Are you feeling a little bit dusty after endless Christmas parties? We’ve made this wrap extra long to keep you occupied for a whole hour at least!

An uber massive incentive is here

G Adventures, has today announced that its hugely popular Uber Massive Incentive, UMI, is here – and this time around promises to be bigger than ever.

The leading tour operator has upped the game, giving away $100,000 worth of prizes through their competition that rewards agents for selling the most life-changing small group adventure tours.

Adrian Piotto, Managing Director for G Adventures Australia and New Zealand, says they are excited to be bringing back the incentive once again for 2018.

“UMI has been one of the most popular travel incentives for years, and we couldn’t be happier to once again be rewarding the hardworking agents who champion our product.”

MTA Members experience Tanzania’s  ‘Culture & Craters’

Pictured meeting Maasai people in Northern Tanzania, (from left to right) Crooked Compass Founder and Director, Lisa Pagotto with MTA – Mobile Travel Agents’ Members Carine Griffiths, Linda Kiernander, MTA BDM VIC/TAS/SA Georgia Traill, Debra Johnston and Valma Herb,

The opportunity to experience the culture and lifestyle of a traditional Maasai village formed a highlight of a recent ‘Culture & Craters’ study tour program of Tanzania organised by Crooked Compass.

The Members’ busy six-day itinerary gave them the opportunity to further immerse themselves in the local culture with traditional activities including fire making, spear throwing and archery lessons.

Fly for only $599* return on all 2018 Europe and Britain trips – ends 14 December

With Insight Vacations, clients will experience travel in its truest sense – not just visiting incredible places, but really connecting with them in an authentic way.

Whether gaining VIP access to the Vatican Museums, or discovering the world’s finest collection of Spanish paintings with an expert historian at the Prado Museum, every moment of their journey with Insight will be unforgettable.

Deluxe Kenya Safari – The Safari Collection – Save 25%

Save $3,380 per person – This vibrant tour is both a wonderful introduction to safari and to the diversity of Kenya itself.

Enjoy 7 nights on a wildly luxurious safari filled with adventure, experiencing exhilarating wildlife encounters and some unique and personal touches that will be remembered for an entire lifetime.

On arrival at Nairobi Airport you will be met and transferred to your Giraffe Manor. This first stop needs no introduction!

The elegant Giraffe Manor is home to a “tower” of resident Rothschild giraffe who may visit morning and evening, sometimes poking their long necks into the windows in the hope of a treat, before retreating to their forest sanctuary.

Stay one night here before your journey takes you by air to Solio Game Reserve, to experience an unforgettable bush experience and a three night stay at Solio Lodge.

Two lucky agents win return tickets to the Philippines

The Philippine Department of Tourism and Philippine Airlines are delighted to announce the two lucky winners of its social media competition, as part of the 2017 Fun Travel Experts Mega Familiarisation.  Liam Lavery from Escape Travel in Victoria and Belinda King from Global Work and Travel in Queensland won the video and photo competitions respectively, winning free return flights to an island in the Philippines, courtesy of Philippine Airlines.

Norjamin Delos Reyes, Tourism Attaché at Philippines Department of Tourism Australia and New Zealand, commented on the winners of the competition.  She said:

“We are very excited to announce Liam and Belinda as the winners of the social media competition.  Liam and Belinda’s video and image were handpicked for their creativity and incredible ability to showcase the fun and beautiful natural surroundings of this incredible destination.”

Limited Last-Minute Club Med Summer Deal

Club Med is offering limited last-minute summer deals to destinations in Asia and the Maldives.

Christmas, New Years and January holidays are included within this deal, with prices starting from $1,395 per person for 7 nights, based on 13th January 2018 departure date.

Rooms are filling up fast so get in quick and book before 30 April 2018 for the ultimate all-inclusive getaway to one of Club Med’s prime beachfront locations, enjoying non-stop activities and gourmet restaurant dining.

Offer valid for booking: until 23 December 2017

Offer valid for travel: until 30 April 2017

December 2017 Incentive and Special with CIE Tours 

CIE Tours International, the premier specialist of luxury escorted holidays in Britain and Ireland are delighted to offer a closed incentive valid on all our locally guided holidays which include
England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales for travel in 2018. For the agents: Receive a A$100 gift card! Book and deposit on any
escorted CIE tour between the 01/12/17 and 31/12/17 to receive a A$100 per booking gift card.

