The Finalists - ASTW Awards of Excellence 2017

The 2017 ASTW Awards of Excellence received record-breaking entries this year in a total of 19 categories.

Here is the full list of finalists for the awards, which will be presented at a gala event to be held at Novotel Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday 19 August, 2017 as part of the ASTW Conference and AGM. The ASTW would like to thank the judges, who are non-members from the national and international travel writing industry, and all of the sponsors involved in the awards this year, and who support the ASTW on an ongoing basis.

ASTW Travel Writer of the Year – sponsored by Visit USA Australia

Penny Watson

Meals on Wheels - Traveller/Fairfax Media
A Taste for Incognito - Vacations & Travel
Rolling with the Locals - Traveller/Fairfax Media

Catherine Marshall

Great Southern Land - Qantas Spirit Magazine
After the Big Chill - The Australian
Africa's great Bat Invasion - Traveller/Fairfax Media

Mark Daffey

The Avocado Canoe Club - Wild Magazine
Polar Opposites - The Johnnie Walker Edit
Here be dragons - Great Walks

Kerry Van Der Jagt

On the dreaming track - QantasLink Magazine
South Pacific spring - Nat Geo Traveller
Life in the deep freeze - Traveller/Fairfax Media


ASTW Photographer of the Year – Sponsored by Abercrombie and Kent

Danielle Lancaster
Badlands Sunrise – Vacations & Travel Magazine
Sand dunes – Vacations & Travel Magazine
Lester – Vacations & Travel Magazine
Solomon Islands – Travel2Next
Whale tail – Where Gold Coast

Dan Avila
Vanishing Warmth – Vacations & Travel magazine
Spa Pool – Caravan and Camping with Kids magazine
Snowy Istanbul – Just Luxe
Ranger Sarah - Kimberley & Pilbara Holiday Planner 2017
Washed stones – Vacations & Travel Magazine

Mark Daffey
Winter wonderland – The Johnnie Walker House Edit
The Usual Suspects – Get Lost Magazine
Perahera Partying – Lonely Planet Asia
Mirror Image – Get Lost Magazine
Bo-Kaapster – Lonely Planet Asia

Communicator or Communications Team of the Year – Sponsored by TravMedia

Janaya Birse - Hawaii Tourism/The Walshe Group, Sabi Sabi Private Reserve
AccorHotels
DC&A Worldwide – Destination Canada (Pip Macken/Donna Campbell)

Best Travel Photograph – Sponsored by Tourism Authority of Thailand

Kara Murphy - Richelieu Rock star - Boat International
Mark Daffey - Usual Suspects – Get Lost Magazine
Dan Bannister - Ancient Stepwell in Jodhpur - Holidays for Couples
Dan Avila – Miles Away – Club Marine Magazine
Mark Daffey – Mirror Image – Lonely Planet Asia

Best Story about the AGM Host Destination – sponsor tba

Angela Saurine - Safari Surprises - Mamamia
Aleney de Winter - Bites and sites on the streets of Stellenbosch - Boy Eats World
Shirley Sinclair - Drink in the rugged beauty - Sunshine Coast Sunday

Best Family Travel Story – Sponsored by Bound Round

Penny Watson Rolling with the Locals – Traveller – Fairfax Media
Tiana Templeman Land Ahoy – Flight Centre Travel Ideas
Aleney de Winter - Angkor Away – Holidays with Kids magazine
Julie Miller - Jumbo Tales – Flight Centre Travel Ideas
Sheriden Rhodes - Family Face Time – Traveller – Fairfax Media

Best Travel Blog – Sponsor tba

Have Wheelchair Will Travel - Julie Jones
The Global Goddess - Christine Retschlag
Boy Eats World - Aleney de Winter

Best Tourism Organisation or Travel Product – Sponsored by Nugggit

Kyoto Tourism - Alison Roberts-Brown
The Rees Hotel - Caroline Davidson
Glasgow Tourism - Laura Speirs

Best Travel Broadcaster – Sponsor tba

Ben Groundwater
Pamela Wright
Greg Grainger

Best Australian Story under 1000 words – Sponsored by Tourism Australia

Ben Groundwater - A taste of the original Australia – Traveller/Fairfax Media
Marian McGuinness - A little Night Music in Sydney – The Australian
Mark Daffey - Luck Be a Lady – Escape/News Ltd

