Travelbeat General Industry News Update: September 03, 2010 [1 Story] England Delhi Hosts Tourism's Night Of The Year World Travel Awards Asia and Australasia Ceremony is coming to The Claridges, Surajkund, Delhi, NCR in October for what is expected to be the most keenly fought competition ever. The event, the most important night of the year for Asia and Australasia’s tourism industry, will demonstrate just why the region is experiencing unprecedented uplift, regardless of the challenging global economic environment. Graham E. Cooke, Founder and President of World Travel Awards, described as the ‘Oscars’ of the global industry, said the event is a brilliant barometer of the region’s phenomenal success. “International tourism is slowly gaining momentum after extremely difficult times last year,” he said. “What is remarkable though is that according to the latest official figures, Asia and the Pacific is leading the world. “The region was up an incredible 10% in the first 2-months of the year, an indication of the industry’s resourcefulness, drive and determination to succeed. “World Travel Awards was established 17-years ago to drive up standards of customer service and overall performance and this year’s winners will be an excellent business model for others to follow. "The hotel is an ideal venue for such an event, combining both a business and luxury resort in one.” He added ... “We look forward to working with the team at The Claridges, Surajkund, Delhi, NCR for what I know will be a decisive evening for the industry.” (World Travel Awards) Update: September 02, 2010 [2 Stories] Australia Dramatic Cultural Ceremony Opens Giant Rugby Ball Tourism New Zealand’s Giant Rugby Ball - measuring 25 metres long and 13 metres high - was officially opened today, against a backdrop of one of Australia’s most iconic landmarks - the Sydney Opera House, Sydney. The Giant Rugby Ball was officially welcomed onto Australian shores with an historic early morning ceremony between the first nation peoples of Australia and New Zealand - the Aboriginals and Maori. The special occasion, witnessed by Maori King, Kiingi Tuheitia, NSW Minster for Tourism, Jodi McKay, and NZ Minister for Maori Affairs, Dr Pita Sharples, recognised each others’ cultures through an Aboriginal Welcome to Country and a symbolic Maori Powhiri (welcome). The Giant Rugby Ball will be stationed in Australia for 10-days and is a free event that everyone can enjoy, inspiring visitors about New Zealand and raising awareness of New Zealand as the host country of the Rugby World Cup 2011. Tourism New Zealand CEO, Kevin Bowler, invited all Australians and visitors to come down to Circular Quay to see and experience the Giant Rugby Ball. “The Giant Rugby Ball is Tourism New Zealand’s biggest and most anticipated event for 2010, marking the one year countdown to New Zealand’s largest event ever - the Rugby World Cup 2011.” “The Giant Rugby Ball will be at Circular Quay from September 3-12, where people can enjoy the stunning multimedia tour that showcases the culture, people and landscapes of New Zealand. " We’re hoping more than 18,000 visitors will make their way through the Ball,” Mr Bowler said. (Hill & Knowlton) Australia TMS Points Employers Towards Baby Boomers With a renewed ‘war for talent’ continuing to dog the hospitality and travel industry landscape, TMS Asia-Pacific has pointed employers towards what represents one of the best available sources of candidates for years to come - the Baby Boomers. TMS CEO Andrew Chan said while many companies were continuing to channel huge resources into attracting candidates from the younger end of the spectrum, employers would also do well to address the other end of the age scale - and in particular the over 50’s. “Organisations need to start becoming more flexible in their approach and look beyond candidates starting out in their careers as the only source of potential talent,” he said. “Huge amounts of well intentioned energy are being devoted in trying to snare candidates from the Gen X and Gen Y demographs. “But in reality, the hospitality and tourism industry struggle to match the higher salaries and benefits readily available in other sectors and needs to be looking at other potential candidate pools. “The Boomers represent one of the best sources of available candidates for years to come." Mr Chan said employers are in fact beginning to see the light and are actively seeking to recruit older employees. “But these are few and there remains a good deal of negative perceptions when it comes to mature workers,” he said. “The over 50’s are as keen as mustard to get on with the job, in many cases offer more experience than their younger colleagues, are always ready to learn a new skill and can often prove to be more stable than their Gen Y counterparts." (Mike Parker-Brown) Update: August 30, 2010 [1 Story] Myanmar Increase In Foreign Visitors Foreign visitor arrivals in Myanmar between January and July this year totalled 161,322, surging by 37% as compared to the same period last year. Out of this number, approximately 67% were from Asia and 19% were from Europe. Thailand was the largest arrival market with 31,795 visitors while France topped the European group with 7,380 visitors. Visitor arrivals for Myanmar have been growing steadily over recent years. Last year, the country received 227,400 visitors, an increment of about 33% from 2008. (HVS International) Update: August 28, 2010 [1 Story] USA Bob Gilbert Named CEO Of Travika Travika, a leading international sales, marketing and representation service provider for travel related companies, has that announced Bob Gilbert will head the company as CEO. Travika has a unique business model that is based on realistic monthly