Happy Friday, agents! Here’s some sweet deals for you to sink your teeth into. Almost as sweet as skipping out of work this afternoon into the weekend.

Captains Courageous – MTA launches into CLIA Cruise Month

Pictured, MTA – Mobile Travel Agents ‘Captain’ Remus Gheorghiu  and his head office ‘crew’ getting into the swing for the Cruise Lines International Association – Australasia #Choose Cruise month which kicks off this week.

As part of their involvement, MTA’s cruise division has joined with CLIA and cruise partners to provide MTA Members with a raft of cruise specials to offer their clients.

Cash in and Win with Travelmarvel’s Treasure Chest

Sell, sell sell and win big thanks to Travelmarvel’s new agent incentive. Book and deposit three or more Travelmarvel 7 days or longer tours or cruises between 1 – 31 October 2018, to take home the treasure!

The more bookings the greater the loot:
o 3 Bookings = Payment of $300
o 6 Bookings = Payment of $750
o 10+ Bookings = Payment of $1500

As Australia’s leading premium tour operator, Travelmarvel offer something for everyone. Get clients away on their next adventure from the icy waters of Alaska to the epic mountains of Canada or other popular destinations such as Europe, Russia, Egypt, Vietnam and Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India, Japan and china, it’s time to turn dreams into bookings.

Get a head start on your sales by joining the new agent’s only Facebook page, ATG Travel Agents AU page to keep up to date on all the latest news.

To find out more about taking home the treasure thanks to Travelmarvel’s new agent incentive call 1300 205 408 or contact your local Business Development Manager.

Amtrak Vacations launches in the Australian market with new Sydney Office

Yankee Leisure Group (YLG), the world’s largest independent train holiday provider, has set up operations in Sydney to launch Amtrak Vacations to the market. This announcement comes after the company experienced a year of unprecedented growth and reflects the increasing demand by Australian travellers for independent, customised train travel through North America.

Yankee Leisure Group offers a wide portfolio of travel experiences to the most sought-after destinations throughout the world. They operate three travel brands: Amtrak Vacations, Yankee Holidays and Railbookers, which includes VIA Rail Vacations by Railbookers and Eurostar Vacations by Railbookers, and are the largest independent rail vacation provider to the US, Canada and Europe.  Amtrak serves over 31million passengers a year and goes to 46 of the 48 continuous US states and into Canada.

To kick off this exciting launch, Amtrak Vacations is offering special discounts on sleeping accommodation options including $300 off per couple for Roomette upgrades* and $400 off per couple for Bedroom upgrades* on any 2019 travels during its Early Bird Sale, valid for bookings to 31 October 2018.  The Roomette category offers shared bathroom facilities and Bedroom category offers in-room bathroom facilities.  Both categories include all meals for the duration on board the train.

Travellers can visit up to 500 destinations in 46 states and choose from 70 customisable itineraries featuring iconic train routes in the USA such as the Empire Builder, California Zephyr, and the Southwest Chief; or VIA Rail’s ‘The Canadian’ and ‘The Ocean’ in Canada.

Top holidays include Northern Rail Experience, Grand National Parks with Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, and Ultimate Canada and Rockies Westbound.

Visit www.amtrackvacations.com.au or www.railbookers.com.au for rail holiday ideas and options and phone 1300 650 257 for rail holiday bookings.

World Resorts of Distinction Launches Exclusive Agent Portal

For the first time in its 29-year history, World Resorts of Distinction (WRD) is proud to announce an exclusive Agent Portal as part of the company’s recent rebrand and sleek new website.

WRD is a leading, Gold Coast-based Creative Marketing Agency with offices in Australia and North America that provides its carefully-curated portfolio of luxury, sustainable resorts with a suite of personalised services including marketing, social media, sales, branding and publicity.

To complement the portal, WRD has also launched an interactive Facebook group for agents where they can read real time news and updates about the resorts and engage with members of the WRD team.

Check out World Resorts of Distinction’s new Agent Portal here.

Treasures of the South Pacific returns to Wollongong & Sydney for 2018

Travel agent training events, Treasures of the South Pacific, have returned to NSW in 2018, commencing with events in Wollongong on Tuesday 16 October, 2018 and Sydney, Wednesday 17 October, 2018 proudly sponsored by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation and Pacific Trade Invest, Australia.

Representatives from the tourism offices of Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Cook Islands, Tahiti, Samoa, Norfolk Island and some hidden treasures of the area will come together to showcase each of these beautiful and diverse South Pacific holiday destinations.

Travel agents will have the chance to improve their product knowledge by attending informative seminars and networking with tourism office representatives to gain insights into the type of traveller that best suits each destination. The events are a great opportunity for agents to learn more about Australia’s closest neighbours, providing them with the tools to generate more interest and bookings for the South Pacific.

