Dec 5, 2017  -  Millennials are taking more expensive holidays because they believe saving enough money to buy a house is unrealistic, a travel expert has said. Holiday firm Contiki reported a 10% increase in the average amount of money people aged 18 to 35 are spending on trips this year compared with 2016.

It found that young travellers are taking more adventurous and so-called bucket list trips, with increased year-on-year demand for destinations such as New Zealand (up 83%), South America (up 71%), Bali (up 56%) and Vietnam (up 50%).

With a typical first-time home buyer in the UK aged 30, Contiki sales and marketing director Donna Jeavons has noticed a trend in young people prioritising experiences including travel over getting on the property ladder.

She said: "With housing being so expensive, many young people are opting to live in the moment and pursue other goals first, knowing that buying a house could be a little further down the line than it was for previous generations.

"Saving a bit here and there isn't really scratching the surface for millennials, so many are choosing to have the best holiday they can afford instead."

The average age of Contiki customers is 26 and earlier this year the firm introduced specially themed trips to Canada for "avid Instagrammers".

This was in response to research which showed that a section of the youth market is drawn to destinations from where they can upload popular social media posts.

Several other companies have also started selling products aimed at younger travellers.

U by Uniworld will be Europe's first river cruise brand exclusively for young people when it launches in April 2018 with craft beers, mixology classes, street art tours and vintage motor bike rides.

The firm's chief executive Ellen Bettridge said: "We are targeting an active traveller between the ages of 21 and 45, with everything from the decor, dining and cocktail service to the land activities thoughtfully curated to meet the needs of this audience."

Air France's new subsidiary airline aimed at young people, Joon, began operating from Paris on Friday.

It is "designed for our millennial customers" with features such as the ability to stream movies and television shows using smartphones and tablets, crew uniforms with a "chic sportswear look" and a partnership with travel site Airbnb Experiences.

Dominique Wood, an executive vice president at Air France, said: "With Joon, we have created a young and connected brand that will give the group a new impetus."

| An Evening Standard release  ||  December 5, 2017   |||

Dec  4, 2017  - Air New Zealand will tomorrow welcome customers to its first-ever lounge at Perth Airport.  The new lounge caters for more than 110 customers and carries the airline’s signature sleek modern design created in conjunction with award-winning global architectural firm Gensler and Australian based design firm Marsden Collective. The design follows that already seen in Air New Zealand lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports, as well as in lounges throughout New Zealand. The 441 square metre lounge is located on level two of the airport terminal with windows overlooking an internal atrium and four different zones to meet the needs of customers, including a café, as well as business, lounge and quiet areas. A self-service food buffet and drinks station is also on offer. Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Experience Anita Hawthorne says the airline is excited to open a brand-new space for customers flying out of Perth. “We are committed to improving the customer experience and continue to invest heavily in the Australian market. This includes the operation of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on many routes and promoting services through our ‘Better Way to Fly’ campaign starring Dave the Goose which encourages Australians to travel to North and South America on Air New Zealand,” Ms Hawthorne says. The new Perth lounge is part of Air New Zealand’s four year $100 million programme to redevelop its network of lounges and follows on from the opening of new lounges in Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane, Nadi, Melbourne, Hamilton, Invercargill, Wellington, Queenstown, Dunedin and Palmerston North.

| An AirNZ release  ||  December 4, 2017   |||

Nov 24, 2017  -  New Zealand, which since 1999 has described itself as “100% Pure” in its famous tourism tagline, is battling a rising tide of pollution, with 16 beaches in Auckland reportedly too polluted for swimming and critics blaming intensive livestock farming for making up to 60% of the country’s rivers and lakes unswimmable.

Sixteen Auckland beaches have been given the lowest grading possible, D, on the Auckland Council’s new water quality forecasting system – Safeswim: https://safeswim.org.nz/

Half of those swimming spots are in West Auckland, including popular Piha and Bethells Beach, according to Auckland’s Western Leader newspaper. The most common form of contamination is excrement – animal and human faeces.

The publication quoted an environmentalist who said he’d seen day-trippers defecating in lagoons.

