Edition 119 · December 2017

A new campaign has been launched by Virgin Atlantic encouraging people to gift friends and family with the experience of a lifetime this Christmas. The airline has teamed up with Liberty London on a website that works like a crowdfunding platform where users set up a profile, detailing their dream holiday destination and how much money they would need to fulfil it. Friends and family can then make contributions directly to the cause online or alternately buy vouchers in store.

Further information: https://www.whereiwantforchristmas.com/

British aviation start-up, Waves Technology, has started an on-demand air taxi service connecting the Channel Islands of Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey to the United Kingdom and European mainland. The service is designed to plug the gap in high-quality and flexible transportation between the remote islands which are poorly served by commercial airlines. Customers can buy an empty seat on an existing flight or arrange their own flight depending on their destination, date and time.

Further information: http://www.flywaves.gg/

In a global first, airline catering company Gate Gourmet has partnered with Australian company EcoSlice to test a more environmentally friendly synthetic dry ice on board commercial aircraft. The innovative product is cost effective, greenhouse friendly and safer to use in the confined space of a commercial plane. The project recently received the Innovation Award in the 2017 NSW Green Globe Awards for leadership, commitment and innovation in sustainability.

Further information: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/funding-and-support/awards-and-recognition/green-globe-awards/awards/innovation-award

The Australian Government will provide funding as part of the Tourism Demand Driver Infrastructure Program for a permanent campground to be established at Yanchep National Park. The funding will go towards the construction of an ablutions block, road access, parking areas, paths, signage, BBQ shelter and campsite infrastructure. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions will match the Federal Government funding and manage the project.

Further information: http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/About%20Us/News_and_media/Article/Funding_boost_for_Yanchep_National_Park_campground/744

The first phase of a $14 million, 10-year program to establish a network of climate change refuges on five Great Barrier Reef islands has been launched by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Lady Elliot Island on the Southern Great Barrier Reef will be the first new climate change ‘ark’ included in the Reef Island Refuge Initiative. The initiative brings together the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Queensland Government, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, island-based businesses, communities, research and science agencies.

Further information: https://www.barrierreef.org/science-with-impact/lady-elliot-island

Australia’s longest zipline will be built in Brisbane at Mount Coot-tha allowing riders to traverse the tree-tops at 65km/h. The $15 million tourist attraction will also feature the longest pedestrian suspended bridge walk in the southern hemisphere. Construction by Zipline Australia will begin next year, with the attraction due to open in 2019. Brisbane City Council will contribute $1 million to the project with additional funding coming from the private sector.

Further information: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/parks-venues/mt-coot-tha-precinct/mt%C2%A0coot-tha-precinct-projects/mt-coot-tha-zipline

Visit Victoria has launched a $12 million fully integrated destination marketing campaign to change perceptions of Melbourne and bring the city’s many personas to life. A Twist at Every Turn is a multi-channel campaign incorporating television, cinema, digital, social media, out of home advertising, as well as public relations and partnership activity. Targeting interstate visitors, the new creative focuses on Melbourne’s sport, creative industries, culinary experiences, fashion and live music.

Further information: https://mediahub.visitvictoria.com/news/melbourne-twist-every-turn

Tourism Australia has published a suite of promotional materials including a video, itineraries, articles and imagery to promote the Great Fishing Adventures of Australia collective to anglers around the world. The group of independently owned fishing tourism operators is part of the Signature Experiences of Australia program which packages and promotes tourism experiences across a variety of special interest categories.

Further information: http://www.australia.com/en/things-to-do/signature-experiences-of-australia/great-fishing-adventures.html

Tourism bodies VisitEngland and VisitScotland have launched a website for tourism businesses to create and publish accessibility guides. This initiative aims to standardise how information is presented, making it easier for disabled customers, their friends and family to compare venues in a user-friendly format.

Further information: https://www.accessibilityguides.org/

G Adventures, The George Washington University’s International Institute of Tourism Studies and the Planeterra Foundation, have released a comprehensive set of guidelines for companies working with Indigenous groups. The Indigenous People and The Travel Industry: Global Good Practice Guidelines are intended to educate travel companies while helping communities benefit from responsible and culturally sensitive tourism. The guidelines were developed after a review of existing literature and input from an expert panel.

Further information: https://media.gadventures.com/media-server/dynamic/admin/flatpages/Indigenous_Tourism_Guidelines_2017.pdf

My Green Butler is a digital advisory service that incorporates smart metering, big data, quantitative surveys and direct interaction with professionally trained staff to educate guests on what they can do to help achieve responsible, sustainable tourism. Developed and patented by Crystal Creek Meadows in Kangaroo Valley, the project has been acknowledged by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation as providing participating businesses with a greater understanding of resource saving opportunities and impacts on guest satisfaction.

Further information: https://mygreenbutler.com/

The International Tourism Partnership a grouping of hotel industry leaders has released the Hotel Global Decarbonisation Report which outlines the hotel sector’s target for carbon reduction to meet the cap set out in the Paris Climate Agreement. The report highlights the new actions and approaches hotels will need to adopt to mitigate their contribution to climate change. It also outlines the methodology behind the carbon reduction figures and details the steps the sector will need to take to reduce its carbon footprint.

