Monday 15 May 2017 Issue 3541

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An Air New Zealand spokesman says the car-rier is pleased to see the Vanuatu Government is making progress on the restoration of the runway at Bauerfield, Vanuatu’s international airport.The Vanuatu Government announced on Fri that it has signed a contract for rehabilitation work at Port Vila’s Bauerfield runway—with an aim to complete the project within 340 days ‘so that Bauerfield can operate reliably and safely at least for the next two decades’.“The Vanuatu Tourism Office and broader tourism industry will be excited to see this project underway as it is one of the keys to unlocking Vanuatu’s tourism potential,” says a release on the agreement. “It will also help secure the sustainability of our tourism industry into the fu-ture”.The first shipment of runway mate-rials is expected to arrive in Jul.The upg rades to the air por t’s runway, taxiway and aprons is to be funded by the World Bank.

NZ stopped flying to Vanuatu in Jan last year citing concerns about the state of the Bauerfield runway.

. . . Big Kiwi PlansLocally the Vanuatu Tourism Office has welcomed the Airport contract signing and New Zealand represen-tative Jacquie Carson says the NTO is looking forward to working with the trade in New Zealand to rebuild the Kiwi tourism numbers to the destination. “Vanuatu has so much to offer the New Zealand traveller with its di-versity and beauty. The Vanuatu Tourism Office is currently working on some great campaigns to show-case Vanuatu to the consumer…..so watch this space,” she adds.

Aussies To Name QF 787sQantas is calling on Australians to suggest names for its new 787-9s—as it looks to name the new Dreamliners after Australian icons.QF group ceo Alan Joyce says the sug-gested names can be people, places or things, ‘so long as they reflect the true Spirit of Australia’. This side of the Tasman we’d also like to add in a condition—as long as they’re not really a New Zealand icon (such as Pavlova, Crowded House, Farlap and Russel Crowe).Australians can enter up to eight dif-ferent names, one for each of the 787s. Entries close 26 May and then the Aussie public will be able to vote on a shortlist of 24. For more details, see qantas.com/nameourdreamliners

Runway Progress For VLI; NZ Pleased

No BSP AlarmTravel Today understands that while Adventure World has report-edly missed a couple of its BSP payments recently, there is a valid explanation and no cause for concern.The Travel Corporation has been undertaking a total shift from one bank to another involving all its brands but, unfortunately, a couple of Adventure World direct debits didn’t happen, including the BSP payments.

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All on sale now till 22 May. See GDS for details.

Aloha USA!AKL HNL 11 US CITIES!From $1099 return

NZ Fiji FaresAir New Zealand has released new shortlife economy fares to Fiji, with Auckland to Nadi Seat + Bag from $244 for sales to 26 May. Wholesale fares are also available.

To celebrate its 20th anniversa-ry, Star Alliance, in conjunction with its 28 member carriers, has launched a worldwide competition with a million frequent flyer miles up for grabs.“Each year, for 20 years, tens of mil-lions of individuals have been brought together by international travel—made possible through the breadth of our Star Alliance network. This has benefited not only the travellers—but also the people they have met along the way,” says chief executive Jeffrey Goh. “As part of our 20th anniver-sary, we are celebrating the strength of human and cultural connections. In order to continue building these, together with our member airlines, we are offering travellers a truly unique prize.”

. . . Be In To WinThe on-line competition runs through to 31 Jul, with the miles to be gifted via the winners’ selected Star Alliance Frequent Flyer Programme (FFP).To enter, travellers need to visit staral-liance.com/mileagemillionaire and upload two photos, one of themselves and one of their ‘favourite cultural

experience’. To complete the entry, they will need to describe what made their experience so special and how it relates to the anniversary theme of connecting people and cultures. Those who are not already members of a Star Alliance FFP can sign-up and receive a membership number on-line. The winners will be announced 28 Sep.

Noumea TacticalsAir New Zealand has new short-life economy fares to New Zealand to New Caledonia, effective immedi-ately for sales to 25 May. Auckland to Noumea is from $252 Seat + Bag. Wholesale fares are also available.

Millions Of Air Miles Up For Grabs

TRENZ Heads SouthThe tourism industry’s annual show-case, TRENZ, will head to Dunedin for the first time next year. It will also be the first time that TRENZ has been held in the South Island since 2012, at a traditionally quiet time of the year for Dunedin’s tourism industry. Dunedin mayor Dave Cull says the move is a major coup for the city and the wider region.

DLs New Rio ServiceDelta will commence a new nonstop, daily flight between Rio de Janeiro and New York-JFK, from 21 Dec.