Best Australian Story over 1000 words – Sponsored by Tourism Australia

Craig Tansley - It's a long way to the top – Traveller/Fairfax Media
Kerry Van Der Jagt - On the Dreaming Track - Qantaslink Magazine
Andrew Bain - Camel trekking in the Flinders Ranges – Traveller/Fairfax Media

PR Campaign of the Year - Sponsor tba

Relaunch of the Ultimo Hotel - Kim McKay - Klick Communications
Royal Caribbean - Arrival of Ovation of the Seas to Australia - Gail D'Arcy
Experience Aloha – Hawaii Tourism Oceania/Walshe Group - Janaya Birse

Best Food Story – Sponsored by Outrigger Resorts

Julie Miller - Eating in New Orleans- Traveller/Fairfax Media
Catherine Marshall - Great Southern Land – Qantas
Jennifer Ennion - Arctic Jewels - Nourish

Best Responsible Tourism story – Intrepid Travel

Mark Daffey - Thunder on the Mountain - Wild Magazine
Louise Southerden - Lighting Up Kolkata's Slums - Momentum.Travel
Ben Groundwater - Poverty as a tourism attraction: Can travel to a developing country really make a difference? – Traveller/Fairfax Media

Best Adventure Story – Sponsored by G Adventures

Jayne D'Arcy - A Sacred Journey – Jetstar Magazine
Tracey Croke - The Revival of Mavrovo – Adventure.Travel
Andrew Bain - Test your limits – Qantaslink magazine
Catherine Marshall - Africa's great bat invasion – Traveller/Fairfax Media
Andrew Bain - Grampians Peaks Trail - Traveller/Fairfax Media

Best Cruise Story – Sponsored by Cruise Lines International Association

Christine Retschlag - Beyond Bali - Holidays for Couples
Helen Hayes - She Sells the Seychelles - Vacations & Travel
John Borthwick - Passage to Paradise - Weekend Australian
Jocelyn Pride - A Voyage for the Soul - Cruise Passenger
John Borthwick - Lao and Now - The Australian

Best International Story Over 1000 words – Sponsored by AccorHotels

Louise Southerden - Morocco Unplugged – Traveller/Fairfax Media
Catherine Marshall - On Board the Eastern & Oriental Express – Traveller/Fairfax Media
John Borthwick - Maldives Surfing - Trailblazers' Incredible Legacy – Traveller/Fairfax Media

Best International Story Under 1000 words – Sponsored by

Belinda Jackson - Of Pharaohs and Heroes - Luxury Travel Magazine
Ben Groundwater - Mongolia's Milk of Human Kindness - Traveller/Fairfax Media
Kerry Van Der Jagt - Ice and Isolation - Luxury Travel Magazine

Best Travel and Tourism News Story - Sponsored by Zoik

Mark Daffey - Let the Games Begin - Vacations & Travel
Angela Saurine - Hot travel destinations - Weekend Australian
Christine Retschlag - All Things Spice - Travel Bulletin

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Mantra Group's New-Build Melbourne Hotel

#mantragroup

One of Greater Melbourne's fastest growing areas will benefit from a $70 million hotel development that will service the rapid increase of activity in Melbourne's booming northern suburbs.



Epping will be the site of the 214-room hotel that is being designed to capitalise on both the history of the northern suburbs and the unique attributes of Epping today.

Located right near Melbourne's new wholesale fruit, vegetable and cut flower market and The Northern Hospital, construction is due to start in the latter part of 2017 with opening scheduled for mid-2019.

The hotel is being developed by Too Build and will be operated by Mantra Group.

Operating as Mantra Epping Hotel, it will feature both hotel rooms and apartments, a café/restaurant, brewhouse, conference and meeting facilities, gymnasium, and an open car park containing 143 marked bays and secure bicycle storage.

Occupying a prime corner position at 250 Cooper Street within the prestigious Northpoint Enterprise Park at Epping, Melbourne's fastest growing expansion corridor just 18km north of the CBD, the four-star, two-wing hotel has been designed by leading architect Peddle Thorp and Bruce Henderson Interiors.

One of Australia's largest construction companies, Hacer Group, has been engaged to complete the project build, creating an expected 300 construction jobs.

Mantra Group Chief Executive Officer Bob East said the Group is thrilled to operate this new-build hotel under a hotel management agreement.