Further information: https://www.tourismpartnership.org/blog/itp-carbon-report-provides-hotel-sectors-goal-mitigate-climate-change/

M Social has opened a new 190-room hotel in Auckland Harbour, New Zealand. The hip and fashionable Singapore hotel brand started out as a brainchild of property-hotel veteran Mr Kwek Leng Beng owner of the larger Millennium & Copthorne Hotels. There are plans to open more M Social hotels in other markets such as Seoul, South Korea and California.

Further information: https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/auckland/m-social-auckland/

Travelport, the leading Travel Commerce Platform, has published the results of a Global Traveller Survey that highlights the significance of digital tools for travellers when planning, booking and experiencing a journey. The report also includes the world’s first Digital Traveller Rankings, with India crowned champions as the country with the most digitally-advanced travellers. The research covered 11,000 respondents in 19 countries globally and was restricted to people who had taken at least one return flight last year.

Further information: https://www.travelport.com/company/media-center/press-releases/2017-11-08/travelport-global-survey-highlights-different-digital

The latest GlobalData report, Top Trends in Sustainable Tourism, provides an analysis of the key trends in sustainable tourism and the business opportunities they create for the travel and tourism industry. The report reveals that increased awareness of social, economic and environmental sustainability has spread rapidly through the digital world and social media.

Further information: https://www.globaldata.com/store/report/tt0085mi–top-trends-in-sustainable-tourism-an-analysis-of-the-key-trends-in-sustainable-tourism-and-the-business-opportunities-they-create-for-the-travel-and-tourism-industry/

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by six percent compared to the same six-month period last year. The World Tourism Barometer is a regular publication aimed at monitoring the short-term evolution of tourism and providing the sector with relevant and timely information.

Further information: http://mkt.unwto.org/barometer

Australia has ranked seventh in the latest Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index produced by the World Economic Forum. The index provides an in-depth analysis of the travel and tourism competitiveness of 136 economies across the world by measuring a set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector.

Further information: http://reports.weforum.org/travel-and-tourism-competitiveness-report-2017/

The Western Australian government conducted a 90-day project to streamline regulatory approvals and reduce compliance costs for ecotourism and nature-based businesses. The program was designed to make it easier for businesses to commence, innovate and expand. Feedback from industry and government has resulted in 27 recommendations including the publication of regulatory process maps to help businesses navigate the regulatory pathways and avoid unnecessary delays in obtaining approvals.

Further information: https://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Publications%20Library/Industry%20Support%20and%20Opportunities/Eco-Nature-Based-Tourism-Regulatory-Map-July-2017.pdf

The World Travel and Tourism Council has launched a new campaign highlighting the stories of people that have used tourism to transform their and other people’s worlds. The campaign covers the transformational stories of people across education, community, nature and wildlife in all corners of the world including Botswana, China, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and U.S.A.

Further information: https://www.transformingour.world/

The winner of the 2017 Adventure in Motion short film competition is The Man at the End of the World, produced by GLP Films. More than 140 films were submitted and reviewed by a committee of industry professionals. The winner receives a one-year membership, entry to the 2018 Adventure Travel World Summit and exposure through Adventure Travel website and newsletters.

Further information: https://www.adventure.travel/adventure-in-motion

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has pledged to make the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Chiang Mai a huge success, especially  TRAVEX  where millions of dollars of business is transacted annually.

Demand for Southeast Asian tourism products is growing at 10% a year according to the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), making ASEAN the fastest growing tourism region in the world.

“TRAVEX at ATF is the engine room driving much of ASEAN’s tourism success story,” said Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor. “That’s why we are calling out to exhibitors to book their space, and for buyers to come and showcase the best of Southeast Asia to the world.”

ATF takes place at the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre (CMECC) 22-26 January, 2018, with travel industry buyers conducting business on the floor of TRAVEX from 24-26 January.

Go to http://atfthailand2018.com for more information

The ENTER2018 eTourism Conference will be held in Jönköping, Sweden from 24-26 January 2018. Organised by the International Federation for Information Technology and Travel and Tourism, the conference provides a forum to discuss the latest trends in information and communication technology for the travel industry.

Further information: https://enter2018.org/

The Council for Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE) Conference will be held in Newcastle, Australia from 5-8 February 2018. The conference provides a forum to explore how accessible information is transforming the ways by which visitors and tourists behave through keynote presentations, panel sessions and workshops.

Further information: https://www.newcastle.edu.au/about-uon/governance-and-leadership/faculties-and-schools/faculty-of-business-and-law/conferences/cauthe-2018

The first International Conference on Halal Tourism will be held in Bali, Indonesia from 9-11 February 2018. The conference aims to gather researchers, practitioners and decision makers to share and discuss the latest research and trends in the field of halal tourism and supporting industries.

Further information: https://www.icht.co/