AUSSIE FORMULA One star Daniel Ricciardo is the celebrity face of a new global tourism campaign inviting travellers to Drive the Dream’.
Daniel and his best mate Blake embark on a road trip adventure from Perth to Exmouth along the Coral Coast Highway in Western Australia, captured in a nine-minute short film for the campaign.
The pair enjoy several tourism experiences along the way, including swimming with whale sharks, catching and cooking fish as part of an Aboriginal cultural experience and camping out at Bullara Station.
The campaign will be rolled out over the next 12 months across Australia and the State’s key international markets, including Europe, the UK, South East Asia and Japan, aiming to attract visitors to WA and inspire them to take their own road trip.
The campaign is a follow up to last year’s launch of WA’s global tourism brand Walking on a Dream’.
“Daniel Ricciardo is the perfect talent to front this campaign, as a proud Western Australian and global Formula 1 superstar, to help draw thousands of out-of-State visitors to WA to explore the one-of-a-kind adventures on offer creating local jobs and supporting local business right across the State, said WA Premier, Roger Cook.
With more than 10,000 km of coastline, Aboriginal cultural experiences representing 60,000 years of tradition and unique flavours crafted by earth and sea, a road trip is the best way to explore Western Australia’s nature and wildlife encounters.
NEW STORE TO HELP AGENTS RAISE THEIR SAILS
VIRGIN VOYAGES is introducing an easier way for travel advisors to book future voyages.
Voyage Store, powered by Travel the World, is an additional booking channel launching this month.
Using the dedicated service, travel advisors what the brand refers to as First Mates can make bookings via a local Virgin Voyages expert.
“Introducing a local Voyage Store is a great step forward and demonstrates the ultimate commitment to our Australian and New Zealand First Mates, said Shane Lewis-Riley, VP of International Sales.
We’re ramping up activity ahead of the brand’s debut in Australia this December and this investment is meant to streamline the booking process for our partners.
Voyage Store will offer several advantages:
- Aussie-based Virgin Voyages experts
- 16 per cent commission on the voyage fare
- Bookings that contribute to head-of?ce targets
- Net payment directly to Travel The World
- Free phone number 1300 732 300 open 9am to 5pm AEST.
With travel demand at historic levels, we know how busy our First Mates can get. Sometimes, picking up the phone is the easiest option and we’ll be there on the other end to help them maximise their time and to raise their sales.
First Mates can also invite their clients to take advantage of the brand’s Match and Sea More program.
Whether clients are avid cruisers or have sailed only a handful of times, past cruisers can match their current loyalty status through Virgin Voyages’ loyalty program, The Sailing Club.
The Match and Sea More program is available now for bookings made through December 31, with perks available to be redeemed on voyages through 2024.
AGENT PODCAST SET TO ENTERTAIN & INFORM
AAT KINGS IS taking its travel advisor training program in a new direction with the launch of a 20-episode podcast series.
As part of a newly launched Agent Academy Training Platform, the new A-List Access Podcast series is aimed at entertaining and informing travel advisors on their lunch breaks or daily commute.
Each episode is hosted by Nick and Yas who will interview personalities from across the AAT Kings team.
Interviewees will range from CEO Ben Hall to various people around the company, from product experts to frontline team members and sales managers based all over the world.
The podcast is aimed both at newcomers to the industry and the brand or those experienced at selling AAT Kings product, with episodes published in small, bite-sized lengths.
In a world where travel agents are increasingly essential for travellers seeking confidence and security in their bookings, AAT Kings has recognised the need to support the new wave of agents entering the industry while giving well-established consultants new insights, said Ben Hall.
Many of these agents may be less familiar with the evolution and growth experiences within the AAT Kings Group, making these podcasts a crucial step in helping ensure their success and confidence in selling AAT Kings products to their clients.
The first four episodes of the AAT Kings A-List Access podcast are available to listen now on all major podcast platforms.
SIGN UP FOR AMAZON VOUCHER
ONE OF the world’s largest and fastest growing B2B travel portals and reservations systems has expanded to the Australian market.
Launched in 2007, RezLive.com delivers global travel content hotel, sightseeing, activities and transfers to travel partners.
RezLive.com offers travel advisors access to live rates at more than 500,000 hotels and apartments around the world along with 5,000 day tours, transfers and activities, offering B2B rates only.
