Friday 22 January 2016 Issue 3232

News................................p1, p2, p4, p5Cruising Today................................. p3Aloha Friday .................................... p6

6 Pages This Issue

I n c o r p o r a t i n g Ta b s o n Tr a v e l

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EK’s View From AboveEmirates and Boeing have teamed up to produce videos giving birds-eye views of 18 of EK’s top destinations, including New Zea-land. The videos were produced in one of the largest aerials proj-ects ever conducted using drones, says EK. Check them out HERE

Visa Waiver ChangesTravellers can no longer enter the US under the visa waiver programme (VWP) if they have travelled to or been present in Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria on or after 01 Mar, 2011, the US Government has announced. Nation-als from VWP countries who are also nationals of any of those countries will not be able to enter under the programme either, and from 21 Jan, travellers who have valid ESTAs and also hold dual nationality will have their current ESTA revoked. There are some exemptions, such as for those who travelled to those coun-tries for diplomatic reasons or on behalf of a humanitarian NGO.The US Customs and Border Pro-tection says the changes are about ‘maintaining the highest standards of security and border protection’. They’ve been brought in largely to prevent Europeans who have joined Islamic State and other terrorist groups from entering the US.

Sky Tower Turns 20The Sky Tower is turning 20 on 02 Feb and to celebrate, the tower will be lit with a blue base and a colourful ‘par-ty-on-top’ display from now until 04 Feb. SkyCity Auckland is also hosting a Federal Street Summer Festival this weekend to celebrate with entertain-ment and pop-up food stalls.

Student Loan WarningA crackdow n on student loan defaulters has led to a Kiwi man who was living overseas being arrested at the New Zealand border. The man had a $20,000 debt and has lived overseas since 2004, according to reports. He was visiting New Zealand and arrested on Mon as he tried to head back home. It’s the first time an arrest warrant has been issued since a strict new policy was introduced Mar 2014, allowing Inland Revenue to issue warrants on borrowers who are well behind on repayments and ignore requests from the IRD. It’s a ‘very last resort’, says the IRD.

Their expectations for the year ahead have cooled slightly but air-line executives are largely expect-ing 2016 to be a profitable one for the industry, according to a new IATA report.Profit expectations have ‘moderated but remain positive’, according to IATA’s Airline Business Confidence In-dex, based on interviews with airline CFOs in Jan.The rate of expected improvement in the next 12 months has fallen over the past two quarters, suggesting im-provements in key drivers may have peaked earlier last year, says IATA.Recent gains in profitability have been driven by strong growth in passenger volumes and falling input costs, and

passenger volumes are said to have expanded at a ‘robust rate’ during Q4.The growth outlook for passenger business is positive but the share of respondents expecting improvements has decreased compared to a year ago, says IATA—likely reflecting concerns over weakness in the global business environment and emerging market conditions.Respondents reported seeing a decline in input costs in Q4 compared to a year ago, and the trend is expected to continue in the coming year. Consis-tent with this, the survey also showed weakness in yields.

. . . Employment UpAirline employment activity was re-ported to have increased in Q4 and that is expected to continue over the next 12 months.

Warm Friday FuzziesAir New Zealand is helping reunite a 93-year-old man with the woman he fell in love with some 70 years ago, before they were separated by WWII. US man Norwood Thomas met Joyce Morris (88) in London and they spent a few months together before he went off to war. Last year, Morris (now living in Australia) asked her son to find Thomas on the internet, and after tracking him down they ar-ranged a (very sweet) Skype date. NZ has now offered to fly Thomas and his son to Adelaide.

Airline Confidence Cools In 2016

HLO, AOT ApprovedThe merger of Helloworld and the AOT Group received approval from shareholders at an extraordinary gen-eral meeting in Australia today.The businesses announced the merger in Nov. It’s structured as an acquisition of AOT by Helloworld, with 36.45 mil-lion new HLO shares issued and a cash payment of AUD25 million. Andrew Burnes, founder of AOT, becomes chief executive and managing direc-tor of the enlarged Helloworld Group; and Cinzia Burnes becomes executive director.Local helloworld executive general manager Simon McKearney called the news ‘extremely positive’ for em-ployees, franchisees, suppliers and customers, saying it’s a ‘green light for the beginning of a new journey’.

