising the dated
nature of the 2008-12 figures and explaining
they were based sometimes on older written
submissions from those within the industry.
In short, they are too old to be reliable.
“In future work on the Australian market,
and other markets, we would certainly use
the consumer research figure as the basis for
understanding the market,” he said.
But, as always, there is another side to
the story. Brad Smith, chief sales officer at
Allianz Global Assistance (AGA), said almost
half its total travel insurance policies are
sold through the trade, and claimed it was
witnessing growth, not a decline, despite the
blow of losing preferred status with helloworld
towards the end of last year.
“We see travel agents as a thriving channel
and the growth for us has been double digit
year on year so we don’t see a trend cooling
off in any way,” Smith told travelBulletin.
“Online and direct sales are of course an
important space and it’s there for a reason,
but consumers want to have the ability to
speak to a specialist and get the advice on
a whole travel package and that includes the
But there are plenty of
‘people
who want peace
of mind and want to talk
to someone who can give
them the right advice and
make sure they are sold
the right product for their
needs
’
insurance component.
“There are those who jump online and do
their own comparisons and shop purely on
price and there is a market for that. But there
are plenty of people who want peace of mind
and want to talk to someone who can give
them the right advice and make sure they are
sold the right product for their needs.”
Smith described the online environment
as “noise” which, far from working against
travel agents, can often have the opposite
effect and convince consumers to buy their
insurance when they book their travel.
Smith says the online space has become
overpopulated, which has created the need
for clarity, particularly over the interpretation
of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).
“We are not seeing a trend of declining
sales,” he said, adding that agents can
simplify what can be a complex purchase.
“There are millions of iterations of what can
be contained within a policy and to go through
the quagmire of a PDS online can be quite
difficult as they can be extensive in nature
and difficult to interpret.
“Part of our agent training is explaining a
PDS in simple terms. Allianz Global Assistance
regard agents as an irreplaceable pillar in the
distribution and sale of travel insurance and
we’ll continue to support them.”
Michael Callaghan, head of distribution
for World Nomads Group, which includes
other travel insurance brands including
SureSave and Travel Insurance Direct,
acknowledged it was a competitive market,
but claimed it too was not witnessing a
sales slowdown through agents.
“Sales under the SureSave brand climbed
10 per cent over the past 12 months so we
are very pleased,” he said. “Agency distribution
is a very important part of our business.”
SureSave produced consumer survey
results of its own, which showed an increase
in travel agent insurance sales over the
past three years. According to the SureSave
data, pulled together from interviews with
1000 consumers, 27 per cent purchased
Cover
insurance from an agent in 2013. That
climbed to a little under 31 per cent in 2014
and 31.3 per cent this year. It also revealed
optimism within agency ranks, with 77 per
cent of retailers believing they can increase
sales of insurance over the next 12 months.
Conversely, those booking directly with an
insurance provider fell from 25.5 per cent
to 23 per cent; while purchases through
comparison sites climbed marginally.
“The travel industry is constantly
changing and SureSave is evolving with
it,” said Callaghan. “We have focused on
developing a new strategic direction for
the business to strengthen our offering to
agents and travellers through a range of
unique innovations,” he said. “It’s our goal
to be positioned as experts in travel safety
in the industry and to be more than just an
insurance provider. This is an exciting time
for SureSave as we look to stand out from
the sea of corporate blue in this channel
and change the way travellers view
travel insurance.”
Comparison site, Compare Travel
Insurance, dedicates an entire page to
attacking the prices offered by travel agents,
with warnings from a range of online players
how expensive policies bought through the
trade can be.
Natalie Ball, associate director at
comparetravelinsurance.com.au, dismissed it
would love to list
‘theWetravel
agents’ policies
within our comparison
site to allow consumers
to compare the entire
market, however the
agents don’t want to be
openly compared
’
was a deliberate attempt at scaremongering
and claimed agents are wary of comparing
their prices to those of online players.
“We would love to list the travel agents’
policies within our comparison site to allow
consumers to compare the entire market,
however the agents don’t want to be openly
compared,” she told travelBulletin.
“There is definitely no scaremongering.
In fact, it is quite the opposite. We arm
consumers with information to assist them
to purchase the right policy for their trip. We
encourage consumers to compare policies,
cover levels and price and we suggest they
get a quote from their travel agent and
compare with other policies in the market.”
Ball said travel agents will always have
a role for complex itineraries, the seniors
market, and “the more traditional traveller”
but claimed agents’ market share of the
sector has declined sharply over the last two
years, falling from 50 per cent to around 42
per cent.
“This drop is a combined result of the
change in consumer behaviour when
booking their travel, along with Aussies
wanting to make well informed decisions
in their own time,” she said. “More and
more Australians are turning to online flight
and accommodation booking sites to do
their research and to book, and purchasing
insurance is the next step in their online
purchase journey.
“Purchasing through an agent will
generally only provide one choice of
provider and doesn’t allow for any kind of
product comparison.”
Flight Centre rejected the notion that the
future was “moving beyond” buying insurance
from a travel agent, suggesting it was
hardly surprising such a strategy was being
furthered by a direct-to-consumer business.
The retailer insisted sales of its preferred
partner Cover-More “have been going well”.
“I don’t think the travel agency sector
will be waving the surrender flag just yet,” a
spokesman said. “We get really good
Continues over page
19
Cover
The historically generous
‘margins
may not be what
they were, as agents
have had to eat into
their margin to present
a more compelling and
competitive price
’
attachment at the point of sale and we
believe it’s a product that is vitally important
for our customers.
“The reality is that most international
travel is booked via agents and that creates
opportunities to explain and promote the
virtues of the products that are on offer,
including insurance, to millions of travellers
each year.
“For customers the key is to make sure
they understand the product and the benefits
it offers because the inclusions can vary
widely. And the consequences can be severe
if you get caught out,” Flight Centre added.
Helloworld also talked up its relationship
with Cover-More – who, in light of its
forthcoming financial results felt unable to
comment on the issue – with outgoing chief
executive Elizabeth Gaines highlighting recent
events as a reason to book through an agent.
“The partnership with Cover-More has
allowed us to work closely with them to
develop the right insurance solutions that our
agents need to deliver the best value product
for their customers,” Gaines said.
“The Nepal earthquake and the Bali ash
cloud have provided powerful triggers for
our agents to highlight the importance of
choosing insurance based on coverage rather
than opting for the cheapest policy and paying
the price when things go wrong.”
Despite Helloworld and Flight Centre’s
bullish words there is recognition from senior
figures within the agency community that
revenues and margins for agents are under
intense pressure.
Gil McLachlan, chief executive of
McLachlan Travel Group, said credit card
and online policies started to see significant
20
growth after changes to the financial services
laws made it illegal for agents to advise
customers on insurance.
“The following year the insurance
ombudsman came out criticising agents
because of a dramatic increase in complaints
from consumers about their policies,” he
explained. “The reason of course was the
new prohibition on agents giving advice and a
consequent increase in credit card and online
policies.
“There is now a greater reliance on
credit card “free” policies whilst actual
paid insurance sales are much more thinly
spread... even the post office sells them.”
The justification for
‘taking
a more expensive
product is possibly that
you don’t know the price of
a premium until you have
a claim
’
Credit card insurance policies were also
identified by National Network Travel and
Cruise managing director Kevin Dale as a
major contributor to a drop in insurance sales
through the trade.
“The coverage of credit card policies
has improved. There was a time when they
weren’t so good but you need to look at credit
cards rather than the online suppliers as a
major reason for any fall in insurance sales,”
he said.
Although acknowledging that increasing
distribution channels have seen an inevitable
decline in sales through agents, McLachlan
said his own group’s insurance business has
lifted, partially because of consumer “issues”
with alternate sources.
“I think the main reason passengers who
have stuck with agents have done so, even
when they have duplicated policies through
credit cards, is an expectation that the agent
preferred policies may be more reliable,”
McLachlan said.
“The justification for taking a more
expensive product is possibly that you don’t
know the price of the premium until you have
a claim.”
It is the element of trust, and the
reassurance that consumers still get from
face-to-face transactions that is likely to hold
them in reasonable stead. After all, we’ve all
been here before.
“It’s similar to the way the industry
adapted to online competition in general the disruption to the traditional retail model
occurred long ago and is now just a routine
part of the mix,” McLachlan said. “The
bottom line is that online insurance sales
have been part of the mix for a long time and
I doubt if many agents have much concern
about it these days.”
That said, it is clear the historically
generous margins may not be what they were
as agents have had to eat into their margin
to present a more compelling, and
competitive price.
To some in the industry, Mark Fitzgibbon’s
prediction of a future “beyond travel agents”
is already with us, and it is not quite as
worrying a prospect as it might once
have been. It is clear that agent margins
have eroded as they have fought to stay
competitive, but in a world where travel
agents have already shown themselves
willing and able to fight in their corner in a
competitive and cut throat landscape, the
words are like the proverbial water off a
duck’s back and regarded as little more than
a sales pitch. Time will tell.
Win an escape
to beautiful
New Caedonia
This month travelBulletin, New Caledonia Tourism and Aircalin are
oﬀering agents an amazing escape to New Caledonia. This stellar prize
includes:
• Two complimentary return economy class tickets on Aircalin
• Five nights’ accommodation twin share including breakfast provided
by Grand Hotels as follow:
– 1st night at Hotel Beaurivage in Lagoon view (Noumea)
– 2nd night at Hotel la Néa in Bungalow (Kone)
– 3rd night at Hotel Koulnoué in Bungalow Premium (Hienghène)
– 4th night at Hotel Malabou in Bungalow Premium (Poum)
– 5th night at Hotel Beaurivage in Lagoon View (Noumea)
• Six days car rental
• Return airport transfer provided by Arc en Ciel
To win, all you need to do is provide the best caption for the photo on
the right.
Send your entries to comp@travelbulletin.com.au
Caption this photo to
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: No entries will be accepted after September 31. Competition open to current Australian travel agents only. Entrants may only enter once.
For full terms and conditions please visit www.travelbulletin.com.au
win!
careers
Career in
focus
Did you have a mentor, and if so, how did
you find them?
I have a lot of people I talk to – I support
Sheryl Sandberg’s views in ‘Lean In’ that
your mentors do not have to be formally
assigned. Over the years I have found many
people willing to give me advice.
Jacqui walshe
Managing director of the
Walshe Group
What does your role involve?
I am Managing Director of both the Walshe
Group – a company that specialises in airline
and tourist board representation, and its
parent company Southern Travel Holdings
which owns an inbound tour operator and
an online retail travel business. I am also a
board director; one of the boards I sit on is
the Australian Tourism Export Council.
How did you start out in your career?
Were you always destined to work in the
travel industry?
In my case yes I was always destined for this.
I was brought up in a travel industry family in
New Zealand and my father always actively
encouraged my brother and I to get involved.
Leaving university, the travel industry seemed
a good place to start.
Did you complete formal qualifications,
and how essential are these for those who
want to reach the top? How important is
ongoing education?
I am a definite believer in ongoing education.
I started straight out of university with a
Bachelor of Business degree and then
did an MBA about 10 years later, once I
had had some business experience. Last
year I completed the Australian Institute
of Company Directors course. Taking the
time to do the study when you are working
is challenging, however there is definitely
a benefit in getting up to speed with the
latest thinking in business. I am also a great
believer in using education as a means of
networking with people in equivalent roles
in other industries. That being said, it’s
essential to put any formal qualifications into
practice as there is so much to be learnt
from hands on experience.
22
How have you seen attitudes to women
change during your career?
The “old boys network” was very prevalent
when I started in the late 80s but, as the
latest disruptive businesses have shown,
you can ignore the entrenched view and
get on with doing something your way and
succeed just as well. There are now many
successful women in senior roles in the
industry, though still not enough on boards.
What were some of the greatest hurdles
you’ve had to overcome?
Dealing with major setbacks in the business
cycle, such as September 11 2001, were
really challenging. I’ve had enough difficult
periods in the business to know you have
to just buckle down and work through it.
We were for a long time a small player
competing against some of the industry
giants in Australia so finding a way to achieve
competitiveness and grow the business was
not always easy. Especially with my New
Zealand accent!
What factors were central to your success?
Resilience, no question. Any long-term
business has its ups and downs and to
be sustainable you have to cope with the
setbacks and keep finding your way forward.
I have always actively consulted with my
colleagues and peers and reflected on what
is occurring in our environment, which I do
think has made a real difference to how our
business has performed. We have always
pursued growth but never let ourselves be
complacent or arrogant about any of our
successes along the way.
What are the keys to good business?
Be willing to change and always adaptable.
Intelligently assess your own business’s
performance and the market you are
working in. Surround yourself with people
who are good at what they need to be good
at and who have the values and qualities
that fit your particular business culture.
business
‘hasAnyitslong-term
ups and downs
and to be sustainable you
have to cope with the setbacks and keep finding
your way forward
’
What advice would you give to others in
the industry who would like to follow in
your footsteps?
Given how many competitors we have
already I am not sure I even want to answer
that question! But in all seriousness, don’t
let yourself get stagnant, keep evolving,
have a good team around you and take
challenges in your stride.
careers
The battle for
hotel talent
AccorHotels is gearing
up to meet the employment
challenges that will come with
the largest hotel development
boom in Australia and New
Zealand for two decades.
The addition of over 130
new-build hotels for the
hospitality industry in the
next five years will see a vast
increase in demand for skilled
labour, resulting in a major
challenge for hotel groups to
attract and retain top talent.
AccorHotels currently
Simon McGrath, AccorHotels CEO
employs over 10,000 employees
across Australia, and anticipates it will require a further 2,000 staff to
meet the needs of its own development pipeline of 14 major new-build
hotel projects.
The situation is even more pressing for AccorHotels across the
wider Asia-Pacific region, with up to 10,000 new employees required
to fill roles in new and existing hotels over the next three years.
Ten years ago, the group had more than 120 hotels and resorts
and inventory of some 18,499 rooms. Since then more than 100 new
hotels and nearly 12,000
rooms have been added,
creating thousands of job
opportunities in the industry.
“The next five years will
see a vast battle for talent
within the Australian hotel
industry. We not only have
to increase our numbers,
but increase the skill levels
if we are to meet the 5-star
service standards that will
be required in an increasingly competitive marketplace,” said chief
operating officer, Simon McGrath.
“As the company expands there will be considerable career and
mobility opportunities for current staff, and AccorHotels recognised
some time ago the imperatives of ‘growing our own’ by establishing its
own registered training organisation, as well as introducing programs
to substantially increase the number of women in senior leadership
roles and significantly develop our level of indigenous talent.
“Developing senior management positions that can enhance
service and performance standards will be critical, and we are
committed to growing not only hotel general managers but also the
top five high performing executives in each hotel.”
The company has also set ambitious targets to increase its number
of women in senior leadership and executive positions, from 27 per
cent to 50 per cent by 2018.
“AccorHotels is also very focused on finding and developing new
talent to fill new roles, and we believe that with our regime of training
and development programs, and strong commitment to diversity that
we will attract a new breed of hospitality professionals over the next
five years,” McGrath said.
Developing senior
management
positions that can
enhance service and
performance standards
will be critical
‘
’
23
WANT YOUR EXECUTIVE
CAREER SEARCH HANDLED
CONFIDENTIALLY?
CALL AA
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?
CORPORATE SALES MANAGER
MELBOURNE – SALARY
PACKAGE TO $95K+
This global travel company is seeking an
accomplished Business Development Manager to
acquire new corporate travel business, targeting
the middle market. You will be focusing on new
business opportunities & generating leads, to
obtain consistent revenue growth. If you possess
strong negotiation skills & have the ability to form
long standing relationships, then this role is for
you! With this leading TMC, your career will be put
in number one spot.
THE PEAK OF ACCOUNT
MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNT MANAGER – TMC
SYDNEY – FROM $85K+ DOE
Are you the master in keeping relationships?
