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Wednesday 02 March 2016 Issue 3258
News.......................... p1, p2, p4, p5, p6Cruising Today................................. p3
6 Pages This Issue
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No To Gun ShoesA woman has had to leave her gun-themed stilettoes behind at a US airport after being stopped while trying to take them onto a flight in her carry-on. The traveller was delayed at the airport in Baltimore after trying to take the shoes, and bullet-lined bracelets, through a checkpoint. She was told she could check them in but opted to leave them behind to catch her flight. The TSA is reminding travellers that ‘realistic replica firearms and ammunition are not permitted past TSA checkpoints’.
Longest Flight TodayE m i r ate s w i l l t h i s a f te r n o on operate its longest A380 flight to date when the first outbound Auckland-Dubai non-stop service takes off. The northbound flight is scheduled to take 17 hours and 15 minutes. But the service won’t hold the title for long as another EK flight is set to take the crown when the carrier commences services to Panama City in the coming weeks.
Emirates has been expanding its route network at a staggering rate and today the carrier marks two important milestones—its inau-gural non-stop Auckland to Dubai service, and the longest flight to be operated by an A380.The new AKL service, announced earlier this year, has already exceeded initial expectations.“The flight has only been in the systems for three weeks and the re-sults have been extraordinary,” says visiting EK division vice president Australasia Barry Brown. “It’s going to be a winner, no question.”Today’s inaugural non-stop service was operated by an A380 and while a 777 will move to service the route on a regular basis EK is taking a never say never approach. “We are very pleased with demand for the new route, and as demand grows we’ll continue to review it as we do with all routes—but anything is possible,” says Brown.
. . . CHC?There are also signs that EK may be set to increase its footprint in Christ-church as record passenger and cargo loads put pressure on existing EK capacity.While Brown says the carrier is re-taining the status quo on the south-ern front, he did say that its CHC operation was doing ‘extremely well’. “It’s very strong, and it’s going so
well that we are often challenged with full passenger loads and cargo.” EK is continuing to evaluate the route, he says, adding that EK has operated service to CHC all but one day since the first quake. “Look our CHC service is proving to be a very sound proposition. Is it ready for the A380? Time will tell, we will continue to review it.”
. . . All About OptionsEK’s proposition now makes it eas-ier for agents to sell the carrier, says Brown. EK UK/Europe fares are common-rated on the non-stop and via Aus-tralia routes, and in addition EK’s network of 39 cities within Europe gives passengers a wide range of options.“The new non-stop EK service is 1.5 hours longer than the Australia-Dubai leg, but cuts three hours off the flight time for Kiwi passengers,” says Brown. “The new service will appeal to those short on time or just want to get there, and those who want the A380 or want their shower on board can continue to travel via Australia.”At the same time EK’s expansive UK/Europe network gives Kiwi travellers a wide range of options. Brown says more Kiwis are opting for open jaw flights within Europe, and that ‘with 39 cities in Europe passengers can avoid things like the UK’s APD [de-parture fee] and any hotspots.’
EK On A380 Nonstop & CHC Expansion
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AKL HNL 11 US CitiesWith 2 x 32kgs checked baggage per person included
VA Velocity ChangesVirgin Australia has announced changes to its Velocity frequent flyer programme which will mean that points don’t expire within 36 months, as they previously did.Effective 01 Jun, Velocity points won’t expire provided members earn or redeem points at least once every 24 months. However transfer-ring points between family mem-bers or receiving points from a Family Pooling relationship will no longer be considered eligible activ-ity to prevent points expiring. Customers will be notified via email at least 30 days prior to points ex-piring.There’s also new reward seat pricing, which will mean some destinations increase in price, while others de-crease. It’s the first time in over five years VA has made adjustments to the pricing, during which time the carrier has moved towards becom-ing a full-service airline. Taxes and fees won’t be affected.For more details CLICK HERE
SQ A350 To AmsterdamSingapore Airlines’ new A350-900 will launch on long-haul services to Amsterdam on 09 May, with the air-craft scheduled to make daily flights on the Singapore-Amsterdam route. SQ is due to take delivery of its first A350-900 this week, and has 67 on firm order, including seven of an ul-tra-long-range variant which will be delivered in 2018. Prior to launching on the long-haul flights, SQ’s A350-900s will be deployed within Asia for crew training. In Jul, the A350-900 will be used to add services to Dus-seldorf. The aircraft are set to form a key part of SQ’s fleet.