Registrations for the Wollongong & Sydney events are now open. For more information or to register go here for Wollongong or here for Sydney.

Full details of these events include: • Wollongong: Tuesday 16 October, 2018: City Beach Function Centre, 1 Marine Drive, Wollongong. 5.45pm to 8.30pm • Sydney: Wednesday 17 October, 2018: Doltone House – Hyde Park, 181 Elizabeth Street, Sydney. 5.45pm to 8.30pm

Travel agents can also sign up and complete the South Pacific Tourism Organisation online training platform to become a South Pacific Specialist here.

Windstar’s Mediterranean Cruise Famil for TravelManagers

 A taste of the jet set life in St Tropez, a visit to Monte Carlo’s Grand Casino and time ashore in some of the most charming ports in the Mediterranean: these were among the highlights for two of TravelManagers’ personal travel managers (PTMs) during a nine-day small ship famil with Windstar Cruises from Rome to Nice.

Kathy Millett, who is representative for Claremont, WA, compared the famil experience to sailing through a series of beautiful postcards.

Millett says she relished the opportunity to experience this amazing cruise product and the spectacular destinations they visited along the way.

“Experiencing Windstar for myself has totally changed the way I will market it to my clients,” she explains.  “Being able to visit and explore the coastlines of Italy and France from the water has completely changed my perception.”

The group’s cruise aboard Windstar’s Wind Surf vessel, which accommodates a total of just 310 guests cared for by 201 attentive crew members, departed from Rome, calling first at Portoferraio on the island of Elba.  From here, they cruised to the charming coastal Italian villages of Portovenere and Portofino, before continuing to several ports on the French Riviera.

TravelManagers’ other participant on the famil was Vicki O’Dea, who is representative for Lane Cove, NSW.  Like Millett, O’Dea says the cruise was something she had waited a long time to experience, and she is looking forward to passing on her first-hand tips and ideas to interested clients.

“It’s the finer details that will add to my clients’ enjoyment of their holiday, such as the ability to make a reservation to dine at the ship’s exclusive Stella Bistro so as not to miss out on this amazing dining experience,” she explains.

Qantas Holidays Southern California RaceAround finishes up with Disneyland IncredEVENT celebration!

The Qantas Holidays 2018 RaceAround Southern California has now wrapped up! Over 35 leisure consultants travelled to Southern California to test out their navigation skills, stamina and team spirit over six exciting days of American adventures thanks to sponsors Qantas Airways, Disneyland Resort In California, San Diego, West Hollywood, Huntington Beach, Greater Palm Springs and Visit Anaheim.

MTA’s Sarah Fenton builds on CLIA success

Newcastle-based MTA – Mobile Travel Agent Sarah Fenton MTA has beaten off strong opposition from local travel operators to be named the winner of the Hospitality and Tourism Category at the 2018 Hunter Region Business Excellence Awards.

The win caps off an amazing six-month period for Sarah who earlier this year was named Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia’s ‘Home-Based/Mobile Agent of the year’.

Sarah has been high profile on the local travel scene for several years both in her capacity as an MTA Member and additionally as a guide for the hundreds of cruise passengers calling into Port of Newcastle every year who take advantage of the opportunity to explore the Hunter Region on organised shore excursions.

The Hunter Region Business Hub is one of over 100 business enterprise centres operating nationally to provide new and existing micro, small and medium business operators clients with practical assistance in business planning, advice on marketing, budgeting and cash flow.

Now in its 25th year, the Hunter Region Business Excellence Awards program recognise excellence, success and provision of outstanding products and services.

Insight Vacations rewards top achieving agents with dream trip to Greece 

To coincide with the launch of Insight Vacations 2019 Europe and Britain Collection, the award-winning guided holiday specialists is also excited to launch its Top Achievers trip for 2019.

Insight Vacations is sending its top achieving travel agencies on a remarkable trip to Greece, on what is set to be a memorable 8-day holiday – the ultimate reward for the brand’s best supporting partners.

Starting in Athens, agents will have the chance to experience one of the most ancient capitals of the world, with a Local Expert, visit the Acropolis of Athens and its monuments, universal symbols of Athens’ classical spirit and civilization.

Over in picturesque Mykonos, agents can explore the town with a Local Expert and discover the maze of pretty alleyways of stunning Cycladic houses that make up the island. With an abundance of dining experiences included, flourishes along the way and time to enjoy the island of Mykonos at leisure this trip will be one to remember for Insight Vacations Top Achievers in 2019.

To qualify agents must be one of the highest 20 selling stores or one of the three highest growth stores to book an Insight Vacations or Luxury Gold 2019 departures by 28 February 2019.

Deals of the week from Intrepid 

Save $969 on Intrepid’s nine day Israel and the Palestinian Territories Real Food Adventure trip departing 14 November 2018.

