New Vibe Hotel North Sydney, Northpoint

TFE Hotels will open the doors of the beautiful new Vibe Hotel North Sydney in the area's most exciting new social and shopping address, Northpoint, in April. Hotel guests will have access to a rooftop pool and bar and Northpoint's exciting new eat street and casual dining atrium, making it a one-stop destination seven days a week.

Cromwell Property Group's newly reimagined Northpoint development offers residents, guests and tenants a new retail precinct packed with specialty stores, and an exciting new array of dining offerings, all in the heart of the suburb's existing cafes and shops, conveniently close to the train station.

Northpoint will offer employees and the 72,000 residents of North Sydney a well-connected destination for work, lifestyle and convenience, with a range of boutiques, a Woolworths supermarket and many great new casual dining options on site.

The new Vibe Hotel North Sydney has an inspired design by Nettleton Tribe throughout its 187 rooms as well as access to a sophisticated new rooftop pool and bar with sweeping views of the urban skyline. The hotel has free Wi-Fi, excellent fitness facilities and four flexible meeting and conference room options, providing a great place to relax, recharge and connect – whether for work or play.

TFE Hotels will operate the new hotel as one of a series of new generation Vibe Hotels to have opened in recent years, including Vibe Hotel Canberra and Vibe Hotel Marysville near Victoria's Yarra Valley. Others are due to open soon at Darling Harbour, Sydney, and Hobart.

TFE Hotels CEO Rachel Argaman said North Sydney had seen very few hotel openings in the past 40 years – serviced apartments opened there in October 2016 and hotels in 1973 and 1978 – so the hotel would meet a supply shortfall that had existed for some time.

"This new addition will give local residents and business people something to celebrate, when this landmark building becomes an attractive social hub and overnight destination," she said. "The area is New South Wales' second biggest commercial office district and the hotel will do very well servicing the corporate clients visiting the area.

"This will be the first Vibe Hotel to be incorporated into a mixed-use development, highlighting the growing trend for emerging lifestyle precincts featuring drinking, dining and retail together with a hotel at their hub and heart."

Cromwell Head of Property Damian Horton said the Northpoint redevelopment was a central component of North Sydney's broader rejuvenation to a seven-day destination.

"We have shaped the development with both convenience and style in mind, tailored to the ever-growing professional population in the area," he said. "The base of the retail façade will feature Woolworths and Westpac, as well as a suite of speciality retailers, with the upper levels dedicated to dining and leisure.

"Once it opens in early 2018, Northpoint will fill the gap in quality retail, dining and accommodation in North Sydney. Partnering with Vibe Hotels has helped us to create a truly integrated, one-stop destination for residents, workers and travellers alike. With all the pieces coming together, it's exciting to see our vision for the North Shore being realised."

Located on the corner of Miller Street and Pacific Highway, Northpoint will be directly across from the proposed Victoria Cross Metro station to be opened in 2024. The hotel is due to open in April.

Marine biologist steers passions for the Great Barrier Reef

Marine biologist Gareth Phillips has been fascinated with coral regeneration since he started his career some 18 years ago growing coral in a laboratory in South Africa.

These days he has swapped the laboratory for the Great Barrier Reef in Tropical North Queensland where the annual coral spawn puts on a spectacular regeneration show each year.

"I joined a crew documenting the recent coral spawn and saw the most amazing spectacle. Corals releasing egg parcels and clouds of genetic material, like a fog rising from the huge boulder corals," Mr Phillips said.

"The coral spawn occurs two to six nights after the full moon in November which this year was early and the water was still cool so we there was a second Great Barrier Reef spawn early in December.

"There has been a decline in coral from the two bleaching events, but there is still more live coral than deceased coral in the places I visit and as this spawning event has been so successful, it is looking good for the recovery of the reefs in the next few years."

Mr Phillips skippers Passions III for Passions of Paradise, a carbon-neutral locally owned Great Barrier Reef operator, and operates Reef Teach, an entertaining interactive presentation by marine biologists about the Reef.

"I love boats and I've always like the ethos of Passions so when I was invited to skipper their new catamaran I was very excited – who doesn't want a new boat," he said.

"The crew send passengers who want to know more to talk to me as I have three degrees in marine science and the crew ask questions too which means their knowledge of the Reef is increasing."

