Viva Las Vega

Stepping into Las Vegas, it is easy to forget you are in the middle of a desert. That is, until your hair starts to stick to everything because of the dryness. Despite this, the abundance of fountains, bodies of water and water features will still try to convince a visitor to the city that they are not, in fact, playing on a pile of sand.

And they do exactly that. Hoards of people descend on Las Vegas, or lovingly known as Sin City, each day to play; there is a great excess of things that will entertain, whether it is the trademark casinos or dancing girls or bright lights or cabaret shows or theme shows or theme parks or rides. You name it. They will have it.

While it is hard to list one of the top entertainment options in Las Vegas, a must-do experience that must be done by visitors is Fremont Street. Now some may wonder, ‘how do you do a street?’ Well Las Vegas makes it possible with Fremont. It is a five-block-long cavalcade of bright lights that totally captivate visitors with their cheesy light-and-sound shows lit on a huge arched steel canopy. Go wave at the happy cowboy who cocks his hat at you and get neck problems from staring at the amazingly captivating lightshow that is shown each hour off the street’s canopy. It is tacky, but so are outlet stores and do we ever stop going to them?

Of course, the other (many) must-see attractions in the city are the casino shows. It is most likely that visitors to the city will be staying at one of the numerous casino-slash-hotels sitting along the strip, so all visitors will have to do it head to the front of their casino and get a show. There is much to offer – Treasure Island has a Pirate Show, a lava-filled volcano erupts each hour at the Mirage, water jets are choreographed to the sound of Beethoven at the Bellagio. Everywhere you go, there is something to see.

But do not be fooled into thinking that Las Vegas is all over-the-top hustle, big hair, gold credit cards and neon cowboys. Look beneath the shiny surface and visitors will see much more than meets the eye. In the city, there is the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum. Paying homage to the world-famous art gallery, the Rem Koolhaas designed museum houses works from the impressionist, post-impressionist and early-modernist era. Because of a partnership with the State Hermitage Museum of St Petersburg, the collection is guaranteed to grow.

For nature lovers, there is also the MGM Grand Lion Habitat. As the home of several African lions and cubs, the Lion Habitat is not a cruel display of animal control – these animals reside on a 8.5-acre ranch 12 miles away from the MGM Grand to ensure that they are close enough for Vegas visitors to visit and far enough to ensure that they have enough peace and space to grow and flourish.

There are also a range of zoos and botanical parks that will give visitors a sense of the natural beauty that co-exists with the artificial neon beauty of Las Vegas.

No matter what you want, Las Vegas will have it. While it is a commonly heard phrase that does not always deliver, it is not the case with Las Vegas. It has all the fun, excitement and debauchery that everyone occasionally itches for, but then it doesn’t trap visitors in this loop. There is an offering of culture and nature that completes Las Vegas as the perfect heaven and hell on earth.

For more information, visit the Las Vegas Tourism website at www.visitlasvegas.com.

Cruising to boost tourism to Christmas Island

Christmas Island will see its first ever visit from a cruise ship in December following the Federal Government’s decision to invest $3.5 million on improving its mooring facilities.

The first ship to visit the island will be P&O Cruises’ Pacific Sun, which is owned and operated by Carnival Australia on December 23.

It will be the first four visits by the ship between December this year and February 2011, with an estimated 7600 passengers in tow.

“This is a significant step for Christmas Island because it creates an opportunity for the island to develop its tourism industry and deliver economic benefit for its community” said Carnival chief executive Ann Sherry.

“Christmas Island’s unique wildlife, including the annual migration of the red crabs, and natural features makes it an appealing holiday destination for Australians.

She added that Carnival Australia had received positive reception from the Christmas Island community, who are keen to see tourism develop in a way that meets their expectations and protects the island’s natural features.

The cruising industry has grown and average of 18 per cent a year for the past six years and is expected to contribute about $1 billion to the Australian economy this year alone.

Trafalgar Square: top attraction for international travellers

Trafalgar Square is the top tourist attraction in the UK according to new research from First Rate Exchange Services.

The majority of the 2,500 international travellers from the USA, Ireland, Spain, France and Germany that were interviewed said they most wanted to visit Trafalgar Square during their time in the UK.

Tower Bridge, London Museums, Buckingham Palace and Oxford St were the next top attractions, respectively.

Americans indicated that a visit to Buckingham Palace was a must whilst over half (51 percent) said a visit to Buckingham Palace was a top priority.