Burberry Balloon At LHR Burberry has opened a pop-up store at Heathrow, complete with a life-size hot air balloon. Standing over 15 metres tall, the Burberry Balloon is inspired by the real-life achievements of Air Commodore Edward Maitland, who, along with two fellow balloonists, travelled 1117 miles in a hot air bal-loon from London to Russia in 1908, whilst wearing a Burberry suit. The pop-up store is located in the de-parture lounge of Heathrow Terminal 2: The Queen’s Terminal, and features dedicated iPads and Burberry post boxes, allowing travellers to create and print their own Burberry postcards and send them to friends and fam-ily. In addition, an animated video of the Burberry Balloon and its journey from Heathrow to the chosen destina-tion can be shared on the user’s social media account.

Extra Samoa ServiceAir New Zealand has added capacity to its AKL-APW-AKL service this Thu 18 May. The carrier has upgauged the service to a 777-200 (was an A320).

Tourism’s 2025 PlanNew Zealand’s tourism industry, now the nation’s biggest export earner, hopes to grow its total tourism rev-enue to $41 billion a year by 2025.

AKL Bali EventThere is still space at Air New Zealand’s its All Things Bali event on in Auckland 30 May, held in conjunction with DMC Asia Plus. The event, designed to up-skill agents on Bali and NZ’s network with product representatives is from 1730. See diary for details.

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APT and partner AmaWaterways have unveiled plans for an all-new river ship, the AmaMagna—and it won’t be traditional. Due to launch on the Danube in 2019, the ship will be twice the width of traditional European river ships and, in what is said to be a first for river cruising, will be home to an open-water sports platform, complete with zodiac boats, canoes and recreational equipment.“As our guests’ appetite for luxury river cruising continues to grow, APT and AmaWaterways will lead the

way in industry innovation,” says APT Travel Group managing director Chris Hall. “From the engine room to the fine dining areas, AmaWaterways president Rudi Schreiner and his team have worked extremely hard to ensure the AmaMagna will be in a class of its own in terms of amenity and per-formance, and we believe that now is the time to launch the game-changing style of ship,” he says. Accommodating 194 guests, the ship will feature 97 staterooms, the major-ity of which will be over 300 square feet, while additional amenities will include a large heated sundeck swim-ming pool with whirlpool and sky bar, a spa area, fitness room and com-mon areas designed to accommodate events. Construction for the new vessel, which will debut a quieter and more fuel-efficient engine, began 06 Mar. The announcement comes as APT and AmaWaterways have just christened their latest river ship, the AmaKris-tina, and announced the new build of her sister, the AmaMora, which will also come on-line in 2019.

Long Beach Upgrade Carnival Cruise Line has begun its multimillion-dollar renovation of its Long Beach Cruise Terminal facility. The renovation will largely increase the space Carnival currently occupies in the terminal facility, while the expansion and new design will allow for an enhanced passenger experi-ence and operational flow within the terminal. The project also includes the expan-sion of portside cold-ironing to enable larger ships to plug into the local electric grid to reduce emissions while docked. Further enhancements to the area surrounding the cruise terminal are also planned.

The River Cruise ‘Game Changer’

More Asia VoyagesPrincess Cruises has added two 14-day Grand Asia voyages sailing be-tween Shanghai and Singapore on its newest ship, Majestic Princess. The sailings will visit Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Hong Kong. The first voyage departs Shanghai 25 Feb 2018 and the second departs Singapore 11 Mar 2018. Fares start from $2646pp t/s.

World Cruise On SaleSilversea’s World Cruise 2019, a 132-day voyage from San Francisco to London, is now open for reservations. Hosted aboard the all-suite Silver Whisper, the voyage will call at 52 ports in 31 countries across five con-tinents, including 16 overnights and numerous late-night stays. Clients sailing the complete World Cruise will enjoy a variety of special amenities and events, including a Bon Voyage reception and overnight luxury hotel stay in San Francisco, complimentary baggage valet ser-vice, USD4000 onboard spending credit, complimentary unlimited Wi-Fi, complimentary laundry and more. Fares start from USD57,000pp. For further details, CLICK HERE

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News & ProductAirlie Runners RatesMantra Club Croc and Mantra Boathouse Apartments have special rates for participants and spectators of the annual Cruise Whitsundays Airlie Beach Running Festival. Set for 16 Jul, Mantra Club Croc has rooms from AUD107 per night in a garden deluxe room (min three-night stay applies). Mantra Boathouse Apart-ments is from AUD279 per night for a two-bedroom apartment (min three-night stay). Following the event, Mantra Club Croc will host a pool party with live music and a BBQ buf-fet, priced from AUD35 per adult of AUD17.50 for kids over 10. The event line-up includes 42.4km, 10km, 5km, 2km and 1km options. See runairlie.com.au

