Hello and welcome to another short week! We wish Anzac Day made it a long weekend too, but a public holiday is a better excuse for mid-week drinking than “it’s Wednesday”, right?

Celebrating the year of the bird with Lindblad Expeditions new Antarctica Brochure

Lindblad Expeditions has launched its 2018-20 Antarctica brochure; inviting guests to explore Antarctica during the Year of the Bird. The dedicated brochure details three in-depth diverse itineraries discovering the regions of Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands.

Guests aboard the 23 October 2018 South Georgia and the Falklands expedition will enjoy a birding experience of a lifetime – sharing the adventure with renowned international bird expert, David Sibley. While other 2018 select Antarctic departures will also be enriched by the presence of the Year of the Bird, with veteran naturalists who will illuminate experiences with Lindblad guests.

Explorations in the Antarctic are onboard genuine expedition ships, the National Geographic Explorer and National Geographic Orion – uniquely equipped to facilitate unparalleled bases for discovery whilst providing state of the art features for an excellent experience.

With 50 years of experience, guests can explore the world’s last great wilderness in the company of top naturalists whilst exploring on Lindblad Expeditions’ 12-day Journey to Antarctica: The White Continent itinerary or the 22-day Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands voyage to have the opportunity to trace the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton fateful journey aboard Endurance.

Combining Sri Lanka and Maldives

Only four months into 2018 and the Beyond Travel Group subsidiary Sri Lanka & Beyond is noticing the first holiday trend of year emerging.
Rather than just visiting one country when jetting away for an international adventure travellers are exploring two countries with this trend particularly popular among those bound for Sri Lanka who are making side trips to the Maldives.

According to Sri Lanka & Beyond, Sri Lanka was always going to be one of 2018’s hottest destinations, and the Maldives is always popular for those seeking a decadent stop-and-flop vacation.

Those looking to savour the Maldives – after hearing about the idyllic location for so many years – are embarking on Sri Lanka & Beyond’s Taste of Sri Lanka & the Maldives itinerary which is a private 10-day tour that includes a relaxing stay on an exclusive Indian Ocean atoll. After exploring Sigiriya, Minneriya National Park, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Colombo in Sri Lanka customers make the short hop to the Maldives and spend three nights in an over-water bungalow at the indulgent Adaaran Prestige Vadoo which is an idyllic resort 15 minutes by speedboat from Male.

The destination experts at Sri Lanka & Beyond are also crafting bespoke itineraries taking in Sir Lanka and the Maldives, or India for those keen to jet north to the Subcontinent, with these combination tours allowing travellers to experience the enigmatic destinations for a unique perspective.

Excite Holidays launches mega guide to London!

A city famous for its fashion, incredible architecture, royal family, roast dinners, and let’s just say, very unique weather, London is a traveller’s dream, and Excite Holidays is thrilled to announce the launch of their latest destination guide.

From today until Sunday 29 April, Excite Holidays will be showcasing 10 pages of highly curated content that focuses on different areas including Westminster, Shoreditch, Chelsea, Kensington, Mayfair, Camden, Brixton and of course, the City of London. And for those who have caught Royal Fever, we’ve also got you covered, with the best spots to visit and live like a royal!

Whether you’re yet to visit the UK capital, or you’ve been countless times before, the highly curated guide has something for everyone. From the tourist hot spot Westminster Abbey to Oxford Street, a fashionista’s paradise; as well as popular brunch eatery, The Breakfast Club, the iconic National History Museum, the trendy Camden Market and Pop Brixton, as well as The Shard. No matter if you’re a foodie, a shopaholic, a culture buff, a royalist or just a keen adventurer, the guide has you covered.

Ultimate star gazing with On The Go Tours

This December, join On The Go Tours to witness one of the brightest meteor showers in the heart of the Moroccan desert.

The once-a-year occurrence of the Geminids Meteor Shower is part of a nine-day Morocco Tour with On The Go Tours departing from Marrakech on 10th December. Travellers will explore the uniqueness of Morocco from its imperial cities to its endearing natural sites. The itinerary has been designed to immerse travellers in the history of the country by exploring its palaces, souks, mosques, and famous locations such at the Majorelle Gardens.