NZ RAR-CHC ExtendedAir New Zealand has extended sales of its shortlife Christchurch-Raro-tonga fares for sales to 16 Mar. See airnzagent.co.nz
Team EK Greets A380
A delegation from Emirates’ New Zealand staff was on the tarmac this morning to welcome the ar-rival of the inaugural direct ser-vice from Dubai. The carrier says forward sales for the new route have exceeded expec-tations. Today’s service was oper-ated by an A380, but future nonstop AKL-DXB flights will be on a 777 aircraft—however visiting senior EK executives have said ‘never say never’
to a daily non-stop AKL-DXB A380 service. Pictured from left is EK New Zealand manager Chris Lethbridge with EK team Chris Paykel, Lynda Tudor, Jill Lane, EK divisional vice president Australasia Barry Brown, and Shelley Millington.
Star’s Own Aisle At LAXCheck-in for all 10 Star Alliance carriers operating out of Los Angeles Airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) has been consoli-dated into a single aisle.The check-in counters for carriers including Air New Zealand are now all in Aisle C in the north end of the terminal, which allows airlines to ‘share counter space to even better match capacity to the actual de-mand’, says LAX.There’s also a range of joint auto-mated services being progressively introduced, including kiosks and bag-drop counters.
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Up to 176,000 cruise passengers are missing from New Zealand’s official annual tourism statis-tics, understating the country’s tourism value, says Cruise New Zealand.Cruise arrivals are now New Zea-land’s third largest holiday market behind Australia and China, with an estimated 267,800 passengers landing here during the 2015-16 season. However, official visitor and spending statistics are collected only at New Zealand’s international airports, so cruise passengers who arrive and leave on their ships, known as transit passengers, are overlooked, says Cruise New Zea-land chairman Kevin O’Sullivan. “The irony is that while cruise tran-sit passenger arrivals are excluded from the official count, the New Zea-
Cruise Pax Missing From Tourism Stats
land Customs Service and Ministry for Primary Industries are charging them the new Border Clearance Levy when they enter and depart New Zealand.” O’Sullivan added that ‘more accurate measurements of the size and value of the cruise sector would assist with local and regional government funding, infrastructure investments and resource manage-ment’. In turn, Cruise New Zealand is call-ing on the Government to fully record the cruise sector’s contribu-tion to New Zealand’s economy, a move which is being supported by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand, the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand and Re-gional Tourism Organisations New Zealand. “Even though the tourism industry is smashing records this summer, it is still significantly under-valued because of the lack of cruise data,” says RTONZ executive officer Char-lie Ives.
A First For P&O
P&O Cruises’ Pacific Pearl yesterday set off on the line’s first circumnavi-gation of New Zealand, featuring a maiden call to Stewart Island. The 10-night cruise also calls at Napier, Wellington, Christchurch (Akaroa) and Picton; while the 1800 passen-gers will also enjoy scenic cruising through Fiordland. Other itinerar-ies on offer this season include a three-night Food & Wine themed cruise sailing from Auckland 10 Jun, priced from $399pp quad share; and a 10-night South Pacific roundtrip cruise from Auckland, departing 16 May, with visits to Santo, Pen-tecost, Vila and Mystery Island, priced from $899pp quad share. See pocruises.co.nz for further details.
Carnival Magic’s RefurbIn preparation for its repositioning to Port Canaveral to begin year-round Caribbean departures, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Magic is undergoing a multi-million dollar dry dock. Upon completion 05 Mar, she will have new dining and bar options, including Guy’s Burger Joint, a free poolside venue; RedFrog Rum Bar, a poolside bar; and BlueIguana Tequila Bar, an outdoor watering hole with a Mexican theme. Pizzeria del Capitano will also be introduced, offering free artisanal-style pizza; as well as Alchemy Bar, a vintage-themed cocktail pharmacy.