Sth Dakota Ag TourA g e n t s w i t h c l i e n t s i n t h e agriculture and manufacturing industries should consider agri-tourism opportunities in South Dakota. These include cheese facto-ries, small packing plants, ethanol plants, Hutterite colonies, sunflower seed plant, agricultural equipment manufacturer, and visits to farms and ranches that cover thousands of hectares. Details, 2107 South Dakota Vacation Guide. Download at toursdakota.com

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Dubai Tourism is moving away from traditional training pro-grammes, having launched an on-line educational game, to be uti-lised as a training tool, for agents. The Dubai Expert programme, which operates as a turn-based card game, has been developed in a bid to high-light what makes Dubai a ‘must visit’ destination, says Dubai Tourism’s chief executive Issam Kazim. “We have used technology innova-tion to transcend typical training programmes and create an experi-ence that enhances their [agents]

knowledge of Dubai, so they can build customised itineraries that will attract more visitors. . . Our partner-ships with travel agents are critical to us as we look to expand our influence and reach across industry channels and stakeholders that influence tour-ists looking to visit Dubai,” he says. The programme will see partici-pants select the best cards, each with an attraction in the city, to cre-ate an ideal itinerary for a traveller. Various traveller profiles make up the 30 ‘missions’ of the game, with the best combination of activities earning higher scores. Pop-up ques-tions about the city will also feature throughout the game. The platform also includes 25 videos from experts that serve as a guide of what to do in Dubai, covering family entertainment, gastronomy, shopping, theme parks, culture and heritage, to name a few. Dubai Tourism also has plans to conduct a series of webinars and lo-cal training sessions for Kiwi agents within the next couple of months. To access the game, CLICK HERE

New Dubai Expert Programme, Game

Solomon Visitors UpInternational visitor arrivals to the Solomon Islands surpassed targets for the second consecutive year in 2016—up 7.3% to 23,192 for 2016. New Zealand cemented its number two spot, with Kiwi arrivals to the des-tination up 6.4% on 2015 (to 1544). In a bid to further grow visitor ar-rivals, the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau hopes to capitalise on the 75th anniversary of the Guadalcanal campaign and the commemoration of the John F Kennedy rescue in Aug. “. . . This year holds huge potential for us to boost our 2017 numbers,” says chief executive Jo Tuamoto. “But we know we need to continue to examine how we do things and get them right if we are to take that quantum leap and propel our coun-try’s tourism fortunes into the future,” he says. Locally, the SIVB plans to host a road-show in New Zealand later in the year, as well as a workshop for existing wholesale partners, and potentially for new wholesale and distribution partners.

Sth America Luxe TrainThe new Belmond Luxury overnight train operating in South America provides a new chapter in adventure, advises Viva Expeditions—which says the new service offers ‘outstand-ing levels of luxury aboard one of the world’s highest rail routes’. For footage of the inaugural journey of Belmond Andean Explorer, South America’s first luxury sleeper train CLICK HERE

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Gotthard Tunnel ToursTours of the 57km-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, are now open, advises Swit-zerland Tourism. The Gotthard expe-rience offers a two-hour tour of the facility, which is the longest railway tunnel in the world, with clients able to discover a series of major activities and events that took place over the 100 year construction project. While in the tunnel, clients will also have the chance to watch trains travel through the tunnel from behind a viewing window. Other short tours related to the rail-way can also be added-on.The tour runs Tue-Sat between 0900 and 1330, priced at CHF23 for adults and CHF10 for youth. See myswitzerland.com

Following reports that the US Department of Homeland Secu-rity is looking to expand its ‘lap-top ban’, potentially to include all US-bound flights from Eu-rope, spokesperson David Lapan has taken to Twitter to clarify the move. “No final decisions made on expand-ing the restriction on large electronic devices in aircraft cabins; however, it is under consideration,” Lapan tweet-ed. “DHS continues to evaluate the

threat environment and will make changes when necessary to keep air travellers safe.” He followed this up by sharing state-ments made by DHS secretary John Kelly, who says ‘this program will likely expand given the sophisticated threats aviation faces’. “This was not a move against any country, or ethnic group, or religion, or foreign air carrier as some have irrespon-sibly alleged, but rather, an attempt to safeguard lives. . . That ban, and the intelligence that drove it, dem-onstrates that commercial aviation continues to be a prime target for ter-rorists. . . They never stop and neither can we.”