We are looking for a strong Account Manager
to join a market leader. You will be a polished
and professional individual who knows how
to deliver outstanding account management
services for large market clients, building rapport
and analyzing data to effectively manage their
business. Strong communication and negotiation
skills are essential. This corporate agency
provides all the tools you need to succeed.
MARKET YOUR WAY
TO SUCCESS
MARKETING MANAGER P/T
SYDNEY – $70K PACKAGE
Working for a leading travel company in the
market, you will be a driven individual who is
capable of developing strategy and implementing
marketing plans. The role is office based 3 days
per week, you will be hands on across digital and
traditional channels. You will demonstrate an
eye for design and be able to write all marketing
collateral brochures and press releases. 5 years
+ experience preferred. Fantastic rare marketing
opportunity not to be missed!
MANAGING THE
RELATIONSHIP
ACCOUNT MANAGER
MELB – SAL PKG $75K-$100K (OTE)
Working for the leaders in corporate travel, you
will be a driven & motivated individual who can
establish exceptional relationships with your
clients. You will be an experienced Account
Manager capable of handling a portfolio of large
high profile corporate clients. Develop strategic
business plans, deliver agreed objectives &
targets and be accountable for the ultimate
retention & growth of the business. Open the
door to this great new role!
SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!
NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER
– HOTELS
BRIS/SYD – FROM $80-$85K ++
A great new opportunity exists to join this hotel
brand as a National Account Manager. You will
handle a portfolio of corporate clients building
& developing relationships, building strategic
business plans, delivering key objectives,
sourcing for new opportunities & converting into
sales. Previous hotel experience essential, along
with strong account management, presentation
and negotiation skills. A great salary package on
offer for the right candidate!
MANAGE AND DEVELOP!
ACCOUNT MANAGER/BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
BRISBANE – OTE $75K +
An exciting opportunity exists to join this leading
supplier of corporate travel solutions. Working as
part of a national team you will be responsible
for developing strategic relationships with clients
identifying additional opportunities within an
existing client base and converting into wins for
the business. Enjoy a top salary + commissions.
If you have 2 years experience in corporate
travel sales, great networking, presentation &
relationship building apply now!
AUSTRALIA’S MOST EXPERIENCED
EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT TEAM
Ph: 02 9231 2825
Email: executive@aaappointments.com.au
FOR MANY MORE EXECUTIVE VACANCIES
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
travelBulletin APRIL 2015 xx
www.aaappointments.com.au
careers
LinkedIn has solidified its
place in the recruiter’s
toolbox, with around 90%
of companies now using it
for recruitment purposes.
However, with around 260
million users on the books,
many are clouded with
confusion when it comes
to recruitment. Here are a
few pointers to bring you
up to speed.
LinkedIn for starters
Get advanced
Join groups
LinkedIn for business does carry a price tag but the advanced search
function is available even on the most basic level. Keyword searches
bring up suitable jobs, but they also list potential candidates who can
then be contacted directly using InMail and introduction requests.
LinkedIn Business Plus costs $59.99 per month. A premium plan also
exists for those companies constantly hiring, called Recruiter Lite and
costs $119.99 per month. One month free trials are also available for
all the paid plans.
LinkedIn groups allow users to find like-minded professionals, join
discussions and share content relevant to their industry. Users can
also create their own groups which will send updates to their daily
feed when new content has been uploaded. Even if a member in the
group isn’t the right person for the job, chances are they are likely to
know someone who is.
Share status updates
Recruiters who are on the lookout can request that people in
their network share status updates if anyone is searching for new
opportunities. It’s the quickest way to find prime candidates without
the hassle.
Learn about potential candidates
The way potential candidates use LinkedIn can provide a sneak
peek into their suitability in the role employers are looking to fill. The
quality of their contacts and their interaction with others can be clear
indicators of personality and ability. Also, the level of effort they’ve
put into developing a complete profile can indicate their openness to
considering new positions.
PHONE A
EARN MORE,
WORK LESS.
to find out how
03 9034 7079
Uncapped earnings and a work schedule to suit your
lifestyle means you can build a business with Travel
Counsellors to be proud of.
“Travel Counsellors gives you the chance to put your years of travel
industry experience and passion for travel to work to finally earn what
you’re worth”. Travel Counsellors empowers all agents to reach for the
sky and earn what they’re worth. “If you want to find out more about
the possibility of uncapped earnings and the flexibility that comes
with being a Travel Counsellor then give me a call”.
Have an informal, confidential chat on 03 9034 7079
24
Find out more at www.travelcounsellors.com.au
connect@travelcounsellors.com.au
travelBulletin
2015
or emailSEPTEMBER
the team
at
MEMBER
BROCHURES
26
Scenic has launched The Oriental
Wonders of China and Japan 2016/17
brochure, covering its 2016 China &
Japan Program. The program has four
new itineraries, eight new destinations
and a number of new Enrich
experiences and Freechoice activities.
The two new itineraries for China are
the 13-day Natural Wonders of China,
which travels from Chengdu to Shanghai
and the 20-day China Revealed tour,
which is a land only tour. New for
Japan is the 12-day Japan Highlights
and 17-day Essential Japan tour.
The 2016 Le Boat brochure has new
suggested itineraries in multiple
destinations, including France, Italy,
Holland, Belgium, Germany, England,
Scotland and Ireland. Also new for 2016,
Le Boat has added more holiday options
for couples, single travellers and groups
looking for a social travelling experience.
Le Boat offers the widest selection of
self-drive boating holidays in Europe and
no experience or boat licence is required.
Bookings of 16 days or more paid
10 months before departure receive
savings of up to $800 per couple.
Voyages of Discovery has introduced
13 new cruises in its 2016/17
brochure. The new cruises will see
the Voyager leave the Mediterranean
in 2016 to sail to the waters of South
East Asia. Voyager will then return
to Myanmar before heading to the
African continent and exploring the
Maldives, Madagascar, Mauritius and
Seychelles and South Africa. After that
Voyager will then journey to the UK
via Namibia, in time for the European
spring 2017.
Globus has released its first
brochure for South America, with
over a dozen holidays in destinations
including Brazil, Argentina, Peru,
Ecuador, Chile, Easter, Costa Rica and
the Galápagos Islands. The program
also includes a selection of itineraries
in Brazil timed in the weeks before and
after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Itineraries in the new brochure range
from seven to 19 days and include
three new tours. The brochure includes
itineraries from Globus sister brands –
Cosmos and Avalon Waterways.
Captain Cook Cruises Fiji has
launched a 2015/16 brochure for its
Fijian Small Ship Cruise operations.
The ten-page program, titled Fiji
Islands Discovery Cruises, features
the three, four and seven-night
Mamanuca and Yasawa Island cruises
and the Remote North and Lau Group
Cruises including the seven-day 4
Cultures Discovery Cruise, the sevennight Colonial Fiji Discovery Cruise and
the 11-night Lau and Kadavu Discovery
Cruise. It also features information on
the cruise ship, MV Reef Endeavour.
Evergreen Tours has put out its latest
2016 Africa Touring & Cruising brochure
with the addition of a new 20-day South
Africa & Victoria Falls Cruise Tour. The
new tour is similar to the 18-day South
Africa & Victoria Falls Tour, but with
the addition of a two-night Chobe River
cruise on the Chobe Princess. Both trips
explore South Africa, Botswana and
Zimbabwe’s attractions from Cape Town
to Victoria Falls. Other highlights of the
brochure include a 10-day Kenya Safari
Tour and 29-day Ultimate Africa Tour.
Hidden Italy has introduced
seven new walking routes
and three guided walking
tours to its 2015/16
brochure. Trieste and Friuli,
one of the new guided tours,
runs for 13 days and explores
Friuli Venezia Giulia. Trails to
Freedom is a nine-day hike
in Piedmont and Gardens
of Tuscany is a 13-day tour which explores the Tuscan landscape.
The brochure also presents a new eight-day self-guided walk around
Piedmont’s Alba and Le Langhe wine region. Three self-guided walking
tours in Provence, Spain and Scotland have also been added.
CIE Tours International, the Ireland &
Britain specialists, present their fully
escorted coach tours for the 2016
season. There is a selection of over 30
unique itineraries from five to 24 days
in length. It’s also possible to combine
several itineraries for an unforgettable
holiday. All journeys are fully inclusive
and there are no optional extras
meaning no hidden costs. CIE Tours is
also offering a saving of 10 per cent
on the land portion of any tour, if it is
booked by 15 January 2016.
Your travel
business
the
business travel
evolution
I
n a review of traveller data from a recent
global and national customer survey,
FCm identified that clients are viewing
travel more holistically in 2015 – taking
an end-to-end approach to incorporate
all aspects of travel from intent to travel,
proactive approvals, booking, policy, data,
duty of care data and reconciliation.
General manager for FCm Travel Solutions
Australia, James Kavanagh, said that whilst
the market has seen a strong return of travel
and entertainment (T&E) spend since the
GFC, companies continue to remain focused
on cost and in some cases show more
caution than pre-GFC.
“This is all dependent on individual
organisations and the pressures they face.
Whilst some organisations are still very
focused on cost, we see others where cost is
less of a factor and other considerations take
precedence,” he said.
He also noted that duty of care is another
key area of focus.
“Our customers are wanting accurate,
up to the minute information on hot spots
and emergency situations. With further
responsibility and in some cases legal
requirements on employers to ensure a duty
of care, companies are working hard to focus
on this area.”
When asked about other current
trends James explained that increasingly,
corporations are looking to find productivity
gains in the travel process.
“The traditional method of booking via
travel bookers seems to be changing based
on various factors. Technology is one, as
tools become more mobile enabled and with
greater functionality, allowing travellers to
manage the process.”
“We are seeing many customers evaluate
the role the travel booker has in the
booking process and some customers are
changing the process to allow travellers to
make bookings.
“Our recently completed annual client
survey shows trends that continue to focus
on the traveller and their ability to have
total mobility throughout the travel booking
experience. Whilst the upfront booking
experience is designed to be quick and
We are seeing many
‘customers
evaluate the
role the travel booker has
in the booking process
and some customers are
changing the process to
allow travellers to make
bookings
’
simple, travellers accept the fact that they
will often need to make multiple changes to
their travel once they are on the road.”
To meet this need FCm offers the FCm
Mobile application which can be used by
travellers globally via their mobile device. The
app provides travellers with access to their
itinerary details and enables them to receive
flight status notifications. It also allows
them to check in and view airport guides, a
currency converter, and weather forecasts.
FCm will continue to update the application
in response to customer feedback as the
company looks to refine its strategy and
update its mobile technology to deliver more
interactivity and functionality for travellers on
the road.
Overall results have so far been “very
positive” and FCm is currently in the process
of reviewing qualitative feedback to determine
areas for improvement.
James Kavanagh is the
general manager of FCm
Travel Solutions Australia
and has previously held
roles including travel
manager, account manager,
and tourism lecturer across the Asia Pacific and
Europe. Kavanagh joined the Flight Centre Travel
Group in 2004 and has more than 16 years’
experience in the corporate travel industry.
27
business events news
LET THE SUNSHINE IN
Aussie World, Sunshine Coast
By Jill Varley
Spoilt for choice
Auguring well for the Sunshine Coast is the
news that Qantas will reintroduce its Sydney
flights after an absence of almost a decade.
It means customers are now able to book
straight through into the Sunshine Coast
from anywhere in the world with Qantas and
Emirates, thus opening up business, tourism
and business events opportunities.
Sunshine Coast Destination Ltd (SCDL) ceo
Simon Ambrose described the reintroduction
of Qantas services as great news.
“It gives us the opportunity to attract one
of our biggest interstate markets from Sydney
straight into the Sunshine Coast. It also
means we can plan ahead to attract major
conferences and events.”
Sunshine Coast services will start with a
leisure-based schedule on 21 December to
meet Christmas and school holiday demand.
Business flight timings will get underway from
8 February 2016.
One hour north of Brisbane, no trip to the
Sunshine Coast would be complete without
a visit to Australia Zoo. Apart from the
infectious enthusiasm of the staff, the cuddly
koalas, waddling wombats, slithering snakes
and the other 1200 animals, this interactive
zoo with its own Wildlife Hospital and Animal
Rescue service looks after and funds a
variety of conservation projects. It also offer
plenty of venues for animal encounters, team
building activities and catering options.
A short drive from Australia Zoo is Aussie
World and The Pub. This theme park, with
a capacity to take groups from 15 to a
maximum of 4000, has a newly renovated
event space – The Shed – with space for up
to 1100 cocktail-style. It also features a mini
golf course, a variety of event spaces and
more than 30 rides, making it ideal for a fun
night out with the troops.
Australia Zoo
28
Beyond the known
Noosa may be the most recognisable
sub-region of the Sunshine Coast with
its Sheraton, Peppers, Sebel, RACV and
Outrigger resorts, however the region’s lesser
known areas have as much to offer at very
favourable price points. Caloundra for instance has the Sunshine
Coast’s oldest and largest venue, Event
Centre, with an indoor flat floor space of
1432sqm making it able to cater for events
for up to 1800 guests. Key improvements
over the next two to three years include new
seating in the Main and Playhouse Theatre,
an upgrade of air-conditioning and improved
disability access.
Caloundra is also home to Rumba Beach
Resort with 65 luxury 1, 2 and 3 bedroom
apartments and suites overlooking the
tranquil waters of the Pumicestone Passage
protected from the ocean by Bribie Island.
Follow around the bay to Golden Beach
and metres from the water is the four-star
Oaks Oasis Resort, Caloundra. Set amongst
10 acres of gardens, lagoon and a water
park, it recently completed a multi-million
dollar renovation. Four air-conditioned
conference rooms can accommodate up to
250 people.
In Maroochydore, Novotel Twin Waters
Resort, a hot spot for conferences, has ten
purpose-built function rooms for up to 1400
delegates. It recently hosted a four-day
event for a major retail sports group, with
the 600 delegates using the resort’s new
team building activities area – Corporate
Xperiences, while Summersault Productions
set up a 350sqm big top marquee in a newly
cleared 1000sqm event space.
Head for the hinterland
Twenty five minutes from the region’s coastal
resorts in Yandina is the Spirit House, a must
on the team-building menu. In a Thai jungle
setting this legendary Cooking School caters
for everything from learning Stir Crazy Thai
dishes to BBQ ‘Dude Food’. Classes take
a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 18,
while cocktail style corporate functions cater
to maximum of 30 people at $120pp, for a
duration of three hours.
Also in Yandina is The Ginger Factory where
ginger has been processed since 1942.
A working factory and a theme park, it is
available for functions and dinners after hours.
AIME back to its roots
The organisers of next year’s Asia-Pacific
Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) have
confirmed that the format of the event will
once again include several elements which
were omitted from the 2015 show.
After “actively listening to feedback” from
participants this year, AIME 2016 will once
again include a welcome function on the
Monday night, replacing the gala dinner which
was introduced for the first time last February.
Other back-to-the-future changes will
see the Tuesday evening “free from official
obligations” (apart from a one hour cocktail
event) so exhibitors can run their own
private functions, while the Hosted Buyer
appointment system will transition to the
platform which successfully managed some
75,000 appointments at ibtm world in
Barcelona last year.
And the long-standing Saxton Speakers
Showcase event will once again take place on
the Wednesday morning of the show, which
takes place at the Melbourne Convention &
Exhibition Centre on 23-24 February 2016.
MEANWHILE rumours are swirling
about some big names not taking part in
AIME 2016, with at least one high profile
destination exhibitor (who didn’t want to be
named) who has taken a large space in the
show for many years telling travelBulletin they
won’t be continuing next year.
DMS expanding roadshows
DMS Destination Management Services will
expand its popular destination showcase to
include events in Perth and Auckland as well
as Sydney and Melbourne next year.
