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Research, commissioned by Cathay Pacific and published in Travel Weekly via the pen 0f Hannah Edensor shows that despite the average Aussie traveller snapping on average 33 pictures a day, 78 per cent of Aussies believe they're in real danger of missing out on holiday memories because they're too focused on taking photos or posting on social media.
Seven out of ten people surveyed wished they had more ways to remember their holiday experiences.
The research shows this ‘snap and dash’ culture means thousands of Aussies are spending too much time capturing and revisiting their holiday through a screen, and are neglecting their other senses, including their most powerful and evocative – the sense of smell.
One company – French rail company Thalys – executed this perfectly, when they created a pop-up travel agency that invited keen travellers to get to know the destinations they serviced via a different route: their noses.
Yep, Thalys got a bunch of curious travellers attending a pop-up travel agency, sniffing their way through 64 different parts of Europe, from “A real French breakfast” in Paris, “Latexxx” in Amsterdam and “Moments after Mass” in Cologne.
Dr Oliver Baumann, Researcher, Queensland Brain Institute, said by engaging the sense of smell, it can create real memories for travellers.
“Not only is smell our oldest sense, it also has a direct link to the hippocampus – the main memory centre of the brain. Scent can therefore bring back memories much faster and stronger than any of our other senses,” he said.
To help Australians avoid forgetting their trip in a flash or feeling uninspired by past Instagram images, Cathay Pacific have created Parfums de Voyage – a scientifically crafted perfume designed to ignite passengers’ memories long after visiting Hong Kong.
The fragrance has been designed in collaboration with a renowned perfume expert, Samantha Taylor of The Powder Room.
“I travelled around Hong Kong and immersed myself in everything on offer before I started to design the scent.
“The resulting Parfums de Voyage fragrance has a fresh, clean top note inspired by the greenery of the island, drying down to a warm, peppery base note that’s evocative of exotic spices and smoky incense.
“The scent is appropriate for both women and men,” said Taylor.
And they’re not the only companies in travel doing things differently. itravel signed a new partnership with Barrow & Bear Travel + Coffee, a business that offers the clever combination of coffee and travel bookings, while a bunch of cool Aussie agencies are reinventing what it means to be a brick-and-mortar store.
And around the world, other travel agencies are trying new and unique approaches to capture the traveller’s attention.
Rakesh Raicar, General Manager Southwest Pacific, Cathay Pacific, said, “We’re constantly looking for meaningful ways to enhance our customers’ travel experiences.
“Parfums de Voyage is a sensory souvenir we can give to our passengers to help them remember those special memories and moments they experience when they are travelling with us.”
Parfums de Voyage will be available on board select Cathay Pacific flights from October 2017.
China is to start running the world’s fastest train service between Beijing and Shanghai, with trains eventually hurtling along the track at up to 400 kph, making them a viable alternative to flying the sector.
The Fuxing fast bullet trains will initially run at a slower speed of 350 kph on the route. Service will begin in just one month, on 21 September 2017, China Railway Corporation has confirmed.
Fuxing is not an adjective. It means rejuvenation, with national rejuvenation being a slogan promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The train has been put into service initially on two railway lines connecting major cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, China’s Xinhua news service reported. Fuxing high-speed trains will make 39 one-way trips between Beijing and Tianjin and six one-way trips between Beijing and Xingtai, Hebei each day. The trains will stop at 10 cities in the region.
The trains offer power outlets, USB ports and free WiFi, making them far more advanced than Australian trains, and not just in terms of speed.
The Fuxing high-speed trains ran in June for the first time on the Beijing-Shanghai line, China’s busiest route, used by more than 500,000 passengers daily.
Fuxing fast trains will knock an hour off the 1318km journey between Beijing and Shanghai. Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, which examined the current train schedule, reported that the fastest bullet train running currently on the route takes four hours and 55 minutes and most bullet trains take around 5½ hours.
| Written by Peter Needham eGlobalTravelMedia || August 23, 2017 |||
Air New Zealand customers at Sydney Airport will get to experience the role robots may play in future travel journeys this week. Click here to watch Air New Zealand’s Chief Digital Officer Avi Golan and CommBank’s Tiziana Bianco explore the future of travel with social robots.