BKK Palace ClosureBangkok’s Grand Palace will be closed 25-29 Oct as the nation undertakes a five-day funeral ceremony for its late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who passed away last Oct. The official cre-mation will take place 26 Oct, which is now also a public holiday. An area around the palace will be closed to the public over the funeral rites.

Aviation A ‘Prime Target’ Says US

Friendly MEL BarUncle Joes is a friendly new neigh-bourhood bar in Melbourne’s East Brunswick precinct. The venue offers a quality drinks menu with local tap beers, a substantive but curated wine menu, and all the cocktails including a cracking Ne-groni, says Visit Victoria. Achiev-ing a cool but friendly vibe, with stools perfect for solo patrons, and booths and an outdoor bit for bigger groups, the bar is lo-cated in the East Brunswick end of Melbourne’s famed Lygon St. It’s also adjacent to the city’s popular Middle Eastern woodfired pizza joint, Mankoushe. Uncle Joes is at 325 Lygon St. See visitvictoria.com

A Bigger Vegas SplashCircus Circus Las Vegas will expand its pool complex, opening a 15.5m tower to host an aqua tube, speed slide and four-lane mat racer; Splash Pad with water cannons, splash falls and tilting buckets; shade structures for couple and families; and a food truck. The hotel’s two existing pools will have a refurbished snack bar, new restrooms and showers and a pool area only for those 18-years and older. The project is expected to be completed this quarter.

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Hell’s Kitchen In VegasCelebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has plans to open the first of its kind Gor-don Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, advises Discover the World. The opening, set for this (northern) winter, marks Ramsay’s fifth Las Vegas restaurant. The restaurant has been designed to bring the televi-sion show, Hell’s Kitchen, to life, with an experiential and immersive feel. The kitchen will be the centrepiece of the eatery, with every seat in the house able to watch their food getting prepared. The restaurant will seat nearly 300 people, with indoor and Las Ve-gas Strip-adjacent patio dining, with a daily themed brunch, din-ner and spirited bar menu on offer. The menu will feature a selection of Ramsay’s signature dishes, as well as dishes that have featured on the show. Discover the World has further details.

Nanuku Appoints GMNanuku Auberge Resort Fiji has appointed Sascha Hemmann to the role of general manager, effective im-mediately. Hemmann joins the team with more than 23 years’ experience in resort operations and manage-ment.

KiwiRail has united four of its icon-ic journeys under one brand, The Great Journeys of New Zealand—at a time where it hopes to further grow the trade distribution. The new name brings together the Northern Explorer train service; the Interislander Cook Strait ferry service; the TranzAlpine scenic railway; and the Coastal Pacific train journey. The move has come about due to a lack of awareness among some potential visitors that they can be connected on one journey throughout the country, says KiwiRail, while it is also expected to make it easier for wholesalers and agents who are selling the product. A new website, to be launched in

the first week of Jun, will have infor-mation about all of the services, for easy access for both travel trade and consumers. Under the new umbrella KiwiRail will also look at new services and building capacity to meet rising numbers.

. . . Trade ImportantA KiwiRail spokesperson says ‘the trade distribution is very important’ and as such, it hopes to ‘further grow this channel’. “KiwiRail has seen sub-stantial growth in sales of its tourism services of around 20% for each of the last two years, achieved despite the Kaikoura earthquake. Wholesale revenues have mirrored this growth.”

New KiwiRail Brand

Army Museum Spruce-upThe National Army Museum Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea (London) has reopened after a ‘huge’ re-develop-ment project. There are now five per-manent thematic galleries over four floors displaying over 2500 object, a study centre, new café and Play Base for kids. The facility tells personal and ‘inspiring’ stories and explains the importance of national defence and security.

Baudin In TassieNicolas Baudin was a French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer who led an expedition (1800-1803) to map the coast of New Holland (now Australia). Some of the resulting paintings have never been on display before but can now be seen at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart. The Art of Science: Baudin’s Voyagers 1800-1804, is described as an incredible collec-tion and is on loan from the Natural History Museum in Le Havre, France. The exhibition runs to 09 Jul. Details, tmag.tas.gov.au

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MAYAsia Now RoadshowTauranga: Mon 15, Macau Restaurant, 1730.Hamilton: Tue 16, Hamilton Gardens, 1730. Auckland Central: Wed 17, Royal NZ Yacht Squadron, 1730. Auckland North Shore: Thu 18, Khun Pun Thai Restaurant, 1730.