Rather than being timed to coincide with
AIME, the “DMS Connect” events will take
place in March, bringing senior executives
from a wide range of DMCs to meet a
targeted audience of business events and
high-end leisure clients.
headlines
23 Jul Qantas flies into Sunshine
27 Jul Tassie DMAI prize winner
30 Jul Wyndham launches rewards
03 Aug AIME returns to its roots
06 Aug 10,000 delegates for ICC
10 Aug ICC team now onboard
10 Aug Capri launches in Brisbane
13 Aug Funktionality turns 15
17 Aug DMS showcase to expand
MEA View
Linda Gaunt, chief executive officer
Meetings and Events Australia
What keeps me awake at night?
Penny Lion from Tourism Australian
recently reported that Australia’s business
events industry is going from strength to
strength, with infrastructure development
across the country, new and developing
convention centres, and hotel inventory
leading the charge. Penny added that
Australia’s growing global reputation in key
industry sectors including creative services,
the digital economy, medical and scientific
research and education ensured that the
Australian industry has a positive outlook.
Sounds fabulous and it is all very true.
Australia has such a positive outlook in the
events industry. So what is keeping me,
Linda Gaunt, awake at night?
Simply, I hear, see and believe all of
this positivity and as a proud member of
the events industry I could not wish for
more, except, and here is the million dollar
question, how do we propose to service all
of this business?
My five year on-going rant has been and
will continue to be that I believe that the
events industry is in a skills shortage.
At MEA we believe this to be very true
and have come to this conclusion as
a result of ongoing feedback from our
members and many relevant industry
examples.
is no such thing
‘asThere
a nine to five job
and we all have to put
in to the highest level
to ensure the top end
results that we require
’
As any practitioner within the industry
will attest we work in a busy and dynamic
industry. There is no such thing as a nine
to five job and we all have to put in to the
highest level to ensure the top end results
that we require.
Am I stating the obvious? Yes I am,
however the rest is not so obvious. In an
industry that is 24/7 and demands so
much of all employees, we fall short of the
mark in regard to the service we provide.
Sadly many believe that because when
they recruit and they receive hundreds of
applications this means we are not in a
skills shortage.
We are in fact not in a
‘labour
shortage but in a
skills shortage
’
In actual fact this is not the case. Yes
we do get lots of applications, however
in dissecting them we do find that there
are not many qualified applications at all.
This means we are in fact not in a labour
shortage but in a skills shortage.
If we can convince the industry to
understand this we will make inroads.
Currently there are many training providers
in Australia offering relevant training to the
industry. They try hard to capture people at
entry level and on another sphere they also
try to capture people working within the
industry who have little or no qualifications.
As an industry with no barriers to entry this
is often the case.
The problem is there is a reticence from
industry to invest in training and education.
The reasons for this vary from not enough
time, non-traditional hours, no budget to
the sad reason being “if I support my staff
member in training I will lose them to a
competitor”.
This in itself attests that we are in a
skills shortage. I continually plead to our
industry to think hard and invest in training
and education as we need passionate and
educated people in our industry in order
to thrive.
I beg the question to our hard working
Convention and Visitor Bureaux across the
country. “No matter how hard you work,
nor the degree of success you achieve,
please don’t expect repeat business if our
once off visitors don’t receive the standard
of service they expect”.
At MEA we ask that you give this
consideration and act accordingly.
29
CRUISE REPORT
Barriers to making NZ ‘cruise friendly’
Auckland Port. Credit Jo Brehaut
T
he New Zealand cruise sector is looking forward to record
seasons ahead, but is warning of the need to address
several big challenges if it’s to achieve its potential,
according to industry association, Cruise New Zealand.
Chairman Kevin O’Sullivan, said a bullish approach had
resulted in some good wins for the sector.
“We are a well-established cruise destination, benefitting from the
continued growth of Australia as a source market, as well as leveraging
off the big growth we are seeing in the Chinese cruise market.
“Our continual work to encourage the cruise lines to bring more
and larger ships to New Zealand ports was strongly reinforced by the
decision to base the new Quantum-class Ovation of the Seas in our
region from December 2016,” he said.
However, O’Sullivan said the lack of berthing for larger ships means
Ovation can’t be accommodated at Auckland port.
With capacity for almost 5000 passengers and 1300 crew, this will
be the largest cruise ship to visit New Zealand – the equivalent of 12
Airbus A380s arriving at the same time.
“Ovation is still coming to Auckland but will be using tenders to
ferry passengers between the ship and the port. This can impact
negatively on the visitor experience, including limiting the amount of
time they spend on shore.”
O’Sullivan said Cruise New
Zealand is advocating for improved
cruise infrastructure in all ports,
and reduced barriers to ensure New
Zealand is ‘cruise friendly’.
“It’s not a dissimilar situation
to Auckland Airport which needed
to build new infrastructure to
accommodate the new A380s,”
O’Sullivan said. “Cruise New Zealand
has been warning that ever-bigger
cruise ships want to come to New
Zealand. Cruise lines plan three to five years ahead so if we cannot
accommodate these newer, bigger ships, we are unlikely to see them
for several years, if at all. We face immense harm to our economy if we
are unable to deliver a positive big ship experience,” he concluded.
The Government’s ‘new and unheralded’ travel tax was also an
unexpected and unwelcome barrier that will detrimentally affect the
whole of the tourism sector, and cruise in particular, he said.
“We estimate this ill-conceived ‘border levy’ could knock almost
$90 million off cruise sector earnings in 2018-19, compared to the
NZ$7-8 million the government expects to collect from this new tax.
“We are proactively fighting this tax as part of a tourism and travel
coalition led by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand.”
One of Cruise New Zealand’s goals for the coming year will be to
significantly raise the profile of the sector with decision makers and
the public. “The cruise sector is a fast growing and valuable part of
the New Zealand economy – contributing NZ$436 million in value
added earnings in the 2014-15 season and supporting 8365 jobs. We
have the potential for huge growth over the coming decade, however it
will require the support of government, ports and communities around
the country to achieve,” O’Sullivan said.
Cruise New
‘Zealand
has been
Cruise
guru?
Corporate travel
your department?
Agency
owner?
Whatever your travel speciality…
TravelManagers has a place for you
Grow your own business and earn more. Enjoy the flexibility
to manage your own time and work when it suits while
offering your clients more personalised service with our
truly mobile platform.
Satisfy your curiosity. Visit our website
join.travelmanagers.com.au
Or contact our partnership development team
1800 019 599
warning that ever
bigger cruise ships
want to come to
New Zealand
’
30
cruise report
CLIA view
Brett Jardine, commercial director
CLIA Australasia
INDUSTRY’S CHANCE TO SHINE
The first week of September 2015 will see
the delivery of CLIA Australasia’s fourth
annual Cruise Week promotion.
Just as many associations and charities
have a special day or week to raise
awareness, Cruise Week is the cruise
industry’s chance to shine.
At CLIA, we’re very proud to have our
Member Cruise Lines pulling together to
raise the profile of cruising at this special
time and deliver a call to action focused on
CLIA Accredited Cruise Specialist Agents.
Cruise Week is celebrated around the
globe by CLIA offices and aims to deliver on
two primary objectives:
1. To spread the word about cruising to a
“new to cruise” audience that is yet to
be convinced about the great value a
cruise holiday delivers.
2. To create Cruise Week Deals which are
primarily aimed at the “already committed”
cruiser. For this audience, our goal in
creating a buzz and generating a high
level of anticipation (without eroding other
ongoing campaigns) will be achieved by
releasing ‘the deals’ at the last moment.
For many retail agents, deals are an
important tool to hook new customers. But
I believe many benefits can flow from taking
a less tactical approach to Cruise Week
and using it as a chance to build rapport
with clients and highlight your knowledge
and experience in the cruise industry. Either
way, the critical ingredient for any agent
is proactive participation – this means
co-ordinating your own local promotions
and activity in conjunction with the wider
national promotion.
This year, Cruise Week will be promoted
through a new interactive online magazine
(e-zine) which will be supported by a
dedicated marketing campaign featuring
a mixture of EDMs and social media as
well as banner advertisements and native
advertising across popular mainstream sites.
us this means
‘“oneForindustry,
one
COMMUNIQUÉ
FROM…
KAREN CHRISTENSEN
General Manager & Director
Sales/Marketing, Australasia
SILVERSEA’S
EUROPEAN ENCOUNTERS.
DESIGNED TO COMBINE.
voice” so let’s all get
talking about cruising
’
With people spending more time online
today than they do reading the newspaper,
watching TV or listening to the radio, it
makes good sense to take Cruise Week
into the digital space. For agents the e-zine
will be a fantastic way to attract prospective
passengers as it will enable readers to
experience life onboard a wide range of ships
through content, images and video designed
to immerse them in the magic of cruising.
Whilst traditional promotional activity
such as film nights and window displays are
still encouraged, distribution of the Cruise
Week e-zine electronically via database and
social media platforms will be very powerful.
Why promote Cruise Week when
everyone else is doing the same? There
are many clichés that capture the spirit of
such an event – the best one may be “the
power of one”! For us this means “one
industry, one voice” so let’s all get talking
about cruising and make Cruise Week the
biggest week of the year.
Silversea’s European voyages are
purposely designed to be combined
as consecutive sailings, and rarely
repeat a port. With back-to-back
sailings, your clients will enjoy
more overall value and more of this
magnificent region.
Book by 31 December 2015 and
save up to 15% on the following
combination voyages.
Barcelona to Civitavecchia (Rome)
aboard Silver Wind
34 days. Departs 13 April 2016.
London Roundtrip aboard
Silver Wind
24 days. Departs 27 June 2016.
Civitavecchia (Rome) to Lisbon
aboard Silver Cloud
18 days. Departs 1 July 2016.
Istanbul to Venice aboard
Silver Spirit
14 days. Departs 29 July 2016.
Copenhagen to Montreal
aboard Silver Whisper
28 days. Departs 26 August 2016.
headlines July &
august 2015
21 Jul NTIA recognises cruising
21 Jul Four offshoots for Crystal
23 Jul Princess dines with Stone
28 Jul Tiered pricing for Celebrity
30 Jul Bratton praises Ponant buy
30 Jul Port Kembla Navy study
04 Aug Norwegian confirms Aus
04 Aug Hawaii seeking cruise reps
06 Aug CLIA Aus changes captain
06 Aug Fathom allotment for Aus
11 Aug Yacht designs for Crystal
11 Aug Astor confirms its return
13 Aug Fathom promos in market
13 Aug RCI launches Suite program
For more information or to book call
1300 306 872 or visit silversea.com
Visit silversea.com for full terms
and conditions.
31
industry in focus
Nicole McGann, Rebecca Nassau and Brooke Hyde
were just some of the attendees at the recent
helloworld frontliners conference held in Cairns.
t recent Princess
iday Travel was one of the mos
Dominique Grams of Seniors Hol
Diamond Princess.
on
se
with a 10-night Hokkaido crui
Academy graduates rewarded
Barry Parsons, South African Airways; Malaysia Airlines ceo
Christoph Mueller and CAPA chairman Peter Harbison
rubbed shoulders at the CAPA conference held in Sydney.
India played host to
this group of top-se
lling Globus Family
of Brands’ agents wh
o visited the exotic
country last month
.
Andy Collings, Rachel McDermott and Timo Nieuwout from Booking.com were just some of
the hundreds who turned out for the annual AccorHotels showcase in Sydney last month.
P&O Cruises NSW bdms Angus Mackay and Jess
O’Brien were on hand and all dolled up for Hunter
Travel Group’s special cruise expo in Newcastle.
32
september 2015
e Graham from CT
Air Canada and Su
m
th.
fro
n
ea
cL
M
ul
Pa
Sydney last mon
PA conference in
Partners at the CA
Contiki recently held their Rock Around the World agent
trip. The agents started in Toronto, Canada and then
travelled to Montreal to experience the legendary 3 day
Osheaga music festival before finishing up in Boston.
Personal travel managers Karen Doyle and
Penny Meallin experienced stunning Broome as
part of a famil hosted by North West Tourism.
Oliver Philpot
, Brand USA; An
ne Madison, Br
Consul General
and USA; Mrs
of
Llorens, wife of
Palmer, Gate 7/ the USA; Karen Ballard, US
the
Dep
Brand USA wer
e all at the rece artment of Commerce and
Jo
nt Brand USA
function in Sy
dney.
These World Leading Cruise Lines representatives look like they had the time of their lives at the helloworld frontliners conference in Cairns.
33
EUROPE/UK
Great
expectations
H
AVING focused on the
commemoration of World War I
in the past couple of years, the
UK in 2016 will be looking much
wider afield, with anniversaries for
William Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte, Roald
Dahl, Agatha Christie, landscape gardener
Capability Brown, and even London’s famous
Blue Plaques.
It is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s
death, with a host of activities in Stratfordupon-Avon in 2016 as part of the celebrations
of the playwright’s legacy. These include a
new immersive theatrical experience at the
Royal Shakespeare Company; a reimagining
of New Place (Shakespeare’s final home)
following a major restoration project, and
Shakespeare’s school room, open for the first
time at King Edward VI School.
When the aristocrats of the 18th Century
34
were building their mansions, there was just
one person they wanted to landscape their
gardens – Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, whose
300th birth anniversary is celebrated in
2016. Brown got his nickname by assuring
the owners that their land had ‘capability’.
He then set about creating a landscape that
looked natural, but was more perfect than
nature could be. He built more than 170
Credit visitBritain.com
By Gary Walsh
Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon
gardens in Britain and most of them can still
be seen and enjoyed today as idyllic places
to relax, contemplate nature, and picnic – just
as Brown planned for the original owners.
The Brontë Society’s contemporary arts
programme has recently been awarded a
grant to help with celebrations surrounding
the 200th anniversary of the birth of
Charlotte Brontë, more details of which will
be released throughout the year.
Born in London in 1866, Helen Beatrix
Potter was best known for her imaginative
children’s books such as The Tale of Peter
Rabbit. Potter drew inspiration from the
magnificent beauty and plentiful wildlife of
the Lake District in Cumbria, north-west
England, and fans of her enduring tales will
be delighted with the World of Beatrix Potter
in Bowness-on-Windermere.
Born on September 13, 1916, Roald
Dahl captured the imagination of children
around the world with his tales including
EUROPE/UK
LONDON: FIVE FOR FREE
You could spend days in the British
capital enjoying its many museums and
galleries. Here are five your clients can
experience at no charge.
British Museum
Unquestionably one of the world’s finest
museums, and one of its oldest, the
British Museum is home to millions
of objects. Among the must-sees for
first-time visitors are the Parthenon
friezes from the Acropolis in Athens, the
Egyptian mummies, the Rosetta Stone
(which enabled the translation of Egyptian
hieroglyphics), the Lewis chessmen and
the Sutton Hood burial ship.
Natural History Museum (credit visitBritain.com)
also countless creepy crawlies, stuffed
birds, gemstones, crystals and more.
Victoria & Albert Museum
Named in honour of Queen Victoria and
her consort, the V&A is now one of the
world’s great repositories of creative arts,
highlighting furniture, ceramics, sculpture,
paintings, posters, jewellery, metalwork,
glass, textiles and dress from across
the centuries.
British Museum (credit visitBritain.com)
James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The
Witches, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Twits and The
BFG. The film, The BFG, is also coming to
the silver screen in 2016 and visitors to
Britain can learn more about the author at
the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in
Buckinghamshire, south-east England, or visit
Cardiff and visit the Little Norwegian Church
in Cardiff Bay where Roald Dahl was baptised.
Although October 2015 marks the 125th
birthday of the world’s most popular crime
writer, Agatha Christie, Britain offers many
ways to celebrate into 2016, from taking a
comprehensive tour of the locations that
inspired the Queen of Crime, to even staying
in her holiday cottage. The Agatha Christie
Tour of Britain takes in an extraordinary
breadth of landmarks around Britain
associated with the world’s best-selling
author. Then find out whodunnit at Greenway
House in Devon, her family holiday home.