The airline is partnering with CommBank in a five-day experiment utilising Chip CANdroid, the bank’s social humanoid robot, which will interact with and assist Air New Zealand customers checking in and at the gate prior to boarding.
Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Avi Golan says “this partnership and experiment with Commbank and Chip is another way we are pushing the boundaries to ensure we remain at the forefront of technology which will allow us to further enhance the experience we offer our customers.”
Air New Zealand has worked with a range of technology partners to introduce innovations which are enhancing the experience it offers customers. For example, Oscar, the artificial intelligence–backed chatbot has been introduced to assist customers with a more personalised online experience or biometric bag drops which identify customers using face-to-passport recognition.
“We are also experimenting with potential enhancements of the future, including the idea of our cabin crew one day using Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality viewers onboard our aircraft,” says Mr Golan
Commonwealth Bank established a social robotics team within its Sydney Innovation Lab in late 2016, with the intention of partnering with leading corporates and research institutions to better understand the opportunities and challenges that physical robotic technologies present in a variety of commercial contexts.
Tiziana Bianco, General Manager Innovation Labs, Commonwealth Bank says “this experiment is a great example of why we invested in social robotics; working collaboratively with an innovative client like Air New Zealand, while also engaging some of the brilliant minds from UTS’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence. It is a wonderful opportunity to explore the possibilities of a horizon technology such as social robotics, and what it might enable in the future.”
Ms Bianco says social robots can bring to life information that is not particularly engaging when delivered by a screen.
“People interact with them in a very social and sometimes emotional way, which means they can enhance experiences in ways that other technologies are unable to do,” Ms Bianco says.
“Chip is one of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world, and is perfect for our work aimed at understanding how humans and robots interact in dynamic social spaces.
“The opportunity to experiment with a robot like Chip in a real world environment such as Sydney Airport is unique, even on a global scale. It is also incredibly valuable, as it allows both corporates and academics to contribute to the growing field of research in social robotics and ensures that both CommBank and Air New Zealand remain at the forefront of disruptive technologies.”
Air New Zealand customers can meet Chip at the Air New Zealand check-in counter and at selected departure gates at Sydney International Airport from Monday 21 August until Friday 25 August.
Click here to watch Air New Zealand’s Chief Digital Officer Avi Golan and CommBank’s Tiziana Bianco explore the future of travel with social robots.
| An Air New Zealand release || August 22, 2017 |||
Bartlett School of Architecture graduate Cassidy Reid has designed a concept for a high-speed transport network based on Hyperloop to create infrastructural and cultural corridors across Europe, and shrink travel time between cities.
Connecting London to Krakow in just one hour and ten minutes, and passing through Brussels, Cologne, Frankfurt and Prague, Reid's Pan-European Corridor network leverages newly developed Hyperloop technology to make Europe's cultural corridor easily commutable while also helping to connect deprived communities that have been "left behind" by globalisation.
Hyperloop is the vision of entrepreneur Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors, PayPal and space exploration company SpaceX. The system employs mag-lev — the same technology that is used by high-speed trains in Japan – in which the electromagnetic levitation of the train means there is no friction, unlike traditional trains that run on tracks.
Musk, who first unveiled the concept for Hyperloop in 2013, later open-sourced the technology and is no longer directly involved in its development.
In Reid's Hyperlink masterplan, the corridor's most populous and diverse terminus would be located in London. Integrated into a bridge on the River Thames, the high-speed twelve-track terminal is designed to "evoke a space-bending feeling of connectivity between other European major cities".
Continue here to read the full article on deZeen . . . | August 21, 2017 |||
Virgin Australia has claimed that it will be the first Australian airline to offer Wi-Fi on international flights. The airline, which has invested in installing Gogo’s 2Ku service, also announced that it will offer a base-level free Wi-Fi service to all of its passengers on domestic flights.