retainers, a pay for performance focus and an imaginative marketing approach to delivering increased market share. Travika, in operation for 10-years, creates customized global marketing, sales and representation strategies based on the precise needs of each client. With over 30-years of global travel and hospitality marketing experience, Bob Gilbert's résumé includes: Executive Vice President at CRM leader, Intrasight (now ClickSquared). Bob also led the global sales and marketing efforts for Best Western International, where he introduced "the world's largest hotel company" branding campaign and secured the position as the official hotel of NASCAR. Bob was also Senior Vice President with SuperClubs, Vice President Worldwide Sales and Intermediary Marketing at Choice Hotels and served as Vice President with Walt Disney Attractions and Walt Disney Travel Company. A well known travel industry leader and speaker, he was named Supplier of the Year by ASTA, Chairman for TravelCom, and Chairman of the Eye for Travel CRM summit. Bob became a published author on international marketing while serving as Chairman for the American Hotel & Lodging Association international marketing committee. Bob works out of the Travika corporate offices in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Travika) Update: August 26, 2010 [3 Stories] Australia Trafalgar Appoints Director Of Sales Trafalgar has announced the appointment of Rachael Harding as director of sales, Australia. Rachael joins Trafalgar with 15-years travel industry experience spanning sales, marketing and agency management roles. Rachael returns to Australia after 3-years with Contiki Holidays, UK in the position of sales and marketing director, UK/Europe. Prior to this Rachael held a number of sales-orientated roles including national business development manager, Contiki Holidays, Australia, and national sales manager, Australia/NZ for Bill Peach Journeys. Rachael will work closely with the trade and Trafalgar’s team of sales managers, overseeing all facets of sales for the brand and providing unparalleled service and support to the industry. Paul McGrath, managing director, Trafalgar said ... “Rachael’s vast knowledge, skills and enthusiasm will be an attribute to our team and will assist us in taking Trafalgar to the next level. “We welcome her and look forward to developing and strengthening our already strong relationship with our trade partners.” (The Travel Corporation) Australia Globus Appoints Two NSW Area Sales Managers The Globus family of brands has made two new appointments to its New South Wales sales team. Leah Doble has taken on the role of Area Sales Manager NSW West while Chris le Roux has joined as Area Sales Manager NSW North. Leah joins Globus after 5-years at Explore Holidays where she held positions in customer relations and inside sales before becoming a Business Development Manager with a strong focus on account acquisition. Chris was previously with On the Go tours, spending 3-years as NSW Sales Manager. He has also worked with Emirates, The Travel Corporation and Contiki Holidays and has extensive tour holiday experience. Globus National Sales Manager Troy Ackerman said both appointments had a strong network of contacts and extensive sales experience. "Leah and Chris are valued additions to our award winning team and I'm confident they will drive increased business to our retail partners," Mr Ackerman said. (MG Media Communications) Australia Voted Top Travel Destinations in Asia Pacific Australia and Japan have been voted as top future holiday destinations by more than 6,700 people who took part in the Visa - Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Asia Pacific Travel Intentions Survey 2010. Forty percent of the 6,714 respondents said they would consider travelling to Australia or Japan in the next 2-years. When asked to name the most likely destination for their next Asia Pacific holiday, 17% named Australia as their top destination while 16% named Japan. Visa General Manager, Australia and New Zealand, Chris Clark, said ... ”With Australia’s great natural beauty and Japan’s rich culture and history it’s not surprising that one in five people say they would consider visiting these destinations in the next 2-years." (AAP Medianet) Update: August 25, 2010 [1 Story] Australia Brisbane Tourism Operators Have A ‘Conversation with TQ’ Tourism Queensland’s key decision makers met with Brisbane tourism operators yesterday morning to discuss tourism priorities for the region during the year ahead, Tourism Queensland CEO Anthony Hayes said. Mr Hayes said the ‘Conversations with TQ’ forum was an opportunity for Tourism Queensland’s management team to hear first-hand from the Brisbane tourism industry about what was happening in the region, and for the industry to learn about Tourism Queensland’s strategic direction for 2010/11. “This forum also gives Tourism Queensland the opportunity to talk about how we can work cooperatively with the local tourism industry on our activities,” Mr Hayes said. “Attendees heard from specialists in key areas, such as brand and marketing, aviation, research, communications and publicity, industry development and international markets.” Tourism Queensland Zone Director for Brisbane and South East Queensland Country Sharon Raguse said Tourism Queensland was committed to providing opportunities which help build Brisbane and surrounds as a sustainable tourism destination and operator feedback was vital to ensure Tourism Queensland’s programmes and initiatives remained effective. “Yesterday's great turn out demonstrates the level of interest and engagement Tourism Queensland has fostered with the tourism industry in Brisbane - we're delighted with the outcome." Mr Hayes