London’s famous Blue Plaques turn 150
Imperial War Museum
The museum was renovated for the 100th
anniversary of the beginning of World
War I in 2014, and features displays and
memorabilia from various conflicts in
which Britain has been involved. There
are some bleak displays that focus on the
Holocaust and crimes against humanity
that are not suitable for younger visitors.
National History Museum
This museum is massively popular with
school groups, and can be incredibly busy,
but it is worth the wait. The dinosaur
skeletons and animatronic dinosaurs are
the most popular exhibits, but there are
next year. The homes and workplaces of
figures as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Charles
Dickens, John Lennon and Oscar Wilde have
all been honoured with one of London’s blue
plaques. The first was unveiled in 1867 to
commemorate Lord Byron at his birthplace,
24 Holles Street, Cavendish Square in
London. This house was demolished in 1889
so the earliest blue plaque to survive – also
put up in 1867 – commemorates Napoleon
Victoria & Albert Museum (credit visitBritain.com)
National Gallery
The gallery was inaugurated in 1824 to
house just 36 paintings, but now it is home
to more than 2000 artworks. It covers
periods from early Italian (Giotto, Pierro della
Francesco) through Italian Renaissance
and the Old Masters to the French
Impressionists and the Post-Impressionists.
III in King Street, St James’s. Since 1986,
English Heritage has run the scheme, which
now comprises around 880 plaques.
And finally, the Queen will celebrate her
90th birthday next year with 7000 people,
600 horses and 1500 performers at a
spectacular equestrian-themed party in
Windsor Castle’s Home Park, the centrepiece
of a series of national events marking the
monarch’s personal milestone.
35
EUROPE/UK
EARLYBIRDS
CATCH
BEST DEALS
WITH the recent decline in the value of
the Australian dollar, and fears that it will
continue its downward spiral, the impact
of earlybird deals for Europe and the UK is
more significant than ever. While the AUD’s
value has slumped against the pound
sterling over the past two years from a
high of almost 69 pence to the dollar to
about 47 pence, it has been less volatile
against the Euro, but still has declined in
value from a high of 85 Euro cents to 67.
These significant declines mean the
earlybird deals for 2016 now available
in the market make perfect sense for
Australian travellers. As well as offering
attractive discounts on normal airfares and
tour prices, they lock in an exchange rate
so that clients can be sure of what they
are spending on some key components of
their holidays.
Earlybird deals are also important
measuring sticks for national tourism
organisations. Mark Haynes, marketing
manager Australia for VisitBritain,
said earlybird promotions acted as “a
barometer on the state of demand” and
were significant in converting bookings for
Britain six to nine months ahead of travel.
“They are also a gauge on potential
traffic into regional Britain gateways
as they highlight a range of entry point
destinations. With a large number of
carriers offering one-stop direct services
from Australia to multiple regional Britain
gateways, the promotional report card on
earlybird sales can help refine and tweak
our marketing activities.”
Regardless of the slump in the dollar’s
value, airlines and operators report strong
forward bookings to the UK and Europe.
36
“Our FIT revenue is up over 20 per cent
compared to same time last year,” said
Sujata Raman, managing director of A&K
Europe. “This growth is effectively even
higher, because it has been negatively
impacted by the drop in sales to Russia.
“The balance of Europe has seen growth
in every country, with Italy and Croatia
strongest for A&K,” Raman said. “A&K’s
Luxury Small Group Journeys have also
been strong to European destinations.
are finding that
‘theWelower
AUD is a
consideration ... many
customers are choosing
to trade down from
5-star to 4-star
’
We anticipate that Europe will continue to
be an extremely attractive destination for
Australian travellers. The trend is to focus
on single destinations rather than trying to
cover a wide range in one trip.
“There’s no question that a declining dollar
has some impact on sales. However, the fall
in the Aussie dollar has been expected for
some time and has come as no surprise. We
believe that most travellers have anticipated
and factored in the falling dollar.”
Justine Lally, head of marketing for
the APT Group, said that as a global tour
and cruise operator APT was aware how
important currency fluctuations could be.
“Our advice to travellers is that while one
currency might be in flux, there is always
another that is holding strong, so don’t
be afraid to book. In fact there has never
been a better time to do so, especially in
destinations such as Europe, where the Euro
is performing well and offering excellent
value for money.
“At APT we are one of just a few travel
operators who have put in place measures
to ensure that guests’ holiday prices
are protected. For example we offer a
guaranteed fixed price. Simply pay your
deposit and that secures the price of your
trip, regardless of currency movement.”
Fiona Dalton, head of sales for Qantas
Holidays said, “Travel bookings to the UK
and beyond to Europe have been very strong
for us in 2015, buoyed to some extent by the
upcoming Rugby World Cup in September. In
fact, our forward sales to the region are up
30 per cent on the same time last year.
“We are finding that the lower AUD is a
consideration for Australians, but in our
experience many consumers are choosing
to trade down from 5-star to 4-star hotels to
compensate for this. The earlybird fare levels
to the region again look very enticing and as
a result we expect bookings to remain robust
over the coming months,” she said.
“One idea for Australians to make the trip
more affordable is to consider flying to the
less popular regional airports across UK
and Europe such as Manchester and Nice
in France, to take advantage of the lower
airport taxes on the air tickets. Consumers
can then look to facilitate their travel plans
across the region by utilising the excellent
rail network available for pre-purchase
either as point-to-point tickets or passes
before departure.”
EUROPE/UK
Back-roads goes off the beaten track
THE Back-Roads Touring Co is true to its
name – it’s all about avoiding the motorways
of the UK and Europe and delving into the
quiet lanes off the beaten track. Established
in London 28 years ago, the company has
had a presence in Australia for the past five
years, and has seen sales here boom.
Brisbane-based brand manager, Hugh
Houston, said the company began initially
selling trips to the Chelsea Flower Show and
the World War II battlefields of Western Europe,
but has expanded in recent years to cover
much of Europe, including the Balkans and
Russia. In each place, Back-Roads relies on its
small group sizes (a maximum of 18 in some
countries, but frequently a maximum of 15)
and the maneuverability of its small Mercedes
coaches to provide a unique experience.
“The back roads are very much what we
are about,” Houston said. “Because of the
size of our Mercedes coaches we can go
anywhere a car can. Wherever we can get
off a freeway, we get off.” The focus is on
regional touring, with plenty of flexibility – not
attempting to tackle too much in too short
a time. “We really explore and delve deeply
into the areas we visit, with authentic local
Dijon, France (image: Back-Roads Touring Co)
experiences and eating in local restaurants.”
Accommodation is generally in smaller
hotels, not chain properties or high-rise
hotels, and mostly right in the heart of small
towns and villages. “We call our touring an
immersion,” Houston said.
The most popular tours with Australians
are in the UK, Ireland and France, with the
company’s two tours in Spain also emerging
as strong sellers. Another strong performer
is Italian Indulgence, a 12-day trip that covers
large cities such as Florence and Venice as
well as remote Tuscan villages, the Cinque
Terre and Lake Maggiore’s Borromean Islands.
The best-selling trips are the seven-day
Corners of Cornwall, priced from $2745 pp;
the nine-day Heart of England, priced from
$1925 pp; nine-day Highlights of Britain,
starting at $3265 pp; and La Belle France, a
nine-day trip focused on the northwest of the
country and priced from $3535.
n www.backroadstouring.com
STORIES TO TELL
YOUR ENTIRE LIFE
——— EUROPE WITH LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS ———
DEPARTS APR-SEPT 2016
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic announces its inaugural
European voyages aboard National Geographic Orion. Travel aboard
the smallest luxury expedition vessel in Europe, with 11 curated
itineraries and a National Geographic photographer on-board. Gain a deeper understanding of
art, history and sustainability with our expert team, and orchestrated experiences for you to
meet local people. Every voyage is all inclusive, with shore excursions, alcoholic beverages and
staff gratuities included. Book 2 or more voyages, in any sequence, and save 10%.*
*Multiple voyage discount applies when voyages booked at same time.
auinfo@expeditions.com
1300 361 012
www.expeditions.com
OIHA4000
EUROPE/UK
AFFORDABLE
CAR HIRE
Affordable Car Hire, one of the UK’s
leading independent car rental brokers, is
expanding its presence in the Australian
market where agents can benefit from a fully
inclusive rate with no hidden extras
Affordable works with 500 car rental
partners through a network of 200 countries
in over 15,000 worldwide locations, providing
agents and their customers with a wide choice
of car hire options.
The company is committed to offering
good value for money and excellent
customer service through its easy threestep online booking process, ARTS training
academy, and many special offers which
include free upgrade, additional driver and
zero excess offers. European prices start
from just $9 per day.
n www.affordablecarhire.com
Great Scenic savings
SCENIC has a range of earlybird deals for
its cruises in Europe, all of which are valid
for booking by the end of October.
The first is a fly free deal that promises
savings of up to $6090 per couple.
Clients who book a standard suite on a
cruise of 11 days or more throughout 2016
can fly free to Europe including taxes. The
next deal offers the chance to fly for $995
and save up to $3640 per couple – book
any balcony suite on a cruise of 11 days or
longer travelling from May to September and
fly to Europe for $995pp including taxes.
In the third deal, clients who book any
suite on selected cruises of 11 days or
longer departing in March, April, October or
November can fly business class to Europe
from only $2995pp including taxes.
“Earlybird fares are still hugely popular
with our guests who value the benefits of
booking early with us and the great savings
they can make with fly-free and other
offers. Over the years we have educated
consumers on our Earlybird philosophy and
it still works extremely well for us in terms
of driving sales,” says Scenic’s Aleisha Fittler.
“At Scenic we set the pricing and do not
adjust or surcharge consumer prices based
on currency fluctuations. The decline in the
AUD is predominantly to the USD, which has
been unnaturally high in the recent times.
So, costs of travel to these destinations is
not as cheap as it has been, however it is
still affordable and once booked there is no
need for a Scenic guest to be concerned
with any further fluctuations.”
Orion sets sights on Europe
Much-loved with Australian cruisers, Lindblad
Expeditions’ National Geographic Orion, is
setting sail for Europe, with the company
recently announcing its inaugural 2016
European program commencing April next year.
After many successful seasons sailing
across the seas of Indonesia, the South
Pacific and Australia, the National Geographic
Orion will embark on its maiden voyage of
Portugal, Spain, France, England, Ireland,
Holland, Belgium, the Baltic Republics and
Scandinavia with 11 one-week itineraries and
22 sailings.
“National Geographic Orion holds many fond
memories among Australian travellers, some of
whom have travelled aboard the ship on repeat
seasons,” said Jeremy Lindblad, business
development director for Australia.
“Each itinerary will be highly curated to
provide travellers with a more enriching and
authentic European holiday, taking them
beyond the usual tourist experience as led
by experts in ancient and modern history,
political science, art, viniculture, photography
and music,” he said.
Itineraries remain true to National
38
Geographic’s adventurous character, with
experiences such as ‘Wild and Windswept:
Exploring the Coasts of England and
Wales’, where passengers can join a local
astronomer from the Astronomical Society for
a night of stargazing on the island of Sark; or
‘Norway and Scotland: Fjordlands to the Inner
Hebrides’, where they have the chance to
dive historic wrecks.
Guests have the option to ‘hop on-hop off’
and those that book more than one voyage
will receive a savings of 10% off each trip.
They can take two or more back-to-back, or
enjoy one journey, disembark and then rejoin
Orion for a journey in a different region.
Authentic food experiences form an
integral part of the 2016 program, with
cuisines influenced by the flavours of each
region, such as the ‘Culture and Cuisine’
voyage from Oporto to Basque Country, where
guests can spend the day discovering Galicia,
collect mussels with local fisherman and
listen to traditional music. On the ‘London to
Copenhagen’ voyage, they can work alongside
local artisans to make Belgian chocolates
in Brugge and sculpt marzipan in Lubeck.
Degustation and fine dining menus on board
will be prepared by international chef, Serge
Dansereau – principal of Sydney’s The
Bathers’ Pavilion.
The first European deployment commences
with the ‘Portugal and Spain: From the
Algarve to Catalonia’ expedition departing
24 April 2016, and concludes with ‘Culture
and Cuisine’ from Oporto to Basque Country
departing 18 September 2016. Prices for all
voyages start from $9,990 per person, which
includes bar tab and staff gratuities.
n www.expeditions.com
EUROPE/UK
Q&A
With its wide variety of experiences, and large VFR market, a European
or UK holiday should be an easy sell for agents. Michelle Barker,
managing director of Jayes Travel, Newcastle shares her tips for selling
the destination.
How well do Europe and the UK sell at
your agency?
Europe and the UK are a large part of our
annual sales, especially new bookings
coming through the earlybird season.
It’s important for us to capitalise on the
enquiries during the launch/sale periods so
that we have those forward sales in place
for the upcoming year.
Which forms of travel are
especially popular?
For our agency it is a real split, from
independent self-drive or rail holidays, to
river/ocean cruising and escorted tours.
We would love to increase our coach touring
sales, and so this has become a focus for
our agency. Last year saw a turn towards
rail and FIT holidays, so we want to highlight
how the traditional coach tour has evolved
over the past few years with many focusing
on local experiences that people won’t find
on an FIT holiday.
Is the decline of the Australia dollar having
an impact on sales?
At this stage we aren’t seeing a negative
impact on sales, or seeing clients
compromise on the standards or length
of their holiday. We are actually seeing
people book more before they travel and
locking in tours at the AUD rate, protecting
themselves against any further falls. Many
touring companies are offering 2016 travel
at 2015 prices, people can secure the main
components of their holiday at the same
rate when the dollar was much higher.
BRITAIN’S
BEAUTIFUL ISLES
Is there enough
training from
NTOs for agents
selling Europe
and the UK?
There is always room for more training
but I understand it’s hard to roll this out
to agents. As part of the recent Qantas
Holidays ‘Race Around’ famil in the UK,
we had the opportunity to take part in
training sessions with the tourist boards
of Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. I
picked up more tips in these sessions than
selling the destinations for years.
What advice would you give to other
agents in selling Europe and the UK?
Make sure you have the local tips and know
the unique products that will make the
holiday memorable. First hand experience of
a country or style of travel through Europe
and the UK will improve your sales beyond
a doubt.
DALMATIAN, VENETIAN
& GREEK WONDERS
11-night cruise, departing 9 June 2016
13-night cruise, departing 13 September 2016
SLOVENIA
VENICE KOPER
LERWICK
STORNOWAY
PORTREE
ITALY
NORTH
SEA
KIRKWALL
RIJEKA
CROATIA
SPLIT
SCOTLAND
DUBROVNIK
MONTENEGRO
TOBERMORY
KOTOR
CORFU
ENGLAND
GREECE
HARWICH
IONIAN SEA
$2,540* per person twin share
ST MARYS
ST PETER PORT
$3,140* per person twin share
Contact Discover the World on 1800 OCEANS (623 267) or visit au.voyagesofdiscovery.com
*All prices are per person in Australian Dollars based on double occupancy. Prices are inclusive of port charges, pre-paid airport and government taxes, service fees and on board gratuities for your
cabin steward, dining room waiter and his assistant. Single occupancy double cabins are subject to availability and rates will be quoted on request. Prices shown are inclusive of fuel supplement where
relevant. All rates and prices are subject to change and are based on known costs for fuel and currency as of June 2015. For full terms and conditions please visit au.voyagesofdiscovery.com
PIRAEUS
KATAKOLON
MONEMVA
EUROPE/UK
agent know-how
David Reid, head of distribution in Australia, NZ & Asia
Pacific for Le Boat, shares his tips for selling this one-ofa-kind European holiday.
What are the advantages of a self-skippered boating holiday?
