News in Brief: Thursday August 29

Plans to reschedule Vanuatu's trade event Tok Tok have foundered, with a number of long-haul markets unable to commit to the revised November dates.

The event, originally scheduled to take place this week, was postponed due to limited air capacity as Air Vanuatu's Boeing 737-800 aircraft undergoes maintenance in Singapore until early September.

However, many buyers are unable to make the new November dates prompting Vanuatu Tourism Office to postpone the event until next year.

Australian and New Zealand buyers that are available in November will instead be hosted on a famil.

"We are still committed and supporting them to travel to Vanuatu this year," VTO said.

Australians planning to be overseas on the September 7 election day have been reminded to cast an early vote with special voting centres set up at the domestic and international airports.

Alternatively, they can cast a vote in person at one of the 102 Australian diplomatic missions around the world that offer voting services. For more information, click here.

Hotel giant Accor is targeting full year earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of between 510 and 530 million euro, compared with the 526 million euro posted last year with its cost-saving plan expected to deliver results in the second half.

The first half of 2013 saw its EBIT decline 6.6% to 198 millio euro as net profits hit 34 million euro compared with a net loss of 532 million euro in the first half of 2012 as it disposed of its Motel 6 brand.

Meanwhile, its expansion plans remain on track, with 117,000 rooms in the pipeline as of June 30, with 50% of those in Asia Pacific.

Car rental firm Hertz has signed an exclusive partnership with the Relais & Chateaux collection of luxury hotels and restaurants.

Under the three-year agreement, customers of both companies will have access to exclusive offers and preferential rates.

Air Canada is seeking to lure Australian skiers to Canadian slopes with the offer of airfare deals from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to Vancouver from $1798 including taxes when booked by September 3.

The airline is also offering deals from Sydney to Seattle, San Francisco, Boston and New York from $1509 when booked by the same date.

Made Easy Tours has released a new brochure featuring itineraries to Gallipoli, Belgium, France and Vietnam to mark 20 years of battlefield tours.