“This acquisition comes at an opportune time in the Australian hotel market, with hotels in Melbourne and surrounds experiencing substantial uplift in demand in recent years,” said Mr East.

“This strong performance is set to continue with further domestic and international visitation uplift forecasted for the greater Melbourne market.

“Mantra Epping Hotel will complement our extensive Melbourne portfolio and reaffirms our strategy of securing desirable new properties in Australian capital city metropolitan markets.

“With its strong and varied accommodation demand drivers, we're confident this hotel will provide a market-leading hotel offering, well positioned to become the region's premier corporate, meetings and leisure hotel.”

Too Build Chief Executive Officer Ian Wilson said the project is perfectly timed to accommodate the next stage of growth for Epping.

“What's exciting to me is to create something I know the local community – traders and residents alike – will really want to spend time in whether they have guests staying at the hotel or not. Mantra Epping Hotel will become a proud part of the local community and a favourite meeting spot,” said Mr Wilson.

“Mantra Epping Hotel is surrounded by an array of retail shops, showrooms, business and industrial premises, plus The Northern Hospital and the newly relocated Melbourne Market are both situated nearby, which will all provide important business opportunities for the property.”

Epping is located within the City of Whittlesea, one of the largest municipalities in metropolitan Melbourne covering an area of approximately 489 square kilometres.

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Two International Awards for The Rees Hotel Queenstown

The Rees Hotel Queenstown has yet again scooped up two major international wine awards for its True South Wine List Dining Room. True South, one of New Zealand's exclusive top tier restaurants, has been awarded a 2017 Wine Spectator Award by respected US wine and hospitality magazine, Wine Spectator for its wine program for an amazing sixth consecutive year.
Additionally, True South Dining Room's wine list has achieved a two-star award in the World of Fine Wine World's Best Wine Lists for 2017.

The internationally acclaimed Wine Spectator's annual Excellence Awards recognise a wine list of 100 or more quality wine selections that thematically match a restaurant's cuisine.

The World of Fine Wine  World's Best Wine Lists are designed to highlight excellent and interesting wine lists on a global scale. The judging criteria focuses on the breadth, depth, quality, interest, and more, rather than simply length, to determine the winning lists, which then receive an esteemed one, two, or three-star award.

True South Dining Room has an exclusive library of Bordeaux and Burgundy wines with vintages selected from many of the great houses. Wines from world-renown chateaux such as Romanee Conti, Chateau d'Yquem, Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Lynch Bages nestle with some of the great wines of Central Otago, New Zealand, Australia and Italy in the professionally-managed, temperature-controlled wine cellar servicing the hotel and restaurant's Bordeau Wine Lounge.

Mark Rose, The Rees Hotel Queenstown's General Manager, says it's the restaurant's ability to match exquisite wine with fresh local dishes in addition to an holistic wine programme - which includes tastings, wine pairing and the True South Culinary Series events - that distinguishes the restaurant internationally for these awards. True South Dining celebrates their ongoing support of local vineyards through their Culinary Series dinners held throughout the year.

Mark Rose says both these awards are important ongoing recognition of the effort put into building and maintaining a world-class cellar while confirming True South Dining Room as one of New Zealand's elite dining experiences. "To be recognised yet again by two of the most prominent and respected international reviewers for our cellar choices, is an outstanding achievement and a great outcome for The Rees in 2017".

This will be the sixth consecutive year that the Queenstown restaurant has received accolades for its fine dining and wine list. The restaurant was been a Wine Spectator award winner each year since 2012 and a World of Fine Wine award winner since 2014.  

Executive Chef Ben Batterbury has been similarly internationally recognised for his cuisine by a variety of awards since 2012 including the NZ Beef & Lamb Excellence Awards, the Ora King Salmon Awards and  Australia/New Zealand/ Pacific HM Awards, hosted annually by Australia's HM Magazine.

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Red Rock recognised for Industry Excellence in Tourism & Hospitality

Forget the American Oscars - North Coast Holiday Parks (NCHP) Red Rock is celebrating its finalist nomination for the region's 'Oscars' of Business Excellence, the 2017 Sunny's Business Awards.

The popular holiday park, which is part of the NSW Crown Holiday Parks Group (NSWCHPT), has been named as a finalist in the 'Tourism & Hospitality' category with winners to be announced 29 July 2017. The Sunny's Business Awards are an initiative of the Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce and celebrate the achievements of outstanding businesses within the Coffs Coast Region.

