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NZ travel agents get to discover America

Thursday, 23 February 2012 13:17

The Discover America trade seminar was held at Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre on the evening of February 22, following the Travel Agent breakfast held in Mt Maunganui. Discover America is an annual event organised by the Visit USA Committee, offering the forum to showcase what the United States can offer the New Zealand travel industry. The 2012 Auckland event attracted over 300 travel agents and had 53 exhibiting companies promoting their products. The event offers a mixture of stand sessions and stage presentations, commences with a free flow exhibition for exhibiting companies to meet face to face with New Zealand travel agents followed by short exhibitor stage and video presentations.


From left James Scoon, Wyoming Department of Tourism; Mitch Knothe, Idaho Tourism and Fred Walker, North Dakota Division of Tourism	Natalie Frowde, Travel Managers Group Limited and Maggie Hunt, Marriott	NZ Visit USA Committee Angela Babich, Tony Laskey and Darragh Walshe

Colleen Fisher, Harvey World Travel Whangarei, Donna Marcou-Stafford, Tropicana and Megan Hornblow, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority	Chris Mclntyre, EagleRider Motorcycle Rental & Tours and Sylvia Banki, United Travel Waiheke	Peta Baldwinson and Jacqui Hansen of Go Holidays

William Simpson, Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, Deborah Martin, Southern California Gray Line and Cynthia Schmitt, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment	Lynda Nolan, United Travel and Meredith Salotto, San Francisco Travel	Jill Gardner, Hawaii Tourism and Lynne Bennett, Harvey World Travel

Rebecca Slee, Qantas Airways Limited and Margaret Sullivan, Aspire Travel Group	Disney Destinations International's Rich Youngman, Claire Bradley and Sean Harrigan	Lesley Johns, United Travel Westgate and Jan Cox, Air New Zealand

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Networking at AIME

Monday, 20 February 2012 07:33

	TRAVELinc snapped Kiwis at work and play at AIME in Melbourne mid February. Left: Samantha Heeney, Conference & Events Ltd with Peter Dunn, Gold Coast Convention Bureau Right: Diana McIlwrick, Dinamics Destination Management meets Jennifer Grayson, Shangri-La's Fijian Resort & Spa (right) and Aina Hassan, Naviti Resort

Catching up at the Fiji stand are, from left, Adair Cameron, Williment Travel; Sally Cooper, ATS Pacific Fiji; Tiffany McWatt, Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa and Victoria Wales, HOT Events	At the welcome reception, from left, Vicky Carson, Global Events, Lauri Matthews, Indigo Incentives; Robyn Bradley, 110 Percent, Liz Maxwell, ESP Ventures at AIME's official welcome cocktail function at Melbourne Pavilion in Flemington.	Seeing red at the welcome reception are, from left, Sally Peppermans, Le Meridien Noumea, Greg Norris and David Burns, OneNineFive and Julie Cassin, GLP Hotels

Lillian Lee and Bronwyn Barr, both Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau (MCVB), joined a cuddly friend to welcome hosted buyers and media to the MCVB – Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME) welcome cocktails. The function was held at the Mural Hall in the Myer department store, with partners Qantas and The Big Group.	Left: At the MCVB welcome cocktails, from left, are Heather Shaw, Motivaction, Auckland; Cara Heathcote, MCVB; Rebecca March, Axis Events Group, New South Wales	Kiwis catch up at the cocktail party, from left, Laurie Matthews, Indigo; Moni Collins, Driving Force Incentives; Victoria Wales, HOT Events

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Canadian breakfast

Sunday, 19 February 2012 16:50

World Journeys and Canadian partners invited Auckland travel agents to breakfast at The Langham, Auckland on February 17. Salmon, pancakes and maple syrup, strong coffee and product updates made up the menu.

The Canadians ready for their early morning presentations to the trade. (from left) Josephine Wasch, VIA Rail Canada; Joanne Motta, Tourism British Columbia; Corey Mardhall, Anderson Vacations; Kim Houston, World Journeys; Maria Greene, Tourism British Columbia; Natacha Fudem, Edmonton Tourism

Jemma Vinsen, Fleur Gosling, both Atlas Travel; Sarah Jenseen, Stars Travel

Janet Lewisham, Carolyn Hedley. Both The Travel Brokers; Janet Tucker, American Express Travel

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Cook Islands would be nice at Flight Centre expos

Tuesday, 14 February 2012 13:16

The Cook Islands has had a strong presence at the recent Flight Centre Travel Expos with the Auckland expo attracting over 21,000 consumers at the ASB Showgrounds mid February. 'The Flight Centre expos are always a prominent feature in our activity for the year and we’ve found that this year's expo has definitely attracted a lot more genuine inquiries on our destination,' says Cook Islands Tourism NZ sales & marketing Manager, Kelly Hansen.

Cook Islands Tourism’s distinctive green Visit Cook Islands booth decked out by local designer TAV and three man string band seemed to attract many would-be holiday makers.

The booth even attracted Puss n Boots who was more than happy to get a shot with (bottom left, from left) Susie Williams, The Edgewater Resort & Spa; Kelly Hansen, Cook Islands Tourism; Laura Wadsworth, Moana Sands Hotel & Villas, Emile Kairua, The Edgewater Resort & Spa.