* Use promo code: DECEMBERAGENT100A
Terms and Conditions: * Not valid without offer code.
Use promo code to receive both the A$100 gift card and 8%

Early Booking Discount, valid on new bookings under A$500 non-­‐refundable deposit with CIE Tours before the 31/12/17, for
Ireland & Britain guided holidays for travel in 2018.

This includes Scotland & Ireland Winter Guided Holidays, Small Group Experiences as well as our full range of more than 53
authentic guided holidays ranging from 5 – 24 days throughout Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

Personal Travel Manager Ticks Off Canada Alaska Bucket List

Personal travel managers (PTMs) are in the business because of their love of travel: exploring new destinations and returning to old favourites.  Whilst much of their work life is spent indulging this love vicariously by helping their clients to book the holidays of their dreams, one of the undisputed perks of the job is the opportunity to take part in educational trips to every corner of the Earth, without paying the Earth for the pleasure.

Sometimes, they even get to take a non-industry travel companion with them, as was the case recently for TravelManagers’ Julie Lunn, representative for Ferntree Gully in Victoria, whose husband Daryl accompanied her on a cruise and touring famil of Alaska with Holland America Line.

Agents chase the Northern Lights on recent famil 

Bentours and Finnair recently hosted a famil to Finland to chase the Northern Lights and experience some of the core products and delights that the wonderful Nordic country offers.

From 4 Sep to 1 Oct 2017, helloworld agents were given the chance to earn 1 of 5 spots to experience business class on Finnair to Helsinki, visit the home of the real Santa Claus, spend two nights in a glass igloo, cosy up to husky dogs and more.

A special occasion for agents and both Bentours and Finnair hosts alike, came with the crossing of the Arctic circle. Agents also enjoyed learning about the Sami culture and their reindeer traditions, and had an authentic and unique cultural experience.

As an extra treat, agents were also ferried across Baltic seas to Estonia, Tallinn, to explore the medieval Old Town where they enjoyed the magical pre-Christmas atmosphere.

Discover Los Angeles hosts agents on star-studded trip to the 2017 American Music Awards

Discover Los Angeles recently hosted 10 lucky travel agents on a trip to Los Angeles, enjoying the ultimate Hollywood VIP experience and attending the 2017 American Music Awards (AMAs).

The star-studded trip with Qantas had agents from Flight Centre, Escape Travel and Infinity Holidays, experience the entertainment capital of the world over four days, including visits to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood and Universal Studios Hollywood.

Travel Counsellors travel  from all over the countryside

Last week, the Travel Counsellors Head Office team hit the road to host State Conferences in cities across Australia including Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth.

ENGAGE was the theme for the week with a focus on engagement with customers, partners, Head Office colleagues and fellow Travel Counsellor’s. The Australian management team delivered fresh, relevant and thought-provoking content to inspire agents to take their businesses to the next level. Presentations held throughout the day focussed on a business update, content marketing, individual business reviews, corporate travel updates and new partner and product updates.

Some of our partners in travel joined at each conference to provide product updates as well as their expertise and advice, further cementing the valued partner relationships and adding even more value to the day.

Adventure World’s sales team explore the beauty of Oman

The Adventure World national sales team have just returned from their annual sales conference, which this year saw them exploring the beauty of Oman in partnership with the Sultanate of Oman Tourism.

When not busy working on their 2018 strategy, the team explored Wadi Abreeyan, one of the most spectacular free flowing mountain oasis’ in the region, visited the newly opened Oman National Museum full of cultural and ancient history through the centuries as well as completing stage 2 of the challenging Via Ferrata at Alila, which recently opened in September and is not for the faint hearted.

Contiki celebrates royal engagement with Royal Flush sale

What: Get $150 off selected trips through the UK with the Contiki Royal Flush Sale valid on the following trips from Contiki’s Europe Summer 2018/19 brochure departing in April and May 2018: The Best of Britain, England & Scotland, Great Britain & Ireland, London to Paris and London to Amsterdam. This Offer is also combinable with brochure discounts including the 10% Early Payment Discount.

When: Wednesday 29 November – Thursday 14 December 2017 * Conditions apply.

Where: Visit www.contiki.com/agents & click to add the promocode. Or call Reservations on 1300 266 845.

