Travel industry lightens up for April Fools Day

Travel industry lightens up for April Fools Day

The start of April brings a sense of humour to all around the globe, and the world of travel is no exception.

Companies ranging from hotel groups to airlines, from agencies to wholesalers, have taken part in the classic April Fools joke this year, going to great lengths and getting incredibly creative to keep their customers entertained.

Carnival Cruise Lines announced the newest addition to its Australian fleet as Carnival Submarine which it described as a “world-first in ocean tourism” and a “totally immersive experience”.

“Your kids will love the newer, truer Camp Ocean, now with a full-length acrylic glass feature wall, transforming the space into an underwater aquarium,” the cruise operator said.

“For fans of Alchemy Bar, why not pop in for one of two specially created cocktails: the Yellow Submarine and Deep Blue Sea. Afterwards, break out the bright colours for our newest theme night: Octopus’ Garden – bonus points for best sea creature inspiration. And for those who love the Green Thunder, be sure to try The Green Under – the fastest and steepest water-slide under the sea.”

Carnival Cruise Line's Submarine April 1 2016

Virgin Australia announced the very first Kids Only Class – a cabin dedicated to children, no adults allowed. The cabin is equipped with storybooks, and instead of a television screen behind the seat, there’s a cushion for the children to kick to their hearts’ content.

STA Travel have followed youth trends and announced the first sky-high pop-up festival. During the 2016 festival season, they said they would hold three festivals for up to 20 passengers.

Bea Palmer Mordent, Customer Relations Director for STA Travel, said, “we pride ourselves on coming up with the ultimate travel experience. Music is such an important part of our travelling lives, and now our customers can kick start their ultimate European summer adventure from 30, 000 feet.”

Travelodge launched a replacement for the traditional wake up call, announcing that guests now have access to the “Cold Call”. When the winter mornings make getting up difficult, guests can be woken with a splash of cold water on their face.

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Brand ambassador and comedian, Joel Creasy, said, “We’ve all been guilty of going back to sleep, even after receiving a wake-up call. What else could be more refreshingly simple when it comes to waking up than a conventional splash of cold water to the face?”

Youth operator Contiki fooled its customers with the launch of its ‘Virtually Unlimited’ itinerary, a virtual travel experience that doesn’t require guests to leave the country. Instead they indulge in a three-hour visit to one of the centres across Australia for a small cost of $149 to experience the joys of Oktoberfest in Germany or Machu Picchu in Peru via a VR headset.

ContikiVRPrank

Managing director Katrina Barry said: “It is such an important move that we decided to cancel our global conference and meet virtually instead… Our new ‘Virtually Unlimited’ product is the future of travel and a disruptor to the entire tourism industry, especially airlines and accommodation providers.

Did you play a prank for April Fools Day? Or were you on the receiving end?

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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