Once the rollout is complete, more than 90% of Virgin Australia’s fleet will be fitted with the 2Ku solution on both domestic and international aircraft. Passengers will be able to check emails and social media, send text messages, catch up on the day’s news, or stream movies and TV shows.
The airline is now rolling out connectivity on its Boeing 737 aircraft, with Boeing 777 aircraft to commence in October. By the end of 2018, Virgin Australia expects to have inflight Wi-Fi on all Boeing 777 aircraft and the majority of Boeing 737 aircraft, with the Airbus A330 aircraft due for completion by the second half of 2019.
Virgin Australia becomes the second carrier to confirm that it will offer 2Ku-powered Wi-Fi access for free on domestic flights, following in the footsteps of Japan Airlines.
Fellow Australian carrier Qantas is currently trialling free Wi-Fi on some domestic flights, having signed a deal with ViaSat for in-flight connectivity.
| An FTE release || August 19, 2017 |||
Jaclyn Sienna India, president and founder of the decade-old travel consultancy Sienna Charles talks to Industry Week about their role in the world of business travel for the elite.
Private jets for execs and their families are almost always reimbursable corporate expenses. Why? Transportation is considered a matter of security, and most CEOs plan travel in tandem with work trips, taking their family with them to Dubai for a few days before jetting off to the Maldives.
In the era of the humble brag, it’s harder than ever to know how your boss travels. Assuming he or she is the type that likes to share, you might see a suggestion of a private jet or a swanky beach resort on Instagram—or hear one unassuming story about the sea turtles that swam under the paddleboard in St. Barthelemy.
Unfortunately for your water cooler conversations, no chief executive officer is ever going to spill the beans on his favorite private island, the extent of his security detail, or the lengths his assistant went to procure Coke Zero in Madagascar.
For that, we turned to Jaclyn Sienna India, president and founder of the decade-old travel consultancy Sienna Charles. Almost immediately after hanging a shingle on West Palm Beach’s ritzy Worth Avenue in 2008, India got her lucky break: An unexpectedly productive, $25 ad with the Explorer’s Club turned out her first billionaire client, and word of mouth turned one into many.
Now India is a go-to for the finance world’s jet set, regularly organizing trips for at least two dozen CEOs, along with other titans of industry and a handful of former U.S. presidents. Her clients range from Morgan Stanley higher ups and former top-level executives at American Express, to billionaires and real estate tycoons.
Of the hundreds of trips she plans each year, 90% are for high-ranking finance types—some with budgets that climb into the millions. Chatting about restaurants, she says, is the best way to let these power brokers know she’s playing on their level.
“People can be all over the map,” she said, explaining that often clients are looking for a vibe or set of experiences rather than an exact destination. To help them wade through their options, she prefers face-to-face lunch meetings (typically at such power spots as Le Bernardin) over cursory phone calls. “A lot of agents can B.S. over the phone or have notes all prepared, but I could never do that. That’s not how you build up trust with the world’s wealthiest people,” she told Bloomberg.
Here’s what she had to say about her C-suite customers—the good, the bad, and the hyper-demanding.
A Private Jet Is a Business Expense
Private jets for execs and their families are almost always reimbursable corporate expenses. Why? Transportation is considered a matter of security, and most CEOs plan travel in tandem with work trips, taking their family with them to Dubai for a few days before jetting off to the Maldives.
“Safety” is a card more legitimately played by former presidents, says India, who has organized trips to Africa for George W. Bush and his 30 secret service agents. But CEOS are productive on planes—she joked that “if you can be offline for 10 hours, then you aren’t really that important.” (In the era of laptop bans, private planes are a good way to ensure that work gets done.)
Privacy also important. “CEOs like to stay under the radar and want to focus on their family rather than who they are,” India said. Speaking of family time: They often travel with their pets, “just because they can.”
Little else gets expensed. “CEOs can splurge big time on hotels, yachts, and experiences when they’re saving a minimum of $75,000 to transport a family of four,” India observed, noting the rough cost of a private jet.