Mr Phillips' first foray into tourism was in South Africa coordinating a centre for dolphin studies and he still enjoys encounters with the larger marine animals, especially the dwarf minke whales that visit the Ribbon Reefs north of Port Douglas each June and July.

"Some of the more intimate encounters with smaller animals can be just as exciting, for example watching a rock mover wrasse lift up coral and feed on small crustaceans and other tiny invertebrates underneath.

"I also have a few favourite places like Tracy's Bommie at Flynn Reef which is just stunning with sharks, turtles, immense coral cover and diverse fish life.

"My ultimate place to go is the north-eastern outer shoulder of Thetford Reef where there is almost 100 per cent live coral cover and big drop-offs with the potential for megafauna to be seen."

A big year for Adelaide

2017 has certainly been a big year for Adelaide, South Australia with the destination having just hosted its biggest ever incentive visit, its biggest conference and to top off the year, the Adelaide Convention Bureau has just announced it has just had its biggest year ever with respect to the value of business won.

In June, almost 3000 delegates from Perfect China visited Adelaide in waves of 500 and each for 3 days at a time. For a destination famous for its wine regions, and visits to these sites being requested not be included as part of the event itinerary, it was exceptionally pleasing to have received high post event praise from the visitors and organisers. Adelaide rated an average 91.8% ‘Very Satisfied’ score for its overall itinerary, transport, food and accommodation.

In September, the newly expanded and re-developed Adelaide Convention Centre played host venue to the biggest conference to be held in Adelaide – the 68th International Astronautical Congress.

4470 delegates from 71 nations plus visits by 700 school children and several thousand members of the public (who attended the public exhibition day), made the 2017 congress one of the biggest in IAC history. Of major significance in these numbers is that the distance to Australia from the northern hemisphere was not seen as a negative by industry delegates, Governments, space agencies, organisations or corporations.

2017 was also a year of big famil showcases with the Bureau’s calendar of events expanding from their annual Destination SA in April and a Health Sciences and Medical event in May to the inaugural Agricultural showcase held in June. All three events were exceptionally well attended, received positive feedback from invited buyers and the desired results on leads and confirmed events on target.

To cap off a year that can’t be described as anything but BIG, the Adelaide Convention Bureau posted its most successful result ever with a record $247m of business won in the last financial year. Key events won over the period include:

· 2018 Australian Diabetes Society Annual Scientific Meeting, 2,000 delegates, 2018

· Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists 50th Scientific Congress, 1,700 delegates, 2018

· Human Proteome Organisation World Congress, 1,200 delegates, 2019

· Cardiac Society of Aust & NZ Endovascular Therapies Annual Scientific meeting (2019)

· 38th International Symposium on Combustion (2020)

· Australasia Conference of Radiological Technologists (AACRT) & Annual Scientific Meeting of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMMIRT) 2019

· Land Forces (2018)

Quote from Damien Kitto – CEO Adelaide Convention Bureau

“Adelaide truly came of age this year. As a destination we’re more large group incentive ready than ever with the local industry learning a lot since Dreamtime and the Perfect China visit in June. The rating we received from that event told us we are well and truly heading in the right direction.

“In September following the completion of the final stage of our world class Convention Centre, we again stepped up to the challenge with the IAC. Organisers and delegates highly praised the venue and destination for delivering what is one of the most successful IACs in recent times.

It’s an exciting time to be in a relatively undiscovered destination that seems to be on a lot of ‘must see’ lists.”