Park Managers Kylie and Geoff Wruck were over the moon when they heard the news of their finalist nod, calling it great recognition of their work over the past four years.

"It's wonderful to be acknowledged for our four solid years of tenure with NSWCHPT," Kylie said.

"We have certainly based those years on providing an all-encompassing experience to guests of Red Rock through providing a high standard of park accommodation, our goods and services through Red Rock Shop and our maintenance of the 83 hectares of Reserve.

"We do our utmost to provide the quintessential Australian escape to our little corner of the Coffs Coast. Winning this award would be an amazing achievement and recognition for all the hard work and passion that our team shares for the industry and our beautiful area."

NSWCHPT CEO Steve Edmonds called the finalist nomination a testament to the hard work of the Red Rock team and said that it echoed a similar standard of excellence across the wider Group.

"It is exciting to see that our parks are consistently being recognised by local business communities for their hard work and great contributions to the areas in which they are based," Mr Edmonds said.

"As a Group our mission is to energise the local communities in which we operate and to showcase these sensational NSW locations to both Australian and international tourists.

"This nomination reflects our promise to provide improved services to our park visitors as we look to become a leading provider of recreational destinations which showcase the best of NSW."

Mr Edmonds congratulated all finalists for the Sunny's Business Awards and said the Coffs Coast Region was an incredible destination for visitors.

"Our parks in the region are filled with guests who can't get enough of this exciting pocket of NSW."

Book your next holiday at North Coast Holiday Parks today! For a full list of parks head to https://www.northcoastholidayparks.com.au/.

 

Solomon Airlines and Air Kiribati to partner on new Brisbane-Honiara-Kiribati service

Solomon Airlines and Air Kiribati have announced the commencement of a new service linking Brisbane with Tarawa via Honiara commencing 30 August 2017.

The new service, which will operate ex-Brisbane every Wednesday and ex-Tarawa every Thursday, has been scheduled as per the following:

BNE-HIR-TWR

IE 701   Depart BNE 1100          Arrive HIR 1515

IE 720   Depart HIR  1615          Arrive TRW 2000

TWR-HIR-BNE

IE 721   Depart TRW 1000         Arrive HIR 1145

IE 700   Depart HIR 1300           Arrive BNE 1515

The new service builds on an Air Service Agreement (ASA) and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Solomon Islands and the Republic of Kiribati last November.

Welcoming the commencement of the service, Solomon Airlines' CEO, Brett Gebers underlined the importance of the aviation partnership as a catalyst for both nations' economic development.

"This service is more than just a link between two nations – it also represents an avenue for both nations to grow and prosper as we walk forward together," he said.

To make a booking on the new service and for more information, visit www.flysolomons.com.
 
F: www.facebook.com/flysolomons

AccorHotels expands in Myanmar

AccorHotels and LP Holding have signed a joint agreement to develop three new hotels in Myanmar. The partnership will see the opening of Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort in the second quarter of this year and the development of Pullman Yangon Centrepoint and Mandalay Hill Resort MGallery by Sofitel slated to open in 2017 and 2020 respectively.

“We are very pleased to partner with LP Holding with the development of these three new properties in Myanmar. The three hotels are situated in strategic locations in Yangon and Mandalay, for tourists and business guests alike,” says Patrick Basset, Chief Operating Officer of AccorHotels, Upper Southeast and Northeast Asia. “Pullman, our upscale hotel brand, is designed to cater to the requirements of cosmopolitan, seasoned travelers, as well as meetings and incentive events while MGallery by Sofitel is a collection of high-end boutique hotels, each with its own unique personality and story that are experienced by guests through the architecture, interior design and services. Mercure hotels, our midscale brand, are always unique because they are rooted in their local communities and meet shared quality standards. Combined, the three hotels will add to the Group’s growing portfolio, which ranges from luxury to economy,” Mr. Basset adds.

“LP Holding’s partnership with AccorHotels combines the expertise of a global hospitality company with a strong local market expertise,” says Lertsak Nopburanand, Director of LP Holding Co., Ltd. “After the sanctions were lifted, Myanmar became one of the most sought-after destinations in Southeast Asia. These three hotels will give travelers additional hotel choices with the growing tourism in the country particularly in Mandalay, as the city continues to develop.”