Pateman Award caps a winning decade for Travellers Choice member Ucango

Travellers Choice is pleased to announce Ucango Travel & Cruise Centre as the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Brian Pateman Agency Award for Excellence, capping a remarkable year for the Sunshine Coast agency.

The annual Pateman Award recognises outstanding performance by a Travellers Choice member across a range of categories, including marketing strategy, preferred suppliers’ sales and support of fellow members.

Ucango Travel & Cruise Centre owner Dave Hulsman said he was “over the moon” to receive the honour 10 years after Travellers Choice took a chance on his agency.

Meri Krismas & Hapi Niu Yia 2018 from the SIVB

Pictured getting into the ‘Krismas’ mode in Honiara this week, Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto (standing on left) and his head office team.

Pointing towards record-breaking August and September international visitor arrivals Mr Tuamoto said these figures were clear indicators the destination was well on track to enjoy yet another year of positive growth.

“But we’ll wait until we see final Q4 figures before we start popping the champagne corks,” he said.

“In the meantime the entire SIVB team, both in the Solomon Islands and overseas would like to say a big ‘Tagio Tumas’ to all our valued tourism partners for their wonderful support in 2017.

“And ‘lukim iu lo 2018’.”

Magellan Highlights Member Services

At their September Conference in Perth, The Magellan Travel Group launched an unprecedented number of member services and tools which provide members with additional support and drive significant differentiation.

Initiatives in the digital marketing and email space, a cutting edge digital itinerary platform, a brand-new Magellan Member Portal and an exclusive partnership with the Signature Travel Network are just some of what was launched.

Magellan’s Manager for Corporate & Business Development, Scott Darlow has spent the last month travelling over 22,000 kilometres and conducting member roadshows in 18 cities and towns across 7 states and territories.

The purpose of the roadshow was to facilitate face to face meetings with Magellan member owners and their staff to assist them in embracing all of these new initiatives and maximizing their positive impact.

TTC Weekly deals

BUSABOUT: Spicy Iberia

Travellers can experience the fire and flare of flamenco dancing and SAVE 12% off when they book their 2018 Iberian Adventure with Busabout before 21 December 2017. From Madrid through Seville, Granada and Toledo, they’ll see the beautiful Mezquita in Cordoba, visit the spectacular town of Ronda, take a picture with the windmills of Consuegra, canoe and swim by day and party by night in Lagos and have the option to go on a guided tour and traditional Moroccan dinner in Tangier. Priced from $791 per person twin share (including discount) including your Busabout guide, 6 nights’ hostel accommodation, 6 breakfasts, access to Alhambra Palace, guided tours of Tangier and Seville. Available for 2018 travel. To book quote promocode EB1.  For more information and a range of other Europe and Asia trips on sale visit http://www.busabout.com/ or call 1300 287 226

TRAFALGAR: Final Countdown

FINAL WEEKS TO FLY! Book before 14 December 2017 and take advantage of Trafalgar’s hot Fly for $699 return air deal , where guests can Fly to Europe and Britain return, when they book select 2018 Europe and Britain departures. Guests will see a side of Europe few will discover when they combine this deal with the 18-day Traditional Europe Discovery guide that has 100% guarantee of definite departure. Travellers will explore the romantic rolling landscapes of Tuscany, the tragic ruins of Pompeii, the vineyards of Frascati and the beautiful Rhone Valley – charming villages and celebrated cities like Amsterdam, Rome, Nice and Paris all en route. Priced from $5,895 per person, twin share PLUS Fly for $699, reflective of select definite departure dates available on 24 April 2018 (Other departures available for alternate price, airfare not included in from price). For more information or a further selection of Trafalgar’s authentic, fun and effortless guided holidays visit www.trafalgar.com or call Trafalgar on 1800 002 006(toll-free).*conditions apply

AAT KINGS: Legendary Outback

Your clients can now discover more of their own backyard and lock in an  Early Bird Offer when they book any 2018 Australian guided holiday or Inspiring Journey before 13 February 2018. Guests can save up to $629 off per couple on AAT Kings 15-day Outback Adventure. They’ll discover the legendary Australian Outback on a fascinating northbound journey from Adelaide, through the Red Centre and onto tropical Darwin in the Top End. A swim in the crystal clear waters of Mataranka Thermal Springs under the dappled light of the paperback and palm forest is a must-do for travellers. This package includes an experienced Travel Director & Driver Guide, quality accommodation, travel in luxury coach, airport transfers, and more! Priced from $5,696 per person (including early payment discount) and available on select departures between 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019 (subject to availability). For more information or to book call 1300 556 100 or visit aatkings.com. Conditions Apply *

