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| ASTA SmartBrief |
| November 2, 2009 |
More affluent Americans say they intend to cruise
The American Affluence Research Center has been tracking wealthy consumers' intentions to take a cruise for the past seven years, and it appears the tide is turning for cruises. In April, 12% of respondents said they intended to take a cruise in the next 12 months, while a more recent survey found that 13% of respondents have the same intention. The percentage of respondents who typically say they intend to cruise is around 15% to 19% and has been as high as 22%. Travel Weekly (10/30)
Avanti Travel acquires Village Travel Service
Consolidation is happening across the travel agent sector as agents battle the economic downturn as well as competition from online agencies. Avanti Travel of Redding, Calif., recently purchased Village Travel Service. While some travelers have voiced their disdain for booking online, travel agents have embraced the Web as a way to market their services and connect with clients. "Travel agencies that have embraced the Internet and have used it to their advantage are moving forward," said Chris Russo, head of ASTA. "We are doing blogs, we tweet, we're creating travel excitement." Record Searchlight (Redding, Calif.) (11/1)
Hawaii's World Botanical Gardens and Waterfalls adds zip line
Visitors to Hawaii's Big Island will soon have the opportunity to sail through the rain forest on a zip line in the World Botanical Gardens and Waterfalls. "Along with safe excitement, our top priority for Zip Isle is to be an environmental leader on the Big Island," said Lanny Neel, garden director at WBGW. "As a botanical garden and repository for endangered plant species, the environment is extremely important to all of us. We carefully chose a zip line construction method using utility poles to ensure preservation of the forest." TravelAge West (11/1)
Luxury resorts on Fiji battle challenges with discounts
Tourist arrivals in Fiji have dropped steeply as natural disasters, political tensions and economic issues have kept many travelers away from the idyllic paradise. The situation has prompted some of the island's most luxurious resorts to offer significant discounts, even during their busiest time of year. Meanwhile, a battle between Virgin Blue and Jetstar is expected to reduce airfares. The Wall Street Journal (10/30)
Other News
Expert says recession caused airlines to shrink premium offerings
David Jarach, a professor and airline analyst, explains how the global economic downturn has resulted in a fundamental shift in airlines' structures. "Business class on intra-European routes is at risk," Jarach said. "On long-haul routes, the chance to survive is higher, but ... one candidate for disappearing is first class. This is a trend that started some years ago for U.S. carriers, but [now] only Asian carriers will continue to maintain those first-class services." The Transnational (10/29)
Demand for Wi-Fi creates challenges for airlines
Airline passengers are increasingly interested in having Wi-Fi access while in flight, and airlines are eager to cater to those desires. However, the carriers face a number of challenges in trying to comply with federal laws as well as company policies regarding wireless communications. Travel Weekly (10/30)
Column: Agents need to remember they are the experts
Columnist Richard Earls urges travel agents to refrain from selling themselves short when they're selling travel to clients. Earls says travel agents should not be afraid to make recommendations. "Don't be content to merely book another cruise or put your client on another bus just because that's what the client tells you they want. Your client may not really know what they want. You are the expert in the relationship," he writes. Travel Research Online (11/1)
Other News
Sacramento offers lots of quirky cultural sights, activities
Sacramento, located at the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers, has a small-town charm despite being the capital of one of the largest, most populous states. The California capital continues to have a strong theater scene, a vibrant restaurant-and-arts scene and more trees per capita than most cities. NYTimes.com (11/1)
Australian regulator to approve JV between Delta, Virgin Blue
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is planning to grant authorization of a joint venture between Virgin Blue Holdings and Delta Air Lines for a three-year period. The JV would apply to flights between Australia and the U.S. "The ACCC considers that the joint venture is likely to assist Virgin Blue and Delta to compete more effectively against the incumbents on the routes, Qantas Airways Ltd. and United Airlines," said Graeme Samuel, chairman of the commission. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (11/1)
Technology, regulation weighed to keep pilots alert
As technological advances allow aircraft to fly themselves for long periods of time, airlines and regulators are looking for ways to ensure that bored pilots don't doze off or lose their focus. Some carriers have protocols that require pilots to perform certain inputs every 15 minutes; failure to do so sets off an alarm in the cockpit. Meanwhile, regulators are discussing a federal ban on personal electronic devices for pilots, along with cockpit cameras to detect violations of the policy. But Bill Voss, CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, says such steps could be more symbolic than substantive. NYTimes.com (10/31) Newsweek (10/30)
100 ways small outfits can get greener
Small Business Trends reports 100 tips from readers on environmentally friendly business practices, which it categorizes in four sections: conserve, recycle, go paperless and adopt green practices. Among the tips: Turn off a computer's power strip every night, take advantage of natural lighting and reduce the number of documents that are printed. Small Business Trends (10/29)
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Suppliers: Open doors, increase U.S. business for 2010
Did you know that one of the best ways to gain exposure and reach your targets is by exhibiting at a trade show? Where else can you reach an audience with both buying power and interest in your product? Exhibiting at the fifth annual International Destination Expo (IDE) in Istanbul, April 19 through 22, will allow you to build relationships with top U.S. travel sellers so you can capture more outbound business to Turkey and the surrounding region. More information and reservation information is available at www.asta.org/exhibit or via e-mail at kstake@asta.org.
Poll: Where do you foresee spending the bulk of your travel trade marketing dollars in 2010?
Print ads
Online ads
Trade show marketing
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