In 2015, tourism was the driving force in the Myanmar economy where revenue grew by 19% as inbound traffic increased totally $2.1bn or more than 4% of the country’s GDP. In the next 10 years, the World Travel and Tourism Council projects that Myanmar’s tourism industry will rank second out of 184 countries for long-term growth. It was ranked 15th globally in 2016.[1]

Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort

Set on 11 acres of tropical gardens, Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort features 206 rooms with spectacular views of Mandalay Hill, the Royal Palace, the Irrawaddy River and the city of Mandalay, once the Royal Capital of Myanmar. Dining outlets include three restaurants – Yadanabon, Mings Chinese and Kinsana Garden and two bars - Kipling’s Lounge Bar and Garden Tivaratee. MICE facilities include a conference centre, a ballroom and three meeting rooms.

Pullman Yangon Centrepoint

Situated opposite Yangon’s iconic High Court building and the famous Independence Monument Park, the newly built Pullman Yangon Centrepoint will be part of Centrepoint Towers, one of the tallest commercial buildings in the city. The hotel features 300 guest rooms, an all-day-dining outlet, two specialty restaurants, a destination sky bar and lobby lounge. Meetings and events space include a ballroom and ten meeting rooms. Leisure facilities include a pool, fitness centre and a spa.

Mandalay Hill Resort, MGallery by Sofitel

Debuting in 2020, the newly built Mandalay Hill Resort, MGallery by Sofitel will offer a high-end experience in a truly unique atmosphere. Situated near Mandalay’s most iconic cultural monuments, the luxury boutique hotel will feature 150 guest rooms and villas, a restaurant and bar. The stunning outdoor pool and spa, shared with neighbouring Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort, promise memorable moments.

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Macao and Xiamen Airlines launch “One Fare – Two Cities”

click to enlarge flyer

Macao has linked with Xiamen Airlines to launch a new “One Fare – Two Cities” product aimed at further boosting numbers of Australians travelling to the former Portuguese enclave.


With return air fares to Macao beginning from as little as $768 per person from Sydney or Melbourne, the campaign offers an alternative route to the traditional Hong Kong flight path with travellers having the chance to visit and explore the beautiful Chinese coastal city of Xiamen en route to Macao.

It’s the first time the Chinese airline has teamed with the Macao Government Tourism Office (Australia) to offer a dedicated fare, the offer including a complimentary night’s stay in Xiamen (6-24hrs) along with free coach tour (4 -24hrs) of a city popular for its beaches and colonial past.

In addition, passengers would not require a China visa if spending up to 72 hours in Xiamen.

Macao is visa free for Australian passport holders staying no more than 30 days.

Helen Wong, general manager of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Australia, 
welcomed the new multi-destination route and the dedicated fare and accompanying bonuses.

“This is a very exciting venture between airline and destination which should build on our numbers of Australian holidaymakers to Macao,” she said. “Merge the low air fare with some attractive accommodation offers and we have the makings of an affordable Macao experience.”

In 2016, more than 93,000 Australian passport holders visited Macao, an increase on the previous year’s figure. A majority arrived from Hong Kong via the high-speed ferry transfer.

Xiamen Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

The new Xiamen Airlines product will allow Australians to fly from Sydney and Melbourne to Xiamen for a night’s stopover before boarding the connecting short-haul flight to Macao International Airport.

Mr Yang Hua Chen, general manager of Xiamen Airlines (Australia), also welcomed the new link with Xiamen and Macao and said it was yet another example of Mainland China’s “One Belt, One Road” economic and strategic initiative. In further emphasising the importance of the Australian route to Xiamen Airlines, Mr Chen said his airline was the only Chinese-based carrier to service Australia with the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. (pic: NewsCorp)

Both MGTO and Xiamen Airlines will host a series of travel industry workshops in Sydney over the next two months to coincide with giant shopping centre exhibitions for consumers. Those expos will be highlighted by the exclusive 360-degree (virtual reality) showings of Macao and the airline, beginning with a four-day event at Parramatta Westfield on July 6-9, 2017.

Further shopping centre events will be staged at Castle Towers, Castle Hill from July 20-23, Chatswood Chase from August 3-6 and Eastgardens Westfield from August 17-20. Travel industry workshops will also take place in Melbourne.

The Xiamen Airlines $768 fare to Macao applies to tickets booked before October 30, 2017.

Details: Macao Government Tourism Office, www.visitmacao.com.au or phone (02) 9264 1488.

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