Destination Gold Coast’s CEO Patricia O’Callaghan has resigned after two years of service and will join Tourism and Events Queensland as CEO in 2023.
O’Callaghan will continue in her current role until November 30.
As an advocate and strong supporter of Gold Coast’s tourism industry, O’Callaghan will continue to promote the destination and the wider Queensland tourism economy in her new role.
New supplier connections between Travelport and companies like Booking.com and Hertz, are bringing additional content to travel retailers on Travelport+. Accessible now are more options for accommodation rates and car rentals.
Travelport-connected agencies can also expect to gain access to more options from Air France-KLM and Lufthansa Group NDC content at the end of 2022. Furthermore, three new airlines will soon join the platform – Congo Airways, FlyGTA and US-Bangla Airlines.
The partnership with Booking.com unlocks a new range of rates across 140,000 hotel properties accessible through the Travelport+ platform, and will grow to over one million properties in early 2023. Travelport is working on standardising hotel content with more information and choices to create a smarter, simpler shopping experience.
Hertz pre-paid car rental rates is now offered to travel retailers, generating more revenue with car rentals booked through the platform.
In addition to an expanding travel content offering, Travelport is focused on making the process of managing exchanges even easier for agents using the Travelport+ platform.
Customers that have upgraded to Travelport+ will have access to Travelport’s next generation Automated Exchanges, which automates complex manual ticket-change tasks and simplifies trip management, thus lowering costs and saves valuable time for both agents and travellers.
Jen Catto, chief marketing officer, Travelport said: “This update also helps our supplier partners reach even more of the right customers, with the ability to tailor products to drive sales through the indirect retail channel. As with everything we build, with the end-traveller in mind, more options mean a more relevant customer experience.”
Centara Korat Hotel, Thailand
Centara Korat Hotel is an all-in-one leisure and lifestyle destination in the Northeast of Thailand.
The hotel boasts 217 rooms and suites, and comprises facilities such as a rooftop pool, bar and Sky Garden, fitness centre, restaurants and meeting spaces. Fitness enthusiasts can also sign up for the boxing and yoga classes.
Dusit Hotel & Suites – Doha, Qatar
A sky-scraping 50-storey property comprises 192 luxury serviced apartments, Dusit Hotel & Suites – Doha is situated in the West Bay district – a business and commercial hub – and near popular tourist attractions such as Souq Waqif and Doha Corniche.
A 20-minute drive from Hamad International Airport, the hotel has six restaurants to suit any palate. Facilities include a spa, fitness centre, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
Chatrium Grand Bangkok, Thailand
Located in the heart of the city, Chatrium Grand Bangkok is perched on the banks of the city’s Bangkok’s most famous canal, Khlong Saen Saep and offers convenient access to popular mall Siam Paragon, and Siam BTS skytrain station.
With 582 rooms and suites, the twin-tower hotel features F&B offerings, a pool, fitness centre, spa, lounges and meeting venues. There is also a kid’s club to keep the little guests entertained.
JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort Suites, Thailand
JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort Suites is nestled in a beachside setting on southern Thailand’s Andaman coast, just an hour’s drive north of Phuket.
This family-oriented resort offers 52 two-bedroom suites, 11 restaurants, and shares the extensive facilities of JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa, including the Aqua Play Zone, fitness centre, kids club and spa.
It is also home to South-east Asia’s longest swimming pool – a sparkling 2.4km-long lagoon that features water slide, a wave pool, and even an aqua trampoline – where the Coconut Boat cruises around the lagoon daily loaded with fresh, ice-cold coconuts.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) will reintroduce direct flights between Cebu City and Bangkok, starting December 9.
The twice-weekly PAL service, operating on Monday and Friday, will depart in the morning from Cebu and depart from Bangkok in the early afternoon.
Bangkok is the latest destination to be flown out of the flag carrier’s Cebu hub, which connects Cebu to Tokyo Narita and various cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
PAL previously operated a Cebu-Bangkok service from December 2017 to March 2020.
Accor has signed a management agreement for a new dual-branded hotel in Thailand’s capital.
Slated for a 2025 opening, Mercure & ibis Bangkok Siam Ratchathewi will be part of a vertical mixed-use development including offices and retail spaces. It will also have direct access to the Ratchathewi BTS Skytrain station.
The Mercure hotel will comprise 200 rooms complemented by the brand’s authentic locally-inspired experiences and decorative design as well as high-quality services.
