On the rails . . .

AUSTRALIAN owned International Rail has just launched its new live booking system for rail systems in UK and Europe, allowing agents to book trains instantly for their clients. Available for trains in the UK, Europe, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, as well as popular intercountry services such as Eurostar and overnight trains; the website will connect directly to the European reservations systems, managing director Jonathan Hume said.
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Aussies miss their pets more than their family when travelling

JETSTAR has today released the results of its inaugural “Global Travel Survey”, with almost 30,000 travellers sharing their quirky holiday behaviours. Jetstar customers from destinations across the airline’s network including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Greater China and Vietnam took part in the research, responding to a series of holiday-related questions ranging from pet peeves to travel etiquette.

Key findings revealed that a quarter of Australians miss their pets most when travelling, more than 80 per cent prioritise packing a phone over a book, and more than one third say that a person using both armrests is the most annoying behaviour experienced when sitting next to a fellow traveller. Jetstar Chief Customer Officer, Catriona Larritt, said the Global Travel Survey has uncovered insightful information regarding Jetstar customers’ travel behaviours and preferences.

• One in four Australians misses their family pet more than anything when on holidays. This answer was unique to Australians, with every other country agreeing that it’s their family they miss most. 
• Only 9% of Aussies said they’d miss their kids most while on holidays and similarly, only 9% said that their dream holiday involved travelling with their little ones. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most Aussies say they don’t miss anyone at all (32%) while they are enjoying their holidays. 
• Aussies are romantic, with 57% choosing to travel with their partner on their dream holiday, rather than travelling on their own (7%). This was in contrast to Japanese travellers, a large portion of who say they would prefer to fly solo on their dream trip (28%). 
•  The top tip for plane etiquette is to never use both arm rests. A massive 39% of Australian respondents said that this was the most frustrating behavior their neighbour could display, followed by the person who talks to you the entire journey; 19% of Aussies would prefer that chatty passengers keep quiet.  

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U.S. tops list for Australian Travellers

AUSTRALIANS are planning trips to the Americas, with the United States and Canada ranking high on the list of preferred destinations for the upcoming 2018 holiday season according to global luxury travel network Virtuoso. Known as a leading trend forecaster in the industry, Virtuoso has surveyed its 1,400 Australian travel advisors to uncover expert insights into luxury holiday trends and the preferences of their elite clientele. 

Top International Destinations 

• United States 

• Canada /Italy (tie) 

• Japan 

• France 

• New Zealand

Top Unusual/Surprising Destinations 

• Iceland 

• Bhutan 

• Mongolia 

• Sri Lanka 

• Antarctica

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Up in the air . . .

EMIRATES is celebrating 10 years of A380 operations. Since its first flight to New York from Dubai on 1 August 2008, the Emirates A380 has carried more than 4 million Australian passengers and 105 million passengers globally, clocking in more than 1.5 billion kilometres on 115,000 flights, equivalent to 39,000 trips around the globe.

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Walk over the Pacific Ocean

P&O Cruises is giving Australians the opportunity to experience a thrill-seeking activity of a lifetime with the launch of ‘Walk the Wire’ – the world’s first tightrope walk between two cruise ships as they glide side-by-side on the Pacific Ocean. The safety harness equipped activity involves a 30-metre walk from the top deck of Pacific Aria to sister ship Pacific Eden on a cable stretched 40-metres high above the sea. 

Adrenalin-loving guests can take part in the ultimate balancing act during select cruises in 2019 when the two ships are sailing alongside each other off the coast of New South Wales. The new experience will be available for a select number of guests who pass preliminary tests. Interested participants can visit P&O Cruises’ Australia’s Facebook page and sign up to the Walk the Wire event to receive more information, including how to book. 

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Big year for Canada

MORE Australians visited #Canada than ever before during 2017, with visitation up by almost 12.6 per cent on the previous year. A total of 375,395 Aussies made the trip to Canada during the year, typically spending more and staying longer than any other foreign market. It was a big year for Canada as it celebrated its 150th birthday with a record-breaking 20.8 million tourists from around the world, the highest number in Canadian history.