Utilising a dynamic booking engine and connection, advisors can hold rates by selecting flexible and refundable options which also provides free cancellations.
Advisors are also provided with the hotel’s own reservation number to ensure no confusion at check-in.
The platform is supported by 24/7 support and sales services along with secure payment facilities, with no fees levied for online payments.
As a welcome bonus, Australian agents can register and earn a $10 Amazon voucher for their first booking with RezLive.com made before November 30.
The company also offers the RezRewards loyalty program, allowing advisors to accumulate points which can be spent to earn discounts on their own bookings.
SHOW YOUR LOYALTY TO REX
REX HAS unveiled details of the airline’s loyalty program for frequent flyers.
Passengers can now register for Rex Flyer and begin earning points across the airline’s domestic and regional networks.
Customers will immediately receive 5,000 Rex points as a bonus if they sign up before January 2, 2024. All members will see their reward points doubled for bookings made by January 2, 2024, regardless of the date of travel.
Members can earn up to seven points for every dollar spent each time they fly and up to five points for each dollar spent on selected Rex Extras such as additional baggage and seat selection.
From mid-November Rex Flyer members will be able to use their points to redeem flights with three reward options Anytime, Getaway and Ultimate.
The Anytime option allows members to redeem at last-seat-available basis and provides the highest flexibility of all frequent flyer programs available in Australia.
Three tier status levels Sapphire, Emerald and Diamond – will be accorded to those who have accumulated the relevant number of points and qualifying members will be able to enjoy the tier status benefits from early 2024.
The program with its superior benefits means we can at last reward our passengers for the loyalty they have shown us over many years as we have fought hard – often against almost impossible odds – to provide them with safe, affordable and reliable air services, said the Hon John Sharp AM, Rex Deputy Chairman.
The staggered rollout of Rex Flyer will also be accompanied by new airport lounges planned for Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane with construction commencing imminently.
CAMPAIGN IS MADE TO SELL
THE SINGAPORE Tourism Board has launched a global campaign showcasing how ordinary moments can be turned into extraordinary experiences.
The latest Made in Singapore’ campaign features distinctive offerings with bold and witty descriptors, sparking curiosity by conveying a twist on the familiar.
The campaign puts a fresh spin on the Passion Made Possible’ destination brand and also spotlights quintessentially Singapore experiences.
We know many Australians love visiting Singapore and are familiar with its offerings, so we’re excited to showcase the city’s iconic attractions alongside new experiences and hidden gems in a bold and unexpected way, said Oliver Chong, Executive Director Oceania of the Singapore Tourism Board.
We hope the Made in Singapore campaign inspires more visitors from this region to visit Singapore, let their imaginations take flight and create memories in a city where simple, everyday moments become both unforgettable and extraordinary.
Australia continues to be a key market for Singapore, having recovered 95 per cent of 2019’s visitor arrivals from January to August 2023.
STB expects this year’s visitor arrivals to recover to about 12 to 14 million and tourism receipts to sit at around $S18 to $S21 billion, approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of pre-COVID 2019 levels.
TREE CHEERS FOR PLANTING PLAN
G ADVENTURES HOPES to plant more than one and a half million trees each year as part of a new Trees for Days’ initiative.
Announced on World Tourism Day, the project asserts the company’s commitment to preserving communities and the environment around the world.
For every day a traveller is on a G Adventures trip, one tree will be grown, helping to both mitigate carbon emissions and increase support in 17 local communities around the world.
The tree planting projects are in locations that have been severely impacted by climate change through deforestation, or that are currently under threat.
By supporting the development of sustainable tourism enterprises within these communities, the travel industry can help protect the environment, as well as create additional income streams for local people, most often benefiting and empowering marginalised Indigenous populations, women and youth.
Travellers will be able to log into their G Adventures account and keep tabs on their tree grove in terms of how many trees they’ve grown and where they’ve planted their roots.
Our travellers care about making a difference when they travel and they do that simply by booking a tour with G Adventures, said Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures.
Together, we will address how community tourism can play an important role in helping the planet heal, while uplifting local communities, through reforestation and positive local impact.
The small group adventure tour operator has already planted over one million trees after backdating the planting of trees for every day a traveller has joined a trip since January 1, 2023.
MORE STORIES
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How much do you know about travel and the world around us? Test yourself here!
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