“This happens especially in summer time when the public facilities are quite full, or at times are closed.”

Idyllic but controversial scene in Tourism New Zealand video

Recent Auckland Council reports blamed the problems on faulty septic tanks, along with faecal contamination from dogs, birds, and livestock, the publication said.

Auckland Council plans to invest NZD 6 billion over the next 20 years in wastewater infrastructure.

Meanwhile, cows are being blamed for polluting New Zealand’s waterways. Agricultural runoff, in the form of nitrates, adds to the problem. In an article headlined “Dairy farming is polluting New Zealand’s water”, the Economist magazine said “scrub where sheep once grazed is being given over to intensive dairy farms – some of them irrigated to help the pasture grow”.

The Economist said some 6.6 millon cattle are now “squeezed into the country of 4.7 million people, transforming even an iconic arid grassland, the Mackenzie Basin (made famous by the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films), into a tapestry of emerald fields”.

Waterways play a big part in New Zealand tourism campaigns, such as in the video below:

Greenpeace agriculture campaigner Gen Toop says farms are “overstocked with too many cows and that causes nitrate to leach down through the soil and into our waterways. The only way to have clean rivers and safe drinking water is to have fewer cows.”

Greenpeace advocates regenerative farming, a way of farming with fewer cattle and more diversity.

In August, New Zealand’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the Tourism New Zealand promotional video (on YouTube above), which includes a scene showing a tourist about to drink river water, did not violate advertising rules.

Not all members of the ASA board agreed.

At one point in the video, a tourist cups her hand in the water and brings it to her mouth as if to drink. The shot cuts away before she does so.

Critics say drinking river water is unsafe in many parts of the country.

| Source: Global Travel Media Written by Peter Needham  ||  November 24, 2017   |||

Nov 23, 2017  -  Air New Zealand is exploring the use of blockchain-based systems within its business, reinforcing its global reputation for innovation and embracing new and emerging technology.  Blockchain is being used globally to build encrypted, shared platforms, providing a secure and efficient way to track the exchange of goods or information. Air New Zealand is looking at a number of potential use cases for the distributed ledger technology including cargo and baggage tracking, retail, distribution and loyalty programme opportunities. Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Avi Golan says applications of blockchain are developing rapidly, and the airline is excited by the possibilities. “With its built-in efficiency and security, blockchain has the potential to trigger huge innovation in travel, paving the way for new business models and collaboration.” Air New Zealand is partnering with Swiss travel platform Winding Tree, which is developing the world’s first travel marketplace on blockchain to connect suppliers such as airlines and hotels directly to sellers. “While we are still exploring its benefits, blockchain may offer a streamlined way to retail airfares and ancillary products alongside our current channels. In removing complexity from the sales chain, customers benefit from reduced transactional costs, and airlines benefit from swift and secure sharing of information,” says Mr Golan. Winding Tree Founder and Chief Executive Officer Maksim Izmaylov says Winding Tree is a decentralised alternative to the current travel distribution landscape.   “With a business-to-business marketplace system powering blockchain-based travel booking transactions, startups and companies will be able to gain direct access to travel service providers’ offerings.

“We are very excited to be partnering with Air New Zealand, as it’s an important step in bringing blockchain technology to the travel industry and creating opportunity for innovation,” says Mr Izmaylov.

Air New Zealand has worked with a range of leading technology partners to introduce innovations to enhance the customer experience. These include its artificial intelligence backed chatbot Oscar, who helps customers with queries online and through the Air New Zealand mobile app, and its experiment with the social robot Chip, who assisted customers with check in at Sydney Airport earlier this year. German carrier Lufthansa has also recently announced a partnership with Winding Tree.

| An Air New Zealand release  ||  November 23,  2017   |||

16 Nov 2017  - Emirates and Thales have signed a new agreement to equip the airline’s Boeing 777X fleet with the next generation broadband inflight connectivity using Inmarsat GX global network.   The partnership will give Emirates customers best in class connectivity with speeds of up to 50Mbps on its Boeing 777X aircraft due for delivery starting in 2020.  Emirates and Thales already have an existing multi-million-dollar deal to fit its Boeing 777X fleet with a next generation Thales AVANT inflight entertainment system. The new agreement is part of the Emirates’ and Thales’ plans to develop and enhance the state-of-the-art inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) on the 777X fleet.

