Your personal magazine Your personal magazine twice a week MEMO twice a week MEMO Your personal magazine Your personal magazine twice a week MEMO twice a week MEMO TRAVELinc Memo 4 August 2017 1 FRI TopDog Travel 4 AUG 2017 Your personal magazine Your personal magazine Personnel ISSUE twice a weekThe place to find outstanding roles twice a week New Website MEMO MEMO 1028 CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE! www.topdog.co.nz Best Brokerr NOW LIVE! MORE TOURS, GREAT SPECIALS & RESOURCES HELEN CAMBELL Brand Tel: 09 966 2549 DDI TRAVEL [email protected] 2014, 2015 Click here to visit RECRUITMENT 0800 131 900 | VIVAEXPEDITIONS.COM SPECIALIST 18 years in Travel Recruitment & 2016 The Latin America & Antarctica Travel Specialists Samoa’s sporting chance: agents get the update Top sports facilities and ‘GNH’ (Gross National Happiness) are good reasons for booking a trip to Samoa, says Samoa Tourism Authority chief executive, Sonja Hunter. Speaking to a strong turnout of Wellington travel agents at the Beautiful Samoa Roadshow on Wednesday, Turner said not many people knew about Samoa’s sports and training facilities. These included the Olympic size swimming pool, hockey turf, soccer fields, Apia Park Stadium and the Samoa Rugby Union’s High Performance Facility. ‘Aside from having a holiday, people and groups can come here for training as well, then training definitely becomes Exotic Holidays bring more fun,’ she said. you their collection For golfers, the Royal Samoa Country Club championship of luxury escape golf course is close to Apia and hosts the annual pro-am Samoa Open, attracting golfers from New Zealand, Australia programmes and the Pacific. International boxing has also become a focus in Samoa. Exclusive and designed for Following Joseph Parker’s successful WBO title defence fight, the sophisticated, discerning in Apia earlier this year, next month ‘Showdown in Paradise’ traveller will draw top international youth boxers to the Samoan 0508 396 842 capital. The feature fight will be an IBF World [email protected] Continued on page 2 JOIN www.expedia.co.nz/taap Check out Expedia TAAP TODAY 0800 452 151 option 2 Package Rates AT [email protected] TRAVELinc Memo 4 August 2017 2 News Contacts are everything… And this is the book that gives you the contacts you need. • Airlines • Wholesalers • TAANZ Full Members • TAANZ Approved Travel Brokers • TAANZ Allied Members • Tourism Offices and much more Charlotte Scott-Hill, helloworld Featherston Street; Sonja Hunter, Order your personal copy now from [email protected] Tom Pullan, Flight Centre Chews Lane; Lisa Patel and Amy Giddon, Samoa Tourism Authority; Donna Soler and Becs Noble, House of Flight Centre North City Travel, Hunter Street Samoa’s sporting chance: agents get the update Continued from page 1 Youth Title Fight, pitching American Frankie Lopez against upcoming Australian/Samoan star Jai Opetaia. ‘Overall, we are definitely seeing more interest in Samoa as a holiday destination, also for events, and it’s wonderful that a lot more New Zealanders are finding out about us,’ says Hunter. The Beautiful Samoa Roadshow was in Christchurch on Tuesday and Auckland last night. For photos from Jenny Felsner, ANZ Nature Tours; Elke Schaefer, Raukikini; Frank Wholesale Consultant Cruise Consultant last night’s Auckland event click here. Hildebrandt, Jana Ubben and Claudia Reinhardt, ANZ Nature Tours RECRUITING NOW! Jump ship and join NZ’s largest and most exciting Travel company!! Infinity Holidays, Flight Centre’s very successful wholesaler is on the lookout for new consultants. Whether you’re a cruise lover, cruise seller or worked on cruise ships WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! You will bring with you; • An In depth cruise knowledge and personal cruise experience to share and brag about! • Superstar Sales with an amazing track record to back it up! • Travel consulting experience would be a huge benefit • Energy and unfailing attitude to thrive in the call centre environment. To be part of a NZ’s largest travel company that loves to celebrate our shared successes, with a fun and supportive culture APPLY NOW! REC1145091 Maeleen Owen, New Zealand Travel Brokers; Manfred Berthold, Susie William, Return to Paradise Resort & Spa; Soroya May, Le Vasa https://www.flightcentrecareers.co.nz/?job=1771SK Raukikini; Chris Martin, Seabreeze Resort Resort; Nick Ridling, Tanoa Hotel Group TRAVELinc Memo 4 August 2017 3 News GTN Conference – it’s a wrap AA promotes All American Pass American Airlines was promoting its All American Pass to independent agents at the GTN Conference over the weekend. Byron Deng, Leon Gan, Coco Su, all New Zealand Rose Fong-Antony, Megan Arrenberg, Elaine Patton, national account manager International Travel Ltd at the welcome function both HOT Product American Airlines, says the pass includes At the GTN welcome function, sponsored by Cathay AKL – LAX and then ve stops anywhere Pacic at Rydges Rotorua…Elaine Paton, American Airlines; Sonia Francis, GTN; Toni Paltridge, GTN; in the