18 Reasons to Put Auckland on Your Holiday Wish List for 2018

1. ASB Classic, ASB Tennis Arena, Stanley St – January 1-13. Consistently a player favourite on the international circuit, kick off the year with world-class tennis, food and entertainment nestled at the edge of a stunning heritage park, the Auckland Domain. Check out https://www.aucklandnz.com/visit/events/whats-on/sports/tennis/asb-classic
2. The Art of Banksy, Aotea Centre – January 4 – February 6. An exclusive exhibition by one of the world's most elusive, provocative and thought-provoking artists of our time - Banksy. The exhibition of around 80 works is here for 33 days only. https://www.aucklandnz.com/visit/events/whats-on/exhibitions/social-political-history/art-banksy
3. Tāmaki Herenga Waka Festival (and Auckland Anniversary Weekend), Viaduct Events Centre and Viaduct Harbour – January 27-29. Celebrate Auckland's unique Māori heritage and culture on the city's stunning waterfront, with live traditional and contemporary music and kapa haka; authentic crafts and delicious kai (food); traditional healing and tattooing; and paddled and sailing waka. https://www.aucklandnz.com/tamaki-herenga-waka-festival. This is one of a host of exciting events happening on Auckland's waterfront and harbour over Auckland Anniversary Weekend, including Ports of Auckland SeePort Festival, Sunset Symphony & Fireworks and the Ports of Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta. 
4. Vector Lights, Auckland Harbour Bridge – January 27 onwards. On Auckland Anniversary Weekend, Auckland Harbour Bridge will be transformed by the launch of Vector Lights. It features a ground-breaking renewable energy technology powered light show that will ignite imaginations and demonstrate a smarter way to power our city. The six minute specially-composed Vector Lights opening show sequence will feature original music and spectacular lighting effects, vividly demonstrating the new lighting capabilities. https://www.vector.co.nz/about-us/sponsorship/lights. 
5. Volvo Ocean Race Auckland Stopover, Viaduct Events Centre and Viaduct Harbour – February 24 – March 18. Auckland – a world-renowned sailing host city – welcomes eight teams competing in the Volvo Ocean Race, the world's toughest sailing challenge that covers four oceans, six continents and eight months of battling the forces of nature. Auckland's Viaduct Harbour is home to the race village, where people can get up close to the teams and their boats, enjoy the best of Auckland hospitality and entertainment, and try their hand a fun, free sailing activities. http://volvooceanraceauckland.com/index.php
6. Auckland Lantern Festival – 1-4 March. The Auckland Lantern Festival is Auckland's largest cultural festival – and New Zealand's largest Chinese festival – attracting more than 200,000 people to its home at the Auckland Domain. https://www.aucklandnz.com/lantern-festival
7. Auckland Arts Festival, various venues – March 8-25. A non-stop showcase of New Zealand and international acts, spanning theatre, dance, music, circus and visual arts and ranging from the most gloriously classical to the very edge of contemporary. http://www.aucklandfestival.co.nz/
8. Pasifika Festival, Western Springs - March 24 & 25. Renowned as the world's largest festival celebrating of Pacific Island culture, featuring 11 villages each showcasing authentic food, crafts and performances from different Pacific Island cultures. Performers and artisans from around the Pacific travel to Auckland every year to take part alongside local Auckland artists. https://www.aucklandnz.com/pasifika
9. SKYCITY Auckland Double-Header, Mt Smart Stadium - April 7. Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium will be the stage for an NRL doubleheader extravaganza with the Vodafone Warriors and the Wests Tigers hosting their fifth-round games against 2017 premier Melbourne Storm and beaten grand finalist North Queensland Cowboys. https://www.aucklandnz.com/skycity-nrl-double-header
10. Park Hyatt Auckland, opening April. This will be the first Park Hyatt hotel in New Zealand. This exciting project is an exemplar of what the Wynyard Quarter revitalisation is all about: quality design and build at the highest sustainability standards and a site use that contributes to economic activity on the waterfront. http://www.wsp-pb.com/sv/What-we-do/Property-and-Buildings/Sectors/Hospitality/Park-Hyatt-Hotel-Auckland. 
11. Techweek 2018 – 19-27 May. The focus for Techweek'18 is 'innovation that's good for the world', and within that a celebration of New Zealand's unique, interconnected innovation ecosystem. Techweek provides a week-long opportunity for connection and cross-pollination, and an independent platform through which to amplify New Zealand's unique and inspiring innovation stories to the world https://techweek.co.nz/
12. Auckland Art Fair, The Cloud, Queens Wharf – May 23-27. New Zealand's premier showcase for contemporary art from the Pacific region. For an art-lover who likes nothing more than looking at paintings, prints, video installations and sculpture, it's quite possibly a dream come true. https://artfair.co.nz/
13. SO Sofitel Auckland, opening May. The highly anticipated SO Sofitel Auckland strategically located in the heart of central Auckland. Neighbouring the lively Britomart precinct and waterfront, the hotel combines innovation, design and luxury service all delivered in a uniquely playful manner the hotel combines innovation, design and luxury service all delivered. http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-9149-so-sofitel-auckland-opening-may-2018/index.shtml
14. Auckland Restaurant Month – all of August. Indulge in some of Auckland's best cuisine during Restaurant Month. Try specially created menus at more than 100 central city restaurants and 25+ foodie events on during Auckland Restaurant Month. The line-up of special events is spectacular, from the enormously popular Street Eats and Taste of Federal Street in the first week, to The Big Cheese and Dinner in the Dark wrapping the month up, with new events and menus every year. https://www.aucklandnz.com/restaurant-month
15. New Zealand Fashion Week - August 27 – September 2. New Zealand and international designers showcase and promote their collections and their brands during this week which includes a trade and industry event for thousands of fashion-focused delegates throughout the week before inviting the style-savvy public to the party during NZ Fashion Weekend. http://www.nzfashionweek.co.nz/
16. Sculptureum – year-round. Sculptureum is a new world-class sculpture park which has opened up in Matakana, presenting a new destination for art, food and wine. Located an hour north of Auckland city, it has three sculpture-filled gardens, six galleries, a vineyard, an event space, a restaurant and bar. Owners Anthony and Sandra Grant have spent ten years creating a destination that is designed to unlock the imagination, fuel creativity and ignite the mind. They have spent many more years collecting the displayed works, which have been brought together for an art experience that is internationally unique. www.sculptureum.nz
17. The Hunting Lodge – year-round. A stunning spot to grab a bite and sample some great New Zealand wine, set on 80 acres in the Northwest of Auckland - only a 30 minute drive from the city. The Hunting Lodge provides the opportunity for visitors to get a taste of the region with seasonal locally produced food, wine and crafted beers. There are different tour packages available to choose from, and they have live music playing during summer. www.thehuntinglodge.com
18. Top international and local live music in Auckland – throughout the year. From international acts, to multi-faceted music festivals and the best of home-grown artists, you can hear the best in Auckland. Check out Splore, St Jerome's Laneway or Auckland City Limits festivals, grab a ticket to The XX, Roger Waters, Mariah Carey, Foo Fighters, Paramore, Macklemore, Robbie Williams, Queen + Adam Lambert, Bruno Mars, Incubus, James Blunt, The National, Pink, Lionel Richie, The Killers, Katy Perry, Fleet Foxes, Ed Sheeran, or home-grown Kiwi music like Fat Freddy's Drop, Neil and Liam Finn, The D4, Marlon Williams, Teeks, Tiki Taane and a celebration of Māori music great, Mahinārangi Tocker. To learn more about Auckland and all the great things to experience while you visit, check out www.aucklandnz.com

