Are your weekend plans looking somewhat lacklustre? Feel free to live vicariously through all these recent fantastic famils and events that agents attended.

Globus family of brands reveals its new Travel Agent Portal

As part of the brands’ digital transformation, Globus family of brands (GFOB) has unveiled its newly redesigned travel agent portal. With a clean design that’s packed with exciting features, the portal has been created to make booking customers on a Globus, Cosmos, Monograms or Avalon Waterways holiday, easier than ever.

Developed by agents for agents, the portal includes everything they will need to book their customers tours, cruises and independent packages, set up as an easy-to-use, agent-friendly experience. The portal includes features to make and manage all stages of the bookings process, plus access to marketing materials including the latest brochures and incentives.

Agents that are registered to the portal can also track their personal learning and development progress, access their passport-to-rewards balance and be the first in the know for company news and deals.

The portal is live now and agents can register here: agentportal.globusfamily.com.au.  Please note, agents must register for the new portal by 16 December, as the old portal will be decommissioned.

Travel agents get the VIP experience with Excite Holidays 

Ten agents have returned to Australia after spending four days exploring the best that Singapore has to offer with Excite Holidays and Singapore Tourism Board.

After flying into Changi Airport from all over the country, the agents were greeted for a special check-in experience at the incredible  Fairmont Singapore. They were quickly whisked up to level 25 for check-in at the exclusive Fairmont Gold Lounge, before getting to their individual rooms with sweeping views of Marina Bay.

Over the four days, the agents were treated to some of the most exclusive dining experiences in Singapore, dining at Michelin-starred Braci, Stellar at 1-Altitude, Members-only club Straits Clan and the Tiffin Room, in the iconic Raffles Hotel. They also had a chance to visit some of the world’s best bars, including the 8th ranked Atlas Bar, and the iconic Long Bar at Raffles Hotel where they enjoyed a classic Singapore Sling.

It wasn’t all eating and drinking, however – with a range of great experiences including luge and segway adventures on Sentosa Island, a private gin making class, tours of historic districts, shopping on Orchard Road, luxurious 45-minute massages, and a unique sidecar experience that took the agents through the city before finishing at Gardens by the Bay.

All of this plus an exclusive private event at Rabbit Hole on Dempsey Hill where the agents arrived in style, dressed to impress and had a great night at one of Singapore’s hidden gems.

Silversea: Trade Appreciation

Silversea Cruises recently launched a new trade appreciation initiative that will run indefinitely. Every booking over $50,000 in value will receive a Pommery Champagne gift pack as thank you.

Viva Holidays Air Canada Famil

Ten lucky Helloworld Travel branded and associate agents recently took off to the USA on famil thanks to Viva! Holidays, Air New Zealand and Las Vegas Tourism. Kicking off their tour with two nights at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, the agents enjoyed exhilarating experiences in the Papillion Helicopters, and a hot lap in a Corvette Z06 thanks to Exotics Racing.

Thanks to Las Vegas Tourism the agents also visited Planet Hollywood, Paris Las Vegas, The Bellagio, Vdara and the Aria hotels, rounding out their Las Vegas leg of the famil, before hitting their next destination – California! Californian style surf lessons, sunsets and VIP shopping experiences were on the cards for the group, with some opting for the short 30 minute shuttle to Disneyland.

Overall the agents were thrilled with their USA experience, and thanks to Viva! Holidays, Air New Zealand, Las Vegas Tourism and Helloworld Travel.

REMINDER: final days to save with Insight Vacations 

Insight Vacations, the award-winning leader in premium escorted journeys, are reminding travel agents that there is one week left to save on it’s $799 Return Airfare to Europe and Britain OR save 10% through Insight’s Early Payment Discount.

Ending 18 December 2019, NOW is the time to book, providing travellers with the biggest choice of trips and departure dates.

With Insight, travellers will have access to rare and authentic experiences that are unavailable to other travellers. Guests will get to know the destination intimately with exciting activities, meaningful interactions and expert local insights.

