Destination News
World’s Best Airport award
Zurich Airport has been recognised by the highly prestigious Skytrax World Airport Award as the world’s best airport in the “20-30 million passengers” category. The airport has also been awarded the world’s best baggage claim service for the fourth consecutive year and for having the best airport staff in Europe.
Evelyn Lafone, Director of Switzerland Tourism Australia and New Zealand, says these awards are a fitting testament to the high standards of service provided to passengers at Zurich Airport.
“Being the welcome point to many tourists coming into the country by air, it is imperative that the quality of the services and facilities offered at the airport give visitors a good impression,” says Lafone.
Another tourist death in Indonesia from methanol poisoning
Another young tourist has died from methanol-spiked alcohol in Indonesia.
23-year-old British girl, Cheznye Emmons, was travelling through Indonesia with her boyfriend Joe Cook, 21, when she started feeling ill after drinking from a bottle marked as gin from a local shop.
Within days she complained that she was unable to see and subsequently travelled for hours through the jungle before being transferred to Medan, Sumatra where she was placed in an induced coma.
Her parents, made the decision to turn off her life support on April 25.
Pacific Pearl in a ‘vivid’ new light
P&O Cruises’ superliner Pacific Pearl will become the canvas for a spectacular Vivid Sydney light and sound display – the first time a cruise ship has been part of the festival.
DFAT travel advisories
Nigeria: Reconsider your need to travel
Egypt, Rwanda: High degree of caution
Five-star hotel worker stabs 11-year-old guest in Crete
An 11-year-old Russian boy, Nikita Onishchenko, was stabbed more than 20 times on Tuesday by a Dutch entertainer at the hotel, in Crete, where he was staying with his family.
Greek officials said Nikita, from Moscow, vanished from the five-star hotel in the Hersonissos region in northern Crete. He was found by police, after his mother raised the alarm, five hours after he was reported missing, lying behind a parking lot near the hotel.
The 20 year old Dutchman worked as an entertainer at the hotel and has been arrested. He has confessed to the stabbing and to stealing Nikita’s iPad and mobile phone.
The boy is being treated at Aglayya Kyriakou Children’s Hospital in Athens, Greece.
Brisbane to welcome Emirates A380
Emirates will operate flights EK434 and EK435 between Auckland, Brisbane and Dubai on the Airbus A380 superjumbo from 2 October 2013.
Adding the Airbus A380-800 to one of Emirates’ two daily Brisbane services will see an increase in capacity of 132 seats for sale per flight and 1,848 week, reinforcing Emirates’ commitment to Queensland passengers. The daily double service currently yields 354 seats on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Dusit chief calls for Phuket tourism strategy changes
Chanin Donavanik, the chief executive of Dusit International, added his name in yesterday’s ‘Bangkok Post’ to the increasing number of experts calling for change in Phuket. One of Thailand’s most respected figures in resort management, Donavanik has called for improvements in Thailand’s approach to overcrowded airports, pollution and safety issues.
However, Phuket Tourism Association Vice President, Bhuritt Maswongsa, says he wants Phuket’s future to be properly assessed and for its ”carrying capacity” to be the key to a sensible strategy.
Maswonga told Phuketwan he believes constant attention to growing numbers of tourists has taken Phuket in the wrong direction and that it’s time for a dramatic reassessment.
Seattle launches new ho-ho trolley car today
Seattle’s new Emerald City Trolley launches today through to September 29, with three lines running from the Experience Music Project: a waterfront tour, express service to the Museum of Flight and a route to Ballard and Fremont. Stops along the routes include the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum, Ballard Locks, Woodland Park Zoo, Kenmore Air and MOHAI.
Narrators will recount “historical accounts as well as farcical anecdotes,” and passengers will be able to hop on and hop off along the routes.
The new Emerald City Trolley stops at Woodland Park Zoo.
Photo: Drew Symonds, The Fearey Group
“The Emerald City Trolley line offers travellers a way to visit all the attractions our city offers without the expense and complication of renting and parking a car,” said Jeremy Butzlaff, chief operations officer for Emerald City Trolley. “Guests can just hop on and off whenever and wherever they like, enabling them to see and experience Seattle for what it really is — amazing.”