INSIGHT VACATIONS: Grand Scandinavia

Insight Vacations is offering travellers an early payment discount of 7.5% when booking from 15 December until 28 February 2018. Head to Europe in 2018 with a 20-day regional journey of Grand Scandinavia with Insight Vacations. Journey to mainland Europe’s most northern point where the sun never sets during the summer months! Enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience to soak up what feels like the end of the earth with a glass of champagne in your hand. Priced from $6,983 per person, saving up to $566 per person. Price reflective of select departure dates available on 01 June 2018 and 03 June 2018 (Other departures available at alternate price). For more information visit www.insightvacations.com or call 1800 001 778. Conditions apply.

ADVENTURE WORLD: Ranchlands and Prairies

Allow your clients to experience the fascinating world of cowboy culture, dinosaur history and Canadian treasures on Adventure World’s Ranchlands and Prairies itinerary, with savings of $150 per couple. Travelling from Drumheller through Edmonton to Banff on Adventure World’s 14-day Ranchlands and Prairies itinerary. They’ll discover a world of fossils, cowboy culture and central Canada treasures on a unique new itinerary combining new destinations in Saskatchewan and Alberta and relax at Elk Ridge Resort, the perfect luxury resort to rejuvenate half way through your journey.

Priced from $2719* per person, when booked by 31^st December 2017 and available for departure between17 May and 03 Oct 2018* For more information and full terms and conditions visit Adventure World at www.adventureworld.com call 1300 295 049 *Conditions & blackout dates apply

UNIWORLD: Highlights of Eastern Europe

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has returned their Best Offer Ever. Save up to 40% off select 2018 voyages when you book before 31 December 2017.Combine this unbeatable offer with Uniworld’s 10-Day Highlights of Eastern Europe itinerary and SAVE from $2,480 per person.mFollow a path forged by crusaders, kings and conquerors through Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria. Immerse yourself in new cultures and make new friends as you travel from splendid Budapest to dynamic Bucharest, discovering the best that the revitalized nations of Eastern Europe have to offer along the way. Priced from $3,719  per person twin share, 10 days of captivating escorted excursions, services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager, all transfers, all gratuities and more! Price reflective of select departure dates on 4, 9 & 23 April 2018. (Other departures available at alternate price). For more information call 1300 780 231 or visit uniworld.com  

CONTIKI: Perfect recipe

Now’s your LAST CHANCE to offer millennials three buckets worth of airfare savings, with Contiki where they can save either $700, $500 or $300 off their European airfare, depending on which summer 2018/19 adventure they choose to embark on. These savings are combinable with the current 10% Early Payment Discount, valid until 14 December 2017. Travellers can save from $293 off the 20-day European Experience trip that runs across 10 countries and save an additional $700 off their flights! Your clients can take a trip through all the European major cities and sip vino at the Contiki Chateau. This experience is the perfect midpoint for those feeling unsure about how much time they have and what their budget is, exploring from London through France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands and more! Priced from $3,142*per person (including discount) and available for travel between 2 April 2018 – 19 September 2018. For more information visit www.contiki.com or phone 1300 266 845. *Conditions Apply

CREATIVE CRUISING: Bordeaux and Chateaux’s

Book the Bordeaux, Riviera & Adriatic Coast Luxury Ocean and River cruise package with Creative Cruising before 20 December 2017 and your clients will receive 10% off their Silversea cruise and up to 30% off their Uniworld Boutique River cruise with the Best Offer Ever. This package includes 2-nights’ pre-cruise accommodation in Bordeaux, a 7-night all- inclusive ‘Bordeaux, Vineyards & Chateax’ river cruise onboard Uniworld’s River Royale from Bordeaux return, unlimited beverages, shore excursions in each port, 2 nights’ accommodation in Nice, a 9-night ultra-luxury cruise on-board Silver Whisper from Monte Carlo to Venice, butler service in every suite, and more! Priced from $15,329*pp discount included for Uniworld, Silversea discount is not included and will be deducted upon final payment, holiday starts 17 August 2018. *Conditions apply. Airfares not included. Silversea sailing must be paid in full by 20 Dec 17 to receive discount.  Please visit www.creativecruising.com.au or phone 1300 362 599 for more information.