Get the drop on all the latest happenings in agent land plus learning opportunities and prizes galore (not to be confused with the more popular, and arguably better, BBQs Galore).

MSC Cruises webinar series: be the master of your cruise selling success

In this latest webinar, travel partners can hear from MSC Cruises panel of experts on ways to maximise selling opportunities through their global e-learning platform MSC Masters, in addition to current promotions and other key information from MSC Cruises.

The MSC Cruises panel of experts are dedicated to working with trade partners to confidently rebuild their cruise business. The hosts include Angelo Capurro (executive director, MSC Cruises), Salvatore Branchizio (sales executive senior manager, MSC Cruises) and Lisa Teiotu (commercial director, MSC Cruises).

The webinar will be held on Wednesday 27 July 2022 from 4- 5pm (AEDT). Reserve your spot by emailing sales@msccruises.com.au

All attendees will have a chance to win a fabulous prize.

Entire Travel Group incentive winner earns dream holiday

Melbourne travel agent Janine Methven is now planning a dream European holiday after being named the winner of Entire Travel Group’s recent travel agent incentive.

Methven, from Travelrite in the Melbourne suburb of Balwyn won the incentive after making the largest number of bookings through Entire Travel Group’s website between 1 February and 31 May. She now has $5,000 to spend on a holiday package to any of the company’s 28 destinations.

“Making a booking through Entire Travel Group’s website is easy because it’s so user-friendly, the hard part has been deciding where to now go myself,” Methven says.

“I’m leaning, however, towards taking my husband on an independent holiday package to the Amalfi Coast.”

Tauck invites agents to exclusive Australian events with its vice president of global sales and dedicated local team

Tauck is inviting its valued travel agency partners to three exclusive events: two breakfast events in Sydney and Melbourne on 20 and 22 July, respectively; and one cocktail reception in Brisbane on 20 July.

In attendance will be Steve Spivak, vice president global sales; David Clark, managing director Australia; and Helen Eves, national account manager in Australia.

Please note that all RSVP’s must be received by Tuesday, 12 July 2022.

Tauck travel agent events will be hosted as follows –

Sydney- 

Date: Wednesday, 20 July 2022
Time: 7.30am – 9.30am
Location: Shangri La, Sydney 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks
To register: https://www.tauck.com.au/Agent/Forms/tauck-australia-breakfast-events

Melbourne- 

Date: Friday, 22 July 2022
Time: 7.30am – 9.30am
Location: The Langham, Melbourne 1 Southgate Avenue, Southbank
To register: https://www.tauck.com.au/Agent/Forms/tauck-australia-breakfast-events

Brisbane- 

Date: Wednesday, 20 July 2022
Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Location: Sofitel Brisbane Central 249 Turbot Street, Brisbane
To register: https://www.tauck.com.au/agent/forms/tauck-cocktail-reception-brisbane

DCT Abu Dhabi Family Fun Webinar

The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi invites you to join a Family Fun webinar together with YiFei Lu from Abu Dhabi’s iconic theme parks and Ema Holubeva from Yas Island Rotana.

Join hosts as they zoom you to Abu Dhabi to experience the thrills of Ferrari World, the action of Warner Bros. World and the fun-filled rides at Yas Waterworld. Your clients can stay amongst these family-friendly attractions in amazing hotels. So, during this session, we will feature the conveniently located local hotel, Yas Island Rotana.

Date: Tuesday 19 July 2022

Time: 4pm – 4:45pm

Click here to register.

Azamara hosts White Night Winter in Brisbane 

The winners: Greg Thorn (Arrivia), Casey Russell (Clean Cruising), Paul Graham (Just Cruises) and Sarah Webster (Travel Partners)

The Azamara team hosted a VIP event at the Lussh in Brisbane to celebrate the start of Queensland’s long-awaited cruise season and update the trade on where the cruise line will be headed in the future.

The night included dinner, Azamazing cocktails and entertainment, plus four lucky winners (pictured) took home tickets for Azamara Quest’s first sailing to Australia in December.

Personal Travel Managers and suppliers reconnect over seaside lunch

The TravelManagers crew and supplier partners, hard at work on the ferry to Geelong (L-R): Ingrid Berthelsen (Evolution Travel Collective), Leah Keenan (Royal Brunei), PTM Claire Crosby, PTM Julie Lunn, James McCullagh (Norwegian Cruise Line), PTM Maria Rainone, PTM Penny Meallin (obscured), Peter Lombardi (Lufthansa Group (obscured), PTM Lisa King, Pete Rawley (Evolution Travel Collective), PTM Melanie Carter and Rebecca Day (Stuba)

A chance to catch up with supplier partners on the latest developments to their operations and product offerings provided Melbourne-based personal travel managers (PTMs) with the ideal reason to join a day trip to the coastal city of Geelong recently.

The event, the highlight of which was a three-course lunch at Geelong’s waterfront Edge restaurant, was organised by TravelManagers business partnership managers (BPMs), Kellie Browning and Despina Madden, and formed one of a series of get-togethers taking place around Australia as the travel brand gears up for the accelerating recovery of the international travel sector.

Fifteen supplier representatives joined 26 Victorian PTMs, along with the two BPMs, for a ferry ride from Melbourne to Geelong, where they enjoyed a relaxed, al fresco lunch while catching up with friends and colleagues.

The outing was also an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the work anniversaries of three attending PTMs, including Sue Callachor and Carolyn Pitt, who have each completed five years with TravelManagers, and Penny Meallin (featured image, left), who has reached the milestone of fifteen years.

Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania Announces Winners for Trade Famil to Hawai‘i

Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania (HTO) and Hawaiian Airlines, Hawai’i’s hometown carrier, announced the winners for the trade famil trip to the Hawaiian Islands in September this year.

The incentive was revealed throughout the virtual ‘Month of Lei’ trade event in May 2022.

To win a place on the famil to Hawai‘i, agents had to book a ticket with Hawaiian Airlines to O‘ahu and at least one other Hawaiian Island and write in 50 words or less how they mālama (take care for and protect) for the environment, the local community or the ocean.

Congratulations to the winners:

Deborah Clarke – MTA Travel, Elena Amerikow – italktravel & cruise The Junction, Rachael Heelan – Ross and Turner Travel Associates, Cristiana Zovi – Ignite Travel, Maha Noore – Out and About Travel, Cathy Crawford – Bucket List Travel, Aroha Walker-Nelson – Flight Centre and Alicia Sutton – Flight Centre.