Seabourn Menu RevampSeabourn has introduced a range of new dishes, developed by American chef Thomas Keller, which are avail-able aboard Seabourn Odyssey, Sea-bourn Sojourn and Seabourn Quest, advises Cruise World. Among the highlights are special theme nights in the Colonnade that pay homage to Keller’s childhood; and there’s also formal French-American style cuisine available in The Restaurant. Expand-ing on this partnership, a new signa-ture restaurant will be introduced this May on Seabourn Quest, eventually to be launched across the entire fleet.
Fri 15 May 15 P3Wed 02 Mar 16 P4
News & ProductE
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Outback QLD ExperienceQueensland operator Kinnon & Co offers a host of outback experiences for clients looking to explore the state’s rugged outback. The company is based in Longreach, which is home to Qantas Founders Museum and Stockman Hall of Fame. Experiences on offer include a stage-coach ride through the outback, a stockman’s campfire dinner or stay the night in a Pioneer Slab Hut—for the more comfortable option, an outback Lodge. K i n n on & C o w i l l b e at t h e Queensland on Tour event in Queen-stown 06-08 Apr. To register CLICK HERE
GO Tahiti TemptationsGO Holidays has Tahiti packages with Air Tahiti Nui flights on sale to 14 Mar, for travel 19 Apr-30 Nov (closeouts apply). Packages start from $1499pp s/t for flights and four nights at Manava Suite Resort; and a seven-night package on Moorea is from $2199pp t/s, including five nights at the Hotel Moorea Pearl Re-sort and Spa.
Marriott And StarwoodMarriott’s proposed acquisition of Starwood has reached several key milestones in the USA and Canada. The parties have cleared the pre-merger antitrust review in the United States, and the premerger waiting period under Canadian law has ex-pired and the Competition Bureau of Canada has issued a ‘no-action letter’ regarding the proposed transaction. The companies say they are ‘continu-ing to cooperate with competition authorities in other jurisdictions worldwide to obtain regulatory ap-provals for the transaction’. They’ve set 28 Mar for special stockholder meetings to approve the combination transactions, and expect to close the transaction in mid-2016.
VA’s Jurassic WorldVirgin Australia will be flying visitors to Melbourne for the world premiere of Jurassic World: The Exhibition, as the official airline partner. The exhi-bition will be hosted at Melbourne Museum from 19 Mar-09 Oct, and features encounters with realistic, life-size animatronic dinosaurs, set in themed environments inspired by the film. There will also be an inter-active educational experience. Mem-bers of Velocity Frequent Flyer will receive 20% off all full-price tickets to the exhibition.
I n t r e p i d Tr a v e l i s celebrating the 100th an-niversary of the US Na-tional Park Service with a new collection of trips that will take clients deep into the American wilder-ness. The four new active, one-off trips include cycling through southern Utah, kayaking in Yellowstone, sailing off the coast of Florida and hiking beneath California’s ancient sequoia trees. “These trips are expeditionary in nature and are designed to get under the skin of America’s great National Parks,” says managing director James Thornton. “Rather than skimming the surface, we’re encouraging travel-lers to celebrate all the parks have to offer—whether that’s on foot, bike, kayak or boat—and have some seri-ous adventure.”Trips include the Hike and Kayak Yel-lowstone itinerary (dep. 03 Sep, from $3285pp), with camping on Grassy Island, Jackson Lake by kayak and floating down the Snake River. The Hike Sequoia and Mt Whitney (dep. 10 Sep, from $4380pp) sees
clients hike to the summit of Mount Whitney, and takes the lesser-used scenic route through the redwood groves of Sequoia National Park and pine forests of the Pacific Crest Trail. Clients will camp with the support of guides and pack mules.The Cycle Bryce and Zion itinerary (dep. 24 Sep, from $2405pp) will ex-plore southern Utah by cycle. Starting and finishing in Las Vegas, it spends a full day in both Bryce and Zion National Parks. Lastly, the Lower Keys and Dry Tortugas Sailing Adventure will see clients enjoy a small yacht expedition through the most iso-lated and least visited National Park in the USA, Florida Keys’ Dry Tortugas. Departing 15 Oct, it is priced from $2449pp. For details CLICK HERE
Intrepid’s New Active US Trips
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Latest From Fiji
New Zealand
Intermediate ConsultantThe team at our Auckland office based in Takapuna is growing!