Traveloscopy |

Endless Fun in Canberra These Summer School Holidays

Explore Australia's award-winning national attractions in Canberra and let your children learn the stories that have shaped Australia.

Discover PlayUp's new exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (MOAD) that in the name of democracy, takes play – and the rights of children, seriously. Listening pods, a fuzzy felt wall and a Kindness café are all part of the space, and during this summer the school holiday program will offer Open Air PlayUP with activities in the Senate courtyard. (Suitable for preschool and primary aged children)

Or take a journey across the Australian desert at the National Museum of Australia's Aboriginal-led exhibition Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters about the epic Seven Sisters Dreaming, or dodge sniper fire or peer through the periscope of a Cold War submarine at the Australian War Memorial's Discovery Zone. (Suitable for children aged 8+ years)

Celebrate Australia Day in the Capital on 26 January with the ActewAGL Great Aussie Day Breakfast, kids entertainment, an impressive flyover, the National Flag Raising, Citizenship Ceremony and an evening concert with a fireworks finale. Or try the Australia Day Family Festival at the National Museum of Australia where you can enjoy Australian-inspired music, dance, demonstrations, games, craft and family fun. (Suitable for children of all ages)

A New Roadmap for Responsible Indigenous Tourism

G Adventures, Planeterra Foundation and the International Institute of Tourism Studies Publish Pioneering Guidelines to Improve Tourism's Impacts on Local Communities

Global, small-group tour operator G Adventures, The George Washington University's International Institute of Tourism Studies and the Planeterra Foundation have announced the release of a comprehensive set of ground-breaking guidelines for companies working or travelling with Indigenous groups.

