New flights into the Whitsundays with Tigerair Australia

Tigerair Australia has announced an additional 55,000 visitor seats into Whitsunday Coast Airport per year, making it even easier to holiday in the Whitsundays from 23 March 2017.

The airline will be increasing return services from Sydney to five weekly return services, and will be introducing four brand new return services from Brisbane.

The move has been welcomed by Tourism Whitsundays CEO, Craig Turner, as a real step towards improving connectivity into the world-famous destination.

“We are excited to see such a positive boost to the region, supporting the increase in international and domestic visitors every year to the Whitsundays,” Turner said.

“The Whitsundays is an iconic holiday destination, with incredible natural wonders such as Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and Heart Reef.”

“Brisbane and Sydney are two of our top national markets, and more flights will mean greater access and flexibility for travellers flying into the region.”

Tourism Whitsundays will be partnering with Brisbane Airport Corporation and Tigerair Australia to launch a $30,000 digital and billboard marketing campaign to promote the new flight services.

The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board invites Australian millennials to “Get Lost in L.A.”

In a first for the city of L.A, the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (L.A. Tourism) today launches an Australia-wide advertising campaign, specifically aimed at the local millennial market. Titled “Get Lost in L.A.” the campaign harnesses millennials’ love for the “City of Angels” and invites them to discover the epic moments Los Angeles is having in the culinary, culture, fashion and creative spheres.

The new global campaign was developed in conjunction with award-winning Los Angeles agency PRETTYBIRD, in collaboration with creative boutique REMO+OOB.  Australia is the first overseas market to roll-out the campaign, following a North America roll-out in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Applications for JAPAN Incentive Travel Awards 2016 now open

The inaugural JAPAN Incentive Travel Awards are now open for applications until 5pm 25 October 2016 (UTC+9).

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has established the JAPAN Incentive Travel Awards to recognise outstanding practices among incentives to Japan and to showcase the charm and appeal of Japan as an incentive destination to the world.

The competition is open to incentive tours which have taken place between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016 with at least 100 room nights*.

The Grand Prize winner will be invited to Japan for the awards ceremony (business class airfare provided) and will explore the incentive possibilities Tokyo can offer on the “Deep Tokyo Trip” – a fam trip of the Tokyo metropolitan area. This experiential tour will include activities designed for incentive groups introducing Tokyo’s traditional and innovative characteristics (the prize package is subject to change).

The Award ceremony will take place on 7 December 2016 during the IME2016 26th International Meetings Expo held at PACIFICO YOKOHAMA.

For more information and application form please visit http://incentive-awards-jnto.com/index.html.

New brand for South Pacific tourism

Cook Islands Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Henry Puna officially launched a new brand and identity for promoting South Pacific tourism globally after it was approved at the 26th Council of Tourism Ministers Meeting in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.

Organised by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), the region’s peak tourism development and marketing body, the council meeting was attended by tourism ministers and government representatives from 13 Pacific island countries and China.

The new brand draws heavily on Pacific Islands’ cultural elements, in particular weaving. Individual letters in South Pacific Islands and SPTO have been taken apart, then strung back together like the strands in a woven mat.

A simple corporate monogram for SPTO with a natural colour palette of beiges and browns drawn from traditional craft will be used for high-level communications.

On the other hand, all consumer facing communications will draw from a vibrant palette that’s inspired by the vivid colours found in Pacific arts and culture as well as the region’s lush natural environment.

A new consumer-facing slogan “Ours is yours” accompanies the new brand. It evokes the welcoming nature of Pacific peoples and the Pacific spirit of sharing, in particular the unique cultures and pristine natural environments that our island countries share with visitors from around the world.