To be successful in this role you must have;• a minimum of 2 years’ experience in corporate travel• experience with booking domestic, trans-Tasman, Pacific
and some long haul• passion for customer service• energy for the fast pace of corporate travel• experience with online booking products - knowledge of Sabre an
advantage• ability to work as part of a team and independently as required
We offer a competitive salary package and opportunity to grow. You will be responsible for a portfolio of our current and new clients. If you are ready to make a change then we want to talk to you.Please apply directly to Liz Goodall at HRG New Zealand in absolute confidence. Email your CV to: [email protected] Phone: 09 550 6523
Applications close 5pm, 9th March 2016
Tourism Western Australia (Tourism WA) is seeking an innovative marketing representative agency to provide integrated marketing and representation services in New Zealand.The successful representative company will share in Tourism WA’s vision to position Western Australia as a must see, extra ordinary destination for visitors through exciting and inspiring marketing campaigns.
Market Representation Services NEW ZEALAND
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https://www.tenders.wa.gov.au/watenders/index.doIf you require any further advice or have any questions please email
High Demand For Fiji RoadshowsSome 200 agents have already registered to attend the Auckland stop on Tourism Fiji’s upcoming family themed roadshows, and there’s huge interest from agents with a growing waitlist, says the NTO. Tourism Fiji and operators will be travelling to Palmerston North, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton, Auckland City and Auckland’s North Shore between 04-08 Apr. “Our roadshows are always popular and are a great opportunity for the agents to speak directly with opera-tors about Fiji product,” says Tourism Fiji’s regional director New Zealand Wayne Deed. “The family market is key for Fiji, and a popular school holiday choice for Kiwis, and of course we want everyone to know that Fiji is open and ready to welcome everyone with a huge smile and ‘bula!’ Meanwhile agent famils are con-tinuing in Fiji with ongoing positive feedback from agents about how quickly the tourist spots in Fiji have recovered since Cyclone Winston. Pictured with staff at the Tropica Island Resort is (left to right) Cameron Taylor, Tourism Fiji; Shannon Bailey, Bon Voyage Travel; Ben Venner, Flight Centre Coastlands; Dave Whitaker, Mondo Travel Motueka; Elisse Buckley, NZ Travel Brokers Levin; Nancy Sadeli, Flight Centre Queens St; Maia Hiini, House of Travel Addington; Ash Dunoyer, World Travellers Wanaka; Tori Maxwell, Harvey World Travel Miramar; Tina Gosney, Brooker United Travel.
The industry is being invited to help raise money for the people of Fiji through a fundraising event being held by Fiji Airways and Tourism Fiji.The event is being billed as an op-portunity for the ‘New Zealand travel family’ to come together and help support the ‘Fiji family’. It’s open to the entire industry, including those in retail, wholesale, airlines, hoteliers, cars, cruising, ground operators, travel insurers and airports. There will be a live auction, silent auction, and raffle at $20 per ticket, plus organisers are promising plenty of entertainment.Similar events are being held in Australia, and the region hopes to collectively donate $100,000 for the people of Fiji.The event is on 23 Mar from 1730 at the Pullman Auckland. Tickets are $49 including a welcome drink and canapes, and a cash bar will be avail-able. Details on how to buy the tickets will be released in the coming days.Anyone wanting to donate any goods
or services, or interested in sponsor-ship opportunities, should contact FJ’s Mel Watson on [email protected]
Industry Invited To Fiji Fundraiser
Treasure Staff FundTreasure Island and Bounty Island Resorts have set up a fundraising page for their staff members, who were affected by Cyclone Winston. Some staff members have lost homes and belongings in the cyclone, and the ex-tent of their losses is still not clear, say the resorts. To donate, CLICK HERE
Action Group PlansDiscounted flights and special accommodation packages in ‘key source markets’ have been flagged by the local Tourism Action Group (TAG) as ways to help Fiji recover post-cyclone.The TAG, a joint initiative of Tour-ism Fiji, Fiji Airways, Society Of Fiji Travel Associates (SOFTA), and the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (FHTA), held a special meeting with stakeholders to share developments and plans for strengthening the tour-ism sector following Cyclone Winston. Other plans include advertising and marketing campaigns and public rela-tions efforts.