said in the year ending March 2010, Brisbane welcomed more than 5-million international and domestic overnight visitors, who spent approximately $3.5-billion on trips to the region. (Tourism Queensland) Update: August 20, 2010 [1 Stort] England CAA Steps In To Save Holidays London-based travel company Flight Options Limited, trading principally as Kiss Flights, ceased trading on August 17, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has stepped in to protect holidaymakers. The CAA estimates that around 13,000 people are currently overseas - all of them will be able to complete their holidays and return to the UK thanks to the CAA’s ATOL protection. Around 60,000 people have forward bookings with the company and will be able to claim a full refund for the ATOL-protected elements of their holiday from the CAA. Because the company has failed at the height of summer, the CAA also put in place arrangements to allow people to travel out on their holidays for the next 24 hours, to minimise confusion and protect passengers. Flight Options sold charter flights to Mediterranean destinations, under ATOL 4233 mainly through travel agents. The CAA will be arranging repatriation for all Flight Options customers in line with the scheduled end of their holiday. (Civil Aviation Authority - UK) Update: August 19, 2010 [6 Stories] Thailand Travel Leaders To Meet In Bangkok Travel leaders will gather in Bangkok on September 7, 2010 to discuss the latest trends in travel distribution and marketing that are affecting the Thai travel industry. As well, a networking event will be held to introduce industry leaders to students of travel, tourism and hospitality in an effort to groom tomorrow’s tourism leaders. The events will be hosted by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMAI) Asia Pacific, who are teaming up WIT-Web In Travel, to bring Asia Connect as well as WIT*e, the inspiration and mentoring event run by WIT, to Bangkok. Organized by HSMAI Asia Pacific, Asia Connect is a one-day conference, focused on imparting new knowledge and skills in the travel distribution and marketing space to hospitality professionals. WIT*e - Inspiration & Mentoring is an evening event aimed at grooming tomorrow’s tourism leaders in Asia Pacific. Craig Fong, Director of Marketing & Sales of Möevenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket, a founding Board of Directors member for HSMAI Asia Pacific and the organizer for the Thai event, said ... “We are delighted to work with WIT, the leading media platform in the travel distribution and marketing area, to bring Asia Connect Thailand and WIT*e to Bangkok. “The sales and marketing arena for travel and hospitality is becoming ever more complex, with several new channels opening up. This requires hoteliers to keep abreast of new trends and issues, in order to understand the challenges and capture the opportunities.” (Wired Ventures Pte Ltd) Australia New Agreement Between Jetstar And Tourism WA A new agreement between Tourism WA and Jetstar is set to increase visitor numbers to Perth from the east coast. Tourism Minister Liz Constable welcomed Jetstar’s decision to expand existing key services to Perth from Sydney and Melbourne and add two new direct routes from the Gold Coast and Brisbane. “This new agreement between Tourism WA and Jetstar will increase the number of places from which people can travel to our extraordinary State,” Dr Constable said. “This Memorandum of Understanding will deliver an additional 40,000 new visitors to the State per year, spending an estimated $39-million a year over the next 3-years. “It will also help to address two of the main barriers to visitation from the eastern seaboard - time and cost.” The agreement sets up a co-operative arrangement between Tourism WA and Jetstar where the State Government will match the airline’s marketing spend on advertising and promoting the new schedules over the next 3-years. From October 31, the airline will introduce another four weekly flights on each of the Melbourne-Perth and Sydney-Perth routes, up from 14 per week and seven per week respectively. This will increase the number of direct Jetstar services to Perth from six Australian cities from 32 to 54 per week. From December 10, Jetstar will introduce a first-time daily flight from Brisbane to Perth, in addition to the launch of a daily service from the Gold Coast commencing in April 2011. (Government of Western Australia) Australia WTAAA Board Of Directors Meet In Sydney The World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA) held it’s second board meeting for the year 2010 and its Annual General Assembly where the new board and Office Bearers were duly elected. Peter Barlow, President of the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) was unanimously elected as the new Chairman. Ajay Prakash, President of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) was elected as the Deputy Chairman. As the outgoing Chairman and founding member of WTAAA, Mike Hatton was unanimously awarded a life membership in recognition of his service to the association. “I am delighted to hand over the reigns to Peter as this Association is now well positioned to meet the challenges that this dynamic industry presents. This also ends a very personal journey for me as the Founder of WTAAA and the many colleagues and friends that I leave to continue this journey,” said outgoing Chair Mike Hatton. WTAAA discussed a wide range of issues during the two-day meeting held at The Sheraton on the Park in Sydney Issues discussed included: the onward relevance of the travel agency community; the resilience of travel agents in the face of the impact of the recession in affected markets; the emergence of technologies offered