News in Brief: Wednesday April 2
AAT Kings has partnered with luxury travel brand Boutique Tours Australia to add experiential, small group tours of Sydney to its Inspiring Journeys product range.
With the new partnership, the operator is seeking to cater to the luxury day tours market, with half and full day trips to the Southern Highlands, Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley on offer.
“Off the back of several recent product announcements that we’ve made, we’re showing trade that we’ve got day tours covered,” managing director Anthony Hayes said.
“With increased choice being top of mind, we’re very excited to team up with Boutique Tours and expand AAT Kings Inspiring Journeys’ product giving guests who are seeking a more exclusive yet personalised experience, the opportunity to choose from a selection of day trips that take in the many enviable attractions outside of Sydney.
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Digital innovation continues to impact the travel and tourism space, according to digital communications agency Deepend.
“The travel and tourism industry has been heavily impacted, not to mention adaptive to digital innovation. And it needs to be,” managing partner Chris Crammond said.
“Travellers and holiday-goers expect absolute convenience and intuitiveness when booking a holiday, as well as a rich taste of what’s to come.”
The company has just been appointed by Hamilton Island to manage a large-scale project that will involve digital strategy, creative and technical execution.
The Whitsundays destination joins a number of other travel and tourism clients, including Scenic Tours, P&O Cruises and Merlin Entertainment.
The Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) team and industry partners from Vanuatu will welcome travel agents to the second annual Quiz Night event later this month.
VTO described the evenings as a “fun and interactive way” for agents to learn important destination information about Vanuatu.
The events will kick off in Sydney on April 29, then head to Melbourne on April 30 before ending in Brisbane on May 1.
In addition to the ‘Where are you in Vanuatu?’ quiz round, the evening will include performances from special guests Miss Vanuatu 2014, Valerie Martinez, and the musical group Vanuatu Four.
For more information visit www.vanuatu.travel.
The inaugural South Pacific Tourism Exchange, to be held in Auckland in May, will include a travel agent expo in its program.
South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) chief executive, Ilisoni Vuidreketi, launched the retail agent component of new event yesterday. Exhibitors from 16 Pacific Island countries will engage directly with New Zealand travel agents.
“Exhibiting as a seller at the inaugural SPTE, will now provide even more value, with the inclusion of the inaugural South Pacific Tourism Exchange Travel Agents Expo in the program,” he said.
SPTE 2014 takes place in Auckland, New Zealand from May 22 to 23.
This week, Etihad Regional commenced direct daily services between Zurich, Switzerland and Leipzig/Halle, Germany.
The inaugural flight touched down at Leipzig/Halle airport at 12:20pm local time yesterday to be greeted by a traditional water cannon salute.
It is Etihad Regional’s second route launch from Switzerland to Germany, following the start of Geneva-Stuttgart operations in February. The airline operates already from Leipzig to Amsterdam and Paris.
Day tour operator Urban Adventures has launched a new tour in Slovenian capital Ljubljana.
The Ljubljana Bites and Sights tour is priced at 55 euros and includes tastings and drinks.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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