Flighties Help FijiWith every holiday to Fiji booked this Mar, the Flight Centre Foundation will donate $50pp towards helping Fiji recover from Cyclone Winston, with all money raised going towards the Red Cross Disaster Fund. Flight Centre is also asking passen-gers to consider bringing school sup-plies, clothing, books and blankets with them in their luggage, which will be collected by Destination Fiji at the airport in Nadi; and teams of Flight Centre staff will be travelling to Fiji this month to volunteer with everything from rebuilding to dis-tributing goods.
Govt Boosts Fiji AidThe Government has announced a $1.5 million increase to New Zealand’s aid package to Fiji as it recovers from Cyclone Winston. The money will be used to help repair power lines and infrastructure, as well as additional relief supplies and technical support.
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News & Product
Industry Diary(upstairs), 1800-1915.Christchurch: Thu 03, RSA, 74 Armagh St (upstairs), 1800-1915.
Singapore Airlines Wellington to the World!Wellington: Wed 02, Museum of Te Papa, Te Marae, Wed 02 Mar, 1800-2000.
South Australia RoadshowAuckland: Fri 04, Spencer on Byron Hotel, Takapuna, 1700-1900. Hamilton: Sat 05, Novotel Tainui, 1400-1600.Palmerston North: Sun 06, Copthorne Hotel, 1200-1330.Kapiti Coast: Sun 06, Kapiti Community Hall, Paraparaumu, 1600-1730. Nelson: Mon 07, Mercure Grand Monaco Resort, 1730-1930.Christchurch:Wed 09, Russley Golf Club, 1730-1930.
Cook Islands RoadshowChristchurch: Tue 08, Hagley Oval, 0730-9030. Wellington: Wed 09, Rydges Hotel, 0730-9030.Auckland, North Shore: Wed 09, Spencer on Byron, 1730-2030.South Auckland: Thu 10, Waipuna Suites, Highbrook, 0730-0930.Auckland CBD: Thu 10, The Heritage Hotel, 1730-2030.
The Safari Company information eveningsRotorua: Wed 09, Alpin Motel & Conference Centre, 1800.Taupo: Thu 10, Catellis Motel & Conference Centre, 1800.
Napier: Mon 14, War Memorial Rm1, 1800. Carterton: Tue 15, Events Centre, 1800. Palmerston North: Wed 16, Pavillion Motel & Conference Centre, 1800.
SPANTO roadshowQueenstown: Tue 15, Heritage Hotel, 1730.Dunedin: Wed 16, Scenic Hotel Southern Cross, 1730.
Innovative Travel WWI Western Front Information Evening Christchurch: Thu 17, RSA 74 Armagh Street, 1730.Auckland: Tue 22, RSA Birkenhead, 1730.
APRILTourism Fiji Bula Marau Family RoadshowPalmerston North: Mon 04, Distinction Hotel, 0700-0930.Christchurch: Mon 04, Tait Conference Centre, 1730-2015. Wellington: Tue 05 April, Amora Hotel, 1730-2015. Hamilton: Wed 06, Ferrybank Reception Centre, 1730-2015. Auckland: Thu 07, Stamford Hotel, 1730-2030. Auckland North Shore: Fri 08, QBE Stadium, 0700-0930.
Avalon Waterways 2017 LaunchKerikeri: Wed 06, pm. Petone: Wed 06, pm. Whangarei: Thu 07, pm. New Plymouth: Thu 07, pm. Hamilton: Mon 11, pm. Tauranga: Tue 12, pm. Auckland, North Shore: Tue 12, pm. Dunedin: Tue 12, pm. Auckland, East: Wed 13, pm.
MARCH 2016Air New Zealand Vietnam RoadshowPalmerston North: Wed 02, Saigon, 1730-2000. New Plymouth: Thu 03, Copthorne Grand Central, 1730-2000. Napier: Tue 08, The Gin Trap, 1800-2000. Christchurch: Mon 14, Zaffron, 1800-2000. Dunedin: Tue 15, Vault 21 – 21 The Octagon, 1730-2000. Hamilton: Tue 22, Viet Thai Village, 1800-2000. Auckland: Wed 23, Air New Zealand Customer, Innovation and Collaboration Centre, 1800-2000.