Fares start at USD $45 for a two-day pass, with extra days costing USD $15. Family passes for two adults and up to three children 12 and under cost USD $110.
Collect your grocery shopping at the airport
Woolworths have announced a trial at Melbourne airport, where travellers can submit their grocery list via an app on their iOs or Android smartphone, and have their shopping ready for collection at the airport when they land.
Orders can be made up to seven days ahead and can then be collected in the terminal forecourt, using the same ‘click and collect’ process as other online collection points.
While the trial is confined to Melbourne at this point, Woolworths envisage that it will roll out to other airports if successful.
Qantas/Emirates get the trans-Tasman OK
One of the trickiest parts of the Qantas and Emirates alliance was the focus on the New Zealand end of the deal, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission already limiting the airlines’ joint activity to pre-March levels.
However, both airlines have welcomed the decision by the New Zealand minister for transport to approve the partnership for five years, saying that it will provide the NZ market with stronger links to Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the UK, along with frequent flyer benefits and “world-class travel experiences”.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said “This decision means that New Zealand consumers can tap into the lounges, frequent flyer benefits and destinations available under the joint Qantas and Emirates network.
Luhrmann gives us ‘The Great Sydney’
It’s not New York – it’s Sydney’s Inner West – White Bay Power Station, Rozelle
F.Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby is set squarely in New York and Long Island. Baz Luhrmann’s film version uses familiar Sydney locations to evoke America’s East Coast of the 1920s.
The Great Gatsby at Sydney’s White Bay Power Station. Image: smh.com.au
Filming in and around the inner west suburb of Balmain, the iconic White Bay Power Station in Rozelle was transformed into the “Valley of Ashes”.
New Tonga tourism campaign -’True South Pacific’
Tonga invites Aussies and Kiwis to come and experience The True South Pacific with the launch in both countries of its new tourism marketing campaign this week, running through May and June.
Image: thekingdomoftonga.com
Perfectly timed, and targeted, to appeal to Aussie and Kiwi holidaymakers staring down the onset of winter and dreaming of chasing the sun, the campaign is aimed at raising awareness of the holiday options across the 176 islands that make up the Kingdom of Tonga.
Launching the campaign, which features advertising on television and outdoor billboards in New Zealand, and online advertising in both Australia and NZ, Tonga’s Prime Minister and Acting Minister for Commerce, Tourism and Labour, Lord Tu’ivakano said, “Tonga is an emerging tourism destination with vast potential and the tourism sector offers significant economic development opportunities for our country. This new campaign demonstrates Government’s commitment to boosting tourism development”.
The Tongan government’s focus on tourism is great news for tour operators and travel agents with an allocation of greater resources to tourism marketing and development and initiatives, including an accommodation grading scheme, Tonga Mark, which will be extended into transport, taxis and attractions. With a new domestic airline, Real Tonga, already operating and expanding services to the outer islands, Lord Tu’ivakano added that “In addition to this marketing campaign, Government have focused on improving the quality of the visitor experience… to give assurance to visitors and to travel agents who sell Tonga holidays.”
China Southern increases Brisbane flights
From 26 June China Southern will increase flights between Brisbane and Guangzhou from four to five each week and is hoping to offer daily and even daily double flights, if the market allows. The airline recently upgraded its Brisbane flights to new A330-223 aircraft.
“Our aim always is to be aspirational,” said China Southern regional general manager Australia/New Zealand, Henry He. “But how aspirational depends on the level of support we get from the industry and present growth rates continuing to increase.”
DFAT travel advisories
Sudan: Do not travel
Myanmar, Turkey: high degree of caution
Tell your clients – wait for the Gallipoli ballot before booking
The ballot for places at the Anzac Day centenary dawn service in Gallipoli will be held between November and January and numbers are very limited.
According to a report by Sarah Whyte on smh.com.au, the ballot will allow for “8000 Australians, 2000 New Zealanders and 500 ‘official representatives’ tickets to the 2015 dawn service and the Lone Pine service.” Of the Australian allocation of 8000 tickets, only 3000 double passes are available.
