Baillie Lodges to Steer New Vision for Longitude 131°

Acclaimed Australian desert camp Longitude 131° has joined the Baillie Lodges collection of luxury wilderness destinations, paving the way for additional investment and new experiences at the gateway to Uluṟu.

Baillie Lodges will take over the operation of Longitude 131° from November 1 under an agreement with the Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, aligning the iconic property with the group's existing Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island and Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island.

Situated discreetly adjacent to the World Heritage-listed Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Longitude 131° offers 15 elevated luxury tents with unrivalled private views of Uluṟu (Ayers Rock) and the surrounding desert landscape.  Having established itself among Australia's most celebrated luxury wilderness experiences, the property will now evolve further under the vision of James and Hayley Baillie.

James Baillie said the addition of Longitude 131° to the Baillie Lodges portfolio provided an exciting opportunity to enhance an extraordinary outback experience.

"We feel very privileged to be entrusted with its stewardship and to take Longitude 131° forward into its next decade," Mr Baillie said. "It has incredible potential and we intend to invest in both the property and the experience to create an even deeper connection with the desert landscape and the indigenous culture."

Mr Baillie said Longitude 131° would undergo an initial interior refreshment and product refinement in the first part of 2014 before embarking on a wider refurbishment and expansion in the future.

Plans include new interiors inspired by Indigenous heritage and the addition of outdoor lounges and fireplaces.

New premium canopy suites will be created with expansive lounge areas, fireplaces and a horizon pool facing Uluṟu, while a new dune-top retreat will have an infinity pool and a lounging and dining deck for enjoying sunsets and dinners under the stars.

Renowned South Australian architect and Southern Ocean Lodge designer Max Pritchard has been engaged as part of the new vision.

Other plans include an expanded program of experiences designed for longer-stay guests, enabling them to immerse in more of the spectacular desert landscapes and ancient indigenous culture of Central Australia.

Blue Mountains Tourism welcomes state recovery campaign

BMLOT chairman Randall Walker

Blue Mountains Lithgow & Oberon Tourism (BMLOT) is pleased with the State Government announcement today of a $2 million summer campaign for regional NSW highlighting tourism businesses which have remained physically untouched yet financially affected by the recent bushfires.

BMLOT chairman Randall Walker also welcomed Premier Barry O’Farrell’s encouraging of visitors to the Blue Mountains by train.

For this weekend, the two hop-on/hop-off bus operators in the area, Blue Mountains Explorer Bus and Blue Mountains Trolley Tours, have both generously offered 50% of fares to be donated to the Blue Mountains Mayoral Relief Fund.

``I am very proud to say that tourism operators throughout the region willingly complied with the responsible advice from the Rural Fire Service,’’ he said.

``The tourism industry, which is one of the major employers in our region, predominantly consists of small to medium sized businesses. That they rely on a constant stream of visitors goes without saying.

``However, that constant stream was interrupted suddenly and by up to several days for some operators this week and many of them are suffering from significant losses in income, including the large businesses in the region which employ a considerable amount of local people.’’

Mr Walker said regional tourism losses were up to $1.5 million a day, compounded to more than $2 million a day with cancellations from ``over-reacting visitors for a month into the future and, inexplicably, a few around Christmas’’.

``We have major operators that are down $300,000 to $1 million in revenue and, of the same percentage impact, small businesses that are down critical amounts of $10,000 to $20,000. I know one operator that has to refund $20,000 for a wedding and another that has facilitated more than 100 accommodation cancellations.

``Tourism Minister George Souris and Destination NSW chief executive officer Sandra Chipchase had pledged support early during the fire situation. It is great to now have a tangible campaign confirmed.’’

BMLOT had made representations to state and federal members across the region, and Blue Mountains State MP Roza Sage then approached key state cabinet ministers including Treasurer Mike Baird, Tourism Minister George Souris and Small Business Minister Katrina Hodgkinson.

Mr Walker stressed that:

• The railway line and Great Western Hwy to the upper Blue Mountains remain open
• Major attractions such as Scenic World and Jenolan Caves remain open
• Villages of Wentworth Falls, Leura, Katoomba, Medlow Bath, Blackheath, Oberon, the township of Lithgow and Emirates Wolgan Valley are all open to welcome visitors
• Major lookouts on the southern side of the escarpment such as Echo Point are open
• Visitor Information Centres are open
• Many large tracts of bush/parks/reserves, especially on the southern side are untouched by fire
• cafes, restaurants, shops, hotels and resorts continue to trade

The tourism and hospitality industry is of critical importance to the Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon regional economy, with 4 million visitors a year according to National Parks & Wildlife Service figures, visitor expenditure $550 million a year and more than 5100 full-time equivalent positions.