JAWS RoadshowNelson: Wed 02, Rutherford Hotel, 27 Nile Street West, 1700-2000. Whangarei: Tue 08, Forum North, 7 Rust Ave, 1700-2000. Napier: Mon 14, War Memorial Conference Centre, 48 Marine Parade, 1700-2000. Wellington: Tue 15, Rydges WLG, 75 Featherston Street, 1700-2000. Palmerston North: Wed 16, Distinction Hotel, 175 Cuba Street, 1700-2000. New Plymouth: Thu 17, Novotel Hotel, Cnr Of Hobson and Leach Streets, 1700-2000. Tauranga: Tue 22, Tauranga Yacht Club, 70 Keith Allen Drive, 1700-2000. Hamilton: Wed 23, Novotel Tainui, 7 Alma Street, 1700-2000.
Innovative Travel Russia Information Evening Wellington: Wed 02, Petone Alehouse
Timaru: Wed 13, pm. Napier: Wed 13, pm Auckland, West: Thu 14, pm. Palmerston North: Thu 14, pm. Ashburton: Thu 14, pm. Christchurch: Tue 19, pm. Invercargill: Wed 20, pm Queenstown: Thu 21, pm. Nelson: Wed 27 Apr, pm. Blenheim: Thu 28, pm. Times, venues tba.
Queensland on TourQueenstown: Wed 06-Fri 08, Skyline Queenstown.
Samoa Tourism Exchange 2016Tue 12-Thu 14, details tba.
Vanuatu Tourism RoadshowChristchurch: Mon 18. Wellington: Tue 19. Auckland: Wed 20.Times and venues tba.
Asia Road Show: Cathay Pacific/Adventure World/ Exodus Breakfast updatesNew Plymouth: Tue 19. Palmerston North: Wed 20. Wellington: Thu 21. Times and venues tba.
MAYSPANTO roadshowHamilton: Tue 03, Ferrybank Reception Centre, 1730.Palmerston North & New Plymouth: TBA
Adventure World Latin ExtravaganzaAuckland: Thu 12, 1730-2030, venue tba.
Universal Orlando Resort has unveiled more details of its up-coming King Kong adventure, set to open at the resort this northern summer.Islands of Adventure, Skull Island: Reign of Kong will see guests enter an ‘exotic world filled with the men-acing, the intense—and the wildly entertaining’, says Universal. Featur-ing a ‘powerful’ storyline, 3D experi-ence and the latest technology, it will
King Kong Unveiled
be one of the longest Universal ride experiences ever created. Guests will explore an island rife with prehistoric creatures, joining a research team which leads the adventure. They’ll visit an ancient temple and lost shrine, board an ex-pedition vehicle, explore a labyrinth of caves, find themselves in the mid-dle of a battle and, of course, meet Kong. More details are to come, see universalorlando.com/reignofkong
Tanoa Aspen For SaleQueenstown’s Tanoa Aspen Hotel has been put up for sale, together with an adjoining 6537m2 parcel of develop-ment land, four adjoining residential properties and two apartments.It’s described as ‘one of Queenstown’s most significant tourism and rede-velopment opportunities in many years’ by Colliers International, and is being offered for sale by way of international expressions of interest. Demand is expected to be high, as there are few opportunities to buy hotels and the parcel also includes one of the few remaining develop-ment sites in Queenstown. “With all hotels and tourist accommodation in Queenstown operating at full capacity, investors and developers are frantically searching for hotel op-portunities,” says Colliers.
Rail Plus: Learn & WinConsultants are reminded that there’s only a few weeks left to complete Rail Plus’ 2016 Global Rail Expert program and put themselves in the running to share in $2000 worth of Countdown vouchers. Timed to coincide with the peak demand period for rail, some agents completed the entire 10 modules on the first day the program was launched, says Rail Plus chief executive James Dunne—but those who haven’t yet completed the train-ing have until 23 Mar. “. . . We have enhanced the modules to ensure they are not just beneficial for consultants who are new to rail but also provide a great refresher for more experienced professionals,” he adds. The modules cover a range of topics, including Amtrak, VIA Rail, Rocky Mountaineer, Qatar, Swiss Travel System and more. The highest performing graduate will win a $1000 Countdown voucher, with second- and third-placed graduates winning vouchers worth $750 and $250 respectively. See railplus.co.nz for further details.