Edinburgh Castle, Oxford University and the White Cliffs of Dover were in the top spots for the French as they wanted to venture out of the capital.

Tourists from Ireland were more inclined to visit Oxford Street and the Bullring Shopping Centre in Birmingham as they prioritised shopping.

International travellers visiting the UK were also found to be more wary of fees incurred when using their credit and debit cards, with only 51 percent using their cards during their stay and using a travel money card or travellers cheques instead.

Winners Announced in ASTW Travel Journalism Awards for Excellence

In announcing the winners of the 2009 ASTW Awards for Excellence Travel Writer of the Year and Travel Photographer of the Year Awards, President Kris Madden said that in spite of the difficult economic climate in 2009, the response to this year’s awards had been exceptional.

“While the world economic climate has given us all cause for concern, I am very pleased to say that it did not impact on the overall quality or number of entries in this year’s broad range of ASTW Awards,” Kris said.

“Supporting the view that Australians are always and will always be interested in travel and unique destinations, even in difficult financial times, a record number of more than 330 published entries were received for the 2009 ASTW Travel Journalism Awards for Excellence held in Bangkok on Saturday 20 August.

Out of this impressive display of travel journalism and photography, Louise Southerden (pictured) was chosen by the judges as the 2009 Travel Writer of the Year and Mike Larder was voted the 2009 Travel Photographer of the Year.

The prestige and prizes associated with winning these top ASTW awards is enhanced by the invaluable support of the event key sponsor, the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

“Through travel comes knowledge. Through knowledge comes understanding. Through understanding, we all create a better world,” said Kris.

“That is what travel journalism and photography is all about, creating broader understanding and appreciation of different cultures.”


Responsible Tourism Story - Sponsored by California Tourism
Louise Southerden

Best Trade Industry Story - Sponsored by Virgin Blue Airways
Jane E Fraser

Best Portrait - Sponsored by Langham Hotels International
Mike Larder

Best Image Taken in Aus - Sponsored by Langham Hotels International
Cathy Finch

Best Image Taken Overseas - Sponsored by Langham Hotels International
Mike Larder


Best Australian Story Under 1ooo Words - Sponsored by Small Luxury Hotels
Natalee Ward

Best Travel Journey - Sponsored by Vroom Vroom Vroom Car Rental
Daniel Scott

Best International Story Under 1ooo Words - Sponsored by Small Luxury Hotels
Philip Game

Best Australian Story Over 1ooo Words - Sponsored by Preferred Hotel Group
Robert Upe

Best International Story Over 1ooo Words - Sponsored by Fraser Suites
Julie Miller

Best Shanghai Story - Sponsored By Shanghai Municipal Tourist Office
Julie McGlone

Best Regional Tourism Board - Sponsored by Virgin Blue Airways
Great Ocean Road

Best State Tourism Board - Sponsored by Vacations & Travel Magazine and Golf Vacations
Tourism Queensland

Best International Tourism Board - Sponsored by Holidays for Couples
Tourism Authority of Thailand

Communicator of the Year - Sponsored by TravMedia.com
Michelle Armstrong and Pongsak Kanittanon

Jack Butters award for Contribution to ASTW
Alison Scott

Ten things every Australian should experience before retirement

Why put off that well-earned holiday until tomorrow? With plenty of great Australian holiday deals on offer, experts are encouraging us to not hoard our annual leave until we retire, but to use it to experience Australia and escape the pressure of the workplace for a few days or more.

Getting out of the office and taking a holiday not only benefits our health and can help us reconnect with family and friends, it can also provide long-term professional benefits, improving productivity and increasing morale when returning to work.

Acting as a timely reminder of the importance of taking your entitled annual leave, especially during times of reduced resources and increasing workloads, Tourism Australia’s No Leave No Life program aims to encourage Australian employees to take their leave and explore Australia’s many experiences on offer.

Research shows that Australian workers who work long hours also tend to take work home to complete and these hours do not necessarily equate to productivity. Long hours are a good predictor of role overload, work interference with family, alongside burnout and physical and mental health problems which are not sustainable over the long-term*.