It Takes a Village
For every VIP itinerary, there are “layers of experts” coordinating the logistics, says India. “They have us, an air department [or a team dedicated to booking air travel], and an executive assistant working in unison to make sure everything is exactly they way they like to travel every step of the way.” But having too many cooks in the kitchen isn’t something she worries about. A CEO’s personal assistants prove extra-valuable: One client drinks only O’Douls and has frequent hankerings for crunchy peanut butter; others might like their entire minibar stocked with a particular beverage (think: Coke Zero).
Preferences for air travel can be among the most important to consider. India says some of her regulars might want a particular make and model for their airport transfer (for vanity), some want to be picked up right next to the aircraft (for speed), and others are particular about having two pilots even on a tiny helicopter (for paranoia).
But not every minute is planned. India says her CEOs “like a mix of organized activities and room for spontaneity” on their itineraries, so they have a structured schedule and time to relax.
Loyalty Isn’t Everything
Don’t brag to your boss about your Platinum Elite Marriott Rewards status: Chances are they won’t be impressed. “They don’t care about rewards that offer them amenities or free breakfasts or upgrades—they’d rather book the room they want from the beginning,” explained India.
So does that mean they don’t care about frequent flier miles, either? Sort of. These programs are less valuable for those who tend to fly private, but when the unavoidable commercial flights rolls along, executives “do care about being recognized.” (Privacy, it seems, is less of a concern if it’s what secures a first-class upgrade.)
Bigger Isn’t Better
“Since the way they live normally at home is quite lavish, they love top accommodations,” said India of her guests. The five key things they’re looking for are good light, outdoor space, seamless technology, high-end furniture, and a super-comfortable bed. Specific views (such as the Eiffel Tower or Spanish Steps) might help, too. Square footage is less important: “A good suite is not just about big for the sake of being big,” India explained.
These criteria have shaped India’s shortlist of the best hotels in the world. “In Rome, for example, everyone assumes they should be staying at the Hassler, but I don’t love it personally. It’s great for lunch, but the rooms are highly overpriced.” Instead she books guests into the just-renovated Hotel Eden, where she’s partial to the Aurora Terrace Suite. In Paris, she turns to the penthouses at the Bristol and Plaza Athénée.
As for the rooms and resorts on CEO bucket lists? They include the Brando, a private island resort in Tahiti that was once owned by Marlon Brando; the Four Seasons Bora Bora, whose three-bedroom overwater bungalows are among the best in Polynesia; the AII Royal Suite at the Four Seasons in Lanai, Hawaii; and the private villas at Castiglion Del Bosco, a Tuscan village-turned-Rosewood resort by the fashion mogul Massimo Ferragamo.
From One VIP to Another
India scrutinizes every aspect of an itinerary, from airline routings to the personalities of tour guides. But ultimately she’s not the one executing the services she books. That’s why she assembles a one-sheet of critical details—such things as dietary preferences (allergies, restrictions), an affinity for San Pellegrino over Perrier, a hatred for Jack Daniels, or an addiction to spin classes—and sends them straight to the hotel’s general manager, not the front desk or guest relations team.
“No matter how much hotels say they care about every guest, they tend to lose this type of information,” she explained. This way, she is getting high-powered requests into equally high-powered hands, ensuring that detailed requests such as in-room yoga mats and blenders (for protein shakes) don’t go overlooked. Of her clients’ hyper-specific demands, India says: “I don’t have time for the crap either, so I totally get it.”
Another strategy: booking yachts, villas, and residences instead of traditional hotels. In these cases, she can control the staff-to-guest ratio herself, guarantee privacy, and custom-pick chefs or butlers whom she knows will strike the right chord.
A Predominantly Grateful Crowd
Here’s a shocker: CEOs can be difficult. One hedge fund owner recently sent India a barrage of round-the-clock texts and emails complaining that the weather was too hot in Italy, despite the fact that his family’s activities were all scheduled in the early morning hours. What’s more, India said the 12-year-old kids were as difficult as the parents, with over-the-top criticisms of a luxury spa experience.