Self-skippered boating holidays offer the freedom and flexibility to
cruise and sight-see at your own pace. They eliminate the stress of
keeping up with a tour group and enhance your ability to linger at those
spots where you want to stay longer, and move on when you’re ready.
How popular are these types of holidays with Australians?
Year on year we are experiencing 15 per cent growth; so the product
is proving very popular, particularly with more independent travellers.
Which is the most popular region for Australians?
The historic Canal du Midi in southern France offers easy access
to the vineyards of one of France’s largest wine regions,
Languedoc-Roussillon. Travellers can also explore medieval towns,
ancient castles, museums and galleries, and enjoy the diverse food of
the region.
What advice do you have for travel agents selling your product?
For clients who are looking for something different that is off the
beaten track and water based, you could not choose an easier
holiday to recommend. And remember, clients do not need a licence
or any previous boating experience to operate our boats.
What is the average price of a weekly seven-night rental?
We offer short breaks (from 3 days) up to long breaks (14+ days) and
these range from $600 to $12,000.
Where can they find out more information and do you run product
training courses?
We have just launched our new 2016 brochure which includes a
group flotilla cruise in Italy, and a new two-person luxury cruiser. Call
1800 118 940 with any questions. We are also happy to conduct a
webinar session on request. n www.leboat.com.au
Fly the
to Europe
Earlybird Fares
Return fares starting from
Milan
$1267*
Rome
$1281*
Paris
$1306*
Frankfurt
$1350*
Birmingham
$1406*
London
$1468*
Hotel accommodation provided
on outbound at Delhi Airport
airside Hotel Eatonsmart.
Indian Visa not required for
transiting passengers.
SYDNEY: (02) 9283 3370 | Email to syd.reservation@airindia.in
MELBOURNE: (03) 9021 8720 | Email to mel.reservation@airindia.in
Terms and Conditions: Offer ends on 30th September 2015 unless sold out prior. Advertised fares are all inclusive for travel on the route Melbourne-Europe-Melbourne via Delhi, priced as on 13th August 2015 for outbound travel on 03rd March 2016 and inbound travel on 03rd
April 2016, with 8 kg carry-on luggage and 30 kg check-in baggage. For travel out of Sydney an additional tax of A$19.00 is applicable.Outbound travel is permitted from 15th Feb 16 to 15th June 16.Travel must be completed within 3 months from the date of departure. Prices are
correct as on 13th August 2015 and small variations in prices may occur as a result of changes in airport taxes or currency fluctuations. Offer is subject to availability and fares are valid on Air India operated flights only. Basic fare and fuel surcharge are non refundable and change/
no-show fees apply. For full terms and conditions, please visit www.airindia.com or contact your local travel agent or call Air India on (03) 90218720 / (02) 92833370.
*
SMALL GROUP TOURING
®
EUROPE 2016
EARLY BIRD
SPECIAL SAVE
MAXIMUM
GROUP SIZE
*Book, pay deposit and applicable airfare payment by
18 December 2015, and your client will save up to $250
per person. Terms & conditions apply.
14 different itineraries to choose from,
including:
Small Groups
Our maximum group size in
Europe is 20 people, because
smaller groups make for a
better holiday experience.
250
$
*
PER PERSON
NEW TOURS FOR 2016
Return International
Flights
Included with the world’s
leading airlines, with flexibility
to extend or upgrade to
business class.
Italy & France
Eastern Europe
22 days now from $10,545 pp
Save 250!
No Hidden Extras
We include all the must
see sights plus unique local
experiences. Even taxes
and tips are included where
appropriate.
Flights Included
Save 250!
Flights Included
Norway & Iceland
Alpine Discovery
Save 250!
Flights Included
Save 250!
Flights Included
BEST SELLERS
Unique Itineraries
Designed to give your client
the perfect balance between
sightseeing and leisure, and
enough time to really get to
know the places we visit.
Spain, Portugal
& Morocco
Scandinavian
Discovery
Save 250!
Flights Included
Save 250!
Flights Included
Jewels of Dalmatia
Turkey & Greece
Save 250!
Flights Included
Save 250!
Flights Included
See our website for more tours and detailed itineraries.
New 2016
Brochure!
Order your free
copy today.
Call
us on
1300 125 007
email reservations@bunniktours.com.au
®
www.bunniktours.com.au
* To be eligible for our European early bird savings your client need to book, pay a deposit and applicable airfare payment by 18 December 2015. All prices shown are per person
based on twin share. Singles rooms are available at a supplement, check our website for details. Prices are correct at time of printing but are subject to change. Note air supplement
may apply depending on airline availability and departure cities. Bunnik Travel Pty Ltd. ATAS accreditation #A10484. Ask your consultant for details.
EUROPE/UK
APT rewards first in line
APT says its Europe River Cruising SuperDeals
are a great way to reward guests who like to
be first in line to book for the following year.
These guests often know which dates and
cruises they want and are also keen to secure
their preferred cabin.
“SuperDeals tend to feature one-off special
deals which we often don’t repeat and that’s
another attraction for clients; but we continue
to offer compelling offers to ensure our
industry partners have exciting incentives for
those clients who prefer to book at a slightly
later stage,” said APT’s head of marketing,
Justine Lally.
APT’s first round of earlybird offers for
Europe – SuperDeals 1 – ended on 31 July.
SuperDeal 2 offers, which run up until 31
October, include a $795 flight deal, with taxes
covered by APT – a saving of up to $4610 per
couple. Customers booking a cruise of 15
days or more departing March and October to
December 2016 can fly business class from
$2995 per person, including taxes of up to
$1200 per person.
“We are also offering free return flights
on all of our Magnificent Europe April 2016
departures, alongside a range of solo travel
deals,” Lally said. “We also offer a range
of SuperDeals for our small ship coastal
cruising program in Europe. These run until
October 31 and include Companion Fly Free
deals on popular European cruises such as
our 12-day ‘Britain & Ireland Explorer’ and our
Mediterranean cruises in Italy and between
Venice and Istanbul.”
As with APT, sister operator Travelmarvel
offers earlybird savings across a range of
European river cruises. These run until sold
out, which, depending on the product, is often
around mid-year.
n www.aptouring.com.au
Affordable Car Hire offers:
Fully Inclusive pre-paid prices with ‘no hidden extras’
Australia Call Centre with 24 hour assistance
Dedicated Australia Sales Team
Competitive prices in 193 countries & 15,210 locations
throughout a network of 500 car rental suppliers
Competitive Commission Rates
T: 1-800 855 751 | www.affordablecarhire.net.au
Agency Sales Team are here to help. Email to register & discuss commission rates: agentsupport@affordablecarhire.net.au
Bunnik’s
Earlybird savings
Small group touring specialists
Bunnik Tours have launched their
2016 European program, with four new
itineraries and an earlybird special. New
amongst the 14 itineraries are Norway &
Iceland; Alpine
Discovery;
Eastern Europe;
and Italy and
France.
“The new
tours travel
to some of
my favourite
European
destinations
including
the stunning
lakeside city of
Interlaken in Switzerland and the charming
Bavarian countryside surrounding Munich,”
said managing director Dennis Bunnik.
Clients booked before 18 December
2015 will receive a $250 per person
earlybird saving.
n www.bunniktours.com.au
$9
AY
D
R
PE
BIKE AND BARGING
Combine easy to moderate cycling
with river, canal or island cruising.
Ideal for partners of different
abilities, unpack once, come
‘home’ each night to a wonderful
meal and a comfortable cabin with
your own bathroom.
HOTEL BARGE CANAL CRUISES
Canal or small river cruises. Quality
cabins, each with own bathroom.
Onboard chef with regional
cuisines and wines. Daily coach
excursions to vineyards, chateaux,
galleries, gardens. Bicycles available
onboard.
WALKING HOLIDAYS
Small group guided walks on
carefully selected trails, some
with pack animals to carry
refreshments and picnics. Private
chateaux and charming hotels all
with pools, all with a passion for
regional cuisine and local wines.
AVAILABLE IN FRANCE AND MOST DESTINATIONS IN EUROPE
Telephone 1800 331 582
www.outdoortravel.com.au
middle east
By Kerry van der Jagt
Scents of
Salalah
Grand Mosque (credit The Sultanate of Oman Tourism)
44
I
n Salalah’s perfume souq the sweet,
yet astringent smell of frankincense
fills the air as women weigh portions of
teardrop-shaped pearls, from oatmealcoloured orbs to amber clumps. The
Sultanate of Oman has always been famously
fragrant, with locals using frankincense daily;
dissolving it in water to treat upset stomachs,
burning it to freshen their homes or chewing
it like gum. Omani men even dip the tassel
of their robes in the perfume to maintain the
aroma throughout the day.
A product of the Boswellia tree,
frankincense was a prized possession of the
ancient world, with the finest incense coming
exclusively from Oman’s Dhofar region. I’d
started my foray into frankincense in the
capital Muscat, an easy one-hour flight from
Dubai or Abu Dhabi, where I’d sniffed my way
through the Muttrah Souq, visited the Sultan
Qaboos Grand Mosque, ridden a bicycle along
the elegant corniche and eaten my body weight
in dates, dahl and biryani. One day I sailed
aboard a luxury catamaran, past centuries-old
villages and swimming with sea turtles, with
Clara Zawawi, owner of Ocean Blue.
From Muscat it is another hours’ flight to
Salalah, the coastal capital of the Dhofar region,
home to four key archaeological sites, registered
jointly as the ‘Land of the Frankincense’ by
UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage list.
Summer sees the annual monsoon (or
Khareef) wash over Salalah, cooling the
air significantly and turning the landscape
a totally unexpected and startling lush
green colour. The city is going through a
renaissance, with a brand new international
airport (opened June, 2015); plans for more
hotels and resorts, such as Alila, Anantara
and Club Med; and an upgrade of Salalah’s
harbour, including a cruise ship port.
Last year 17,000 Australians visited Oman,
which was a nine per cent increase on 2013.
This trend is expected to continue as more
Australians travel to the UK/Europe through
the UAE and Qatar, with convenient airline
tie-ups (like Qantas-Emirates, and Virgin
Australia-Etihad) driving this relatively new
route for Australians.
Oman has a modern, integrated road
system, so it is easy to use Salalah as a
base and visit each UNESCO site as a day
trip with a private guide and driver.
Suhail Amer El Mahri picks me up
from my beachside hotel for the drive to
the Sumhuram Archaeological Park, an
excavated port city that once controlled the
entire frankincense trade. On the way we
pull into the fishing village of Taqah for an
unscheduled stop at Suhail’s cousins’ place.
middle east
“Come in,” says our host, his long white
dishdasha swishing at his ankles as he
ushers me inside his mud brick home. “You
must be thirsty.” After introductions I’m
handed a delicate glass of cinnamon-infused
tea, while a tray of dates appears as if
summoned by Aladdin.
Suhail explains that the Omani form of
Islam is neither Shiite nor Sunni, but Ibadism,
renowned for its hospitality and acceptance
of all religions, races and creeds. Ruled since
1970 by a benevolent and much-loved leader,
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Oman
is a safe and welcoming country. In 2015
the World Economic Forum ranked Oman #9
in the world for Tourism Safety and Security
Last year 17,000
‘Australians
visited Oman,
which was a nine per
cent increase on 2013
’
out of 141 countries (Australia was ranked
#13). This ranking is based on factors such
as crime and violence, reliability of police
services and incidence of terrorism.
On the second day we travel to Shisr,
passing Bedouins driving their camels to the
coast, through the dusty Dhofar Mountains
and into the southern edge of the Rub’ al
Khali (the Empty Quarter) to the ruins of Ubar,
known as the ‘Lost City’. What was a famous
trading city now lies in ruins, spread across
the desert like an abandoned sandcastle.
On another day we visit the Museum of
the Frankincense Land and the adjacent
Al-Baleed Archaeological Park, site of the
12-century port city of Zafar.
To visit the groves where the frankincense
is harvested requires a sturdy 4WD and a
knowledgeable guide. The frankincense tree
(Boswellia sacra) is a squat, Dr Seuss-like
bush, with curly green leaves and a paper-thin
bark. Suhail draws his knife and makes a small
incision across one tortured limb, causing
milky droplets to bleed from the wound.
“Taste it,” he says, handing me a sticky
pearl of resin. “This is the finest in the
world.” I close my eyes, savouring the
gum with its warming kick of pepper and
pines, thinking of the Queen of Sheba, who
hand-delivered Dhofari frankincense to King
Solomon; or Emperor Nero, who burned a
year’s supply at the funeral of his wife; and
those wise men, who carried gifts so far.
Blessed with natural beauty, from windblown deserts to 2500 kilometres of
coastline, welcoming people and a rich
heritage, Oman is one of the best places in
the Gulf to experience traditional Arabia and to
get close to its ancient spirit.
INSIDER’S GUIDE TO MUSCAT
Clara Zawawi, an Omani Australian,
Gold Ambassador of Tourism for
Oman, and owner of Ocean Blue,
shares some of her insider secrets on
the Omani capital.
1
Don’t miss our cooking school,
Bait Al Bilad (the Village House)
at Qantab, run by Ocean Blue and
starring our village ladies, who
still can’t quite believe that people come
from all over the world to learn how to
make ‘their’ food. Meet the challenge of
‘rohkhal’, the wafer-thin bread that is made
using your bare hands on a red hot griddle
... while being instructed in Arabic. It’s great
fun for adults and kids alike and a delicious
meal to boot. n www.oceanblueoman.com
2
Best buys for pashminas are from
the Souk in Sabco Center, Qurum.
These guys have been in business
for more than 30 years and
everyone in the know buys from them. They
will tell you the difference between qualities
and prices, and you are guaranteed to leave
paying a fair price and being happy. Don’t
be afraid to bargain a bit if you’re buying
more than two or three, but don’t go too
hard, they are really fair in their pricing.
Do go to Muttrah Souk to buy
24-carat gold or frankincense.
It’s one of the oldest trading
posts in the world and although
the main drag is a bit average, head off
3
Salalah frankinsense souq
into the little alleys and explore; better still,
pass the main entrance on your left and
head down half a block. Enter where it says
‘Gold Jewellery’ and you will have arrived
in seventh heaven. Go at night; the people
watching is as much fun as the shopping.
If you’re on the Corniche, consider
lunch or dinner at Kor Kum
restaurant, a tiny and very pretty
place serving some of the best
Indian food (Oman’s ‘other’ national cuisine).
4
5
Pop into one of the bigger
supermarkets – Lulu or Sultan
Center – to buy packaged dates
and spices that you are allowed
to take back to Australia - just make sure
there are no whole seeds or pieces of
cinnamon bark. Prices are amazing, and if
you want to make an Omani style biryani you
will need the ubiquitous ‘Chicken Masala’ or
‘Meat Masala’ spices that gives it just the
right flavour.
45
middle east
The Dubai difference
By Gary Walsh
E
VEN from the air, Dubai city
is a staggeringly impressive
sight. Flying into the airport,
the unmistakable outline of the
world’s tallest building, the 830m
Burj Khalifa, dominates the city skyline.
Spectacular by day, with desert spreading in
all directions to the horizon, it is more striking
by night, with millions of lights twinkling
under the pitch-black sky, and the Burj Khalifa
spearing into the heavens.
Dubai has grown exponentially as a
destination in recent years, largely due to
the growing global significance of Emirates
Airline, which is now the seventh largest
carrier in the world in terms of revenue, even
though it was established only in 1985.
Emirates’ alliance with Qantas, which was
launched in April 2013, has seen a massive
increase in Australian arrivals into the UAE.
“The Qantas and Emirates partnership
has opened up the region to many more
Australians travelling through to Europe. Over
the two-year period since the launch we have
seen 39 per cent increased visitation from
Australians,” Dubai Tourism’s Asia-Pacific
director, Julie King, told travelBulletin.
Dubai Tourism plans to double current
tourism numbers and increase the average
length of stay from today’s 2.8 nights to four
nights by 2020.