For anyone needing further incentive or inspiration, here is a checklist compiled by the State Tourism Organisations of quintessential Australian experiences that every Aussie SHOULD think about doing whilst on holiday:

1. Embrace the wide open space which can be only truly experienced in the Outback and get back to basics. Kick off your shoes and walk barefoot upon Australia’s famous red dust and gaze up to the sky for nature’s show of shooting stars.
2. Feel energised again. Breathe in the fresh air and feel the salt spray wash away the cobwebs as you wander out to Australia’s most easterly point, Cape Byron and be the first to welcome in the new day.
3. Dreaming of a Mediterranean escape? Fill a basket full of local goodies, find some grass for a rug and picnic amongst vineyards and olive groves along the Mornington Peninsula.
4. Get active and kit up for one of the world’s most amazing snorkelling experiences. Dive into crystal clear water and immerse yourself in the magical underwater world at one of the greatest natural wonders in the world - the Great Barrier Reef.
5. Bring out the artist within and rediscover your creative streak. Feel inspired as you lose yourself for the day amongst 100,000 impressive works featured in the National Gallery of Australia.
6. Remember what it’s like to “feel alive” and get the adrenaline pumping as you glide like a bird over Tasmania’s Hollybank Forest Reserve on a treetop tour.
7. Join the festival merry-go-round in Adelaide with friends this summer. Allow yourself to be tempted and spoilt by the finer things in life and
indulge in the array of food and wine, sporting and musical events on offer.
8. Reignite romance and passion with your loved one. Take a slow camel ride along Cable Beach at sunset and upon return enjoy a glass of
bubbly and private dinner for two on the water’s edge.
9. Get away from your computer and rediscover the true meaning of adventure. Hike through Kakadu’s National Park of lush green valleys and
be guided by the sound of Gunlom Falls’ water cascading for your next “cool down”.
10. Recharge the batteries. Pack the car and kids and set off on a road trip following Australia’s famous coastline. Spend the days building sandcastles, exploring rockpools, and playing cricket on the sand. Pitch the tent, take long walks along the beach, cast the rod, catch some dinner and fire up the BBQ.

The program’s website www.noleavenolife.com provides regular, up-to-date tips and tools to help every Australian tackle the issue of stockpiled annual leave and plan an unforgettable holiday in Australia.

Jetstar, V Australia in Fiji showdown

The ability of Qantas to be nimble in countering rivals and increasing competition is again being tested with the carrier’s plan to use its Jetstar subsidiary on services to Fiji from next April.

Qantas has applied for traffic rights on the Australia-Fiji sector just days after Virgin Blue's V Australia applied for similar traffic rights.

Qantas says it wants to have an additional 1,491 seats per week on the Sydney-Nadi route to be flown seven-times-weekly by Jetstar using Airbus A321s.

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Scott Rochfort said while the move is set to undermine V Australia's planned entry on the route it would deal an even more debilitating blow on Air Pacific, part-owned by Qantas.

He said the move has fuelled suspicions Qantas is looking to sell its stake in the Fijian national airline, which is 51 per cent owned by the Fijian Government.

At present, Qantas's only presence on the route is through a codeshare it operates with Air Pacific.

V Australia plans to replace some of its Virgin Blue 737 services from Sydney into Fiji using 360-seat B777-300s.

Travelmole

Australia's Airline Satisfaction Survey

click for enlargement

Tiger Airways now has the ignoble title as Australia’s worst airline, with only 55% customer satisfaction received in a recent survey conducted by consumer magazine Choice.

In a survey of major domestic carriers and their satisfaction results Virgin Blue won top honours with 68% satisfaction, climbing up from its second place position from last year and edging out Regional Express from its top spot.

Qantas sat in the middle of the list of five at third with 61% satisfaction, only slightly ahead of Jetstar, who was voted as the second least favourite carrier with a 60% satisfaction rate.

If it was any comfort for the much harangued carrier, Tiger Airways did come first in the sub-category of “value for money” with 75% satisfaction, narrowly edging out Virgin Blue who scored 74%.

In all other areas of in-flight service, seat comfort, ability to get a convenient flight, and booking process, Tiger Airways sat either last or second last on the list.

“Since Tiger Airways became Australia’s third budget airline in late 2007, domestic air travel has never been more affordable,” said Choice in its report.

“With return airfares between some capitals now costing less than $50, including taxes, flying interstate is often cheaper than driving.

“Greater competition among domestic airlines is pushing prices down. But consumers still expect a reasonable standard of service, among other things, to rate an airline as providing “value for money”.”

Interestingly 40% of travellers cite “value for money” as a major factor in their choice of airline, while 32% say frequent flyer points are important, and another 28% say schedules are important.

For those still flying with Qantas, the popular frequent flyer scheme was the main motivator, as was “force of habit”.

Source: e-travelblackboard