Airlie Beach makeover sparks retro-fabulous flashbacks

Thing sure looked different in the ‘90s.

Billy Ray Cyrus wouldn’t stop crooning about his “achy, breaky heart”, Hypercolour T-shirts were a wardrobe must-have, and Will Smith was still an up-and-coming Fresh Prince.

And if you were in Airlie Beach in the ‘90s, chances are you would have been wearing neon shorts and carving up the dance floor at Magnums. But the recent $22 million redevelopment of the Airlie Beach main street means the town is looking fresher than a Kardashian post-Botox.

Airlie Beach has long been seen as a backpacker's nirvana, and rightly so, but with trendy new cafes that will satisfy any caffeine addiction, upmarket serviced apartments with sweeping views, restaurants worth flying to, and the chance to jump on a yacht and sail around 74 island wonders, it’s obvious the town has had more than a celebrity nip and tuck.

A new competition launched today promises to take revellers of the past on a trip down memory lane and offers the chance for one lucky winner and three mates to ‘flash-forward’ for a Whitsundays getaway.

The #loveairliebeach social media campaign will be highlighting how far Airlie Beach has come in the past 20 years and with the inaugural Airlie Beach Music Festival kicking off on Friday 8 November, 74 bands, including The Hoodoo Gurus, Mental as Anything and Diesel, will have the place hopping like it’s 1993.

Check out the ‘then and now’ gallery of Whitsundays photos to see how far we've come.

The Dark Side of Pro Travel Blogging - BootsnAll throws cold water on sponsored blogging

source: BootsnAll

What are your favorite travel sites besides BootsnAll and why?

What travel blogger do you trust? Why?

In today's media driven world, most popular content is sponsored and therefore influenced, so much so that we are having a hard time figuring out what is real.

As for sponsored content - what does that mean?

Many popular travel bloggers are given free trips (often called press trips) or in some cases are even paid to go to a destination, hotel, hostel, etc.

The blogger will often use this disclaimer: "This trip/hotel/hostel/etc. was paid for by XXXXX, but the opinions are my own."

Really? I call Bull-shitake.

Let's think about this for a minute. If that blogger paid for that exact same trip with their own coin, would the content be the same?

Quite simply - No...it wouldn't.

I admit that I've been on a few sponsored trips in my life, and as the publisher of BootsnAll, I've also helped hundreds of writers go on these press trips. So my BS comment is directed at us as well.

Sponsored content isn't limited to bloggers. Case in point. Our friends at Afar.com have a BEAUTIFUL Australia Travel Guide. See it here.

After I watched the video and browsed the page, I was amazed as it was gorgeous and well produced.

Would you have guessed that this content is sponsored by Australian Tourism? Look closer. No negativity. No things to watch out for. It feels like marketing copy versus a Travel Guide.
I always think back to our other friends at Lonely Planet - their books are not sponsored and have a more balanced approach to travel, in our opinion.

Over the past 15 years, we've seen so many companies, bloggers, and folks come and go in the travel space, so we are naturally cautious before we recommend something to you.

I am not disparaging Afar or the independent travel blogger - this is the way it is today in travel. Sponsored content, free blogger trips. Influence that is bought. 

When deciding where to go and who to trust when making trip decisions, does this matter to you? Do you care how a recommendation came about?

Please fill out this questionnaire or email us back, letting us know your favorite travel resources (outside of BootsnAll) and if sponsored content impacts your trust of websites/blogs.

Feel free to tweet us your thoughts @BootsnAll or on your favorite social platform.

Join the Independent Travel Revolution!

AAT Kings Brand Relaunch

All smiles as AAT Kings brings Australia and New Zealand to life

Celebrating the laid-back nature of Australasia and the cheeky personalities of the AAT Kings (www.aatkings.com) Tour Directors and Driver Guides who share their destination knowledge and local expertise on every AAT Kings holiday, are the core elements behind the iconic travel brand's relaunch unveiled Wednesday.

Simultaneously revealed at industry events in Auckland and Sydney yesterday, the new look AAT Kings branding; 'Bringing Australia and New Zealand to Life' tagline; signature smile, staff uniforms and new coach livery were all on show as the future for a company with a proud history that dates back to showing guests around Australia since 1925.

AAT Kings Global Managing Director, Anthony Hayes, says the new direction better reflects the travel experiences guests enjoy as part of their Guided Holiday, Short Break or Day Tour in Australia and New Zealand when travelling with AAT Kings.