“The diversity of attractions and
experiences on offer to all segments
(families, couples, girls’ and boys’ getaway,
young couples and business travellers)
means consumers simply cannot experience
all that Dubai has to offer on a two-day
stopover,” King said.
46
“A four-night stay is recommended, and
even with that, as Dubai continually adds
new products and experiences you can be
guaranteed to experience a new Dubai
each time.”
Much of the tourism product in the market
is stopover focused, given that the majority of
visitors to Dubai are in transit to somewhere
in Europe or other parts of the Middle East.
Major operators such as A&K and Intrepid,
which offer tours virtually everywhere in the
world, have only day or half-day trip options.
Dubai continaully
‘adds
new products and
experiences you can be
guaranteed to experience
a new Dubai each time
’
Part of Dubai’s long-term plan for tourism
development is to strongly boost the number
of attractions it offers, especially to families,
and encourage longer stays.
Among them are the Middle East’s first
LEGOLAND theme park, scheduled to open
in 2017; IMG Worlds of Adventure (an indoor
theme park focused on Cartoon Network and
‘Marvel’ characters including Ben 10, Power
Puff Girls, Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America
and Iron Man); and Dubai Safari, which
will house more than 1000 animals from
throughout the world in Arabian and Asian
safari villages.
Further afield are a Six Flags Theme
Park, set to open in late 2017 and the first
expansion of the brand outside of North
America; and Aladdin City, inspired by the
legends of Aladdin and Sinbad. Dubai also
will host World Expo 2020, which is expected
to significantly increase tourism when in
opens in November 2019.
Other new developments set to open in
the next couple of years include Deira Fish
Market, which will feature hundreds of fish,
fruit and vegetable stalls, spice shops and
restaurants, replacing the old fish market
that has stood in Deira since 1988. It will
occupy a prominent location on the Deira
Corniche, and is designed to promote
traditional and heritage activities in “modern
and sophisticated” ways. There will be a
dedicated area for fish auctions so tourists
can see the traditional way of selling fish.
Getting around Dubai city will become
easier later this year with the opening of the
Dubai Tram system, which will run from Dubai
Marina to Al Sufouh in 42 minutes. It will
be linked with the Dubai Metro system and
will have a cycle path running beside it, with
every station equipped with bicycle racks for
those keen – or mad enough – to ride in the
Middle East heat.
Dubai Tourism sees a range of key
indicators that will drive visitation, including
Dubai’s affordability, with hotels ranging
from budget boutique to five-star luxury, a
diverse and affordable culinary scene (with
Dubai home to more than 200 nationalities);
a thriving arts and culture scene and
guaranteed warm weather, with more than
300 days of sunshine each year. Importantly,
Dubai Tourism highlights the fact that many of
the emirate’s attractions are air-conditioned
and therefore visited comfortably year-round.
middle east
Q&A
Airline partnerships have resulted in a massive increase of Australians
travelling to the UAE. Steven Green, owner of Olive Tree Travel in
Melbourne, shares his thoughts on the appeal of Dubai as a destination and
the key elements of selling the destination to Australian travellers.
What is the appeal of Dubai as a
destination?
Its geographical centrality, its impressive
infrastructure and the fact that there is
something for everyone.
budget, and
there are very
cool festivals
and events to
enhance the
experience.
What were your own Dubai highlights?
Skiing in Dubai; my amazing hotel Jumeirah
Zabeel Saray on the Palm; and water sliding
at the Atlantis resort on the Palm.
How do you convince clients that it is
worth more than a brief stopover en route
to Europe?
Where else in the world could you be
on the ski slopes in the morning and be
4WD-ing in the sand dunes of the desert
in the afternoon? The main connecting EK
flight from Dubai to Melbourne stops in
Kuala Lumpur and gets back at a terrible
time so you may as well break the journey,
spend a few days and see what all the fuss
about Dubai is about.
What are the biggest challenges in selling
the destination?
The (incorrect) perception of being
expensive, tacky and unsafe.
How can agents improve their Dubai
product knowledge?
Attend seminars, do online training, but
most importantly just get to Dubai!
What are the key elements to selling
Dubai to the Australian market?
There is literally something for everyone,
it’s totally safe, there’s a place to suit any
What tips would you give to other travel
agents who want to sell Dubai?
Package up a two- to three-night night
hotel stay with transfers and one or two
activities and make it easy for your
clients.
.
..
y
a
d
to
’
y
a
D
e
n
‘O
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k
a
Why not m
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middle east
Abu Dhabi Tour
The Abu Dhabi Tour is an international bike race which will be introduced to
the events calendar for the first time on 8 – 11 October. The Tour consists of
four stages around the capital and the surrounding desert, beginning at Yas
Marina and covering a total distance of 555km. In the evening after the Abu
Dhabi Tour’s final stage, the tour will host the very first UCI Cycling Gala. The
event will celebrate the end of the UCI professional road cycling season and
its stakeholders in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority
What’s on the
calendar
The Abu Dhabi Art Programme runs 18 - 21 November in
the Saadiyat Cultural District and is Abu Dhabi’s annual
event for modern and contemporary art, design and
cultural programmes. It features a set of art, talks and
experiences for all audiences to enjoy. The Programme
this year includes performances, panels, workshops,
exhibitions, design presentations and artist installations
featuring artists, curators, collectors, gallerists and
scholars from around the world.
18 - 21
Nov
It may be the tail-end of summer for Abu Dhabi, but the
capital city’s events calendar is showing no signs of
cooling off, with a series of high-profile events coming up
before the end of the year.
27 -29 Nov
Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu
Dhabi Grand Prix
Taking place on the 27, 28 and 29 November, the 2015 Formula
1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the Middle East’s biggest
international sporting event and the final race of the 2015 season.
For the seventh year, Abu Dhabi will host Formula 1’s only twilight
race. The Grand Prix is set on Yas Island, on the Eastern side of
Abu Dhabi and the track runs alongside the island’s marina and
passes under the 5-star Yas Viceroy hotel. When the races end
the party begins, with four nights of after-race performances for F1
ticket holders.
Al Ain Air Championship
The eleventh edition of the Al Ain Championship will
take to the skies on December 17 to 19, with a new
competition format and an expanded programme
of on-the-ground entertainment. Pilots will compete
to be named the Grand Champion at Al Ain
International Airport, 14.8km from Al Ain. The event
will feature gravity-defying wingwalkers, parachutists
and a new-to-the-region aircraft line-up, while the
60,000 square metre Championship Village will
offer a wide range of aircraft displays, interactive
stands, runway demos and parades, a dedicated
family area and a new line-up of food trucks.
48
Abu Dhabi Art
8 - 11 Oct
17 - 19 Dec
Kurush Pawar, Red Arrows, bit.ly/1E6Ks4A
middle east
Abu Dhabi
arrivals surge
Nearly two million visitors arrived into
Abu Dhabi in the first six months of 2015,
putting the destination on track to achieving
its goal of 3.9 million guests for the year,
according to the latest figures released by
Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
The arrival numbers signalled a 17 per
cent rise on the corresponding period in
2014, with a collective 5,728,765 guest
nights generated in the emirate’s 163
hotel and hotel apartment properties, an
increase of 11 per cent on last year.
Total revenues for hotel establishments
jumped eight per cent to $1.25 billion,
however the average length of stay
decreased five per cent when compared to
the first six months of last year.
Australia ranks in the top 12 of Abu
Dhabi’s international source markets,
with the top spot being taken out by India,
closely followed by the UK and China.
“We set ourselves a challenging guest
arrivals target of 3.9 million hotel guests
for this year, which we are very confident
of achieving, especially given that our highly
impressive half-year figures show double
digit growth,” said Jasem Al Darmaki, acting
director general of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and
Culture Authority.
“We remain committed to actively improve
the average length of stay of our guests
which has fallen by five per cent over the
comparable period in 2014.
“We have a series of high-profile events
coming up to entice our guests to spend
more time here including our new extended
2015/16 season of Abu Dhabi Classics, the
annual F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand
Prix and Abu Dhabi Art, and anticipate the
traditionally strong second half of the year
performance will pull average length of stay
back up closer to three nights.”
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CHINA
On top
of the
world
By Kris Madden
T
ALES of magic and mystery have
long attracted visitors to Tibet, and
despite its challenges, the allure of
this once forbidden land remains
strong for the adventurous, cultural
and spiritually-inclined traveller.
I’m about to board the T27 train at West
Beijing Station for the 3760 kilometre,
44 hour journey to Lhasa.
Top Tours to Tibet
Wendy Wu Tours’ 24-day ‘Tibetan
Wonders’ group tour explores ancient
trading routes, before flying to Lhasa
and visiting a number of Tibetan cities.
Highlights include Mount Everest Base
Camp and an overnight stay in the world’s
highest monastery.
n www.wendywutours.com
World Expeditions currently offers 11
itineraries which incorporate Tibet. A 19-day
Beijing to Kathmandu journey travels
through China, Tibet and Nepal, including a
flight to Xining and overnight train to Lhasa,
then by vehicle to Kathmandu, diverting to
view the north face of Mount Everest.
n www.worldexpeditions.com
Helen Wong’s Tours has a 20-day ‘Tibet
and Yangtze’ guided tour priced from
$6970pp twin share from Australia until
June 2016. The tour begins in Beijing
followed by Xian, before heading to Lhasa
for three nights. An overnight rail journey to
Xining follows, along with a Yangtze cruise.
n www.helenwongstours.com
50
There are three classes in each carriage:
soft sleeper, hard sleeper and hard seat.
My advice would be to always book your
clients in soft sleeper - but even though this
is the highest grade of accommodation, the
bunks beds (two upper and two lower) still
sleep four people per compartment, and are
often shared with strangers.
It’s a little bit of a squeeze, but quite
comfortable, as far as train travel in China
goes. Travelling by train in China does
require a sense of adventure. For a start,
most are not equipped with Western-style
toilets, facilities can be basic, and because
clear day, the view
‘ofOntheaHimalayas
from
the top is magical
’
most locals travel this way, the train can
become quite cramped.
The main advantages of travelling to the
capital of Tibet this way are that you get a
real feeling for just how vast the country is;
you experience some of the world’s most
unbelievable scenery; and most importantly,
it allows you to slowly adapt to the high
altitude conditions, as opposed to the
sudden shift if you were to fly.
More than 80 per cent of the railway
is higher than 4000 metres - the highest
point is a lofty 5072 metres above sea
level - almost as high as Everest Base
Camp. As if that isn’t impressive enough,
the Qinghai-Tibet railway holds nine world
records, including highest railway in the
world; highest train station (Tanggula
Station, at 5068 metres above sea level)
and highest railway tunnel (the 1.3-kilometre
Fenghuoshan tunnel, at 4905 metres).
As we pass Golmud, 33 hours later,
and approach the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a
whooshing sound comes from a small vent
in the wall, pumping oxygen-enriched air
through the carriages. This is a safeguard
against altitude sickness, a real threat to
travellers in these areas. Those with medical
conditions should seek their doctor’s advice
before travelling.
The closer we get to Lhasa, the more
Tibetan our surroundings become. There are
prayer flags strung across fast-flowing glacial
rivers and streaming colourfully down steep
hillsides; people are harvesting barley or
hand-ploughing their fields.
Known as the ‘Roof of the World’, Tibet
is a barren wind-swept land of yak-herders,
red-robed lamas, nomadic pilgrims and
women with waist-long plaited hair wearing
extraordinary amounts of turquoise jewellery.
Lhasa, the world’s highest city, is not for
the faint-hearted. Translating as ‘Abode of
the Gods’, it is literally, breath-taking.
Once we’ve acclimatised to the altitude,
we venture through the old town, a labyrinth
of crowded streets and noisy bazaars that
reveals typical Tibetan city life. The city’s
public plaza, Barkhor Square, is home to the
Jokhang Temple. Built in 642, it’s considered
the most sacred and spiritual temple in
Tibet. If there is one thing Tibet is not short
on, it’s temples. It’s one of the main reasons
why people visit.
We watch the pilgrims, who have travelled
from far and wide, walk in a counter-clockwise
direction around the square, complete with
goats, chickens, and laden with knapsacks
you wouldn’t even attempt to carry.
The towering Potala Palace, former home
of the Dalai Lama, and once the seat of the
Tibetan government, is a now a UNESCO
World Heritage site, home to precious relics.
On a clear day, the view of the Himalayas
from the top is magical. Norbulingka, the
CHINA
Dalai Lama’s summer palace, is not quite as
spectacular as the Potala Palace, but also
holds a great deal of significance.
On weekday afternoons, the monks at
Sera Monastery participate in philosophical
debates and tourists are welcome to find a
spot and watch. It’s an entertaining battle of
spiritual prowess not to be missed.
There’s no doubt that travel can be
challenging in Tibet – rules about access
can change in a heartbeat, and if your
permits are not perfect to the letter, you can
find yourself hightailing it back to Beijing.
However, the ‘Roof of the World’ is unlike
anywhere else on earth, and most travellers
agree, any minor discomforts are well worth it.
Need to know
IMAGES CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
Mt Everest Tibetan side (photographer Kris
Madden); Monks debate at Sera Monastery
Lhasa (Kris Madden); Tibetan woman (Richard
l’Anson); Potala Palace Tibet (Helen Wong’s).
Getting There
All areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region
require foreign travellers to be part of an
organised tour that includes travel permits
and an authorised tour guide, even if just
staying in Lhasa. Special permits are
required to travel in Tibet in addition to
a valid China visa. Foreign travellers to
Lhasa must pay a tour deposit in advance
before they will process travel permits.
The deposit depends on the length of
the tour and cost around $500 USD.
Regulations change often so make sure
to check for updates.
Currently, seven cities in mainland China
offer direct trains to Lhasa, including
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu,
Chongqing, Xining and Lanzhou. All trains
cross the Qinghai-Tibet Railway from
Xining to Lhasa.
Air China flies daily to Beijing from
most Australian capitals, with frequent
connections to Chinese cities, including
Lhasa. n www.airchina.com.au
Staying there
Although some facilities can be basic,
Lhasa is not without its star-rated
properties including Four Points by
Sheraton; Shangri La Hotel Lhasa; The St.
Regis Lhasa Resort; and InterContinental
Lhasa Paradise. The DoubleTree by Hilton
Hotel Qinghai – Golmud is a slice of
luxury in the middle of nowhere.
n Further information www.cnto.org.au
51
CHINA
Q&A
Long-time China specialist Helen Wong from Helen Wong’s Tours took
some time out of her busy schedule to share some of her top tips for
selling Tibet with travelBulletin.
Is there much interest in Tibet from
Australian travellers?
Interest in Tibet is minimal on a world scale.
It is mainly for people with a special interest
or high level of fitness.
What type of traveller would Tibet
appeal to?
The adventurous kind, although the high
altitude rail link has made access
a little easier.
Is it safe? Has the recent Nepal
earthquake had an effect on travel
to Tibet?
Definitely safe, although the earthquake
did have an effect on numbers of visitors.
The main roads have improved.
Is it possible to do Tibet in luxury?
Yes, as there are many five-star hotels
now located in Tibet, The Banyan Tree
among them.
Which areas of Tibet require an
organised tour?
To apply for a travel permit into Tibet
foreign travellers need to be on an
organised tour with a confirmed itinerary
that includes permits, a tour guide and a
private vehicle with a driver.
What places and activities would
you recommend?
On our Tibet and Yangtze group tour we
focus on the capital Lhasa, with a free
day to take it easy and acclimatise to
the high altitude. Inspirational Potala
Boqiang Liao, http://bit.ly/1hHg0UM
Palace is the main
focal point as well
as the magnificent
monasteries of Jokhang, Drepung and
Sera and the tranquillity of Norbulingka,
once the summer palace of the Dalai
Lama. The Barkhor Bazaar, found near
the old section of the city, is where
you can appreciate the lifestyle of the
Tibetan people. The scent of yak butter is
prominent everywhere.
