Top Stories
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Christchurch, New Zealand asks locals to take in tourists during room shortage
DestinationsChristchurch will encourage residents to open up their homes to tourists next summer in a bid to avoid another “accommodation crisis” in the city. Tourism bosses want to establish a billeting system with residents providing accommodation for people unable to find a room. The plan is being explored after an acute bed shortage this summer [...]
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Hawaiian Air and tourism board veteran goes to work for Larry Ellison
TransportPaul Casey, who has headed both Hawaii’s largest airline and the state’s biggest tourism marketer, is preparing for a new challenge running a small local carrier for one of the richest men in the world. Island Air, purchased in February by Oracle Inc. CEO Larry Ellison, has appointed Casey to be CEO starting May 1. [...]
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With Emirates alliance in the bag, Qantas eyes Latam for next tie-up
TransportQantas is keen to strike a closer alliance with South American airline group Latam but concedes the latter’s recent merger has been a distraction from meaningful talks between the two airlines. Having launched an alliance with Emirates, Qantas management can now turn to forming closer deals with other airline partners including Latam and China Eastern. [...]
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How to travel halfway around the world without a U.S. passport
DestinationsThe U.S. Postal Service is a surprisingly good source for no-passport-required research. On the agency’s Web site, click to the page where you ask to have your mail held. Pull down the “State” tab and scan the alphabetical list that follows “Arkansas.” You’ll see “American Samoa,” “Federated States of Micronesia,” “Guam,” “Mariana Islands (Saipan, Rota)” [...]
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New Zealand approves same-sex marriage, expects influx of Aussie tourists
DestinationsThousands of Australians are expected to flock to New Zealand, which on Wednesday night passed laws approving same-sex marriage. ”I think it is going to be huge. It will definitely boost tourism to New Zealand with thousands and thousands going over to get married or as wedding guests,” said Reece Farmilo, the owner of Sydney’s [...]
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Hawaii tourism is booming: Hotel room prices hit record high in February
DestinationsHawaii’s hotel industry set records for room rates in February as more tourists traveled to the islands from around the world, according to a monthly study issued by a private consulting company. The average rate hotels charged for their rooms surged 13 percent to $233.30 in February, according to the study by Smith Travel Research [...]
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TripAdvisor’s expands gluttonous menu with Australia restaurant reservations
DestinationsAustralian restaurant booking website Dimmi has revealed how it signed a partnership with global travel website TripAdvisor, less than a month after teaming up with Google. TripAdvisor, which operates in 30 countries, also has a variety of travel options and planning features, with links to booking tools. Travellers can now gain access to real-time restaurant [...]
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The 40,000 people who want one of Australia’s “Best Jobs in the World”
DestinationsMore than 40,000 people from around the globe have applied for Australia’s six “Best Jobs in the World”, leaving Australian tourism officials with the mammoth task of paring the list down to 18 finalists. The six-month jobs, which include “Outback Adventurer” and “Chief Funster”, attracted initial interest from more than 330,000 people from nearly 200 [...]
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New Zealand extends multi-stay visas for Chinese tourists
DestinationsAuckland Airport’s general manager for corporate affairs, Charles Spillane, says New Zealand visa changes announced today will propel growing arrivals from China. “China is New Zealand’s fastest growing tourist market and these changes will help to fuel that growth,” he said. Visa changes to boost air travel from China were announced in Shanghai today during [...]
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How travelers from ten countries access the Internet from the road
DestinationsIt won’t be long before Internet cafes and lobby PCs become a relic of the past. A recent report by Tourism Australia found smartphones and personal laptops to be the devices most commonly used by visitors to access Internet while in Australia. Based on the March quarter of 2012, 25 percent of travelers accessed Internet [...]