"When guests travel with us, it is the characters that they meet along the way including our Tour Directors, Aboriginal and Maori Guides and Local Staff that they remember as part of their holiday memories. These personalities are the key to showing our guests the culture, heritage and landscapes of both Australia and New Zealand, sharing their stories, experiences and simply having a good laugh with our guests, which make their holiday with us so enjoyable," he says.

The relaunch is backed up with an $18 million investment in a new coach fleet across Australia and New Zealand and new in-house staff training initiatives across the business. As well as better tailoring its products for AAT Kings' traditional western markets, the company has created an Asia Sales Manager role to boost tourism into both Australia and New Zealand from the region and China in particular.

 A focus on AAT Kings' trade relationships is also key to the relaunch, says Hayes. "Ultimately our guests are their customers too so we are actively re-establishing our relationships with our travel agencies and our other partners in selling Australia and New Zealand." He says the relaunch is designed to stimulate greater consumer interest in guided holidays, making it easier for agents to grow their domestic and trans-Tasman business.

"We are seeing strong growth in the guided holidays market, so we believe this is the perfect time to get right on the front foot with our new brand. Our holidays are all about inspiring our guests, giving them the kind of experience they can't possibly have if they try to organise it all themselves – and we'll do all the driving for them. We offer outstanding Guided Holidays, Short Breaks and Day Tours throughout every state of Australia, and Guided Holidays and Short Breaks in both the North and South islands of New Zealand.

"A key partnership opportunity for us is to grow the short breaks market. Australians and New Zealanders are busy, but we all have a week here and a couple of weeks there. Working with trade, AAT Kings can play a key part in changing the holiday patterns of busy Aussies and Kiwis who still want a rewarding break."

To this end, AAT Kings has simplified its brand story and terminology to make it simpler for trade partners and guests to understand the various holiday options available.

"We offer something for everyone in each destination, whether that be our AAT Kings Inspiring Journeys premium small group experiences; our signature AAT Kings Guided Holidays, Short Breaks and Day Tours; or our affordable, easy going small group AAT Kings Aussie Adventures," adds Hayes.

For more information, visit www.aatkings.com, 1300 AAT KINGS (1300 228 546) or speak to your local travel agent. Follow us on Twitter @AATKings or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AATKingsAustralia.

 

MTA attends ‘ATAS - Travel Accredited’ brand launch

Pictured, MTA – Mobile Travel Agents managing director, Karen Merricks with NSW Fair Trading Minister, The Hon. Anthony Roberts (on left) and AFTA CEO, Jayson Westbury at the unveiling of the new 'ATAS - Travel Accredited' brand in Sydney last night.

"The Minister paid tribute to the work carried out by Jayson Westbury and Gary O'Riorden over the past five years, and we endorse that," Ms Merricks said.

"The work done by Jayson and Gary is impressive to say the least and the legacy of their efforts will live on for a great many years."

W:       www.mtatravel.com.au

Goodbye Nomophobia Hello Paradise

The bad news is your mobile phone will work on Bokissa. But since the service is reliably unreliable you'll find yourself at the cutting edge of the latest trend in world travel - the digital detox holiday.

A Bokissa digital detox has much more to offer than any of the growing number of "techno break" packages on the market now in major cities where hotels are offering "technology free" and "tranquility suite" packages for techwrecked humans. Some even offer rewards like massages and outdoor activities if you can remain device-free. In the travel trade they call this "promoting human interaction."

The really good news from Bokissa is that after a brief withdrawal period you'll probably be happy to interact human-wise and get on with dreaming, fishing, paddling a kayak, diving and just scuffing the warm white sand between your toes as you walk a few steps from bed to beach.

For those with incurable nomophobia  (that's the fear that strikes when your mobile won't work) the resort has an Internet connection and phones in the guest lounge. You'll find recidivists here downloading their emails.

Tell them hello and goodbye and head for the walking tracks that thread through 71 hectares of rainforest, alive with tropical birds and butterflies in the day and sweet smelling after sunset with the blooming of flowers locals call Ladies of the Night.

While Bokissa is an ideal couples and honeymoon attraction it actually has even more special rewards for kids used to seeing the world through the prism of an iPad. Visiting children up to 12 can go to the local school or kindergarten and interface with classmates who know all sorts of clever ways to study the world. Like how to blow bubbles through a flower stem, or the correct aerodynamic proportionality of the perfect paper dart.

About 100 people live on Bokissa, a nature reserve 30 minutes by boat from Espiritu Santo. This makes the resort, the only one on the island, very much part of the local culture without swamping it since there will never be more than 48 guests at any time.

Accommodation is in TV, radio and phone free air-conditioned fales, well separated from each other for privacy with their own deck chairs, gardens and hammocks. There are 13 fales that take a maximum three people, one that takes four and a villa for five.