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Weekly UpdatesMay 31, 2009
GOGO Worldwide Vacations
GOGO Worldwide Vacations is offering clients who book Tahiti with air on Air Tahiti Nui between May 25 and June 30 for travel June 1 to Dec. 31 an opportunity to enter a contest to win roundtrip airfare for two on Air Tahiti Nui, a six-night multi-island stay at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and sightseeing on each island. GOGO Worldwide Vacations is a leading wholesaler of value and amenity-packed vacation packages with 39 local sales offices, marketing programs, and learning conferences serving 18,000 travel agencies nationwide. GOGO services travel agents exclusively and offers travel agents the most competitive commissions and vacation packages that include exclusive offers and promotions, last-minute sales, volume-discounted rates and rooms at the most desirable resorts and hotels. On Twitter visit www.twitter.com/gogowwv. On Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/pages/GOGO-WORLDWIDE-VACATIONS/43322761271 . Visit www.gogoworldwidevacations.com to view current Tahiti specials. For more information, call 888-567-0600 or visit www.gogowwv.com. May 28, 2009
Goway Travel
Goway Travel is offering savings up to USD 1,540 per couple on trips to New Zealand for bookings made before June 30 for October and November guaranteed escorted tour departures. According to Product Manager Meghan Boyd, OThe geography of New Zealand is well suited to escorted touring. The roads are surrounded by spectacular scenery, and relaxing in the comfort of a luxury touring coach, and socializing with a group of like-minded world wide travelers is a much better way to appreciate the surrounding beauty than having your attention fixed on a steering wheel.O The exchange rate is favorable with USD 1 buying USD 1.60 NZ. www.goway.com. May 28, 2009
Hard Rock International
Hard Rock International held the grand opening of Hard Rock Hotel at City of Dreams in Macau, marking the occasion with the brandOs ceremonial guitar smash and the donation of eight brand new Epiphone guitars to local universities. The latest addition to the Hard Rock brand, the hotel is part of City of Dreams, an integrated urban entertainment resort developed by Melco Crown Entertainment Limited, listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Hard Rock Hotels offer luxurious style and authentic experiences that rock. Properties are situated in destinations with unique character, tourist appeal and in gateway cities. Hard Rock Hotels cater to the evolving and distinctive needs of the experienced traveler, who seeks a reprieve from traditional, predictable properties. Hard Rock Hotel at City of Dreams offers a stylish contemporary design, superior service and the distinctive thread that unites all Hard Rock Hotels -- music. Located in Cotai, Hard Rock Hotel is certain to become a Omust experienceO destination in Macau. www.cityofdreamsmacau.com, www.hardrockhotels.com, www.hardrock.com, www.melco-crown.com. May 30, 2009
Shangri-La Hotels
Shangri-La Hotels and ResortsO new OKids On UsO offer allows children under 12 years old to eat, play and stay free. From now until Sept. 30, 2009, OKids On UsO offers savings for families including extra bed in the parentsO room for up to two children at no additional cost and complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner from the resortOs childrenOs menu. Various recreational facilities such as full use of the adventure zone, trapeze, jet-skiing, horseback-riding and nature trail walking can also be enjoyed at no charge. OKids On UsO is available at seven Shangri-La resorts in Penang, Malaysia; Sentosa, Singapore; as well as Cebu and Boracay in the Philippines. www.shangri-la.com. May 30, 2009
Singapore
Singapore has 1st H1N1 flu case; woman quarantined. The Singapore government on Wednesday confirmed the city-state's first H1N1 flu case, a 22-year-old Singaporean woman who is being quarantined in hospital. The government has been warning Singaporeans for weeks to prepare for an inevitable H1N1 outbreak in the city-state, a regional financial and trading centre and the world's busiest port. The woman arrived from New York early on Tuesday on a Singapore Airlines flight, and was not picked up by thermal scanners at the airport as she did not have a fever then, the government said in a statement. She was in a stable condition. The government said it planned to impose home quarantine on around 60 people, mostly Singaporean passengers on the same flight who were sitting near the flu patient, and it urged them to report to the authorities for anti-viral medication. May 26, 2009