The guidelines are intended to educate travel companies that work or intend to work with Indigenous people, while helping communities more directly benefit from responsible and culturally sensitive tourism.

Speaking before event hosts from the World Bank Group, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Government of Jamaica, as well as leading representatives from 150 different countries, G Adventures' Vice President of Social Enterprise and Sustainability, Jamie Sweeting, delivered a message of inclusion and change when unveiling the guidelines earlier this month.

"For far too long, governments and businesses have prioritised rapid growth over respect for Indigenous peoples. Their ancestral lands, traditional culture and legacies have been threatened, and in many cases undermined, by the impatient pursuit of profit," said Sweeting.

"As more travellers seek immersive, experiential, off-the-beaten path holidays, I regret to say that the tourism sector has also contributed to this problem.

"We have an opportunity to rewrite that story; to lead from within, and make tourism a greater force for Indigenous well-being."

Published in an online PDF available for free download now, Indigenous People and The Travel Industry: Global Good Practice Guidelines is a 23-page, open-source booklet intended to be a learning tool for anyone working in travel and tourism.

Its 17 guidelines were developed after a thorough review of existing literature and primary surveys with communities and travellers, and then finalized after input from an expert panel including the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association, Community Based Tourism Institute, and Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda.

The guidelines are organised into three categories to be of maximum relevance to the variety of organizations that interact with or affect Indigenous people through tourism: (1) developing tourism experiences, (2) operating tourism experiences, and (3) marketing tourism experiences

Their release is a key, first step toward G Adventures' plans to fully audit its 700+ tours, 1000+ vendors, thousands of tour experiences, and its digital, print and video marketing materials, toward the development of a governing Indigenous Tourism Policy that will go into effect later in 2018.

"From the Maasai in East Africa, to the Quechua in Peru, our partnership with Indigenous communities is what makes our tours truly special for our customers and life-changing for local people," explained G Adventures founder and owner Bruce Poon Tip.

"I have always admired the way traditional communities continue to practise their culture, and consider myself fortunate to have learned from some wise, Indigenous teachers along the way. If we can give back, by bringing the travel and tourism industry along to collectively do more help than harm for these people, it will be a sea change in in our industry."

Seleni Matus, Executive Director for The International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS), said, "I'm confident that this tool, which is primarily intended for use by travel companies, will ultimately support the many Indigenous groups that depend on visitors for their economic well-being and for their cultural survival. The guidelines can facilitate a mutually beneficial relationship—one that's in the best interest of businesses, communities and travellers."

G Adventures today partners and/or contracts the services of 94 different Indigenous communities in 44 different countries. Its social enterprise model – which seeks to earn profit while delivering social impact -- is built around a strategy of identifying the unique, but often excluded communities who have so often been left out of the tourism economy, then bringing them into the company's supply chain. That way, communities like the San Bushmen in South Africa, the Wiwa people of Colombia's Lost City, and the Red and Black Lahu and Karen people of Northern Thailand's hill tribes, for example, directly benefit from sharing their lands, talents and stories with paying customers. Their accommodations, transportation, food and handicrafts become part of customers' travel experiences.

Kelly Galaski, the Planeterra Foundation Project Manager overseeing the guidelines project, added her hopes for the guidelines' impact: "As the world hyper-connects, the cultural survival of the world's 370 million Indigenous people hangs in the balance. So, it's our great hope that others in the travel and tourism sector join G Adventures in putting these guidelines to positive, expedient use."

information, please visit the International Institute of Tourism Studies website: https://business.gwu.edu/research/international-institute-tourism-studies'

MSC Seaside Welcomed by a Star-Studded Line-Up in Port Miami

MSC Cruises Announces Ricky Martin, Andrea Bocelli and More for MSC Seaside Naming Ceremony Celebration



Today MSC Cruises announced the line-up for the official launch and Naming Ceremony of MSC Seaside, which will be held on December 21st in PortMiami. As part of the traditional Naming Ceremony that is held for every new ship, MSC will welcome special guests and entertainment, Miami authorities, global media, and key partners from across the travel industry. For this very special Miami launch, MSC Cruises is proud to reveal an international list of celebrated invitees that reflects the Company’s European heritage and global presence.