Over the years, Emirates has invested over US $200 million to equip its aircraft with connectivity. Demand for Wi-Fi on board has been steadily increasing and today over 800,000 passengers per month connect while inflight, including travellers from New Zealand on Emirates’ daily A380 flights from Auckland and Christchurch.

Emirates offers all its customers 20MB of complimentary Wi-Fi data on board while Emirates Skywards members in First Class and Business Class enjoy unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi and discounted plans in Economy Class.

Emirates, Thales and Inmarsat have invested heavily in the new generation Wi-Fi solution and will work together to meet increasing demand for Wi-Fi on board. Broadband connectivity speeds coupled with Thales’ AVANT innovative and highly customisable IFE system will provide a further boost to Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice.

As well as operating a fleet of 100 A380s, Emirates is the largest operator of the Boeing 777 aircraft, one of the most popular and advanced wide-bodied aircraft in commercial operation today. The airline has 165 Boeing 777s in its fleet, and a further 164 on firm order, including 150 of the next generation Boeing 777X aircraft.

| An Emirates release  ||  November 16,  2017   |||

Strollers Discover Tranquility in the Eye of the International Tourist Storm

12 Nov 2017  -  In Antibes it was curious to observe that domestic property prices in the town seemed on a par with those in New Zealand’s rural Hawkes Bay and this unpressured ambience permeates the fabled Cote D’Azur,writes our roaming travel editor, Peter Isaac.  If anyone was in a rush then they made sure to keep it to themselves, certainly in the Antibes town square, just a leisurely 10 minute walk from the railway station, which itself radiated a rural line, off-peak, level of activity.

Plenty of bench space in the square ringed with its murmuring cafes.

Plenty of towel space too on the inner town’s own mellow beaches, the ones you encounter before hitting the more substantial one on its outskirts toward the Cap d’Antibes.

Sauntering along the Cap d’Antibes, along the storied Chemin des Douaniers, with itinerant international New Zealand yachtsman - lawyer Zac Foot, (pictured extreme right, Baie des Milliardaires) and particularly evident was the easy-going nature of the French at leisure, and they did give the appearance of being almost entirely French.

Their behaviour being in contrast to their English-speaking counterparts who would have been determinedly striding out on the well maintained yet unostentatious and litter-free Cap foot path with their alpine sticks, or hoarsely panting by in running rig.

A cooling plunge en route in the sumptuously-named Bay of Billionaires, ringed by narrow jagged beaches and vaguely reminiscent of Cornwall’s smugglers coves, and hence one senses the Douaniers, the customs enforcers, appellation here.

As it turned out our swim was rewarded by slices of home-cooked pizza from local fellow beachgoers sympathetic to this incongruous, pallid Anglo duo.

Past the Chateau de la Croe, pre-war refuge of the abdicated Edward V111, before Winston Churchill instructed he and his duchess to hurry to the Atlantic coast where a battleship captained by Louis Mountbatten, his cousin, would pick them up before the Germans did.

The Chateau incidentally, now under restoration by its new owner, another oligarch, but of a different stripe -- Roman Abramovich, proprietor as well of the Chelsea Football Club.

Now on to the Cap itself, doubling back via Eden Roc.

On the other side now, the westerly one, on the Cannes side, ambling into Juan Les Pins which is back-to-back with Antibes.

In an international resort compression sense, it is a bit like starting a walk through Paris and stumbling across Rome too.

Latin language buffs beware though of the revealing shibboleth which even on this accepting coastline separates the dolts from the sophisticates.

It is not “Joo-an” Les Pins, as in the opera,

Or even “Wahn”

It is “Shoo-arng” Les Pins

If Antibes is redolent of the stately 1930s then Juan Les Pins presents a 1950s resort aspect, just a soupcon of repressed raffishness.