Southern Pacific
The July 2010 solar eclipse in the remote Southern Pacific Ocean will be seen by very few as the track barely touches land. But with regular sailings from Papeete to the Marquesas Islands, the Aranui 3 will be in the right place at the right time, positioned in the chain of islands known as the Tuamotus, identified as the prime location in French Polynesia to view the total eclipse. Total eclipses often occur in some of the most isolated places on earth and this time is no exception. The eclipse track will barely touch land while it crosses the remote Southern Pacific Ocean from northeast of New Zealand. And, by the time it reaches South America, the totally eclipsed sun will be setting fast. www.aranui.com. May 27, 2009
Swain Tours
Swain Tours is offering a Sydney Sampler, an eight-day/five-night package to Sydney, Australia, priced from USD 1,015, including air plus a free hotel upgrade, a savings of USD 890 per couple. The package includes international coach class air from Los Angeles or San Francisco; roundtrip airport transfers; five nights in Sydney; Blue Mountains full-day tour; Sydney Harbour coffee cruise; and one lunch. Travel must be booked by June 5 for travel June 1 to Aug. 31. Pricing -- standard (three-star) accommodation, USD 1,015, free upgrade to superior (four-star) accommodation; superior (four-star) accommodation, USD 1,195, free upgrade to deluxe (five-star) accommodation; deluxe (five-star) accommodation, USD 1,460. The package includes roundtrip coach class air aboard United Airlines. Ask about upgrading to Business Class. www.swaintours.com. May 29, 2009
Taiwan
For those who missed out on the "best job in the world," Taiwan is offering the "best trip in the world," a marketing drive to promote tourism that builds on the global success of the Australian campaign. Taiwan will choose 50 travel groups to write about their four-day trips to the sub-tropical Asian island, then give TWDUSD 1 million (USDUSD 30,700) to the writers of the best online travelogue, the island's tourism bureau said. "Small as it may be, Taiwan is a treasure trove of stunning natural scenery and exciting local culture that offers immense possibilities for the do-it-yourself traveller," the contest organizers said. "Experienced travelers worldwide are invited to submit money-saving yet creative itineraries for a trip in Taiwan, share their personal stories from the tour in audio/visual blog posts, and let people around the world see this island nation through their eyes," it added. The tourism board of Australia's Queensland state this month picked a British charity fundraiser for the so-called "best job in the world" -- caretaker of an island in the Great Barrier Reef -- after the innovative marketing campaign that highlighted the power of social media. The campaign attracted nearly 34,700 video entries from almost 200 countries, surpassing all expectations in promoting tourism in the Australian state. "The headline of our event is like theirs, but the format isn't the same, and the outcome isn't the same," said Cheng Ying-huei, a Taiwan tourism bureau official. "We think the international response should be good." Although Taiwan's contest, under study since October, sounds similar to the Australian campaign, it works differently. The 50 groups, to be picked before July 10 based on proposed itineraries, will get TWDUSD 28,000 (USDUSD 860) each to spend over four days and write credible, creative accounts of their trips by the end of August in English, Chinese or Japanese, Cheng said. The grand prize winner also has to spend the money within one month and only in Taiwan. Taiwan's cabinet in April approved TWDUSD 30 billion to promote tourism, aiming for TWDUSD 550 billion in related revenues in 2012. Taiwan attracts many tourists from east Asia, where it is known for mountain scenic spots and urban landmarks such as the National Palace Museum, but travelers from other parts of the world often pass it by. May 26, 2009
Thailand
CNN International today announced the results of its Online Consumer Survey (OCS) on travel and tourism, which reveals that Thailand was chosen as representing the best value for money for travelers in the Asia Pacific region. The survey conducted across CNN English websites had more than 5,000 respondents globally. Thailand came out as the best value in Asia-Pacific for respondents over China in second place and India in third. May 27, 2009
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