What are your top tips for agents
wanting to sell Tibet?
Advise travellers of the dangers of
travelling into a highly elevated region. They
need to have a certain level of fitness in
the thinner than usual air. Advise travellers
of the need for a travel permit which can
only be possible by being on an organised
tour with itinerary; and lastly, clients should
be prepared for a very different experience
in a very different world.
Incredible sights
at an amazing price!
With Cosmos, your clients enjoy
the benefits and convenience of
escorted travel, along with plenty of
free time to explore and
immerse in local culture.
Priced from
$203 per day
A China Experience
9 days from Shanghai to Hong Kong
Highlights include: Shanghai Museum, Terracotta Warriors,
Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square,
Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace
from $1,830 per person twin share
Quality Accommodation Professional Tour Director
First-class motorcoach
Visits to must-see sights
Many meals Ample free time
MORE WAYS TO SAVE SAVE 2.5%
Early payment
Discount*
SAVE $100
Per Couple
Second Tour Discount*
SAVE 5%
Repeat Traveller
Discount*
To book call 1300 130 134
or visit cosmostours.com.au
*Terms & Conditions apply: All care is taken to promote correct pricing at time of printing, is dependent upon availability, and will be confirmed at time of reservation. From $1830 per person, twin share departing 15/08/16 includes tour, internal airfares and airport taxes. A non-refundable,
non- transferable deposit of $250 per person/per tour is required within 14 days of booking to secure reservation. Early booking 2.5% discount: requires full payment four months or more prior to departure. Discount based on tour including extra night accommodations, extensions and transfers. Second Tour discount – multiple tours must travel in the same calendar year. Repeat Traveller Discount: must be a Journeys Club member and quote membership number at time of booking to receive 5% discount on the land-only portion of the core tour and twin share price, not including
extra nights’ accommodations, extensions, taxes/fees, tips and supplements/reductions. Offer can be withdrawn or amended at any time without notice. Additional may restrictions apply. For full terms and conditions refer to the 2016 Cosmos Asia brochure. Licence Number 2TA000637.
HONG KONG
& mACAU
A tale of...
TWO CITIES
By Gary Walsh
H
ONG Kong and Macau have
so much in common, yet are
so wonderfully different. Both
are autonomous regions of
China that were colonies until
surprisingly recently - Hong Kong of Britain
until 1997 and Macau of Portugal until
1999. They are physically close, just an
hour apart by boat, and ethnically dominated
by Chinese people, speaking the same
language, and sharing a dazzling food
culture. But there are extraordinary contrasts
between the two near neighbours.
Hong Kong has long been a major
destination for Australian travellers - and it
remains so, with visitation up 9.2 per cent in
54
the first four months of this year over 2014
- either as a traditional stopover on the way
to Europe or as a destination in its own
right. Macau has been less in Australia’s
consciousness until more recently, but is
now firmly on the map, and not just
among gamblers attracted by its Las Vegasstyle casinos.
Hong Kong’s glories are in-your-face - the
beauty of the harbour with its endless
activity, the majestic skyline, Victoria Peak
and its panoramic views, the charm of the
Star ferries and the double-decker trams.
And these days Macau doesn’t hide its
appeal either - the brilliant light shows and
feverish activities of the giant casinos along
the Cotai Strip contrasting with the stately
beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed
historic centre, highlighted by the iconic ruins
of St Paul’s.
While Hong Kong’s tourism figures remain
strong, with more than 69,000 Australians
arriving in April this year - a rise of almost
20 per cent over the previous year - Macau
is struggling somewhat, with Australian
visitation down by 20 per cent in the first
four months of the year compared with the
same period in 2014. Australia, however,
remains Macau’s seventh-biggest market,
which is dominated by mainland Chinese and
visitors from Hong Kong.
Macau also suffers from what might be
called ‘short-term syndrome’ - the average
length of stay is just one night, compared
with four nights for Hong Kong. Most of
its visitors other than mainland Chinese
HONG KONG & mACAU
and Hong Kong citizens focused on its
gambling attractions are on day trips from
Hong Kong.
Both destinations continue to grow their
accommodation options. Hong Kong is set to
add about 4000 hotel rooms to its inventory
this year, taking the total to almost 75,000.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board has identified
a trend towards boutique hotel openings with
properties such as Swire Hotels’ East and
The Upper House, The Mira, Hotel LKF,
Lan Kwai Fong hotel, Hullett House,
The Jervois, The Putman, J Plus, Hotel Icon
and The Luxe Manor.
Macau’s hotel focus is on big-is-best
casino/hotels and themed properties,
typified by the recent opening of the 1015room JW Marriott Macau in the massive
Galaxy Resort complex. The Ritz-Carlton
Macau opened on the same day in the same
complex, but by contrast is a small, all-suite
property with just 254 rooms. May also saw
the opening of Broadway Macau, a recreated
hawker style street market that also features
a 320-room hotel. It is also part of the
Galaxy development. Future projects will
take Macau’s inventory to more than 40,000
rooms by the end of 2018.
Hong Kong, too, has the appeal of theme
parks at Disneyland Hong Kong and Ocean
Park. Both are constantly expanding.
Disneyland Hong Kong is preparing a new
Iron Man Experience, Disney’s first themed
area focused on a Marvel Comics character,
while Ocean Park is developing a new allweather water park, with three new hotels
also in the pipeline.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge at
Lingdingyang in the Pearl River Estuary is
set to open in 2017, designed to assist
both passenger and freight traffic between
the three cities. It will be a 29.6km dual
three-lane carriageway that will include a
6.7km tunnel. Hong Kong will also open
a new 26km section of the GuangzhouShenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link that
will enhance its role as the southern gateway
to the Chinese mainland. It will slash travel
time to Guangzhou (Canton) to just 45
minutes when it opens at the end of 2017.
And the runway of the infamous former
Kai Tak Airport is being turned into a new
cruise terminal, able to berth the largest
cruise vessels.
55
HONG KONG
& mACAU
TOP Hong Kong
5
Avenue of Stars
Ruins of St Paul’s
Hong Kong has long styled itself as
the ‘Hollywood of the East’ and this
tribute to the local film industry on the
promenade at Tsim Sha Tsui is also
a nod to the famous Hollywood Walk
of Fame. Some of the movie identities
will be unfamiliar to most Western
audiences, but there is no mistaking the
bronze statue of kung fu hero Bruce Lee.
The façade of this 16th century church
sits regally atop a hill at the heart
of Macau’s historic centre, and is its
most recognisable feature. The stone
façade was carved by exiled Japanese
Christians and beneath are crypts and
a museum. The view is outstanding.
The Peak
Macau Tower
The view from Victoria Peak is iconic spectacular at any time, but unforgettable
at night. There are several vantage
points, but among the very best is from
Sky Terrace 428 on top of the anvilshaped Peak Tower. Getting there is half
the fun with the Peak Tram, which has
trundled up the mountain since 1888.
The 338m tower offers much more
than stunning views of Macau and the
Pearl River Delta. It is a mecca for
the adventurous, with bungy jumping,
Skyjump, Skywalk and Tower Climb
options. There is also a revolving
restaurant and observation decks.
Temple SREEt Night Market
Senado Square
This chaotic market in Yau Ma Tei
in Kowloon is the place to spend
an evening of haggling over copy
watches, clothes, antiques both
genuine and fake, gemstones and
electronics while being entertained
by Chinese opera singers and fortune
tellers.
The UNESCO-listed colonial heart of the
Macau is characterised by elaborate
mosaic footpaths – with no vehicles
to disturb the peace – and gracious
old buildings. The beauty is best
appreciated at Senado Square (Largo
do Senado), a public square featuring a
charming fountain and ringed by historic
structures including the former senate.
Man Mo Temple
Cotai Strip
This temple, which dates to the
1840s, is devoted to both the god of
war and the god of literature. Its most
distinctive sight is the hundreds of
giant incense coils that hang from its
ceiling. It is on Hollywood Road in the
Shueng Wan district.
This is one of the main casino districts
and probably the most spectacular,
especially at night. Among the casinos
is the absurdly big Venetian Macau,
which has 3000 rooms and an odd
recreation of Venice within, complete
with Chinese gondoliers. It’s all a bit
over the top, but fun to suspend belief.
Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin
Temple
Coloane Village
This dazzlingly-coloured temple is
sacred to three religions - Taoism,
Buddhism and Confucianism - and
promises to make every wish come true
on request. It is, understandably, very
popular. Along with the vibrant temple
buildings there is a striking Good Wish
Garden decorated with chinoiserie.
56
TOP Macau
5
Much of Macau is new, with the mega
hotels and casinos on areas such as
the Cotai Strip dazzling the senses.
A visit to this lovely old fishing village
is quite a contrast and hints at what
Macau was once like. There is a
charming square, temples and churches
and make sure you buy a Portuguese
tart from Lord Stow’s Bakery.
HONG KONG & mACAU
HKTB launches ‘My time for Hong Kong’
THE Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB)
recently launched its new branding ‘My time
for Hong Kong’, with the aim of providing a
personal connection between travellers and
the destination so they can explore beyond its
iconic attractions and discover its hidden gems.
The HKTB says this new direction is a move
away from a focus on product to showcase “an
emotional connection and engagement with
the destination, enabling visitors to shape and
share their unique and personal Hong Kong
travel experiences with friends and family”.
The new branding will focus on inviting
visitors to explore the many different worlds
in Hong Kong, and via word of mouth and
content generation, share these experiences
with their networks.
The ‘My time for’ brand tagline can be
tailored depending on the key messages and
focus of each campaign to highlight a variety
of themes including ‘My time for inspiration’
and ‘My time for exploration’.
The HKTB has invested in a master
photography project to produce a series of
new destination images which capture the
city’s sights, sounds and stories and clearly
portray the ‘My time for’ branding. These
new images will be used across the HKTB’s
advertising, events, publicity, social media
and online promotions globally.
Q&A
The HKTB has also revamped its trade
website – PartnerNet, which is designed to
provide travel trade partners with the most
up-to-date information on Hong Kong’s tourism
industry. The website aims to contact trade
partners around the world and includes
interactive features, such as industry news,
research and statistics, e-Marketplace, events
calendar, photo image library and publications
plus access to the HKTB’s online training tool,
Hong Kong Specialist.
Registration to PartnerNet is free and
provides members with the opportunity to
promote their business to a global network
and make contact with potential business
partners in Hong Kong. To register for
PartnerNet visit http://partnernet.hktb.com
Agents can direct clients to the ‘My Hong
Kong Guide’ website and smartphone app,
a customised “virtual travel guide” which
visitors can use to plan, explore and share
their personal itineraries with friends across
social media. The guide provides travellers
with content from local experts as well as
information on popular tourist attractions and
events. An added feature for visitors, when in
the destination, is the ability to ‘shake’ their
phone to automatically highlight additional
attractions nearby.
n Visit http://guide.discoverhongkong.com/au
Often considered stopover destinations, Hong Kong and Macau have
plenty to offer in their own right. Mobile Travel Agent Anne Coombes
shares her tips for selling these two Chinese pearls.
How well do Hong Kong and Macau sell in
your business?
Generally my clients see Hong Kong and
Macau as a great way to break their
European journey, enjoying some of the
vibrancy of Hong Kong and Macau on their
way to or from Europe or the UK.
What are the key selling points for Hong
Kong and Macau?
Both destinations are well served by many
airlines and the flying distance is shorter
than Dubai, making the trip to Europe seem
shorter. The excellent airport train makes
getting into the city easy so the client’s
Hong Kong holiday can start within 90
minutes of landing. Hong Kong and Macau
are also great value. Macau has five-star
hotels at incredible prices and the nightlife
is amazing. Hong Kong offers a broader
range of activities whether it’s parks, The
Peak, fantastic shopping, or outstanding
food - too many great places to list. There
is so much to do in Hong Kong.
Are there any challenges with selling the
destinations?
Not really. Because the variety of
accommodation and eating options is
so broad in each location, any traveller’s
budget can be accommodated.
Are Hong Kong and Macau seen (and
sold) mainly as a stopover, or are they
viewed as destinations in their own right?
As I mentioned before, most of my clients
want to use Hong Kong and Macau as a
stopover on the way to Europe, however I
do have one client group that returns to
Hong Kong every year as a destination.
How can
agents improve
their product
knowledge of
Hong Kong and
Macau?
Just as I do with any destination, by
visiting. My clients really appreciate
it when I can tell them some of the
highlights and also let them know about
some of the lesser known parts of a
city, drawing from personal experience.
What advice would you give to other
agents selling the destinations?
Try to shift the mentality from stopover
to destination. For clients having their
first taste of Asia, Hong Kong and
Macau are safe and fun with something
for everyone.
57
Ships salsa
to south america
Ocean
cruising
By Kris Madden
S
outh America is a hot
destination for Australians at the
moment, not only for exploration
by land, but by sea. Cruising is
emerging as an alternative for
travellers wanting to experience multiple
destinations on this vast continent, with
the most recent industry statistics [2013]
showing a 75 per cent rise in the number of
Australians cruising South American waters.
Encompassing thousands of kilometres,
with 14 countries and territories extending
from the equatorial tropics to the subAntarctic, there’s a lot of ground to cover, and
much of it is best seen by ship.
58
Ecruising.travel product manager Carina
Mullen says interest in South America is
high, and growing, with multiple cruise
lines operating in the region and expanding
their offerings.
“South America can be a daunting
destination and navigating different modes
of transport, airports and organising an
independent itinerary can be challenging. A
cruise is a stress free way to experience this
part of the world. There are different styles
of cruising on offer from large ships, to
mid-size ships and smaller expedition style
vessels, so there is an option to suit most
people and budgets.
“The most popular itinerary is a cruise
between Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires,
Argentina with highlights being the Chilean
Fjords and travelling around Cape Horn.
Many people choose to add on an Iguazu
Falls trip from Buenos Aires which can be
easily arranged,” she says.
Princess Cruises VP Australia & New
Zealand, Stuart Allison says more Australians
are recognising that cruise ships present
a very comfortable and affordable way of
visiting these remote and exotic areas.
“Our new South America circumnavigation
has attracted huge interest and is the only
one of its kind from Australia. To tackle an
itinerary like this from land would be a real
feat – but we’re giving Australians the chance
to see all these places in a very relaxed and
comfortable way as they cruise between ports.
OCEAN CRUISING
No airports, no repacking, no long bus trips –
they just have to sit back and unwind as the
destinations come to them,” says Allison.
Princess’ round trip voyage to the
continent includes Chile’s Amelia Glacier,
Tierra De Fuego, sailing around Cape Horn,
Salvador during the Carnival, a full transit
of the Panama Canal and overnight stays in
Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Lima. There
are also overland excursions to Iguazu Falls,
Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands.
On board, passengers are immersed in
the colours and cultures of the region with
regional cuisine, tango dancing and expert
presentations on each destination.
Karen Christensen, Silversea’s general
manager Australasia, says the luxury
cruise line has seen a steady increase in
the number of Australian guests seeking
information about cruising within South
America, and ultimately booking.
“Feedback from our guests is that an
attractive itinerary is the key decision maker
when booking a South America holiday,”
says Christensen.
“Our guests can indulge in the beaches
of Brazil, the icy majesty of Argentina and
the breathtaking fjords of Chile, all in one
luxurious trip. For adventurous travellers,
voyages to South America’s more remote
destinations provide guests with the
opportunity to travel from Guayaquil, Ecuador
to Valparaiso, Chile and beyond to Ushuaia,
Argentina. Our itineraries also enable
guests to experience the stark beauty of the
Atacama Desert and its Valley of the Moon;
the ‘White City’ of Arequipa; or the coasts of
Chile and Argentina.”