At the isthmus neck of the Cap d’ Antibes we turned east back to Antibes traversing a shallow saddle hump via the Chemin des Sables walking through leafy and seemingly deserted streets reminiscent of the verdancy and understated prosperity of the nicer suburbs one finds lining the Pacific.civic shore.

Once returned to the Antibes side of the Cap and a further supply of not terribly crowded sandy beach capacity, another immersion to dissipate the now restored received effects of the afternoon ambient heat.

This was intense it being the height of summer and thus the height of the season.

France is the world’s most visited country. The Riviera, it’s most coveted destination.

All additional proof that if you truly want to get away from it all, as the English like to say, then the most tranquil place to be is in the eye of the seasonal international tourist storm.

\| the MSCTtravelDesk editor, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  || Sunday 12 November, 2017   |||

Emirates has unveiled the first aircraft in its fleet with a new livery dedicated to Expo 2020 Dubai. The decal was installed on A6-EPK, an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, at the Emirates Engineering hangar.

The unique and striking livery is based on the Expo 2020 logo inspired by an ancient gold ring excavated in Dubai and it underlines Emirates’ support for the vision of Expo 2020 Dubai. Emirates is the Official Airline Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Emirates operates daily A380 services from Auckland and Christchurch to Dubai and beyond and the decals will be seen in New Zealand over time as Emirates will dedicate a total of 40 aircraft from its fleet, both Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, to be emblazoned with the dedicated Expo 2020 decals; starting in 2017 through to the end of Expo 2020 Dubai. In addition, all aircraft in Emirates’ fleet will also carry a new Expo 2020 nose decal.

Emirates will be installing three different decal designs to reflect the different themes of Expo 2020 – namely, opportunity, mobility and sustainability. The theme of the first decal installed was ‘mobility’ which also relates to Emirates’ role as a connector of people, places and opportunities, as the airline links over 150 destinations in 84 countries to, from, and via its hub in Dubai. The main theme of Expo 2020 Dubai also revolves around ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “Expo 2020 Dubai will be an important platform facilitating a global exchange of ideas, collaborations and partnerships across a range of industries and domains. Emirates is gearing up for this landmark occasion and championing the vision of ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’ through the new Expo 2020 decals that will be installed on our aircraft.”

The Expo 2020 decal installed by the Emirates Aircraft Appearance Centre is one of the largest decals to be applied on an Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft. It is also the first time that the surface area on top of the aircraft has been covered by a decal. The Expo decal applied on the Boeing 777 covers over 40% of the aircraft fuselage surface area. The design spans over 37.8 metres in length and 12 metres in width. The decal was designed, printed and installed by Emirates’ in-house graphic shop team. It took a team of six staff over 84 hours to complete the decal installation.

The Emirates Aircraft Appearance Centre has installed a number of eye-catching decals on Emirates’ aircraft over the years including the majestic ‘United for Wildlife’ decals and a number of customised decals celebrating Emirates’ football partnerships and a global love for sports.

| AN EMIRATES RELEASE  ||  NOVEMBER 2,  2017   |||

The Dunedin Regional Lounge is situated on the upper floor of the airport terminal and caters to more than 120 customers. The lounge features Air New Zealand’s signature sleek design with four different seating zones to suit the needs of customers, including a café as well as business, lounge and quiet areas. A self-service food buffet and drinks station are also available. Air New Zealand’s General Manager Customer Experience Anita Hawthorne says it’s fantastic to be able to offer customers flying out of Dunedin a lounge with 50 percent more seating than the previous space. “Dunedin is a key port on Air New Zealand’s domestic network and we look forward to welcoming customers to enjoy this new facility,” says Ms Hawthorne. Dunedin Airport CEO Richard Roberts says the airport is very proud to be involved with Air New Zealand and the amazing upgrade and extension of the lounge. “Our ongoing work with Air New Zealand to drive demand continues to increase people through our airport, so to have this new facility is a wonderful example of working better together,” says Mr Roberts. The new Dunedin lounge is part of Air New Zealand’s four-year $100 million programme to develop its network of lounges and follows the opening of lounges in Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane, Nadi, Melbourne, Wellington, Queenstown, Hamilton, Invercargill and Palmerston North.

| An AirNZ release  ||  November 2,  2017   |||

27 Oct:  Lets play with heavy machinery.  And in Invercagill they are doing just that.  The attraction has just opened that will allow you to rip, push and pull to your heart’s content using heavy machinery. Dig This Invercargill is New Zealand’s first heavy equipment playground, and while it doesn’t sound like a typical tourist attraction, it definitely seems like great fun.