Air NZ Agent Experience EventsWellington: Tue 16, Mac’s Function Centre, 1500-1730.

Lufthansa Agent Training DaysChristchurch: Tue 23, Ilex Botanic Gardens, 0830. Dunedin: Wed 24, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, 0830.

Marriott Global Sales Mission 2017Auckland: Mon 29, the Maritime Room, 2 sessions: 1500-1700 or 1730-1930.

Lonely Planet’s Explore Every Day RoadshowAuckland: Mon 29, L’Affare, Newmarket, 1830 for 1900 start.Christchurch: Tue 30, Dux Central, 1830 for 1900 start.Wellington: Wed 31, Prefab, 1830 for 1900 start.RSVPS essential.

All Things Bali Trade Event Auckland: Tue 30, Air NZ CICC, 1730.

JUNESPANTO Agent EventsTimaru: Tue 13, The Landings

Conference Centre, 1730.Christchurch: Wed 14, Addington Race Course,1800.

Lufthansa Agent Training DaysQueenstown: Thu 22, Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, 0830.

JULYSPANTO Agent EventsNelson: Tue 11, Nelson Suburban Club, 1730. Blenheim: Wed 12, Scenic Hotel Marlbourgh, 1730.

AUGUSTThe Beautiful Samoa RoadshowChristchurch: Tue 01. Wellington: Wed 02. Auckland: Thu 03.Venues tba.

Aloha Down UnderChristchurch: Mon 14, 1730-2030.Auckland: Tue 15, 1730-2030.Venues tba.

Visit Anaheim Roadshow Auckland: Mon 28, the Grand Millennium Hotel, from 1730.

SEPTEMBERVisit USA NZ Regional Roadshow 2Dunedin: Wed 06, from 4pm, venue tba.

DECEMBER Visit USA NZ Regional Roadshow 3Tauranga/Mt. Maunganui: Mon 04, from 4pm, venue tba.

Industry Diary

Botswana Fun For Kids At Chief’s CampSanctuary Retreat’s flagship property, the newly refurbished Sanctuary Chief ’s Camp, has its own dedicated kids area, designed with children aged six upwards in mind. The area includes a fancy dress corner and a nature table, where guides are on hand to help young guests identify wildlife by their droppings. Also in-cluded is an entertainment zone for children aged from 11, with a PlayStation and foosball to keep them entertained well after the excitement of the morning’s predator safari game drive is over. Guests who book three to four nights at any of Sanctuary Retreats’ luxury camps and lodges before 31 Dec save up to 30%. Those who stay five to seven nights save up to 35% and those who stay eight nights or more save up to 40%. Discount depends on season of travel.

Disney Dessert LoungeTo celebrate the 40th anniversary of Space Mountain at Disneyland Resort, a new dessert lounge experience will debut in Tomorrowland 26 May. The Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge Ex-perience, complete with retro décor, will be open 2000-2200, with visitors able to sample a range of sweet and savoury deserts, as well as hot and cold non-alcoholic beverages. Plus, if a fireworks show is scheduled, clients will be able to watch it from their seat in the lounge. Entry costs USD45 for those aged three and over. Reserva-tions are open now and can be booked at disneyland.com/dining

Visit Scotland is gearing up for World Whisky Day, 20 May, with themed festivals, tours and expe-riences on offer throughout the country through to next month.Highlights on the calendar include the Islay Whiskey Festival, held on the Isle of Islay 26 May-03 Jun, with live events, special tours, and plenty of whisky on offer. Edinburgh will host the Edinburgh Whisky Stra-mash festival 27-28 May, with at-tendees able to sample 200 different whiskies from around the world. The capital will also host the Edinburgh Whisky Festival 17 Jun.Further ahead, they Speyside Whisky Autumn Festival will take place at locations across Speyside 22-25 Sep; while the Glasgow Whisky Festival will be held 11 Nov.

. . . New DistilleriesWhisky lovers visiting Scotland later in the year will have the chance to visit a number of new distilleries, adds Visit Scotland. One of the first

distillers to be built in Glasgow in a century, the Clydeside Distillery will look to start distilling whisky in Jul, with tours and tastings beginning at the same time. And opening in the (northern) sum-mer is the Hawick Distillery, with

Scottish Whisky Celebrationsa small visitor centre and tours ex-pected soon after; as well as the Isle of Raasay Distillery, located near to the Isle of Sky, also expected to open a visitor centre. See visitscotland.org for further de-tails.