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Egypt SuspensionsUK airlines EasyJet and British Airways have extended the suspen-sion of flights to Sharm el Sheikh to 27 May and 26 Mar, respectively, as the government continues to ground flights to the Red Sea resort until the airport has adequate security in place. Reports say Monarch has cancelled flights to Sharm until 14 Feb while Thomson and Thomas Cook have cancelled services to 23 Mar. Egypt’s tourism minister was reported as say-ing as they’ve appointed independent security advisors, and are working with international security delega-tions, they’re ‘confident that flight bans will be lifted in the near future.’

AS Tops On-timeAlaska Airlines has been named the top on-time major North American carrier for the sixth year in a row by FlightStats Inc.

LAN To MexicoLAN has flights from Santiago to Mexico City on sale to 29 Jan, start-ing from $924 for travel 04 Feb-01 Jul (blackouts apply), says World Aviation.

QF App For KidsQantas has designed an app to keep young travellers entertained, with games that see users create their own airport and decorate digital paper planes.Aimed at children aged four to eight, the free Qantas Joey Play-box app also allows users to un-lock extra features by scanning their boarding pass. It can be downloaded at the App Store.

Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n S e c u r i t y Administration officers inter-cepted a record 2653 firearms in carry-on bags at airport secu-rity checkpoints across the United States in 2015—a nearly 20% in-crease from 2014—and 82.8% of these were loaded. “The transport of firearms by com-mercial air in carry-on bags rep-resents a threat to the safety and security of air travellers,” says TSA administrator Peter Neffenger.

“Through increased training in de-tection methods, our officers are becoming more adept at intercepting these prohibited items.”The firearms were intercepted at 236 airports, most of which were at Dal-las Fort Worth International Airport (153), followed by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (144) and Houston George Bush Interconti-nental Airport (100).

Mexico, Caution AdvisedDue to incidents of crime and civil unrest associated with illegal road-blocks in some states in Mexico, such as Chiapas and Guerrero, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade continues to advise caution to travellers. It says several tourist buses were attacked and set on fire by protestors at a roadblock in Chiapas earlier this month. Its risk level remains at ‘Some Risk.’ See safetravel.govt.nz/mexico

Record Number Of Guns Carried In US

Zika Virus AdvisoryThere is ongoing concern about the spread of the mosquito-borne zika virus, and in particular its impact on pregnant women and their ba-bies, advises Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are concerns that pregnant women who become infected can transmit the disease to their unborn babies, with potentially serious consequences, such as foetal birth defects. Until further research is done the Ministry of Health recommends women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant in the near term consider delaying travel to areas with zika virus present. This includes Africa, southern Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Ameri-cas. For further information see cdc.gov/zika

Meth Neck PillowsA 48-year-old man was arrested at Wellington Airport on Mon after he was found to be carrying 1.5kg of methamphetamine hidden inside two neck pillows. The man had travelled from Hong Kong via Sydney and had his baggage searched by Customs offi-cers who found the meth, with a street value of around $1.5 million.

Fri 22 Jan 16 Page 3

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LCRUISEPORTAPORTALCRUISE

Business Development Executive – New Zealand

Fiji Airways operates an extensive international network across the Pacific connecting New Zealand to Fiji, USA, Asia and the South Pacific. Fiji Airways wishes to appoint a Business Development Executive based In Auckland to help support the ambitious growth of the airline.The role will be responsible for maximizing revenue sales for Fiji Airways. Proven revenue generation and travel industry sales experience is essential. The role is challenging, you must be a great presenter, have a professional manner, be passionate when it comes to dealing with people and have a can do approach.The successful applicant must have:• Proven revenue generation and sales experience in the travel

industry (minimum 3 years)• Sound understanding of a GDS and fares• Strong presentation skills• The discipline to create and implement business plans to key

accounts and regions• A valid NZ driver’s license and own private transport• Permanent New Zealand residency or New Zealand citizen.

This is a busy role, you will be required to attend various industry events, expos, conferences and famils, in addition to sales calls around New Zealand. Fiji Airways offers a competitive salary, with international travel benefits and a company wide bonus program on achieved results.Apply by email including a covering letter and your resume to vacancy@fijiairways.com no later than Friday 29th January 2016.