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Australians primed for a winter holiday in the North Island

GEOTHERMAL and volcanic landscape of the Central North Island coupled with glow worm caves and Maori cultural events and cuisine are all unique to New Zealand.

Tourism #NewZealand is leading the development and implementation of a $750,000 marketing campaign which capitalises on Ruapehu, Taupo and Rotorua with spare capacity across accommodation and experiences during the #winter months (Jun-Sep).

The six week promotion showcases the geothermal experiences and landscapes of the central plateau volcanic zone, lakes, hot pools, glow worm caves, National Parks and Māori culture with a snow experience at Whakapapa or Turoa, Mt Ruapehu as part of a wider winter touring holiday.

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The lure of Wellington and Marlborough

WELLINGTON'S creative and cultural attractions plus a scenic Marlborough trip are being promoted to lure Australians here for an autumn break.

Tourism New Zealand is partnering with the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) and Destination Marlborough to raise awareness of both places among Australians and to encourage them to visit.

A four week campaign will run from next week with the aim of increasing the number of arrivals by 7.5 percent in March to May this year. That would see more than 7000 Australians heading to Wellington and Marlborough for a short holiday.

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Picture Credit: pintrest Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand by Rach Stewart

Hiking & Cycling in Hong Kong

HONG KONG may be known as a modern and cosmopolitan city, famous for its myriad skyscrapers, shopping options and dining hotspots, but the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is aiming to shed light on a different side with the launch of their latest campaign Hong Kong’s Great Outdoors. 

The new campaign encourages Aussies to don their active gear and set out to explore a more organic side of the city, one that is far removed from its buzzing urban centre. To show visitors what they are missing out on, the HKTB has recruited a handful of local photographers, including: landscape photographer and a Hong Kong National Geographic 2013 photography winner, Will Cho; veteran outdoor sports photographer, Elvis Mo; a Nature Conservancy 2017 photography winner, Jessica Li; and renowned photographer, Romain Jacquet Lagreze, best-known for his “Vertical Horizon” photo series, showcasing the geometric lines of Hong Kong.

HKTB’s newly published guidebook “Your Guide to Hiking & Cycling in Hong Kong”. The guidebook is available from visitor centres around the city or as an e-version and is divided into three different themes: Hiking in Heritage; Picture-Perfect Vistas; and Geological Wonders, with each section detailing suggested trails, along with the estimated time required and difficulty levels. Visitors are free to escape the hustle and bustle of the city at their own leisure and discover the surrounding beauty whether it be spectacular cityscapes; remote beaches; rustic villages; serene islands; or historical and cultural landmarks. The guidebook also features cycling trails for those who are keen to explore at a slightly faster speed.

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Impacts of business travel for Australians

NEW research by International SOS has identified the impact of business travel on people’s mental health and the need for Australian companies to improve emotional support for travelling staff. Close to one million Australians travel overseas for work each year, but in doing so they potentially face an increased risk of stress, depression and anxiety that can have far-reaching consequences. Travelling through different time zones (‘jetlag’), poor sleep and diet, a lack of work/life balance and social isolation from friends and family have been identified as the top stress factors for business travellers, along with having to contend with different organisational cultures or structures.

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Australian tourists rethink travel plans as terrorism fears worsen

FOUR in five (84%) Australians fear flying with at least half blaming terrorism, finder.com.au, the site that compares virtually everything, has revealed.

Terrorist attacks on planes including the aircraft being hijacked is the major reason why Australians fear taking-off – instilling fear in 45% of Aussie jetsetters, according to a finder.com.au survey of 2,005 Australians. And it’s not just attacks in the air they are worried about.

High profile terrorist incidents in cities such as London, Berlin, Paris, Nice and most recently Barcelona have made Australians wary about traveling in Europe.


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