greater North American, thus Mumtaj Agarbattiwala, Travel Bucket Tours & Travel opening up Mexico and the Caribbean as well as Canada. about the pass and about the premium She says the pass, launched a couple of economy oering when AA resumes its AKL months ago but gaining traction and – LAX service with the 787-9 Dreamliner prole now, is a high yielding fare for early October. agents and gives them the chance to add ‘It gives people the chance to combine considerable land content in the various James Song (second from left), Korean Airlines; Taru Qantas sponsored the themed gala dinner and business class one way with premium Kothiwala, Mustak Kothiwala, Just Fly Travel; Mumtaj awards night. Delegates were welcomed by QF’s destinations. economy the other. It makes it more Agarbattiwala, Travel Bucket Tours & Travel Felina Wright and Belinda Buck A European version using partners British aordable for people who wouldn’t Airways and Iberia is also available. normally purchase business class.’ Patton says the independent agents ‘There are many niche markets within this and brokers that attended the GTN (GTN) group – a lot of VFR but there is more A NEW PERSPECTIVE Conference were receptive to hearing to it than that.’ WITH GTN VA welcomes opportunity • 100% NZ owned and operated Recently introduced flights from economy or even business class.’ • No marketing fees Melbourne to Hong Kong and He says VFR (visiting friends • Finalist in Best Agency Support 2017 NZTIA Melbourne to Los Angeles were and relatives) clientele tend to be • Competitive Overrides among the developments being of a more mature age group, have • LSM (local store marketing) support promoted by Virgin Australia’s discretionary dollars and are looking • GDS neutral South Island product manager Terry for comfort when they travel. • Annual conference Wakefield at the GTN Conference. Wakefield welcomed the chance • Dedicated GTN famils ‘We are also promoting our business to get in front of high quality • Transparency class offering,’ says Wakefield. ‘This independent agents. • Quiktravel ticketing technology is an opportunity to remind these ‘These people are very relevant for • GTN branded brochures (independent) agents to upsell. In us and we need to be in touch with Please feel free to contact Rob or Allen for a confidential some cases there is not that much cost them. It is important for us that they off the record chat. difference to upgrade to premium are comfortable selling VA.’ Rob Beecher 0274569905 [email protected] Allen Bell 0274593607 [email protected] TRAVELinc Memo 4 August 2017 4 News Middleton moves Awards nalists impress More resources in Travel Agents Association of New Zealand to NZ Travel Brokers chief executive ocer Andrew Olsen says he new Viva website is ‘really pleased’ with the energy and eort Chris Middleton is Viva Expeditions has launched made by National Travel Industry Awards new with NZ Travel its new website: nalists over the past four days. Brokers. His industry www.vivaexpeditions.com His comments come as TAANZ NTIA 2017 career has been evenly It focuses on usability and split between working judging week was conducted at SKYCITY engagement and provides a huge in New Zealand and Auckland this week. amount of resources including the United Kingdom. ‘Some nalists were back for their fourth interactive maps, destination Previous NZ industry go, some new to the experience, defending Three of the judges at SKYCITY this week… Ian Lorigan, Dean Minchington, Simon White roles included South champions and enthusiastic rookies all had information and FAQs, downloadable Chris Middleton Island manager for their time with judges. donated time and eort of the judges’. tour dossiers, informative blogs both Tek Travel and Navigant (where he ‘It’s been a diverse pageant of people and The judges are Simon White, Rydges answering commonly asked questions met Guy Flynn & Steve Lee). brands and tremendous that the industry is Hotels; Megan Roberts, AUT; Deb Martindale, and much more. He returned to the UK late 2006 and led so well and in such good hands. Hats o Martindale consulting; Ian Lorigan, IATA; Dean ‘It is still a work in progress - we worked as UK and European GM for to the brand leaders for encouraging agents Minchington, Service IQ. are currently working on our Agents Travelocity Business then moved to BCD and individuals to participate. SKYCITY have again been wonderful Resource Centre which will be a Travel as global account manager managing ‘An awards programme has to be judged and hosts and we’ll be back here on the 30th of one stop shop for resources such as Disney & Universal Music Group in over 30 NTIA is not possible without the generously September for the NTIA Gala. brochures, flyers, posters, videos, countries. Previous companies worked for famils... the list goes on, and we are in similar roles were Cadbury Schweppes, excited about being able to offer Hilton PLC, Prudential, Omnicom Media Queensland – still educating to do agents easy access to resources that Group and Lockheed Martin.