From ship hardware to culinary enhancements and private desti-nation developments, Norwegian Cruise Line’s USD400 million en-hancement program, The Norwe-gian Edge, is set to ‘introduce a new standard of excellence,’ whilst also tempting clients to return again.Announced today, the centrepiece of the two-year program is an extensive ship refurbishment initiative that will ‘completely transform’ many spaces onboard nine of the fleet’s ships to bring them up to date with its new-est ships. “The new standards of The Norwe-gian Edge program will entice our guests to return again and again to ships that will look and feel as if

they were just delivered, with all new menus and new dining experiences, visiting incredible exclusive dining destinations that reflect the quality finishes, amenities and outstanding service found across the Norwegian fleet,” says president and coo Andy Stuart. The fleet refurbishment program be-gan in Oct last year with a full refresh of Norwegian Epic, followed by Nor-wegian Gem in Nov. Seven additional ships, Pride of America, Norwegian Sun, Dawn, Spirit, Sky, Pearl and Jade will go into dry dock over the course of this year and next for both guest-facing and technical enhancements. Meanwhile, the line is set to expand its onboard culinary programme, such as introducing specialty dining menus across the fleet; expanding training and certification for its culi-nary and dining teams; while clients should also expect to see the expan-sion of popular existing partnerships with culinary experts for food and beverage outlets onboard, says the line. More details and specific infor-mation will be shared closer to each ships dry dock date. Lastly, it is set to further develop its privately-owned destinations such as Harvest Caye, Belize. The resort-style port of call will feature an expansive pool, exclusive beach, shallow lagoon for water sports, private luxury ca-banas and more. New features are also in store for the line’s private Bahamian island, Great Stirrup Cay. Specific details will be announced later this year.

NCL Enhancements To Attract Repeats

Crystal RepositioningDue to its expansion plans, Crystal Cruises will reposition Crystal Se-renity in 2017. Following its 2017 ‘Southern Celebracion’ World Cruise roundtrip from Miami, Serenity will sail throughout North America for the remainder of the year, offer-ing routes along the east and west coasts, through Alaska, New Eng-land and Eastern Canada, as well as the eastern seaboard into the Caribbean. Historically, Serenity has spent the majority of her 12 years at sea cruising the Mediterranean, Western Europe and the Black Sea, however, Crystal Yacht Cruises and Crystal River Cruises will take over these voyages.

New Koningsdam VideoHolland America Line has debuted the third in a series of Countdown to Koningsdam videos that details the ship’s The World Stage theatre. Fran-cis Travel Marketing says the short videos were created to ramp up an-ticipation and provide updates as ms Koningsdam nears delivery in Apr. To watch the video, CLICK HERE

Diving Adventures With Paul GauguinClients looking to brush up on their diving skills can make the most of Paul Gauguin Cruises’ optional diving excursions in French Polynesia. Led by an expert dive team, first time divers can take an onboard Discover SCUBA Diving class, earn credit towards PADI certification; whilst they also offer PADI certification onboard, as well as refresher courses, and is the only op-tion for diving in the Marquesas.

Euro Boating HolidaysGO Holidays advises agents of its one-week self-guided canal boat-ing holidays with Le Boat. Clients can choose from France, Italy or Holland, with prices starting from $1419pp s/t. No experience is neces-sary. The offers are valid for sales to 30 Sep and travel Mar-Oct. GO has full details.

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Uluru Delegate OptionsAyers Rock Resort will host its biggest event yet—Bruce Munro’s Field of Light Uluru—from 01 Apr 2016-31 Mar 2017, and it’s offering a number of ways the art installation can be incorporated into all meet-ings at the resort. They range from the two-hour Field of Light Sunrise (from AUD55pp for a minimum of 40 guests), where delegates can enjoy the exhibition as the sun rises; through to the A Night at Field of Light, a 4.5 hour experience at a re-mote desert location including cana-pes and chilled sparkling wine as the sun sets, a three-course bush tucker inspired buffet, didgeridoo and local Indigenous performance. It’s priced at AUD235pp for a minimum of 80 guests and a maximum of 120.See ulurumeetingplace.com.au