This isn’t common, though. India said that by and large, she works with “really nice people who generally appreciate everything.” What is common? Receiving flowers and thank you notes—or even photo books filled with vacation snaps—from happy clients. “It’s thoughtful stuff, not a Ferrari outside my apartment,” she quipped.
Her most appreciative clients prefer a more personal route, opening their homes and inviting India for dinners. “That’s the best thing,” she said. “I never feel looked down upon; I’m being treated as an expert and part of the family instead, and that’s really special. And the next trip we plan for them is even better as a result of getting to know each other.”
| Written by Nikki Ekstein for IndustryWeek || August 17, 2017 |||
Kel has been organising and escorting groups to sporting events worldwide for the past 40 years! The Melbourne Cup is a personal favourite, and he can't wait to accompany the next group to his 37th Cup event!
So what makes Kel's Melbourne Cup tour package so special? It's the passion, for starters, as well as being accompanied by the legendary Des Coppins, both of whom go the extra mile to ensure tour members have an enjoyable and memorable experience.
In fact, Kel recalls with much delight, one particular tour. He often receives requests to accommodate solo travellers who prefer to share a room and generally tries his best to match up age and personality. On this trip, at breakfast after the first night, Kel was approached by one such tour member who asked "where the hell did you find my room mate?". When Kel dug deeper, it turned out the room mate snored horrendously. Kel offered to find him a single room, but he said he'd give it one more night and see how things went.
After breakfast the following day, Kel approached the gentleman and asked how his night had been. His response had Kel in fits: "No problem. i think i have sorted it." Kel dug deeper and the explanation was: "Being a bit of a night owl, I stayed out longer than my room mate. When I let myself into the room, my room mate was in bed reading. I went to the bathroom and got myself ready for bed ... but before turning my bed light off, I lent down and gave my room mate a peck on the cheek and said 'sleep well, dear'. Well, I slept like a log but I don't know about him - he must have been awake all night because i never heard any snoring!"
While the Melbourne Cup race is obviously the big drawcard, these tours do include a lot more! This year, just some of the tour highlights they have lined up include:
At this stage, there are a mix of folk from all ages booked into the tour, including horse trainers, horse owners and everyday racegoers.
And you may just be on a winning streak if you take the advice of Des' good friend, Brett Davison. Brett is a leading Australian racing tipster, and both he and Des will offer their tips for picking a winner. In fact, their tipping sheets are given to tour members on the bus trip to the racecourse each year. Over the years, they have picked many winners at very lucrative odds!
The tours are always fun, action packed and thoroughly memorable ... will you be on the next one? If you're keen, get in touch soon as spaces are limited!
A Mondo Travel release || August 16, 2017 |||
In the mercilessly competitive world of five-star hotels, even legends have to fight to stay in the game among the upper echelon of the hospitality industry’s glittering options for sophisticated travellers.
The peerless Raffles, the grandest of dames among colonial-era hotels in Asia, this week is checking in with the renovation doctor for a nip/tuck to revitalise the dowager of Singapore. Every 130-year-old should look so good, but looking good for its age is not of interest to the hotel; as always, it has to look/feel/be not just good but spectacular.
It is not with a little trepidation that guests may wonder what the new Raffles will be like, having admired the current Raffles for so long and loving it just as it is. Knowing Raffles, though, the management will get everything not just right, but perfect. The hotel’s powers that be are fully aware that retaining the intangible spirit and heritage of Raffles is of paramount importance. After all, the hotel has undergone renovations before and always emerged as more alluring a destination because of them.
Continue to the full article written by Robert La Bua || August 14, 2017 |||
Kiwi companies are queueing up to do business with Vietnam and other similar sized Asian countries, a leading New Zealand tech businessman says.
Mitchell, chair of NZTech, FinTechNZ and a New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) beachheads advisor in technology business for the ASEAN region, has just returned from a major Kiwi business exploration trip to Vietnam.