The ibis hotel will offer 154 rooms, boasting a trend-setting and comfortable hotel concept, a vibrant atmosphere, and convenient amenities. An array of shared public areas include a restaurant, lobby bar and lounge, pool bar, swimming pool, gym, kid’s club, and two meeting rooms.
Banyan Tree Group welcomes guests to its two newly opened hotels in Japan – Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto and Dhawa Yura Kyoto – with special savings on stays and experiences under The First Trip campaign, helping travellers explore new locales and revisit favourite destinations in a more purposeful way.
At Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto, guests can explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of Nijo Castle, while at Dhawa Yura Kyoto they will get to experience the legendary sento ritual at the Kyoto Public Baths where locals visit to bathe and socialise.
Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto’s package includes 15 per cent accommodation savings on best available rate, two complimentary tickets to the Nijo Castle, complimentary pick-up and drop-off services between the Kyoto Station and the hotel, complimentary minibar service and 10 per cent savings on dining.
Dhawa Yura Kyoto is located on the Kamo River right by the iconic Sanjo Ohashi bridge, and offers a convenient base from which to explore the city’s many sights.
Dhawa Yura Kyoto’s packages comprises 15 per cent accommodation savings on best available rate, two tickets to the Kyoto Public Baths, welcome drink, 30 per cent savings on spa treatments and 10 per cent savings on dining.
Both packages are open for bookings and stays from now until June 30, 2023.
For more information, visit Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto and Dhawa Yura Kyoto.
Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort has lined up a variety of Christmas and New Year programmes, which runs from December 19, 2022 to January 1, 2023.
Guests who love to eat and drink can visit the Christmas market and sign up for hands-on classes on making sushi, Vietnamese hand rolls, seafood curing, cake decoration, chocolate and wine pairing. There will also be mojito madness and margarita mash-up sessions.
Couples can request private sunset dinners on the beach and a floating breakfast in their pool villa, which can be overwater or on the beach.
Other activities include sunset cruises, fishing, kayaking, snorkelling safaris, guided scuba dives, and presentations by the resort’s resident marine biologist on Outrigger’s global nature conservation initiative.
There are also wellness sessions like yoga, Pilates, cross fit and more.
For New Year’s Eve, guests can sip on cocktails in the evening, indulge in an around-the-globe gourmet journey, before dancing into 2023 with a night-time DJ session.
For more information, visit Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort.
Gogreen Holdings is bringing back their attraction offerings to the Southern Islands of Singapore for the next two years.
From October 14, Gogreen @ St John’s Island provides an extended Sentosa eco-mobility experience from the company’s existing attraction on Sentosa to the St John’s Island and its adjacent Lazarus Island. Visitors can bask on the southern island’s tranquil beaches with picturesque views and relax on the clean, white beach on Lazarus Island Beach and the C-shaped lagoon.
Enjoy an array of fun activities with kick scooters, bicycle rentals and explore the islands on well-paved paths. At Gogreen @ St John’s Island are also drink stands, kites, beach mats, beach tents and more.
To get to Gogreen @ St John’s Island, ferry rides are available for booking with Singapore Island Cruise and Marina South Ferries. Departures are from Sentosa Jetty @ Cove or Marina South Pier, and arrivals are at Lazarus Island’s Pier or St John’s Island pier.
Alvaro Berton has been appointed as the new general manager of Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort.
The Spanish-born has worked in management roles for Meliá Hotels International for more than eight years. He was previously the general manager of Meliá Purosani Yogyakarta in Indonesia for more than two years.
In his new role, Berton will oversee operations and strategies for business development and implementation of the new phase concept.
Avatar: The Experience will open on October 28 at Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay. This immersive walkthrough event is a collaboration by Cityneon Holdings, Disney Location-Based Experiences, and James Cameron and Jon Landau’s Lightstorm Entertainment inspired by the film, Avatar.
From October 28, 2022 to March 31, 2023, guests will journey through the alien world of Pandora with its bioluminescent environments, engaging with its mystical creatures and flora, and sharing in the captivating culture of its indigenous people, the Na’vi.
Avatar: The Experience will comprise five different zones. Highlights include a life-size animatronic banshee, a baby banshee puppet for photo opportunities, and a first look at an artistic sculpt representation of the new marine creature, the Ilu, from the upcoming film Avatar: The Way of Water.
For more information, visit Avatar: The Experience.