A hotel in India has been named the world’s best in the latest TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards, which are based on re-views and feedback on the site.The average nightly rate of Travellers’ Choice award-winning hotels is $501; cheapest is $112; B&Bs and Inns are $194; and luxury hotels average $696.Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur in In-dia, with an average rate of $1138pn, is the main residence of the Jodhpur Royal Family as well as serving as a hotel and museum.Next on the list were Shinta Mani Resort in Siem Reap, Cambodia (av-erage $308pn) an upscale boutique hotel; Bellevue Syrene in Sorren-to, Italy (average $871pn); Hanoi La Siesta Hotel & Spa in Vietnam (average $168pn); Achtis Hotel in Afitos, Greece (average $155pn); Bel-mond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Great Milton, UK (average $1800pn), created by chef Raymond Blanc; Mirihi Island Resort in the Mal-dives ($1641pn); Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts Aruba ($725pn); Cala-

bash Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa, Grenada ($1248pn); and the Hotel Ritta Höppner in Gramado, Brazil ($287pn).In New Zealand, the top 10 were Lakeside Apartments in Wanaka; The Sails Nelson; Century Park Motor Lodge in Nelson; The St James, Han-mer Springs; Bluestone on George, Dunedin; The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs; Solitaire Lodge, Rotorua; Village Lake Apartments, Hanmer Springs; The Spire Hotel, Queenstown; and Mill-brook Resort.See all the winners at tripadvisor.com/travelerschoice-hotels

New Paradise ShuttleReturn to Paradise Resort in Samoa has launched a complimentary shut-tle service to take guests into Apia on Mon, Wed and Fri. The shuttle departs the resort 1030, and picks guests up from town at 1530.

JU, EY AdditionsAir Serbia has added Hong Kong and Johannesburg to its codeshare agree-ment with Etihad Airways, bringing to 24 the total number of destina-tions covered by the deal.

Luxury Collection TokyoThe Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood, will debut the brand’s first hotel in Tokyo in Jul. Owned by Prince Hotels, the Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, a Luxury Collection Hotel, will be located in the heart of the Kioicho neighbour-hood and is part of Tokyo Garden Terrace, a mixed-use development which will encompass retail, offices and residences. The hotel will offer 250 guestrooms, including 11 suites, a signature bar with two-story floor-to-ceiling glass windows, function and meeting space, a large indoor pool, fitness centre, spa, business centre and club lounge, as well as four restaurants and bars. See luxu-rycollection.com for further details.

World’s Best Hotels For 2016 Named

The Niue Experience

Niue TourismRepresented in NZ by:

Hogan & Associates Ltd0-9-489 7844

sales@hoganreps.co.nz

The Discover Niue Self Famil programme has been so popular with agents we’ve extended it for bookings through to 28 Jan, so those who missed out the first time around should get in quick to experience the fabulous destination for themselves.

Niue Self Famils Back!

Packages are priced from $521pp t/s including Air New Zealand flights and four nights at the Scenic Matavai Resort, Scenic Matavai Studio Apartments or the new Seventy-Three A self-contained unit.

There’s options to extend your stay, upgrade to Namukulu Cottages or Stone Villas, and plenty of discounted activities.

For details CLICK HERE

SPTE RegistrationBuyer registrations are now open for the South Pacific Tourism Exchange 2016, being held at the Sea World Re-sort Convention Centre on the Gold Coast 20-21 May. Tour operators, wholesale buyers and travel agents are invited to register for the South Pacific’s only regional tourism event. See sptexchange.org

Scenic Africa EarlybirdsScenic has extended sales of its 2016 Africa earlybirds through to 31 Jan. Guests can save up to $2100 per cou-ple on journeys of 12 days or longer.

Elizabeth Quay OpeningThe countdown is on to the opening of Perth’s Elizabeth Quay mixed-use development, with a celebratory laser and light show scheduled for 29 Jan, advises Tourism Western Australia. The free show will light up the inlet at 2000, 2100 and 2200 to coincide with a weekend of free entertainment.

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JANUARY 2016Rocky Mountaineer & Adventure World Road Show BreakfastsDunedin: Tue 26, Otago Museum - Kakapo Room, 0715. Christchurch: Wed 27, Reality Bites Cafe, 0715 & 0845. Wellington: Thu 28, Air NZ (Koru Room), Level 4 - State Insurance Tower, 0715 & 0845.

FEBRUARY 2016Brand USA Discover America EventsChristchurch: Mon 22, Rydges Latimar Hotel, 1700-2130.Auckland: Tue 23, The Cloud, Queens Wharf, 1700-2130.

JAWS RoadshowDunedin: Mon 29, Scenic Southern Cross Hotel, 118 High Street, 1700-2000.