in the distribution of travel; and, the importance of strong relationships in the supplier network. The WTAAA board of directors is comprised of Mr Chris Russo, Chairman & President - ASTA; Mr Jayson Westbury, CEO - AFTA; Mr David McCaig, COO - ACTA; Ms Robyn Christie, CEO - ASATA; Michel de Blust, Secretary General ECTAA; Mr Ajay Prakash, Secretary General - TAFI; and Mr Peter Barlow, President - TAANZ. (World Travel Agents Associations Alliance) Switzerland Kuoni Connect Enters Into Partnership With SBB Kuoni Connect, the unit of Kuoni Destination Management specialising in online distribution, has entered into a partnership with SBB, Switzerland’s national railway and largest travel and transportation company. With immediate effect, Kuoni Connect’s global inventory of hotels and destination services is available in all of SBB’s 95 retail branches throughout the country. Kuoni Connect is a leading online provider of hotels and destination services in the B2B segment. Its clients benefit from a fast growing global inventory with the possibility to book all requirements online and receiving immediate confirmations. The full product portfolio can be booked quickly and easily in English, French, German or Italian. The KOBRA booking system allows SBB retailers to make hotel bookings worldwide. Kuoni Connect’s portfolio includes over 15 000 2- to 5-star hotels and a wide range of destination services such as sightseeing tours, transfers, excursions and concierge services in more than 2 000 destinations in Africa, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Europe, India and North America. SBB is the national railway company of Switzerland, headquartered in Berne. Formerly a government institution, it has been transformed into a special stock corporation in 1999, with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation and the Swiss cantons. (Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd.) Fiji Outlook Appears Increasingly Grim Fiji long has been one of the most famous tourists destinations in the world, but the outlook for the South Pacific island nation has become increasingly dismal as its economy falters and it faces political issues. Fiji has been dealing with a number of crises under Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, the military ruler who seized power 4-years ago. The country continues to rely heavily on tourism, as do its neighbors, but its economic and political issues are threatening that industry. (The Wall Street Journal) USA NACTA President, Scott Koepf, CTC, MCC, Resigns ASTA and NACTA have announcd the departure and resignation of Scott Koepf, CTC, MCC, as president of NACTA. Koepf has served NACTA and ASTA in this capacity since 2008. “Scott has resigned to pursue other interests in the travel industry. He is a recognized expert on leisure travel marketing and sales and the retail travel industry in general which has made him a great asset to NACTA and instrumental in its complete makeover,” said ASTA President and Chair, Chris Russo. Prior to joining NACTA, Koepf worked as general manager for Jurni Network with Sabre. Before working for Sabre, Koepf served as president and owner of Ultimate Seminars, providing motivational and educational programmes for travel and franchising, among other industries. (American Society of Travel Agents) Update: August 16, 2010 [1 Story] England CAA Steps In As Sun4U Ceases Trading Birmingham-based travel company Sun4U Limited was placed into administration on August 12, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) stepped in to protect holidaymakers on its ATOL protected package holidays. Sun4U sold air holiday packages to Spain and other Mediterranean destinations, under ATOL 9251. Sun4U also sold holidays and accommodation through the firm’s ABTA travel agency; these sales are not protected by Sun4U’s ATOL. For Sun4U customers who are currently overseas the CAA will ensure that ATOL-protected customers are able to fly home as planned; they should therefore arrive at the airport in time to check-in for their flights home as normal. In order for customers to determine whether they are ATOL protected or not, they should check that they booked an air package holiday with Sun4U. To do this, customers should check the invoice/receipt received at the time the booking was made and paid for. The CAA is working to ensure all protected customers who are overseas can stay in their accommodation until they are due to travel home. However the CAA understands that some customers are being asked to pay again for their accommodation. If this is the case, they should send a claim to the CAA on their return home so that a refund can be considered. Those customers protected under Sun4U’s ATOL should receive a refund. To determine whether they can continue their travel plans or not, Sun4U customers with forward bookings should confirm who they are booked with by checking the invoice/receipt received at the time the booking was made and paid for. Customers who contracted air package holidays with Sun4U Limited will be financially protected under ATOL 9251, should not travel and instead should make a claim for a refund. (Civil Aviation Authority) Update: August 14, 2010 [2 Stories] Australia Gong Gets Love At South Coast Tourism Awards Tourism Wollongong won two major categories at this week's South Coast Tourism Awards, taking out gold for Tourism Marketing with its innovative We Love The Gong campaign and New Tourism Development for its $11-million Southern Gateway Centre. Tourism Wollongong also picked up a Silver Award in the Visitor Information and Services category and saw four of its members also take home a Gold Award. Winning members on the night at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre in Nowra were ... - Dolphin Watch Cruises at Jervis Bay in the Eco Tourism and Tour Operator categories; - Novotel Wollongong Northbeach in the Meetings and Business Tourism and Sustainable Tourism categories; - Coolangatta Estate in the Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Boutique Breweries category, and - Ibis Wollongong for Standard Accommodation. Tourism Wollongong General Manager Greg Binskin said the gold and silver tally was an "outstanding result that reflected huge advances made in the way the region was developing as an exciting holiday and lifestyle destination." Pictured: Celebrating their success: Front row (l-r) Kate Chapman Sales and Marketing and Greg Binskin General Manager from Tourism Wollongong, Klaus Kinateder General Manager Ibis Wollongong. Second row (l-r): Vera Cvetkoski S+M Manager Tourism Wollongong, Sean Haylan General Manager Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk, Melissa Davis - Development, Tourism Wollongong, Kate Dombkins - Marketing, Tourism Wollongong, Matt Davidson - Chairman, Tourism Wollongong. Back: Greg Doyle - Wollongong City Council and Walter Immoos - General Manager, Novotel Wollongong. (MG Media Communications) USA Gulf Oil Spill Travel Impacts The RRC/Acxiom Travel Intentions Survey is a quarterly syndicated study probing business and leisure travel behavior and intentions among U.S. consumers. With a total sample of 1,496 respondents, the most recent RRC/Acxiom Travel Intentions Survey (late May to July 2010) presents a nationally representative profile of the U.S. traveller in terms of perceptions regarding economic outlook, personal financial outlook, past and future business and leisure travel behavior, total spend on leisure travel, leisure trip types and volume of trips taken/intended, and desirability of specific international destinations. Recognizing the threat posed by the Gulf oil spill, two questions on this issue were added to the survey instrument for respondents completing the survey from mid-June to the end of July 2010. A total of 538 individuals responded. * 17% indicated they were planning a trip to the Gulf this summer. Significant regional variation in the percent planning a trip to the Gulf was evident, with residents of Southeastern U.S.A. more likely to have summer trip plans to the region. * Of the 17% of respondents who indicated they intended to take a summer trip to the Gulf region, 50% indicated they will continue with their trip plans. But of that number, 13% indicate they will closely monitor where they go within the Gulf region. There is a great deal of regional variability in the percent indicating they still plan on taking their trip to the Gulf region. Generally, the percent persisting in their trip is higher in the eastern U.S. than the western U.S. * Impacts of the spill likely will linger during at least the next year. Overall, 35% believe the Gulf oil spill will have a long-term negative impact on their travel to the region. Significant age related differences in assessment of impacts of the spill were evident, with Gen X (30-45 year olds) having the highest percentage (42%) rating the impact on personal travel to the region a '4' or '5 = significant long-term effects.' (STR Global) Update: August 13, 2010 [3 Stories] USA New York On Course For A Record Number Of Tourists New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city is on pace to receive 47.5-million visitors this year. He also noted the average hotel occupancy rate had increased 6.8% over the first 6-months of the year. The tourism industry will contribute an estimated $30-billion to New York's economy in 2010. (The Wall Street Journal) Australia TMS Applauds CWT ‘flexi’ Workplace Announcement TMS Asia-Pacific CEO Andrew Chan has welcomed the Carlson Wagonlit Travel decision to introduce new flexible workforce arrangements describing the move as a breakthrough for the travel and tourism industry employment landscape. Mr Chan said the decision in effect provided a huge opportunity for the ever-growing numbers of employees, and especially parents, in the workplace seeking to work more flexibly in order to achieve a better balance between job, lifestyle and family commitments. “The part time/work from home element makes good business sense for a variety of reasons - from increased staff motivation, productivity and retention and improved customer service,” he said. “And from the perspective of that all important bottom line, considerable reductions in overall operational costs.” “I am confident the CWT decision and the in-built benefits it provides to both employers and employees will act as a catalyst for other organisations to follow suit and implement similar policies.” (Mike Parker-Brown) USA ASTA Hires Executive Search Firm ASTA has hired the executive search firm JDG Associates, Ltd. (Rockville, Md.) to conduct the search for a new Chief Executive Officer. “ASTA’s Search Committee conducted an extensive hunt to find the executive recruitment team that we feel best matches our needs. Based on interviews with other search firms and headhunters, we are confident that JDG Associates offers the winning combination of experience and a proven track record,” said ASTA Vice President and Secretary Hope Wallace, CTC, who chairs ASTA’s CEO Search Committee. With the hiring of JDG Associates, the search to fill ASTA’s top staff position is expected to take approximately 12-weeks. Paul Belford, a principal with JDG, will lead the search. He has completed more than 150 association client searches, most at the CEO level, with organizations covering a wide range of industries. Belford is the author of Planning Your Career in Association Management, published in 2002 by the American