Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - (Page 36) DESTINATIONS SOUTH PACIFIC Exhibition Centre. An estimated 45,000, 13-minute appointments took place between Australian tourism businesses and international buyers. ATE 2008 was predicted to inject approximately $10 million into the bustling local Perth economy, with some 13,000 visitor nights spent in the lovely city by the placid and expansive Swan River. This was despite an energy shortage that pinched power as a result of a major explosion at Western Australia’s second largest natural gas plant earlier in June. While the primary focus was on sustainability and Australia’s Aboriginal culture, the loudest ATE buzz was about 20th Century Fox’s epic romantic action-adventure film Australia, directed by Moulin Rouge’s Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. The movie was filmed in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. Australia’s Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Martin Ferguson, announced that Tourism Australia is joining forces with both the studio and the director for the “See the Movie, See the Country” tourism project. When agency phones start ringing in early winter, specialists will have Tourism Australia’s promotional tools, such as fact sheets, movie maps and location guides, “to translate the movie experience of Australia into the possibility of a real-life travel adventure,” said Ferguson. AUSTRALIA Travel Agent reports back from the leading tourism conference Down Under AUSTRALIA CERTAINLY KNOWS HOW TO WELCOME CONTENTED VISITORS: 5.2 million people visited in 2007 alone, generating $23 billion in revenue. Aussies aren’t short-staffed in the hospitality ranks either, employing almost half a million of their own in the flourishing tourism industry. Nowhere was their acuity more evident than at the 2008 Australian Tourism Exchange held June 14-20 in Perth, the thriving coastal capital city of Western Australia. ATE is the largest interna36 | TravelAgent August 4, 2008 Couldn’t Ask For More ATE attendees got down to the serious business of contemplating future travel to Australia given the uncertain impacts of a slowing world economy, increasing fuel prices and the strong Australian dollar. Good news: Estimated arrivals to Australia in May 2008 from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show an increase of 5 percent compared to May 2007, reversing smaller drops in arrivals in March and April. If Australia the movie does for its namesake what The Lord of the Rings did for New Zealand tourism, there will be plenty of visitors eager to experience the wonder Down Under. The possibilities afforded by the movie were addressed by Tourism Australia’s managing director, Geoff Buckley. “It is not often you see an epic film with your own brand in the title,” he said, especially a 2.5-hour film providing amazing product placement. He also cited increased capacity with Qantas’ (www.quantas.com) new flagship A380 fleet and the start of Virgin Blue’s (www.virginblue.com) new V Australia services from the U.S. in late 2008. Tourism Exchange BY STEPHANIE STEPHENS tional travel trade show in the southern hemisphere, hosted this year by Tourism Australia along with sponsor partners Tourism Western Australia and the Qantas Group. Aussie Meet and Greet This year, 600 adventurous overseas buyers from over 40 countries came to Perth to meet more than 1,700 Australian delegates representing 630 companies at the Green Globeaccredited, $220 million Perth Convention http://www.quantas.com http://www.virginblue.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Editor Africa Europe Pacific/Asia Hawaii Las Vegas Australia Alaska Central & South America Adventures by Disney comes to Costa Rica Caribbean Cruises Cover Story: Have Food? Will Travel Air Consolidators Hotels Tours Gay & Lesbian Travel Agent Profile Bidding for Business Agenda Caribbean Update India Attacting More U.S. Travelers Fuel Prices Cost Royal Caribbean Jobs ASTA Celebrates Victory Over Airlines Agent Access Classified Marketplace In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - (Page Coverwrap1) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - (Page Coverwrap2) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 (Page Cover1) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 (Page Cover2) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 (Page 1) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Online Now (Page 2) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Online Now (Page 3) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Contents (Page 4) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Contents (Page 6) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 8) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 9) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 10) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 11) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 12) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 13) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Africa (Page 14) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Africa (Page 15) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Africa (Page 16) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Africa (Page 17) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Europe (Page 18) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Europe (Page 19) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Europe (Page 20) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Europe (Page 21) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Europe (Page 22) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Europe (Page 23) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 24) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 25) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 26) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 27) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 28) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 29) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 30) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 31) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 32) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 33) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 34) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 35) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Australia (Page 36) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Australia (Page 37) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Alaska (Page 38) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Alaska (Page 39) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Central & South America (Page 40) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Central & South America (Page 41) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Adventures by Disney comes to Costa Rica (Page 42) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Adventures by Disney comes to Costa Rica (Page 43) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Caribbean (Page 44) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Caribbean (Page 45) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Caribbean (Page 46) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Caribbean (Page 47) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Cruises (Page 48) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Cruises (Page 49) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Cover Story: Have Food? Will Travel (Page 50) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Cover Story: Have Food? Will Travel (Page 51) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Cover Story: Have Food? Will Travel (Page 52) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Cover Story: Have Food? Will Travel (Page 53) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Cover Story: Have Food? Will Travel (Page 54) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Cover Story: Have Food? Will Travel (Page 55) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Air Consolidators (Page 56) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Hotels (Page 57) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Tours (Page 58) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Tours (Page 59) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Gay & Lesbian Travel (Page 60) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Gay & Lesbian Travel (Page 61) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 62) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 63) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Bidding for Business (Page 64) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Agenda (Page 65) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Caribbean Update (Page 66) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - India Attacting More U.S. Travelers (Page 67) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Fuel Prices Cost Royal Caribbean Jobs (Page 68) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - ASTA Celebrates Victory Over Airlines (Page 69) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - ASTA Celebrates Victory Over Airlines (Page 70) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 71) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 72) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 73) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 74) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 75) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 76) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Classified Marketplace (Page 77) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - In the Spotlight (Page 78) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - In the Spotlight (Page 79) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Editorial Index (Page 80) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Editorial Index (Page Cover3) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Editorial Index (Page Cover4) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Editorial Index (Page Coverwrap3) Travel Agent - August 4, 2008 - Editorial Index (Page Coverwrap4)
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