MARCH 2016JAWS RoadshowChristchurch: Tue 01, Rydges Latimer Hotel, Latimer Square, 1700-2000. Nelson: Wed 02, Rutherford Hotel, 27 Nile Street West, 1700-2000. Whangarei: Tue 08, Forum North, 7 Rust Ave, 1700-2000. Napier: Mon 14, War Memorial Conference Centre, 48 Marine Parade, 1700-2000. Wellington: Tue 15, Rydges WLG, 75 Featherston Street, 1700-2000. Palmerston North: Wed 16, Distinction Hotel, 175 Cuba Street, 1700-2000. New Plymouth: Thu 17, Novotel Hotel, Cnr Of Hobson and Leach Streets, 1700-2000. Tauranga: Tue 22, Tauranga Yacht Club, 70 Keith Allen Drive, 1700-2000. Hamilton: Wed 23, Novotel Tainui, 7 Alma Street, 1700-2000.

Cook Islands RoadshowChristchurch: Tue 08, Hagley Oval, 0730-9030. Wellington: Wed 09, Rydges Hotel, 0730-9030.

Industry Diary

For more see Monday’s Travel Today

Auckland, North Shore: Wed 09, Spencer on Byron, 1730-2030.South Auckland: Thu 10, Waipuna Suites, Highbrook, 0730-0930.Auckland CBD: Thu 10, The Heritage Hotel, 1730-2030.

APRILTourism Fiji Bula Marau Family RoadshowPalmerston North: Mon 04, Distinction Hotel, 0700-0930.Christchurch: Mon 04, Tait Conference Centre, 1730-2015. Wellington: Tue 05 April, Amora Hotel, 1730-2015. Hamilton: Wed 06, Ferrybank Reception Centre, 1730-2015. Auckland: Thu 07, Stamford Hotel, 1730-2030.Auckland North Shore: Fri 08, QBE Stadium, 0700-0930.

Asia Now roadshowDunedin: Tue 05. Christchurch: Wed 06. Wellington: Thu 07. Tauranga: Mon 11. Hamilton: Tue 12. Auckland North: Wed 13.Auckland East: Thu 14.Venues, times tba.

Avalon Waterways 2017 LaunchKerikeri: Wed 06, pm.Petone: Wed 06, pm.Whangarei: Thu 07, pm.New Plymouth: Thu 07, pm.Hamilton: Mon 11, pm.Tauranga: Tue 12, pm.Auckland, North Shore: Tue 12, pm. Dunedin: Tue 12, pm.Auckland, East: Wed 13, pm.Timaru: Wed 13, pm.Napier: Wed 13, pmAuckland, West: Thu 14, pm.Palmerston North: Thu 14, pm.Ashburton: Thu 14, pm. Christchurch: Tue 19, pm. Invercargill: Wed 20, pm Queenstown: Thu 21, pm. Nelson: Wed 27 Apr, pm. Blenheim: Thu 28, pm. Times, venues tba.

Senior Travel Consultant

With the expansion of the agency we are hunting down an experienced and enthusiastic seller with a proven track

record to join our team at Royal Oak United Travel.

We enjoy a bright open office with plenty of car parking located in the Royal Oak Mall.

A competitive salary will be offered to the successful applicant. Expressions of interest with your CV

should be sent by Friday 29th January to:

Chris.united@oneworldtravel.co.nz

Cathay Staff On ‘Gardening Leave’The Cathay Pacific Auckland team booked a day away from the office on ‘Garden Leave’ recently to support the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre, a not for profit organisation that works to improve the lives of those who strug-gle with special needs. A small group including country manager Mark Pirihi rolled up their sleeves to help tidy up the centre’s grounds. CX intends to provide on-going support to the centre, which has expressed its appreciation of the hard working gardeners. Pictured is Mark Pirihi, Kath Dance, Heather Skinner, Lex van der Leij and Angela Jones.

WA Info SheetsWith summer being a ‘prime time’ for Kiwis to visit Perth, Tourism Western Australia has created re-sourceful information sheets for each region in WA—Coral Coast, Golden Outback, North West, Perth & Surrounds, and South West. E-mail louise.frend@westernaustralia.com

Starwood Hotels & Resorts says it is ‘aggressively’ expanding its footprint in South Asia, anchored by the Indian market. Since Jan 2015, Star wood has opened nine hotels and signed deals for 16 new hotels in South Asia; while it recently surpassed its 50th hotel in the region, with 54 hotels operating and another 34 hotels under development. “Our growth continues to be fuelled by strong domestic demand for

quality and branded accommoda-tions in Tier 1 and Tier 2 markets,” it says. “India is already Starwood’s fourth largest market in terms of number of hotels and will soon be its third after the US and China. The momentum of 2015 will con-tinue in 2016 with another eight to 10 hotel openings in the region.”