Society of Association Executives, and has spoken on career-development issues at ASAE meetings and those of its Allied Societies. He has also served on the CEO Advisory Council of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives, as well as on three GWSAE compensation survey councils. (American Society of Travel Agents) Update: August 12, 2010 [4 Stories] Australia Chris Hall Appointed CEO For Growing APT APT has appointed Chris Hall as Chief Executive Officer reporting to Barry Matters APT Group Managing Director. The company has also appointed David Cox as General Manager Commercial. He was previously General Manager Administration. Mr Hall, previously APT General Manager, will oversee the APT Business Unit that comprises the brands APT, Travelmarvel, Botanica World Discoveries and VIP Touring. The APT Business Unit operates fully-inclusive touring and cruising in Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Egypt, Canada-Alaska, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The APT Executive Team headed by Mr Hall includes Debra Fox, General Manager Marketing, David Cox, General Manager Commercial, Michael Cook, General Manager Australia/New Zealand, Wayne Walker, General Manager International, Fleur Ulbrick, General Manager Inbound, Gary Bartelings, Director UK/Europe, Bronwyn Wilson, President North America and Lawrie Mann, General Manager HR. Mr Hall said recent sales on all brands were “extraordinary”, at a scale never experienced before by the 83-year-old McGeary family-owned company. APT expects the sales growth to continue and is structuring the business accordingly, hence the introduction of Mr Hall’s role as CEO and the focus of the Executive Team on the key areas of the organisation. (Graeme Willingham Public Relations Pty Ltd) Australia Trafalgar Appoints National Groups Manager Trafalgar is pleased to announce the appointment of Sherry Janssen to the position of national groups manager. Sherry joins Trafalgar after 17-years with The Travel Corporation spanning a variety of roles including reservations sales agent and product load manager with Creative Holidays and, most recently, as AAT Kings’ groups manager. Sherry also completed a four year stint in London working on The Travel Corporation’s iTropics system and IT helpdesk. Based in the Sydney office, Sherry will join Manuel Rivera, groups coordinator, to form Trafalgar’s dedicated groups team. As the manager of the groups department, Sherry will assist and oversee every aspect of agent group enquiries and bookings. Paul McGrath, managing director of Trafalgar, said ... “We are delighted to have Sherry join Trafalgar. With groups such an integral element of our business, Sherry’s passion for travel, industry experience and exceptional customer service skills will be a true asset to the team.” (The Travel Corporation) Indonesia Bali Is Bursting At The Seams The carrying capacity for visiting tourists to Bali may be nearing the maximum ability of Bali to adequately serve the needs of domestic and international travellers. Underlining this concern, Ketut Wija, the 2nd Assistant for the Secretariat of the Province of Bali told Bisnis.com that Bali's current population total is put at 3.5-million people. Meanwhile, foreign tourists in 2009 totaled 2.2-million with domestic tourist totals put at 2.5-million. The resulting combined tourist total of 4.7-million represents a number that is 188% of the island's total residents. "With totals such a these you can imaging how crowded Bali has become," explained Wija. He went on the say that with the targeted 2.3-million foreign tourists coming to Bali in 2010, the current over-crowding will become only more acute. For instance, he pointed to the inadequate supporting infrastructure in place in Bali which has brought traffic jams to various locations across the island. Wija believes the ideal number of tourists to Bali in any one year should not exceed 2.5-million foreign visitors. He said Bali's infrastructure could not compare with nearby Singapore which annually welcomes 10-million tourists. Bali is playing a game of catch-up, trying to augment its inadequate infrastructure by undertaking the building of new overpass highways, creating new port facilities and enlarging the international airport. "Hopefully Bali will soon have a representative airport with managers predicting completion of current expansion programmes in 2013," said Wija. He called for special attention to be paid to cleanliness, the environment and severe traffic jams now affecting the island. (Bali Discovery Tours) Germany TUI Estimates Losses Because Of Ash Cloud TUI Travel said that the ash from the Icelandic volcano caused flight and travel disruptions totaling about $165-million. Nearly 400,000 of TUI's customers were affected, according to the company's quarterly earnings release. "We are very disappointed that national governments and the European Union are refusing to contemplate compensating the industry for an unjustified airspace closure that was entirely beyond our control," TUI said. (Travel Weekly) Update: August 11, 2010 [3 Stories] Australia PTM 2010 Invites Australian Tour Operators Latin America as a tourism destination is one of the fastest growing regions in the world, seeing considerable growth increases in previous years compared to traditional destination hotspots such as Western Europe and the US, with Peru and its incredible Machu Picchu being one of the biggest drawcards for travellers. Hosted in Lima from November 25-28, the 17th Peru Travel Mart is an event for Peruvian promoters and tour operators throughout the world and will attract many Australian wholesalers and buyers, as the country continues to experience increasing numbers of Australian travellers