Gareth James, general manager of
Lindblad Expeditions Australia, says South
America holds mass appeal as it is still
home to relatively untouched landscapes and
wildlife, therefore enhancing the cruise and
travel experience for guests.
“Lindblad Expeditions - National Geographic
have been exploring this part of the world for
almost 50 years - we send more Australians
to the Galápagos Islands than any other
overseas destination that we offer,” says
James. “Our focus is on enrichment, onboard
and onshore, and visits to offbeat ports in
South America with naturalists, historians and
undersea specialists on each trip.”
For customers in search of natural beauty
and breathtaking scenery, mountains,
fjords and tropical rainforests that seem
to stretch forever, cosmopolitan cities, and
indigenous peoples and cultures, South
America is a cruise revelation. South
America is, of course, too big to sample
on a single cruise, creating a wealth of
opportunities for repeat sales to clients
enchanted by the destination.
HOT PRODUCT
Oceania Cruises has a total of 13 South
American cruises in 2015/2016. The
21-day ‘Alluring Andes and Majestic Fjords’
cruise from Lima to Buenos Aires aboard
Regatta visits the Nazca Lines in Peru;
a number of ports in Chile including the
Chilean Fjords; Argentina and Uruguay.
Prices start from $7520 pp, with bonus
savings of $4,700 per stateroom.
n www.oceaniacruises.com
Princess Cruises’ 84-day ‘Circle South
America’ voyage aboard Sea Princess
departs Sydney on 11 January 2017,
visiting 28 ports across 18 countries
including Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica,
Panama, Ecuador and Uruguay. Prices start
from $17,999 pp twin-share. The cruise is
also available from Auckland and Brisbane.
n www.princess.com
Silversea’s 66-day ‘Grand Voyage South
America’ departing Florida on 15 January
2016 aboard Silver Spirit takes guests
on an epic circumnavigation, cruising to
Brazil’s world heritage listed cities, before
continuing to Argentina, Patagonia, Chile’s
west coast, and Peru. Includes a pre-cruise
overnight stay at the Boca Raton Resort,
as well as two Silversea Experiences
in Devil’s Island and Carnival in Rio de
Janeiro. Prices start from $35,910 pp.
n www.silversea.com
59
Ocean
cruising
IN THE PIPELINE: BIGGER, BOLDER, BETTER
Bigger, more technologically-advanced than ever, and with a host of never-seen-before facilities; more
and more ships are coming online to meet ever-growing demand in the burgeoning cruise industry.
BY THE SEASIDE
MSC Cruises has cut the first steel on MSC
Seaside, marking a new generation of ships and
a seven-ship investment plan that will double its
capacity by 2022. The 5,179-passenger MSC
Seaside will be the biggest ship built to date
in the Italian Fincantieri shipyards. The ship,
set to debut in November 2017, will be based
year-round in Miami and sail a wide range
of Caribbean itineraries. A second identical
ship will enter service in 2018. MSC Cruises
also has an option for an additional Seaside
generation ship to be delivered by 2021.
In other news, also two years ahead of
its inaugural cruise, MSC Cruises recently
announced the opening of sales for MSC
Meraviglia, the line’s other next-generation ship.
n www.msccruises.com.au
LUXURY ON THE WATER
NORWEGIAN
BREAKS AWAY
SCHEDULED to debut in October, the
4,200-passenger Norwegian Escape will
have the largest aqua park at sea; largest
ropes course at sea, a miniature golf course,
a full-size basketball court and a bocce ball
court. The vessel is an expanded version
of Norwegian’s popular Norwegian Getaway
and Norwegian Breakaway, and will be the
line’s largest ship to date. NCL is also
currently building two new Breakaway-Plus
class cruise ships for delivery in the second
quarter 2018 and fourth quarter 2019.
n www.norwegiancruiseline.com.au
THERE’S much excitement about the new
vessel for Regent Seven Seas that’s being
billed as the most luxurious ever. Regent
Seven Seas’ 750-passenger Seven Seas
Explorer is scheduled to debut in July 2016,
and claims the highest ratio of space to
passengers in the history of cruising, along
with some of the most opulent suites at sea.
n www.rssc.com.au
STANDING OVATION
VIKINGS AT SEA
Ovation of the Seas, the fourth largest cruise
ship in the world (eclipsed only by sister ships
Harmony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and
Oasis of the Seas) and the largest and most
technologically advanced ship to ever call
Australia home, has had one of her blocks
floated out of the construction hall at the
Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
Delivery is expected to be in mid-2016.
Bookings are open for Ovation’s first Australian
season, with three Australian and New
Zealand sailings and a repositioning sailing all
departing Sydney in December 2016.
n www.royalcaribbean.com.au
A little more than a month after Viking
Ocean Cruises christened its first
ship, Viking Star, a second ship, the
930-passenger Viking Sea, has been
floated out at Fincantieri’s Ancona
shipyard in Italy. Viking Sea is set to
launch in early 2016; while the company’s
third ship on order, Viking Sky, is also
currently under construction and will debut
in 2017. All three ships will sail popular
routes in Scandinavia, the Baltic, and the
Western and Eastern Mediterranean.
n www.vikingcruises.com.au/oceans
60
OCEAN CRUISING
Cuba opens up as new cruise hotspot
MSC Cruises has announced that from
December, the newly refurbished 2,120
passenger MSC Opera will homeport in
Havana for the northern winter 2015-16
season. MSC will be the first global cruise
line to offer travellers the opportunity
to visit Cuba and set sail on one of 16
Caribbean itineraries.
The first cruise will depart from Havana on
22 December 2015, following MSC Opera’s
Life
Grand Voyage to Cuba from Genoa, departing
2 December 2015. On 12 April 2016, the
ship will leave Havana for Europe.
During their two-and-a-half-day stay in
Havana, MSC Opera’s guests can explore
the city’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed
old centre; discover its history, culture and
architecture; and stroll along the famous
Malecón seafront promenade, where the
island’s renowned laid-back lifestyle is in
full effect.
“The move to Cuba attests to our
commitment to offer our guests the best
and most sought-after destinations as they
become accessible – thus further enhancing
our global offering while providing travellers
best-in-class experiences and service,” said
Gianni Onorato, chief executive officer of
MSC Cruises.
The company says it expects strong
demand for the product due to the
attractiveness of Cuba as a culture-rich
destination. MSC Cruises will partner with
locally-based Cubanacan to offer ground
services and shore excursions.
Meanwhile, Carnival Corporation has
received approval from the U.S. Treasury
2016
Department to sail its new Fathom
brand to Cuba. The cruises will focus
on voluntourism, thereby falling into the
category of social, cultural and humanitarian
travel, one of the current 12 criteria for
authorized travel to the country.
Cuba cruises sailing out of Miami will
begin in May 2016, a month after the
Fathom brand launches with sailings to the
Dominican Republic. Carnival has priced
the sailings at US$2,990 per person, nearly
double the cost of Fathom’s Dominican
Republic cruises, however the cost includes
pre arrival social impact immersion
experiences and cultural activities in Cuba.
Tara Russell, president of Fathom and
global impact lead for Carnival Corporation,
said “We’re incredibly excited and humbled
by this potential opportunity to help
travellers experience the amazing beauty and
culture of Cuba, while being able to provide
educational and cultural exchange activities
that will benefit both the traveller and the
Cuban people. Cuba represents an important
step for us to expand our ability to offer
meaningful and enriching experiences to
purpose-driven travellers.”
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Ocean
cruising
Australia gears up
for bumper
cruise season
Australia is already the
‘fourth-largest
region in
the world for cruise ship
deployment and it looks
like this season is
a sign of even bigger
things to come.
’
The 2015-16 summer cruise season will
be the biggest on record for Australia, with
the added bonus of some great bargains for
Australian cruisers.
P&O is headlining a stellar season with
five ships converging on Sydney Harbour
in November. The line’s newly expanded
fleet – which includes the new Pacific Aria
and Pacific Eden – will create a spectacular
sight when all five ships sail into the harbour
on 25 November, bringing with it 15,000
interstate and local passengers and crew.
The cruise line said its 2015-16 program
will feature 250 cruises from eight different
homeports across the five-ship fleet,
which also includes Pacific Dawn, Jewel
and Pearl. Four of theships will return to
Sydney Harbour to celebrate Australia Day in
New Zealand.
Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Solstice will
also be in town; while Azamara Club Cruises,
will base its first ship ever in Australia,
with Azamara Quest offering five voyages
in the region between December 2015 and
February next year.
Carnival Australia is also looking forward
to a big year, with 17 ships cruising in local
waters in addition to the five P&O vessels.
In November, Carnival Spirit, Pacific Dawn
and Pacific Jewel will sail from Sydney to
Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup, with
Pacific Dawn joining them from Brisbane.
Princess Cruises will welcome a fifth
ship to its Australian-based fleet in October
2015 when the Golden Princess debuts
Down Under. The ship will be deployed in
Melbourne for her maiden Australian season
from October 2015 to March 2016, claiming
the mantle of the largest cruise ship ever
to be based in the Victorian capital. Sun
Princess will sail from Brisbane through
to November 2015 before relocating to
Fremantle; while Sea Princess will offer
cruises from Brisbane from November 2015
to April 2016 and Diamond Princess and
Dawn Princess will cruise from Sydney over
the summer months.
Australia is already the fourth-largest
region in the world for cruise ship
deployment and it looks like this season is
a sign of even bigger things to come.
January. In total, the ships will make a record
96 sailings from Sydney in 2016.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Australia
is counting down to its biggest season yet,
which will see the cruise line’s local capacity
increase by almost 50 per cent. This year will
see all three brands based in local waters
for the very first time, with six ships offering
diverse itineraries from local ports.
Royal Caribbean International will
homeport its mega-liner, Explorer of the Seas,
in Sydney from November this year, and will
base Legend of the Seas in Brisbane for
the summer. RCI’s two other liners Voyager
of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas, will
also call Sydney home during the season.
Together, the four ships will offer more than
70 itineraries in Australia, South Pacific and
LAST CHANCE TO BOOK MSC CRUISES
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$759
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*Conditions apply. SUPER SAVER DISCOUNT must be booked and deposited by 30 September 2015. Valid new bookings only. Subject to availability at time of booking. Combinable with loyalty discounts however not combinable with any other offer or promotion.
MSC Poesia prices based on 17, 24 Apr & 06, 13 Nov 2016 departures. MSC Orchestra prices based on 24 Apr 2016 departure. Northern Europe prices based on 20 and 27 Aug 2016 departure. All details, prices, itineraries and maps are correct as at 21/08/15
and subject to change or withdrawal at anytime without notice. ^Children under 13 years cruise free when sharing one cabin with two full paying adults and only pay port charges from $AU175 per child per cruise.
E&O. MSC Cruises (Australia) Pty Limited ABN 55 003 526 725. General sales Agent for MSC Cruises S.A. | ATAS Accredited No. A10954.
AD01 21 Aug 15
OCEAN CRUISING
FACELIFT FOR AN OLD QUEEN
New kennels for four-legged travellers
feature among the new improvements to be
made to the world’s most iconic ocean liner,
Queen Mary 2, when she spends 25 days in
dry dock at the end of May 2016.
Just as families are holidaying across the
generations, pets are increasingly seen as
integral to the family group. Queen Mary 2 is
already the only cruise liner in the world to offer
dedicated kennels and currently carries up to
12 dogs and cats on its transatlantic crossings,
with kennel places frequently selling out.
With an eye to the detail that differentiates
Cunard, both a lamp post (for English dogs)
and a fire hydrant (for American dogs) will be
installed on the area of deck reserved for
dog walking as part of the development, so
that dogs from either side of the pond will
feel equally at home. This was previously a
feature of the kennels on Cunard’s former
flagship, QE2, and was first introduced on
board Queen Mary at the suggestion of The
Duke of Windsor.
Other changes include the introduction
of single staterooms in response to the
increasing numbers of guests either travelling
solo; or in multi-generational groups, where
one member of the family is typically
travelling as an individual.
Thirty additional Britannia Club balcony
staterooms will be created reflecting the
growing trend for balcony staterooms and for
guests wishing for more flexibility in dining
arrangements. Guests in these staterooms
will be able to dine at whatever time they
choose in the dedicated Britannia Club
restaurant, which will also be expanded.
Cunard director, Angus Struthers, said
extensive research had informed a series of
further developments which will be revealed
over the coming months, building on the
flagship’s strengths as the epitome of luxury
on a grand scale.
Australians can experience the newly
refurbished Queen Mary 2 on a number of
seven-night east or westbound transatlantic
crossings in 2016 and 2017 including a
New York departure on 9 August 2016 with
fares from $1539 per person twin share.
A Southampton sailing for New York on 19
November 2016 is priced from $1399* per
person twin share.
n www.cunardline.com.au
Take the helm & captain
your very own boat
No licence required. No experience necessary
2016 BROCHURE OUT NOW!
Call us or head online to order your free copy today & save up to 15% with our Early Bird Offer if you book before 31st August 2015
1800 118 940 • sales@leboat.com.au • www.leboat.com.au •
France | Italy | Germany | England | Ireland | Scotland | Belgium | Holland
last word
UNUSUAL EXPERIENCES
GET YOUR SKIS READY
Congratulations to Tina Millington from Travel Counsellors who has
been selected as the lucky winner of the French ski trip, courtesy of Club
Med and Air France, featured in the July issue of travelBulletin.
Thanks to Air France, Tina and a friend will be flying to France in
economy class. They’ll then enjoy seven nights accommodation in one of
Club Med’s ski resorts at Val d’Isere, Valmorel or Peisey Vallandry. During
their stay at the all-inclusive resort they will experience gourmet dining, all
day snacking and an open bar including beer, wine and delicious cocktails.
Ski passes, ski/snowboard lessons and nightly entertainment are all also
part of this fantastic trip.
Tina wowed our judges with this winning entry:
Air France, the only way to fly, to the Alps, the pistes are high...
Club Med you’ll have a ball, ‘cause, they have it all!
crossword puzzle
ACROSS
1. Rescued (5)
3. Schemes (5)
6. Lower jaw (4)
7. Chinese labourer (6)
9. Bloodsucking worm (5)
10. Rude dwellings (4)
11. Admiration (3)
13. Is not (4)
15. Land along the edge of a sea (5)
18. Pressed (6)
19. Pre Easter season (4)
20. Shouts (5)
21. Natural talent (5)
64
DOWN
1. Largest island in the
Mediterranean (6)
2. Communication medium (5)
3. Foretell (8)
4. Young owl (5)
5. Goes to law (4)
8. Breaks (8)
12. Zone (6)
14. Ruin (5)
16. Musical drama (5)
17. Greasy (4)
Journeying on the Underground in London is an essential
experience for any traveller, but for those clients who are a bit
more adventurous, why not suggest taking part in a treasure
hunt throughout the city’s bustling metro network?
The London Underground Treasure Hunt is available through
Virgin Experience Days and runs every Thursday night in
London, though it has to be prebooked. The challenging and
fun experience will test your logic and deduction skills as
you undergo the treasure hunt while competing against other
teams. The Treasure Hunt takes two hours to complete (if you
get back on time) and includes mental and physical tests as
you seek the treasure.
Included in the £25 price is a gift pack with official London
Underground merchandise and prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th
placed teams (as well as consolation prizes for those who were
less proficient).
n www.bit.ly/tblondontreasurehunt
Monument Entrance, Andrew Bowden, bit.ly/1IRpvLg
> win MOVIE TICKETS!
Where in the World?
Almost one third of the earth’s surface is counted as desert,
but where is this one located? If you have any idea, send your
answer to comps@travelbulletin.com.au and go in the draw to
WIN a double pass from HOYTS.
Congratulations to last month’s winner of a Marco Polo guide
book, Melodie Helberg from Tripaway Cruise & Travel. She
correctly answered that the island was Le Mont-Saint-Michel in
Normandy, France.
65

septemBer 2015 - Travel Bulletin

Transcription

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