Now $2,906 per person twin-share – was $3,875 per person twin-share – a saving of $969 per person.

Discover the culinary traditions of Israel and the Palestinian Territories from Tel Avivto Jerusalem. On this trip, travellers will feast on classic dishes in local eateries, float in the famous Dead Sea, visit Zichron Yaakov, stop at the regions finest wineries and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Highlights for travellers include learning age old cooking secrets from Druze villagers, visiting the ‘Slow Food’ network for a cooking class and savouring traditional Jewish dishes in a local home in the Negev Desert.

Inclusions: Accommodation, transport, some meals and most activities.

Save $737 on Intrepid’s 15 day Classic South India trip departing 29 October 2018.

Now $2,213 per person twin-share – was $2,950 per person twin-share – a saving of $737 per person.

Discover the best of South India from Chennai to Kovalam. Travellers on this trip will explore the Western Ghats of South India, discover waterfalls, tea plantations and spice markets, venture through the seaside town of Pondicherry and ferry-hop between the islands around Kochi. Highlights for travellers on this tour include tracking footprints in search of wild animals at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and relaxing in the calm Kerala Backwaters at the resort in Kumarakom.

Inclusions: Accommodation, transport, some meals and most activities.

Save $1,310 on Intrepid’s 15 day Best of Mexico trip departing 10 November 2018.

Now $3,930 per person twin-share – was $5,240 per person twin-share – a saving of $1,310 per person.

Discover the best Mexico has to offer on an adventure from Mexico City to Playa delCarmen. On this trip, travellers will visit the historical and cultural highlights of Mexico, get up close and personal with the country’s heritage from the Aztec temples of Teotihuacan to the locals of the hills of San Cristobal and relax on the white sands of Playa Del Carmen. A highlight for travellers includes exciting their taste buds while comparing the heady street food of Mexico City to the subtler foods of Oaxaca.

Inclusions: Accommodation, transport, some meals and most activities.

Save $1,272 on Intrepid’s 12 day US & Canada Discovery Winter trip departing 5 November 2018.

Now $3,813 per person twin-share – was $5,085 per person twin-share – a saving of $1,272 per person.

Discover the winter festivities of Canada and the USA. On this trip, travellers will witness magical Christmas decorations and snowfall, enjoy seasonal treats, attend an ice hockey match in Toronto, visit Ottawa to tour the grand Victorian architecture and fascinating museums and learn about America’s history on the Freedom Trail in Boston. Highlights for travellers include enjoying a home cooked meal with an Amish bishop and his family, visiting the Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe and wandering through the December Christmas markets and festivals in Toronto and Montreal.

Inclusions: Accommodation, transport, some meals and most activities.

Save $443 on Intrepid’s nine day Cambodia: Hike, Bike & Kayak trip departing 10 November 2018.

Now $1,327 per person twin-share – was $1,770 per person twin-share – a saving of $443 per person.

Explore the best of Cambodia on foot, by water and on two wheels. On this active adventure, travellers will take in both must see locations and uncover some underexplored treasures, bike into the heart of Phnom Penh with a backstreet bike tour and ride through jungle paths while exploring Angkor Wat. Highlights for travellers include kayaking through the scenic flooded forests in Kratie while spotting rare Irrawaddy dolphins and experiencing a community home stay, gaining an insight into local life and culture.

Inclusions: Accommodation, transport, some meals and most activities.

For more information please visit https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au

or call 1300 315 524.

MyBudget founder to spark connection at 2018 Travellers Choice conference

No matter what a business is selling, if it fails to build and sustain a connection with customers it’s going nowhere.

Few companies have a stronger or more trusted bond that MyBudget, which is why Travellers Choice is today pleased to announce the award-winning company’s founder Tammy Barton as the keynote speaker at its Annual Shareholders’ Conference in Cairns next month.

In 1999 at the tender age of 22, Barton saw an opportunity to reduce financial stress in the community by helping ordinary people better manage their personal finances. Today MyBudget is a national success story, with 11 branches, 240 employees and an annual turnover exceeding $30 million.

Since its inception, the business has helped more than 65,000 people come to grips with their money and it currently manages around $1 billion worth of client salaries.

Travellers Choice’s three-day Shareholders’ Conference will take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 30 November. Along with Barton, members will hear from a variety of industry leaders, including futurist Steve Sammartino, who will explore ways Travellers Choice members can connect with emerging technology trends and transition into the digital age.

The event will also feature member workshops, a Preferred Supplier Exhibition, the company’s Annual General Meeting and an ‘Electrified’ Gala Dinner where top agents will be presented with the group’s coveted Gold, Silver and Bronze Choice Awards.