Guests are given the opportunity to choose from nine fun options where they get to operate bulldozers, excavators, mini excavators and skid steers in a giant gravel pit. There’s no need to worry if you haven’t driven heavy machinery before, as the experienced team in charge will show you how. You don’t even need to have a driver’s licence, and there are activities for the young, young at heart and groups.

Once you have selected your experience, it is recommended that you book online or contact the team to secure your spot. When you take the controls of Dig This Invercargill’s massive machines, you get a quick overview of the safety procedures you will be required to follow and must pass the breathalyser test before being fitted with a neon yellow vest and hardhat.

The instructors will talk you through every detail you’ll need to know in order to manoeuvre the machines and give you the confidence it takes to manage the machine. Operating them might take a little getting used to, so the company has designed a series of warm-up exercises to help. You will be connected via headset to the instructors at all times, which ensures you’re under their watchful eyes. From here you will be digging, trenching and pushing yourself around the lot in no time.

Once you’re comfortable, the team will guide you through a series of activities to test your skills.

| A Lonely Planet release  ||  October 27,  2017   |||

Passengers worldwide are demanding more personal control over their travel writes Peter Needham for eGlobal. In particular, they want a single biometric security token that covers all aspects of travel procedures, according to a large-scale survey commissioned by IATA to find exactly what travellers want.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) based its 2017 Global Passenger Survey (GPS) on 10,675 responses from around the world.

The responses provide insight into what passengers want from their air travel experience. Topping the list were:

• Automation of more airport processes;
• A single identity token for all travel processes using biometric identification;
• Real-time information sent directly to personal devices;
• More efficient security – without having to remove or unpack personal items;
• More seamless border control.

Ready to go digital

Digital travel processes are the expectation and passengers want more. The GPS found that 82% of travellers would like to be able to use a digital passport on their smartphones for as many travel activities as possible, from booking flights to passing through the airport. Biometric identification systems were the technology of choice with 64% favouring biometric identifiers as their preferred travel token.

“Passengers want to use one single biometric identity token for all their travel transactions from booking flights to passing security and border control and picking up their bags,” commented Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president for airport, passenger, cargo and security.

“IATA’s One ID project is rapidly moving travel towards a day when a face, iris, or fingerprint will provide the key to a seamless travel experience. The technology exists. Its use in aviation needs to be accelerated. Governments need to take the lead by working with industry to establish a trusted framework and agreeing the global standards and security protocols needed to use the technology.

“One ID will not only make process more efficient for passengers but allow governments to utilize valuable resources more effectively”

Passenger in control

Passengers want to be able to do more of the airport processes themselves by taking advantage of the latest digital self-service options. Baggage was the top activity that passengers wanted more control over. The GPS found that 68% of those surveyed want to self-tag their bags with electronic bag-tags being the preferred option. In addition 48% of passengers wanted to self-drop their bag.

The survey found that the number of passengers using automated immigration gates and kiosks increased by 6% in 2017, reaching 58% with a satisfaction rate of 90%. Boarding the aircraft was another area in which passengers wanted to have more control with 72% of passengers preferring to self-board, an increase of 2% over 2016.

“Passengers have never been as empowered as they are today. Self-service solutions range from mobile check-in and bag drop, to self-boarding and automated border control. Smartphone- and tablet-toting, passengers want to use these mobile devices to control their travel experience. They expect easy access to the information they want, exactly when they need it in the travel process. Airlines and airports that make the most use of technological innovations will be giving a better travel experience to their customers,” said Pierre Charbonneau, IATA’s director passenger and facilitation.

Continue here to read the full article and download the 2017 GPS report  ||  October 26,  2017   |||