Fill your diary and catch up on all the latest famils and industry happenings in one handy place.

CATO to host Christmas lunch in Sydney 

The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) has expanded its annual members Christmas lunch to now welcome all industry participants.

This highly attended event will be held at one of Sydney’s most iconic event spaces, the Ivy Ballroom on Thursday 8th December.

The CATO Christmas lunch will be followed by an after-party at the Ivy’s famous “Pool Bar” with attendees expected to celebrate festivities well into the evening.

Tickets are now available HERE.

The Islands of Tahiti to host roadshows in Sydney & Melbourne

The Islands of Tahiti are inviting Australian travel advisors to two exclusive Tahitian Soirées as part of the destination’s roadshow taking place in Sydney and Melbourne this October.

Attendees of the event will enjoy a Tahitian-inspired evening with tropical cocktails, canapés as well as some amazing prizes whilst getting the opportunity to discover what’s new in The Islands of Tahiti.

The Tahitian soirées will take place at:

Sydney – Pullman Sydney Hyde Park on the 24 October between 6 – 9 pm, register HERE.

Melbourne – InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto on the 25 October between 6 – 9 pm, register HERE.

Please note that only Tahiti Specialist Agents will qualify to win the grand prize. To become a Tahiti Specialist, simply register HERE  and complete the e-learning module.

On your marks, get set… Step!

NCL x Take 3 Rose Bay Cleanup

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) launches its third annual Walk for Wellness on 1 October 2022, as it prepares to give away $16,000 worth of prizes- a record prize figure for the challenge.

To kick things off, the NCL Australia team gathered for a beach clean-up in Sydney led by partner organisation, Take 3 for the Sea, to get everyone into the spirit for four weeks of wellbeing-focused activities to coincide with National Mental Health Month from 1-31 October and WHO World Mental Health Day.

Holiday & Travel Show returns 

Travel is BACK and the Holiday & Travel Show is set to inform, entice and excite Aussies about their next, long-awaited adventure.

Each two-day event brings the opportunity to engage with experts and exhibitors from different areas of travel both locally and internationally including tours, cruises, hotels, tourism bodies and so much more, helping to curate and map out that next dream holiday.

Attendees will also have access to travel tips and information, film sessions hosted by exhibitors and a chance to win big prizes. With sponsors such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Inspiring Vacations, Great Southern, Indian Pacific, and The Ghan confirmed, there’s something for every type of traveller.

The events will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (22 and 23 October), followed by Sydney Showground (29 and 30 October) and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (5 and 6 November).

TourRadar to host hybrid Adventure Together 

TourRadar is getting ready to host its second Adventure Together conference, an annual hybrid thought leadership event that will be held in Vienna, Austria October 18-19.

This second annual free event for the travel industry will be a lively discussion about the trends and challenges of organized adventures and group travel covering important topics such as sustainability, distribution, and global travel trends.

More than 1,000 total attendees are expected to tune in to the event online, with 80-100 VIP guests attending in person.

For more information, and to see the full agenda, go HERE.

Virtuoso hosts Aussie events 

Travel Masters and Travel Studio Advisors with Jacqui Tufala from A&K 2nd from left

Virtuoso held events around the country earlier this month, supporting its luxury travel advisors as they reconnect in person with a select number of international preferred partners for the first time since the pandemic.

The week commenced with a new format called “Virtuoso Connects” in Adelaide, bringing together a smaller number of travel advisors and preferred partners in a regional location over an intimate dinner at the Mayfair Hotel.

From there, the traditional “Virtuoso On Tour” events kicked off in Brisbane on Tuesday 13 September at the Emporium Hotel, in Melbourne on 14 September at the Park Hyatt and in Sydney on 15 September at the Fullerton Hotel. The week attracted over 370 experienced Virtuoso travel advisors from around the country and 34 preferred partners from around the globe.

Switzerland Travel Experience 2022 shares sustainable message

Switzerland Tourism’s biennial Switzerland Travel Experience Roadshow (STE) concluded on a high note with eight lucky agents now counting down to their December visit to the alpine country, with countless more thoroughly inspired and geared up to assist clients with their Swiss travel bookings.

Nearly 400 advisors across Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland and Christchurch attended the in-person event connecting with the Switzerland Tourism ANZ team and key Swiss partners to learn all about the country’s sustainability strategy aka Swisstainable, be updated with the latest news and product experiences, and gather tips for seamless travel.

In line with, and as part of, the Swisstainable effort, a city campaign called ‘Run the Swiss Cities’ was highlighted during STE. Featuring 12 scenic routes across Zurich, Basel, Lugano and Geneva, this campaign heroes the cities’ architectural, historical and cultural aspects while showcasing their short proximities to pristine nature. It also encourages the discovery of more of the country on foot.

A&K team experience exquisite Italy

Gelato King Group Selfie

Abercrombie & Kent’s regional Italy experts have just touched down in Australia after a famil journey through Italy, from the eternal city of Rome to the Tuscan countryside.

The ‘famil journey’ began in Rome, where the group took to the streets on Vespas, then it was on to the impressive workshop of renowned shoemaker Francesca Latini, for a private cobbler’s class, where each team member spent the afternoon crafting their own pair of leather sandals before donning pizza hats and aprons for the evening, with charming pizza-maker Tony, who closed his restaurant for the night to host an intimate Pizza-making lesson, with plenty of wine top ups.

The Tuscan countryside brought an ‘unexpected’ new essential destination at the medieval town of Orvieto. Balanced high atop a bulging mass of tufo volcanic stone, with stunning views over the Umbrian plains.

Without a doubt, the group’s top highlight was meeting world-famous, YouTube afficionado, The Gelato King. The hilarious man was full of charisma, life stories, hilarity, passion and of course, a huge cache of expertise when it comes to Italy’s favourite dessert. The Gelato King hand picks all his ingredients and the team concluded that what he produces is truly an Italian art.

Featured image: NCL x Take 3 Rose Bay Clean up