TTC Weekly deals 

INSIGHT VACATIONS

Country Roads of Croatia (Air Inclusive)

Special offer: For a limited time only, you can fly from $899* return to Europe and Britain, when you book a 2019 European journey from Insight Vacations’ 2019 Europe Brochure. Book before 31 October 2018 to take advantage of this amazing offer today. Guests can enjoy this flight offer on the 14 day Country Roads of Croatia itinerary. They will discover the pristine landscapes, idyllic islands and sun-dappled seas of Croatia, where fortified towns of cobblestone and terracotta echo a time when Venice ruled the waves as they travel with Insight through Zagreb, Opatija, Plitvice, Split, Hvar, Korčula and Dubrovnik. Starting from $5,549* per person (including flights). This offer is available from now until the 31^st of October 2018. Price reflective of select departure dates between; 7- 28 October 2019. Other departure dates available however prices will vary. For more information or to book call 1300 727 767 or visit www.insightvacations.com *Conditions Apply.

TRAFALGAR

Highlights of Spain and Portugal with Air

Fly for $999 to Europe & Britain! Your clients can enjoy these savings on the 13 Day Highlights of Spain and Portugal travel itinerary with Trafalgar. They will see the hanging houses in Cuenca, devour delicious paella in Valencia and admire the troglodyte cave dwellings at Guadix on this round trip through Spain and Portugal from Madrid through Valencia, Granada, Seville, Algarve Region, Lisbon and Salamanca. Starting from $4,694* per person twin share (Land $3,695, Air from $999). This offer is on sale now until the 31^st of October 2018. Valid for select departures before 1 April 2019 and 30 November 2019. For more information or to book call 1800 787 878 or visit www.trafalgar.com *Conditions Apply.

AAT KINGS

Save 10% on AAT King’s Guided Holidays in Australia when your clients book and pay in full by 31 January 2019. They can then enjoy these savings on the 13 day East Coast Contrasts travel itinerary. Guests can discover Australia’s superb east coast on a journey that begins in tropical Cairns and ends in Sydney. They will have the opportunity to snorkel the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef, explore the mysterious Undara Lava Tubes, and enjoy genuine outback hospitality on a family-owned cattle property as they travel through Carters Towers, Airlie Beach, Emerald, Anges Water, Brisbane, Armidale and Tamworth. From pristine Airlie Beach to the country-music mecca of Tamworth, this journey will provide memories for a lifetime. Starting from $4,226* per person twin share (including discount). This offer is on sale now until the 31^st of January 2019 for travel dates from now until the 31^st of March 2020. For more information or to book call 1300 556 100 or visit www.aatkings.com *Conditions Apply.

UNIWORLD

Magnificent Moselle & Rhine

The choice is your clients, there’s more to explore with $1,000pp off their next experience with Uniworld or one of our luxury sister brands: The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, Insight Vacations or Luxury Gold. Your clients can enjoy these savings on the 10 day Magnificent Moselle & Rhine luxury river cruise itinerary. Germany’s spectacular backdrops and breathtaking natural wonders will reveal themselves as you cruise along the alluring Moselle and Rhine rivers from Cologne to Frankfurt through Bonn, Bernkastel, Remich, Trier, Boppard, Rüdesheim and Mainz. Starting from $6,899 per person, 10 days of an all-inclusive trip, including captivating escorted excursions, services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager and more! This offer is on sale now until 31 October 2018 for all 2019 sailings. The specified price is reflective of departures on 23 April and 5 November 2019. Other departures available, prices may vary. For more information or to book call 1300 780 231 or visit www.uniworld.com *Conditions apply.

U BY UNIWORLD:

Rolling on the Rhine

Save 10% when your client books and pays in full by 31 October with U by Uniworld’s early booking savings. Travellers can enjoy these savings on the 8 day Rolling on the Rhine cruise itinerary where Amsterdam is just the beginning. On this cruise along the Rhine river, travellers will have three days to spend in this laid-back and forward-thinking Dutch hotspot, as well as stops in Haarlem, Cologne, Koblenz and Frankfurt. Starting from $2,249* per person, twin share. This offer is on sale now until 31 October 2018 for all 2019 sailings. For more information or to book call 1300 730 010 or visit www.ubyuniworld.com *Conditions apply.

BUSABOUT

Turkey Cappadocia Adventure

Save 10% with Busabout’s Early Bird Offers! Travellers can enjoy these savings on the 8 day Turkey Cappadocia Adventure. Mushroom-shaped rocks sprouting from the earth with entire buildings carved into them, dizzyingly hypnotic whirling dervish dancing, and the mountain framed beaches of Kas and Antalya. Travellers will explore all these bucket list locations and more on this adventure from Fethiye to Istanbul through Kas, Antalya and Cappadocia. Starting from $1,029* per person twin share (including discount). This offer is on sale until 16 November 2018 for travel 1 June until 21 September 2019. For more information or to book contact http://www.busabout.com or call 1300 287 226.