Baby Boomers Enjoy Travel

Demographically speaking, 2011 was a significant year in Australia as it was the year during which the first of Australia’s baby boomer generation reached retirement age. In Australia a baby boomer is anyone who was born from 1946 to 1965. This means that there were 4.2 million births in Australia during those years A huge number of baby-boomers are expected to enjoy travel and tourism as their children have left home, they have payed off the mortgage, and have some finances saved away fro travel. .

Although many baby boomers engage in online travel purchasing, the majority of elderly and middle-aged Australians still prefer store-based retailing in general.

Some baby boomers who decide to adopt the grey nomad lifestyle and travel around Australia in campervans prefer campsites as their travel accommodation type of choice. This is one reason for the growth experienced by campsites in Australia during 2011. Other grey nomads prefer the free options of roadside parking and other free spots in tranquil locations using their own self contained facilities. Our good friends from Aberdeen sold their homer last year and purchased a Winnebago They are travelling around Australia enjoying all it has to offer, camping at free or low cost options whenever available.

Chiang Rai, Thailand

Chiang Rai

The recent successful three-day Mekong Tourism Forum (MTF) was held in Chiang Rai. Chiang Rai is located in the north of Thailand with an area of approximately 11,678 square kilometers with border connecting to Myanmar and Lao PDR. It truly is the gate way to the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Populations have settled in Chiang Rai since the 7th century and it became the center of the Lanna Thai Kingdom during the 13th century. After Lanna Thai was incorporated into Thailand, it stayed an autonomous region and thus the Chiang Rai area was administered from Chiang Mai. Chiang Rai became a province in 1910

The province is full with tourism resources including natural attractions and antiquities, evidence of its past civilization. The province terrain is mostly mountainous with a multi-ethnic population living on a high mountain. Each ethnic nation has its own unique culture and way of living awaiting to be discover.

With a long rich cultural heritage of Chiang Rai, it is also a home to many artists who turn their home into a living art exhibition showcasing their work inspire by the Lanna art and culture.

Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai is also a center for community development projects, helping rural villagers develop their attractions without adversely affecting their natural and cultural assets. Under the Royal patronage, the Mae Fah Luang foundation has turns Doi Tung once known for its deforestation and poverty into a highly regard sustainable project and attract tourism from all over the world.

Empty Nesters Like to Travel

This year we have joined the group known as “empty nesters”. All our children have now left home to go away to study at university. We are now part of the over 55s market that contains the segment of empty nesters. When it comes to domestic travel behaviour, we and other empty nesters can enjoy our freedom of being able to travel by ourselves again. However, for us we still like to go on holidays with our adult single children.

Other “empty nesters” enjoy the occasional trip with grandchildren. They like getting out there whilst they are still young and active and they are taking advantage of all the opportunities that may not have been available when they were younger.

This market has a big appetite for travel and a disposable income that they look forward to spending. They like to travel with a little bit of style, but not breaking the budget. Empty nesters like to travel with people like themselves, who are active and without the kids. If they are single again they are looking for opportunities to travel in groups with others like themselves.

Younger empty nesters are enjoying digital technology, whereas older empty nesters may be more disengaged from the digital world and appreciate alternative options. Older retirees are more concerned with super and how they will fund their travel and retirement.

Qantas Launches New Advertising Campaign - You're the Reason We Fly

Qantas have launched the first phase of its new advertising campaign titled You're The Reason We Fly. The campaign focuses on Australians and encourages Australians to get involved and be part of the new marketing activity.

Qantas Executive Manager Marketing Mr Lewis Pullen said the campaign celebrates the new spirit of our country and more importantly our people, the Spirit of Australians.

"We've been flying with the Spirit of Australia on our planes for over 20 years and in that time we've changed a lot and we know that Australians have been changing too. As Australia's airline, we're working hard to meet those expectations," said Mr Pullen.

"The new campaign focuses on our customers, so much so, that we're asking all Australians to be a part of the campaign," said Mr Pullen. "To support this, we've added an 'ns' to our tag line the Spirit of Australia on two of our aircraft, an Airbus A380 and a Boeing B737 so they will now fly with the Spirit of Australians emblazoned on the side of the aircraft. This activity is captured as part of a documentary that acts as a teaser for the first part of our campaign."

Qantas employees and two Qantas ambassadors Mark Webber and Steve Hooker feature in the documentary representing the Spirit of Australia. The teaser campaign is supported by a print and digital campaign also in market today.

"Over the next two weeks, we're asking Australians to upload their photo and name via qantas.com/you or by using a specially developed mobile phone or Facebook app. Those people will then have the chance to appear in the end frame of our new TV commercial or win the opportunity to have their name painted on the side of an A380 or B737 aircraft."

Hundreds of people will be selected to have their name painted on the side of an aircraft by the end of July. Everyone who uploads a photo will also go into the draw to have their photo form part of a mosaic in the new television commercial, and go in the draw to win five lots of 500,000 frequent flyer points.

All photos and names will be housed on the Qantas Hub at qantas.com/you, the online site where people can register to participate in the activities. To encourage people to be part of the activity, Qantas will set up photo kiosks at Westfield shopping centres in Westfield Chatswood (5-8 July), Westfield Bondi Junction (12-15 July) and Westfield Doncaster (12-15 July) where people will be able to get a hair and make-up 'touch up' and a professional photo to be used to participate in the campaign.