Starwood’s Sth Asia ExpansionStarwood says India’s luxury market continues to soar driven by rising disposable incomes and an ap-petite for luxury goods, including hospitality. In particular, this has resulted in Starwood having seen ‘tremendous success converting in-dependent and branded hotels into its portfolio’.

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HNL Coffee Experience Opens In WaikikiThe Honolulu Coffee Experience Center has opened in Waikiki and offers what it says is the world’s only ‘multi-dimensional Kona coffee experience from farm to cup’. The attraction sports a vintage roaster, art installations and also offers visitors the chance to observe coffee being evaluated and certified baristas participating in daily training sessions. There’s also a café and gift shop. See honolulucoffee.com

HA’s Record 2015Hawaiian Airlines welcomed a record 10,672,667 passengers in 2015, a 4.7% increase on the year before. The figures mark 11 straight years of passenger growth. Average load factor for the year was 81.6%, up 0.1 percentage points.

Outrigger Vow RenewalOutrigger’s Waikiki properties are offering free beachfront vow renewal ceremonies for guests this Valentine’s Day. Couples staying at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort or Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Re-sort can take part in the Hawaiian ceremony on the shore fronting the Outrigger Reef. The ceremony in-cludes a chant, vows and a perfor-mance of the Hawaiian Wedding Song, as well as champagne and a complimentary photo. Guests need to sign up at their respective hotel’s front desk by 1500 on 13 Feb.

Hawaii Tourism is encouraging those in the trade to take advan-tage of the rainbow state’s Mahalo Month agent discounts, as Kiwi arrivals to Hawaii are forecast to continue to grow.“Our Hawaii tourism partners are ready to welcome agents and both Air New Zealand and Hawaiian Airlines have introduced industry levels—so we’re really urging agents to make the most of it and visit or revisit Hawaii, and experience the destination first hand,” says Hawaii Tourism New Zealand manager Dar-ragh Walshe. “[The travel patterns of] many New Zealand travel agents reflect the consumers’, many have either never

been [to Hawaii] or went 15 plus years ago during the boom. But as Hawaii is increasingly becoming a repeat destination for Kiwis, agents need to understand the differences between each of the islands and what they have to offer,” says Walshe.Highlighting the depth and diversity of product and experiences avail-able across the islands, Walshe says just under 30% of Kiwis visiting Ha-waii now include a Neighbour Island in their itineraries.Oahu too continues to evolve. “It’s a lot different, even Waikiki which has undergone a large scale rejuvenation project. There’s more shopping and dining options and there’s actually more of a Hawaiian flavour and feel that visitors can’t get anywhere else.”

. . . Stay, Play In MayThe Mahalo Month initiative runs Apr-May and Walshe says it is an ideal time for Kiwi agents to visit. “There’s generally flight availabil-ity and the deals are open to retail travel agents, tour operator staff and wholesale reservations staff.” There are over 150 offers available, which those in the trade may combine to form a self-famil of the islands. For details, see mahalomonth.com

Double column, non Oahu pic--maybe the Na-pali Coast?

Pic: Tor Johnson

Agent Deals For Mahalo Month(s)

Biggest Ever Aloha EventHawaii Tourism is set to stage what the tourism body say is its larg-est ever Hawaii tourism delegation to visit New Zealand with its 2016 Aloha Downunder event. Events are planned in Wellington (breakfast) and Auckland (evening) on Mon 09 May, and the STO is also staging an event in Auckland 10 May, ahead of the departure of Air New Zealand’s inaugural scheduled 787-9 service between Auckland and Honolulu. “It’s our regular event but we have had interest from a record number of suppliers, it’s going to be our biggest delegation ever,” says Hawaii Tour-ism New Zealand manager Darragh Walshe.

Hilo Hotel ClosureUncle Bil ly’s Hilo Bay Hotel is reportedly set to close 01 Feb. The 150-room property’s land lease is said to be expiring in Mar, and the hotel will close 01 Feb after more than five decades of operation on the east coast of the Big Island of Ha-waii. Uncle Billy’s Kona Bay Hotel in Kailua-Kona is operating as normal.