Tourism Solomons 17 December webinar

Tourism Solomons is offering industry staffers the opportunity to win a $50 pre-paid Visa card simply by participating in a Solomon Islands update webinar taking place on Tuesday, 17 December 2019.

Running for approximately 30 minutes and including a Q&A session, the webinar is timed as follows:

NSW/VIC – 1000 hours

QLD – 0900 hours

NZ – 1200 hours

Interested agents do need to register ASAP via the following link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JWUxSIh-QCC0j4EZhpcWLw

MTA head office team cruises into Christmas

MTA – Mobile Travel Agents’ head office team has celebrated Christmas in style with a slap-up seafood feast at the Gold Coast’s renowned Omeros Brothers restaurant followed by a scenic cruise aboard  the luxurious Crystal Blue.

Festive conclusion to 2019 for Personal Travel Managers

TravelManagers has wrapped up 2019 with state meetings in six cities around Australia, each followed by a festive Christmas lunch for attending personal travel managers (PTMs), representatives from National Partnership Office (NPO), and partner suppliers.

According to Executive General Manager, Michael Gazal, the state meetings are held twice each year, with the end-of-year instalment serving as both as a ‘state of the nation’ review of 2019 and a look forward into 2020.

The state meetings brought together PTMs from far and wide to hear about commercial updates, acknowledge those PTMs who had achieved the milestones of five or ten years with TravelManagers and listen to presentations from guest suppliers. Once the business part of the day was over, PTMs were eager to mingle and enjoy their Christmas lunch together.

Your Travel & Cruise members play bingo to win a slice of paradise

One lucky Your Travel & Cruise member has ended the year on a high after winning a trip to the Maldives as part of a fun Bingo-themed incentive.

Melbourne home-based agent Hayley van Dinter, who runs her Travel Coordinates business from her Melbourne home with the support of host agency Your Travel & Cruise, was the first to call ‘Bingo’ after ticking all the boxes on the Your Travel & Cruise Bingo booking card.

The prize went to the first Your Travel & Cruise agent to sell ten different types of bookings from a cruise to an international airfare and a trip to Asia.

Hayley scored the jackpot, winning a trip for two to the Maldives including return flights and three nights’ luxury accommodation.

Travellers Choice helps fight T1D

Diabetes affects thousands of Australian lives every year and in 2019 the disease hit close to home for Travellers Choice, inspiring the award-winning group to raise more than $15,000 to help scientists find a cure.

Addressing delegates during the recent Travellers Choice Conference in Adelaide, General Manager Marketing Robyn Mitchell revealed that her nine-year-old son had this year been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).

To help battle the disease, Travellers Choice members and preferred suppliers took part in a fundraising raffle during the conference, with the aim being to raise $10,000 for JDRF, the world’s leading supporter of research into T1D.

Twenty companies, including Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Adventure World, the Intrepid Group, Royal Caribbean Cruises and The Africa Safari Co., all rose to the challenge by donating major prizes. While others, such as Scenic and Wendy Wu Tours pledged cash.

Thanks to the efforts of the suppliers and Travellers Choice members, who snapped up tickets, the raffle easily surpassed the target.

Allison Langdon to MC MTA 20^th anniversary national conference

MTA – Mobile Travel Agents has confirmed high profile TV presenter Allison Langdon will perform MC duties at the ‘People, Purpose Passion’ themed 20th-anniversary national conference taking place next February.

This is the second time Ms Langdon has joined MTA. In 2018 she both performed MC duties and presented a keynote address at the company’s ‘Experience Shines’ conference.

The ‘People, Purpose Passion’ conference will take place at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast from 28 February – 01 March 2020.

1000 Mile Travel Group conference cruises off Sydney coast

Setting sail into 2020, 1000 Mile Travel Group’s mobile travel experts from across Australia and the UK came together last week for their annual conference on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas in Sydney.

Leadership, staff and travel experts alike came together on Sunday the 1st of December to reflect on the company’s fifth year and the exciting future ahead in 2020. “Power of Productivity” was the theme, which featured an emphasis on productivity optimisation, team motivation, time management and risk assessment in independent Travel Expert’s businesses and the collective 1000 Mile family.