Jetsettersblog

Tourism NT’s successful online trade training program has been extended to include an interactive Kakadu and Arnhem Land module, assisting travel agents to convert interest in the NT to actual sales.

NT Destination & Partnership Marketing Manager Mark Crummy said the online training ceNTre first launched a Red Centre module in March that has already seen solid take up by travel agents.

“The new Kakadu and Arnhem Land training module increases travel agent knowledge about this World Heritage-listed destination, so they are able to offer their customers a great value destination, that also delivers a high yield sale,” Mr Crummy said.

“In today’s uncertain economic climate Australian travellers are more interested in staying closer to home and are looking for holidays that offer greater value for money in addition to an emotional return.

“The training program taps into this shifting consumer sentiment by increasing travel agent knowledge of the key life-changing experiences in the NT, in addition to distance, climate and access information.

“Industry feedback has already been extremely positive confirming that this program enables agents to better understand the destination and sell NT holidays with more confidence,” he said.

Course participants also receive rewards including eligibility to attend Tourism NT famils and priority invitations to Tourism NT trade events.

A new Darwin Module is currently under development and scheduled to launch in August.

To access Tourism NT’s new online training program log onto www.trade.travelnt.com and become a NT Community member.

Australia’s aquatic playground is soon set to add another swing to its set, with the concept of a diving wreck site in the Whitsundays inching closer to fruition.

Tourism Whitsundays last year commissioned a feasibility report based on a strong desire to broaden the universal appeal of the Whitsundays destination, and has recently lodged a Federal Government funding submission to progress the project to reality.

The proposal calls for 3 separate dive wrecks to form the Whitsundays Dive Wreck Trail.

Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer Peter O’Reilly said a dive wreck site would be a major coup for Whitsunday tourism.
“Diving is a traditionally popular activity in the Whitsundays with excellent dive sites on the Great Barrier Reef being so accessible, however a wreck would provide a new opportunity for diving enthusiasts to visit the region,” Mr O’Reilly said.

“We have worked very closely with the local dive industry to ensure this project would provide a unique tourism opportunity with a range of diving experiences to attract new visitors and enhance existing diving attractions,” he said.

“Such indepth local knowledge from our industry partners has allowed us to ensure the dive wreck will be specifically catered for the Whitsundays – from the best location for the wreck based on tides, current and accessibility, to having buy-in from all stakeholders very early in the project, it has been a very positive process,” he said.

“The location of the wrecks has also been specifically aimed at reducing traffic at busy reef dive sites as a reef conservation measure.”

The Whitsundays is already well known for top diving spots on the Great Barrier Reef such as the Stepping Stones and Cathedrals, as well as stunning fringing reefs off it’s tropical islands.

Ideally the wrecks would be located within 30-120 minutes from Airlie Beach and within close distance to other key sites in the region, offering one or multiple day diving options.

The concept of a dive wreck resulted from strategic development work undertaken in the Whitsundays region as part of the Mackay-Whitsundays Regional Infrastructure and Investment Plan which identifies opportunities that will fill the need for additional and diverse visitor attractions.

Zinio, the global leader in digital and interactive publishing products and services, today announced a global partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) to provide guests at its portfolio of specialty select hotels with access to a branded newsstand, offering digital magazines.

The hotel-branded digital newsstands — powered by Zinio — will feature select single issues, for guests to enjoy during their stay at all Element and Aloft properties and participating Four Points by Sheraton properties. In Asia Pacific, Four Points by Sheraton hotels in mainland China, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan and India as well as aloft Beijing, Haidian will offer this service to all guests.

“We are excited to align ourselves with Starwood to enhance its current guest amenity offering with Zinio’s digital-reading experience, driving mutual brand awareness and cultivating consumer adoption,” said Rich Maggiotto, President & CEO, Zinio. “Leveraging Zinio’s desire to offer on-the-go readers their favorite magazines anytime and anywhere is a logical fit for Starwood’s specialty select properties.”

The digital newsstand, which will be accessible in Starwood’s guest rooms, will offer participating titles including: Esquire, ELLE, CAIJING Magazine, World Heritage, Prestige, Money Talks, Habitat and so on. Also, Starwood will be the first hotel company to offer VIVmag (www.vivmag.com), the first interactive digital women’s luxury-lifestyle magazine, conceived and designed exclusively to be read digitally.

“At all our specialty select properties, we aim to provide guests with unique experiences that help make life on the road convenient and easy,” said Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President of Starwood’s Specialty Select Brands. “Partnering with Zinio enables us to extend another unique branded offering to our guests who want to keep current while traveling, without being burdened with heavy hard copies of magazines.”

Accessing the newsstand on the Starwood portal is simple:

1. Guests click through from the internet portal page to the private-label newsstand where free single issues will be featured

2. Guests select a digital magazine and are directed to Zinio’s registration process

3. Guests create an account with Zinio, enabling them to read digital magazines online or offline

Guests will enjoy immediate access to the world’s most popular digital publications, for free, with Starwood introducing the digital newsstands through on-property marketing and online marketing efforts.