Home » News » Destination wrap: Tok Tok wraps-up, Destination DC activation, WA’s wildflowers bloom + MORE

9 September, 2019

Destination wrap: Tok Tok wraps-up, Destination DC activation, WA’s wildflowers bloom + MORE

Destination DC Event - Lincoln Activation: Aimed towards consumer travellers.

By Travel Weekly

This week’s destination wrap is equal parts overseas and local, so we’re dubbing it a Maxibon-style read.

Vanuatu Tourism Office wraps-up another successful Tok Tok

The Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) has just wrapped-up its annual travel trade industry event, Tok Tok, recording the highest number and widest variety of local operators ever in attendance.

VTO, alongside more than 57 local sellers – including 15 new operators – welcomed buyers from across Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji, Singapore, China, Europe and the United States as they descended on the nation’s capital, Port Vila, to answer the call of Vanuatu and discover all that’s new in the South Pacific Island paradise.

Beginning with a B2B event at this year’s host venue Warwick Le Lagon, local operators and international businesses were able to connect over their common goal – to sell, promote and further drive visitation to the islands.

Vanuatu Tourism Office team at Tok Tok 2019

The annual event also included a buyers’ function, featuring live local entertainment at the Port Vila Seafront Precinct that kicked things off on 29 August.

This was followed by a handful of specially crafted famils across Efate, Tanna and Espiritu Santo, allowing attendees to create their own ‘Vanuatu Moments’ as they experienced the islands’ rugged beauty, pristine oceans and warm Ni-Vanuatu spirit firsthand.

The event culminated back in Port Vila with a finale gala dinner on 31 August.

Unique neighbourhoods of Washington DC welcome Sydney’s travel industry

Ovolo in Woolloomooloo was replicated as the unique neighbourhoods of Washington, DC last Thursday night, as Destination DC and their partners, Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group and United Airlines, treated up to 100 members of the travel industry and media to a taste of DC.

DC neighbourhood stations were on display throughout the venue, including a live DC-inspired DJ, a mini-basketball hoop, cherry blossom displays in a photo booth, and a variety of cuisine and beverages.

One lucky travel agent, Vinay Gaggar from Flight Centre, won a trip to Washington, DC including return economy airfares on United Airlines, four nights at the Kimpton Carlyle Hotel and customisation of a day-to-day itinerary by the Destination DC media team.

Earlier in the day, the Destination DC team took to Martin Place in Sydney, evoking the historic city with a giant 32-foot-wide by two-metre-high stage featuring a replica of the Lincoln Memorial chair.

Sydneysiders got to experience Washington, DC firsthand through a virtual reality 3D system that journeyed through its unique neighbourhoods, have their photo taken on the replica Lincoln Memorial chair, and enjoy street food carts replicating the flavours of Washington, DC.

Destination DC Event - Lincoln Activation: Aimed towards consumer travellers.

TEQ and Ignite Travel Group deliver boost to North Queensland economy

A relief campaign launched by Ignite Travel Group (ITG) and Tourism & Events Queensland (TEQ) to support weather-affected communities in North Queensland has generated more than $7 million (estimated) in gross sales and in-destination spend.

Further, ITG raised over $20,000 for the St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) North Queensland Flood Appeal through contributions from each holiday package sold during the relief campaign and through fundraising events run by the ITG staff.

ITG, a local Queensland company, was engaged by TEQ alongside Whitsundays Tourism, Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Townsville Enterprise to encourage travellers to visit North Queensland and support local tourism operators with the campaign message ‘There’s never been a better time’.

Wildflowers spring to life in Western Australia

Credit: Rob Mulally and Georgia Rickard

Western Australia’s wildflower season is well and truly underway, with carpets blooming in the state’s mid-north west regions.

For the first time, wildflower enthusiasts can track where to locate the latest wildflowers state-wide, following the launch of an interactive ‘Wildflower Tracker’, which also gives users the opportunity to contribute photos and flower recordings from their travels.

Western Australia Visitor Centre manager Troy De Souza said the new online tracker is a fantastic way for people to stay up-to-date on the latest blooms.

“The tracker is updated regularly as reports of new flowers come in, so users have an accurate guide on where to find wildflowers across the season,” he said.

“It will greatly assist travellers choose where and when they would like to embark on a wildflower trail across many of WA’s hotspots, such as the carpets of everlastings and wreath flowers found in the greater Geraldton area.”

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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