Pham has also been advising the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
He says Kiwi tech sector must be an active part of the New Zealand story, presence and engagement in South East Asia to gain more brand awareness and business traction in the region.“We had huge engagement from the Vietnamese market. Everyone was interested in what New Zealand has to offer across the board,” he says
“But it is critical for Kiwi companies to follow-through after these visits to progress relationships into business. Sadly, not enough companies follow through in the past, which resulted in business contacts in the region who went all out to engage with visiting delegations ending up feeling let down by us afterwards.
“As far as Kiwi technology goes. We are not an island. It would be smart and important to be there alongside other NZ industry sectors which have been doing business development in Asia for much longer and therefore are bigger, stronger, better known, more visible, more active and more connected in the region.”
Pham says the Kiwi Connection Tech Hub in Ho Chi Minh City and Augen Software Group in New Zealand have been working with University of Auckland, the ASEAN-New Zealand Business Council (ANZBC), AUT university, KEA, Asia NZ Foundation, NZTE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, the NZ Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam and other businesses to grow trade in Vietnam.
“This latest trip which has only just ended was the largest ever NZ Inc. collaboration and contingent to the ASEAN region.
“This has resulted in more than 80 leading Kiwi business entrepreneurs, executives, managers and educators across different industry sectors visited and engaged with the Vietnam market, some also went on to Thailand.
“Businesses in the group included Augen, AUT, GlidePath and new entrants to the region such as MEO-Air and Fluent Scientific.
“Vietnam continues to grow in income and consumption appetite for food and beverages, fast-moving consumer goods. Other high-growth industries include traditional and high-tech manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education, financial services, transport and logistics.
“All of these sectors require technology and know-how to support their rapid growth and advancement, so there are many opportunities for Kiwi tech businesses who serve these sectors back home or elsewhere.
“It is vital that Kiwi businesses do their market research and engage in rigorous on-the-ground validation of their target customers in the region,” Pham says.
Vietnam has a population of about 95 million and 60 percent of its people are younger than 30 years old. It has the fastest growth in internet connections and number of mobile users in the ASEAN region. Ho Chi Minh City is the geographic epicentre of the region’s centres of commerce and industry.
| From the MSCTravel reporters' desk with MakeLemonade and FinTechNZ || August 15, 2017 |||
Auckland Airport has today announced a new partnership with AOE, a leading global technology service provider, to create a ‘multi-retailer mall’ which enables international travellers to purchase retail products and airport services via mobile and online.
Richard Barker, Auckland Airport’s general manager retail and commercial, says, “It is exciting to be able to partner with AOE to create an ‘omni-channel’ commerce platform that further improves our customer experience.”
“Expected to launch mid-2018, our new online ‘multi-retailer mall’ will enable international passengers to purchase from multiple airport retailers with a single transaction and then pick-up all their items from a single collection point, thanks to a sophisticated back-of-house operation. It’s the ultimate ‘click and collect’ shopping process.”
“The online platform also means that international passengers can shop at any stage of their travel journey, using their own devices, and at a time and place that is convenient for them - be it before they leave home, on-board their aircraft using in-flight Wi-Fi, or while sitting in any domestic or international airport.”
“The platform’s staged introduction will eventually see most airport retailers participating. All Auckland Airport products and services, including parking, loyalty and lounge access will also be integrated into the online mall, making it easier and more convenient for travellers to shop.”
“Frankfurt Airport has successfully introduced AOE’s omni-channel commerce platform and we understand there is also strong interest from a number of other leading airports around the world. We are excited that Auckland Airport’s introduction of the technology will be a first for any airport in Australasia. It will ensure that we deliver one of the most advanced digital airport retail experiences in the world and that we can significantly expand the range and type of products and services we offer to our customers.”
“Today’s partnership announcement continues the digital transformation of Auckland Airport. It supports our Faster, Higher, Stronger business strategy focus on strengthening our consumer business and builds on the recent launch of our mobile-first Strata loyalty programme. Importantly, it will help to provide our passengers with a one-of-a-kind personalised journey” says Mr Barker.
| An Auckland Airport release || August 14, 2017 |||
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
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