Above centre: Eri Short from Moana Sands Hotel & Villas dances in the aisles of the Cook Islands village and above right, Cook Islands string band Vaiari 5 provided great entertainment at the CI Tourism booth

The Cook Islands village was represented by Muri Beach Club Hotel, Te Vara Nui Cultural Village, Muri Beachcomber, Lagoon Breeze Villas, Pacific Resort Hotel Group, Crown Beach Resort, Aroa Beachside Inn, The Edgewater Resort & Spa, Black Pearl Collection, Club Raro, Manuia Beach Resort, Puaikura Reef Lodges and The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa/Sanctuary Rarotonga and The Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa.

The Cook Islands will be at the final Christchurch Travel Expo this weekend at the CBS Canterbury Arena on the 19th February in booths 26 & 27. For more information on the Cook Islands email: nzmanager@cookislands.travel or visit www.cookislands.travel

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New at Dreamworld, WhiteWater World, SkyPoint

Monday, 13 February 2012 06:32

DreamWorks Animation's Puss in Boots joined guests at Snapdragon for a breakfast with the team from Dreamworld, WhiteWater World and SkyPoint. Having recently formed a long-term partnership with DreamWorks, Dreamworld will open up a new 8,400sqm DreamWorks Experience precinct in time for Easter, where guests can enter into animation-themed lands.

	The team also introduced a seventh 'big thrill' ride, BuzzSaw. The highest inversion ride experience in the Southern Hemisphere, BuzzSaw involves a 15 storey vertical drop with speeds of up to 105km/hour. Newly opened SkyPoint Climb takes climbers to the observation deck on level 77 of Q1 Resort, where a guide highlights Gold Coast's major landmarks from 270m high. Right: Dreamworld's Puss in Boots with Graeme Manson, Tourism Queensland (far left), Craig Undery and Jeanette Wiltshire (centre, both Dreamworld, Whitewater World and Skypoint), and Sam Cameron, Goldcoast Tourism (far right).
Serena Martin and Jenna Servantie, Air New Zealand Holidays

Alicia Szerszyn and Alethea Snowden, Paradise Resort	Annette Adams and Amy Ferguson, both Infinity Holidays, with Mandy Veale, Mondo Travel	Charlie De Tracy-Gould, Scott Eddington and Lisa Harris, Infinity Holidays

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Expo takes flight

Sunday, 12 February 2012 17:17

The annual Flight Centre Expo was held at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland over the weekend of February 10 and 11.

Left: Narelle Christoffersen, World Resorts of Distinction representing Sonaisali; Selina McGowan, Marine Tourism Holdings


Would you like a show guide? Flight Centre’s Karina Rowling welcomed people as they walked the red carpet to enter the expo	Graeme Manson, Tourism Queensland; Elizabeth Webb, Tourism Tropical North Queensland	Melissa Davis, Tourism Wollongong; Geff Tiver, Merlin Entertainment Group; Sonya Lawson, Tourism New South Wales

Kaarin Gaukrodger, Club Med; Melissa Bannister, Complete Cruise Solutions	The Corporate Traveller team, Carla Haagner; Tate Crawford; Brooke Mattock	David Hodson, Queensland Rail Travel; Alka Thapar, Rail Plus

Sue Fletcher-Vea and Karyn Vinsen both Manuia Beach Resort	Michelle Weir and Nancy Olsen, both Qantas	Luanne Miracle and Pip Ashford, Anaheim Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau

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Legend of a lunch

Friday, 10 February 2012 17:40

It's a legend in its own lunch time... well actually it is a lunch time. The 2012 version of the Famous Gold Coast Lunch was held at Jack Tar in the Whyndam Quarter in Auckland.


Naomi Enright. Virgin Australia; Amanda Byrne, Gold Coast Airport; Justine Smith, Tourism Queensland	Andrew Phillipps, ConXion; Craig Undery, Dreamworld	Gabrielle Brown, House of Travel; Cyrstal Colahan, Islander Resort Hotel; Holly Dunn, Gold Coast Shuttle; Sandra Vella, Harbour Town

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Just coasting

Friday, 10 February 2012 06:59

The Gold Coast road show hit Auckland’s Atticus Bar in Fort Street on February 9. Travel agent guests received a goodie bag, a quiz sheet and a drink before a session of ‘speed dating’ with Gold Coast operators.


Nick Baker, Air New Zealand Holidays; is greeted by Sam Cameron, Gold Coast Tourism; and Shelly Reilly, Village Roadshow.	Kristen Mooney and Kelsey Waters, House of Travel	Daniel Rawling, Mary Loomb, Stein Dando, all Air New Zealand

Toni Williams and Saritu Manu, Gilpin Travel	Nicola Morley, Flight Centre Gisborne; Christine Dyer, Flight Centre West City Mall; Ashleigh Evans, Flight Centre Hornby, Christchurch	Ben van Dermaat and Lianne Stott, both Kristin Edgeworth Travel

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And the best Bula dancer is....

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 13:12

Fiji Travel agents and Mamanuca tourism operators got all shook up at the Tourism Fiji Regional Roadshow in Wellington. After a long but informative presentation updating resort developments and cruise and shuttle specials, the Bula dance competition hit the floor. Nick Landy, Flight Centre Lambton Quay, was judged winner (possibly because he had the most agent colleagues in the audience).


Pictured Apisai Vasu, Plantation Island Resort, hands Nick Landy his dancing prize, a bag of Fijian-made goodies.	Showing them how it's done, Apisai Vasu, Plantation Island Resort and Anne Radonich, RAD Marketing, representing Captain Cook Cruises and Treasure Island	Away in her own world Cecilia Frost, Mana Island Resort & Spa