Full of adrenalin and adventure, the tour will encompass diverse landscapes and the opportunity to soak up the cacophony of aromas, sights and sounds of this incredible country. Be part of the real Morocco catching glimpses of nomadic Berbers as they travel across the mountains. Step back in time while exploring Fes, the oldest and largest medieval city in the world and the UNESCO listed Roman ruins of Volubilis, dating back to 40 AD. View the Todra Gorge, known as Morocco’s ‘Grand Canyon’, with its searing heights of limestone cliffs and changing colours.

The tour includes seven-nights in three to four-star accommodation and one night at a Berber desert camp, daily breakfast, all relevant transfers and transportation, airport arrival and departure transfers, guided sightseeing, an English-speaking Moroccan tour guide and all road taxes and tolls. From AU$1,995 per person twin share, departing 10th Dec – 18th Dec 2018.

Journeys & Africa Mauritius Incentive

Start booking your clients with Journeys & Africa and earn your holiday to Mauritius, because Journeys & Africa is offering travel agents an opportunity to win six nights accommodation in Mauritius for two. Includes return transfers, accommodation for 6 nights including breakfast and dinner daily.

You can then extend your journey and head over to South Africa and beyond. Bookings begin from 19th March until 30 June 2018 – travel from now until 31 December 2018

Prize will be drawn by the end of June 2018 for the agent that has booked the most number of nights at any Beachcomber Resort.

Adventure World releases Natural Habitat Adventures Brochure

Adventure World has elatedly released it’s 2018-19 Natural Habitat Adventures brochure, following the appointment as the exclusive GSA for the brand earlier this year.

The brochure features 18 eco-conscious expeditions and nature-focused small groups, specifically selected to suit the Australian market and its interests. From polar bear trips in Churchill, Canada, Alaska grizzly bear encounters and African wildlife safaris are among a wide range of artfully crafted nature journeys conducted by professional naturalist guides.

With three decades of experience and unmatched local partnerships, Natural Habitat Adventures (NHA) are able to craft nature adventures through resources and insight not available elsewhere, ensuring unparalleled and exclusive experiences for guests.

Also working in partnership with the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), NHA is a world leader in responsible adventure travel and ecotourism since its founding in 1985. The partnership reflects the quality of the adventures and NHA’s unwavering commitment to conservation and sustainability.

Trafalgar helps Agents to quickly step up sales across all seasons with launch Of 2018/2019 Autumn Winter Spring (AWS)

Reiterating its commitment to always putting #AgentsFirst, Trafalgar has released its new AWS programme, featuring both Trafalgar and Costsaver together in the one handy “upside down” brochure, with solutions galore for selling seasonal travel. Hearing that agents want clients to travel beyond the peak season yet still be able to connect with an unrivalled choice of local people, places and experiences, here is the chance for them to travel for up to 30 per cent less than in summer, as well as more than seven per cent discount on Trafalgar and the Costsaver Ready To Go rate to help get them over the line. Temptations for travel have never looked so good with Trafalgar costing from only $138 day and Costsaver starting at only $109 per day.

Praising its partners for the hugely successful year so far, Trafalgar’s most diverse AWS offering to date contains 32 Trafalgar and three Costsaver trips across 23 countries, ensuring agents have plenty of chances to increase their earnings in 2018. As well as having the benefit of beating the crowds, clients can make their Euros go much further as they save up to a third off the holiday price when travelling outside of the peak summer period, without having to compromise on choice nor experience.

Whilst the weather may not be hot, the demand for AWS is sure to be, so now is the time for clients to lock in those “pinch me” moments by living like King Louis XXII at Chateau de Beauvois and savouring the sights and smells Strasbourg at the oldest Christmas market in France on the new 9 day Enchanting France trip, staying in a former Franciscan Convent at the Hotel Cenacolo on the new Wonders of Italy or enjoying a home-cooked meal with a local family in their home on the outskirts of Lisbon on the new Wonders of Portugal. Be lured by a different lens to uncover the sights, sounds, smells and colours of Autumn, Winter and Spring – from Christmas Spectaculars in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Russia to City Explorers in London, Paris and Rome and abundant other ways to enjoy the crisp blue hues and white landscapes, the pink Spring blossoms and the orange Autumn leaves.