year-on-year. With the Australian market seeing outbound visitor numbers exceed inbound visitor numbers for the second year running, Australian wholesalers are increasing product portfolios in order to cater to the increasing demand for overseas travel. Thanks to the strength of the Australian Dollar and greater airline capacity to the South American region, Peru is now an attractive holiday destination for Australians. Attended by worldwide wholesalers and buyers, The Peru Travel Mart (PTM) 2010 is the most important yearly event for tourism promotion in Peru. It is expected to be the biggest exhibition since its inception in 1987, with estimates it will result in over US$55-million worth of business within 12-months following the event, according to Peru’s National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur). Organised by Canatur and PromPeru (the tourism promotion board for Peru), PTM 2010 will give Peruvian exhibitors the opportunity to establish business contacts with major wholesalers from all over the world, showcasing new destinations, hotels, tours and other travel products. (GTI Tourism) Venuatu Earthquake No Further Threat Vanuatu Tourism Office reports that no significant damage resulted from the earthquake in Vanuatu yesterday afternoon and normal tourism operations have returned. The Bauerfield Airport in Port Vila on Vanuatu’s main island of Efate closed temporarily yesterday afternoon as a precautionary measures to check for structural damage but has since opened and all flights are operating as normal. Annie Niatu Vanuatu Tourism Office general manager said all public places are open today and no major damage resulted from the earthquake. “Guests at the major resorts in Port Vila followed tsunami warning safety protocols and moved to higher ground however they were able to return to their accommodation shortly after and are again enjoying the warm hospitality of the locals in Vanuatu,” Annie said. (GTI Tourism) Australia Harvey World Travel Growth Reflects Confidence Harvey World Travel, one of Australia’s iconic retail travel companies, is showing strong confidence in the travel market with the opening of three new stores. The new agencies are in Subiaco, Western Australia, Woden in the ACT and Mt Ommaney in Queensland. Managing Director of Harvey World Travel, David Rivers, says the opening of not one, but three new agencies shows the company’s expansion strategy is on track. “We are continuing to serve our client base by providing the highest quality travel planning. Subiaco, Woden and Mt Ommaney are strong growth areas and that’s where we want to meet the demand from travel consumers,” said David. “As a long respected brand, Harvey World Travel has a reputation for providing travellers with the services and the confidence they want. The demand is returning and the opening of our three new agencies is a reflection of that.” The opening dates for the stores are ... HWT Subiaco - August 10, 2010 HWT Woden - September 1, 2010 HWT Mt Ommaney - September 30, 2010 (S2i Communications) Update: August 10, 2010 [1 Story] Australia APT BDM Appointment APT has welcomed Sandra Cahill to the team. With over 25-years experience in the travel industry, Sandra Cahill (pictured) strengthens APT’s industry connections in Southern New South Wales and the ACT with her appointment as Business Development Manager for the region. Sandra was NSW-ACT regional BDM for Cox and Kings Australia, including Tempo Holidays and Bentours. Previously, she was Account Manager NSW for Air France- KLM. (Graeme Willingham Public Relations Pty Ltd) Update: August 07, 2010 [1 Story] Australia New Sabre Red Workspace Sabre Pacific this month commenced the rollout of its new Sabre Red Workspace. This unique agent platform is the heart of the Sabre Red total travel solution, an innovative solution designed to help agencies drive customer loyalty and power business performance. It features a portfolio of new capabilities and applications to help agencies manage their entire business from shopping and booking travel, to serving customers throughout their trip, to using business intelligence for insight and ongoing improvement. Built on a future ready, open platform, the Sabre Red Workspace provides agencies with faster start up times, high performance (even in low bandwidth areas), rock solid stability and quick and easy access to content, resulting in increased productivity and efficiency. Richard Morgan, General Manager, Sales, Marketing & Product of Sabre Pacific, said Sabre Red is a brand new concept , unlike any other solution in the market, which provides agents with a fast and intuitive workspace, allowing quick and easy access to content and tools needed to seamlessly manage a traveller’s requirements from start to finish. “It is an exciting time for our Sabre team this month as we officially upgrade over 260 agencies around Australia to the new Sabre Red Workspace,” said Richard. (S2i Communications) Update: August 05, 2010 [2 Stories] Australia Express Ticketing Adds QBE To Express Insurance Express Ticketing now has an automated travel insurance quoting facility, powered by Sabre and utilising Express Insurance by QBE. Express Insurance is a value-add product for Express Ticketing agency partners (Select, 1ndependence and other agents), designed to make it easier for agents to sell insurance, “Smarter, Faster, Stronger”, a slogan adopted recently by Express Ticketing, an agency brand service of the Orient Express Travel Group. Colin Ahern, General Manager, Business Partners QBE said the scale of the national catchment of Express Ticketing required a QBE travel insurance presence. "Express Ticketing will be a significant distribution channel for us," he said. General Manager - Sales, Marketing & Product of Sabre Pacific, Richard Morgan, said it is Sabre’s priority to consistently expand on their content offering into the Sabre Red Workspace to continuously improve the workflow of agents. “We are excited with QBE taking on the Sabre powered Express Insurance service enabling travel agents to offer better and more efficient service to their clients,” said Richard. OETG CEO, Tom Manwaring said the new service means agents can add travel insurance into the MySabre booking in the same way that other land and air components are added. “By having one system for ticketing and travel insurance there are real time savings of around 5- to7-minutes, and there is no need to re-enter customer name and trip details, both combining to increase insurance sale opportunities,” he said. (Graeme Willingham Public Relations Pty Ltd) Australia Stage And Screen Embark On New Era Of Growth Travel and entertainment logistics specialist Stage and Screen has appointed a national product manager, further strengthening the brand’s service offering and increasing marketshare. In line with Stage’s significant growth plans, senior account manager Caylee Ibbs moves into the role of national product manager, dedicated to furthering the development of Stage’s preferred industry hotel and car partnerships. Caylee brings to the role more than a decade of experience in the hotel industry working in operations, sales and account management positions for high-profile groups including Mirvac Hotels and Resorts, Quest Serviced Apartments and most recently Ascott International. Caylee’s appointment follows significant organic growth for Stage and Screen in 2010 with the implementation of a new dedicated management team and a series of major client acquisitions. “The further development of Stage’s brand, service capabilities and resources during the past six months, reflects market growth and is testament to how closely in tune Stage is with the industry,” Caylee said. (Flight Centre Limited) Update: August 04, 2010 [3 Stories] Thailand Kuoni Wins PATA Gold Award For Child Protection The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced the winners of the 2010 PATA Gold Awards. Kuoni Destination Management India was declared the winner in the category 'Education and Training” for organising child protection workshops in Goa and Cochin in 2009. This achievement emphasises the company’s contribution towards social responsibility. Since the signing of ‘The Code of Conduct’ in 2006 for the protection of children from sexual exploitation in the travel and tourism industry, Kuoni Destination Management India has held several workshops in Goa and Cochin, India in 2009 and 2010. This year the PATA awards recognise the achievements of 24 separate organisations and individuals. PATA Grand Awards are presented to outstanding entries in four principal categories: Marketing, Education and Training, Environment and Heritage. The awards ceremony will take place on September 17, 2010 during the PATA Travel Mart 2010 at the Venetian® Macao Resort Hotel in Macau. "Our objective is to be a responsible corporate citizen and mitigate the existing or anticipated adverse impacts of our business. It is indeed a proud moment for the company to be recognised for its Corporate Responsibility initiative and to be given this award. The winning project sets industry standards for excellence and innovation," said Dipak Deva, Chief Executive Officer, Destination Management India & South Asia. (Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd) Australia Agents Win Prizes Marysia Hock from Contal Travel in South Australia is the lucky winner of the Twinmate x10 laptop computer incentive offered by Venture Holidays and Tourism Malaysia. To coincide with the latest 2010/11 Morocco brochure, a second prize - Moroccan Tagine - offered to agents by Venture has been won by Jan Siaosi from Travel on the Parade, South Australia. (David Baker & Associates) New Zealand Giant Rugby Ball To Land In Sydney After a 4-year international tour, Tourism New Zealand has announced Sydney’s iconic Circular Quay as the 4th and final overseas destination for New Zealand’s world-renowned Giant Rugby Ball experience. Tourism New Zealand’s Giant Rugby Ball is a state of the art venue created to inform and excite people about New Zealand and the upcoming Rugby World Cup to be held in New Zealand next year. Measuring 25m long, 17m wide and 13m high, the Ball will be open from September 3 - 12, 2010, showcasing New Zealand’s culture, landscapes and people through a multi-media experience inside the inflated structure. Following in the footsteps of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tower Bridge in London and Tokyo Tower in Japan, the Giant Rugby Ball will appear at Sydney’s Circular Quay beside the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The installation coincides with the Bledisloe Cup match on September 11 and kicks off the one year countdown until Rugby World Cup 2011. Tourism New Zealand CEO, Kevin Bowler, said Sydney’s Circular Quay was the perfect location to host the Ball due to its global appeal and stunning surrounds. “Iconic locations from around the world have been chosen to host the Ball to help raise awareness of New Zealand as host country of the Rugby World Cup and to showcase all the amazing and diverse experiences we have to offer. "Sydney’s Circular Quay is one of Australia’s most spectacular landmarks and with the Ball will form one of the most striking landscapes yet,” Mr Bowler said. Outside the Ball, visitors will be entertained with a music and cultural festival during the day and eye-catching imagery projected onto the outside of the Ball at night. (Hill & Knowlton) Back to Front Page