In a world first, the campaign will deliver a deployment of cutting edge technology to consumers via Adshel Digital Vista sites including a 3.5m wide display in Town Hall train station in Sydney. This will be live in early July and customers using a Qantas app will automatically see their name and image within the Qantas ad display in real-time.

In another world first, Qantas customers will be able to feature in their own personalised banner ads whenever they visit any site displaying the Qantas campaign such as Google, Fairfax or NewsLtd online sites.

As part of the campaign, Qantas will also donate $5 to Mission Australia for each photo uploaded to the value of $100,000.

The new multi-platform marketing campaign will also include a number of print, digital, outdoor and TVC executions which will be announced and rolled out in coming months. This first stage encourages people to get involved and be part of the campaign. Further details will be unveiled as the campaign progresses.

To view the documentary and all details for the new marketing campaign visit qantas.com/you

Last Day Route of The London 2012 Olympic Games Torch Relay

London 2012 has announced the street route for the Olympic Flame on the penultimate day of the Relay in London

         

The London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung – will travel on Thursday 26th July from Camden to Westminster, in the final stages of the Olympic Flame’s journey around every London Borough.

LOCOG announced the street route for the penultimate day of the Olympic Torch Relay in London. 175 inspirational Torchbearers will carry the Flame through the following Boroughs: Camden, Islington, City of London, Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham and City of Westminster. The streets along which the Torchbearers will carry the Flame can be found at www.london2012.com/torch-relay/route to help communities plan for lining the route and business continuity planning.

Highlights for the day include:
- The first Torchbearer of the day will begin with the Flame outside the Roundhouse in Camden which will be followed by a journey along the Regents Canal on a barge and then a visit to a community event at Granary Square.

- The Flame will visit the giant Olympic rings in the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras International.

- The Flame will visit a community event at Islington Town Hall which will feature music from the London Symphony Orchestra.

St Paul’s Cathedral

- In the City of London the Flame will visit St Paul’s Cathedral, the Museum of London and the Guildhall.

- The Flame will be carried across the Millennium Bridge into Southwark where it will visit Shakespeare’s Globe.

- In Lambeth the Flame will pass Clapham Common.

- In Wandsworth the Flame will pass Battersea Dogs Home.

- The Flame will pass the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home of the Chelsea Pensioners and will be greeted by a choral fanfare at the Opera Holland Park.

- The Flame will be carried to the site of the 1908 Olympic Stadium in White City.

- In Westminster the Flame will be carried through Trafalgar Square and visit Downing Street.

- Before arriving in Hyde Park, the Flame will visit Buckingham Palace.

Due to the expectation of large crowds, some areas will have limited capacity.

At the end of the day there will be an Olympic Torch Relay Finale concert in Hyde Park. The event, which is presented by Coca-Cola, will be headlined by award-winning rapper Dizzee Rascal and will also feature performances from The Wanted, a special performance by Mark Ronson & Katy B, Eliza Doolittle, You Me At Six, Rizzle Kicks, Wretch 32, Morning Parade, Loick Essien and Little Comets.

In addition, the Lloyds TSB Flame Followers will take to the stage to perform their Flame Followers spectacular using a unique fusion of street performance, theatre and sport to inspire and excite crowds through performances that celebrate the endeavour, athleticism, agility and skills of our national Olympic sporting heroes, Team GB. Samsung will be staging a performance from British dance troupe, Diversity.  

Towards the end of the eight-hour show, the last Torchbearer of the day will light a celebration cauldron on stage at the event which will enable the Olympic Flame to be seen by the audience

North Thailand and Royal Projects Highlighted at Mekong Tourism Forum 2012

Northern Thailand strengthened its position as the Greater Mekong Subregion’s travel hub following the successful three-day Mekong Tourism Forum (MTF) in Chiang Rai, which ended on June 14. About 350 delegates from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and China’s Yunnan Province attended the annual event, which included a two-day conference, several workshops, a small trade show and meetings of the GMS Tourism Working Group.

The theme for MTF 2012 was “20/20 Vision: Building on Two Decades of GMS Cooperation.” Organised by the Bangkok-based Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, the event aimed to raise the profile of the GMS as a single tourist destination. 

Chiang Rai, Thailand’s northernmost province, was chosen as the venue because it borders both Laos and Myanmar, and will play an important role as a bridgehead to the entire sub-region. One of the key border checkpoints allows visitors to cross from Mae Sai in Chiang Rai to Tachilek in Myanmar.

Chiang Rai

The area where the borders of the three countries converge, known as the Golden Triangle, was a focal point for opium drug wars in the 1970s and 80s. In the keynote presentation by Mom Rajawongse Disnadda Diskul, Secretary-General of the Mae Fah Luang Foundation (MFLF) under Royal Patronage, MTF delegates gained unique insights into how the area was reforested and transformed into a major producer of coffee and macadamia nuts as well as a centre for horticulture research.

Initiated in the 1980s by Her Royal Highness Princess Sri Nagarindra, the late mother of His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej, the holistic and integrated sustainable alternative livelihood development initiative has helped the hilltribe people of the Doi Tung highland area to become economically self-reliant without compromising the environment or their own cultural values.

The presentation on the development initiative was hailed by a number of the MTF delegates, including Pacific Asia Travel Association CEO Martin Craigs, as an “inspiring example of how the people of Asia could tap their own indigenous resources to solve local problems.”

MTFdelegates also visited some of the attractions in the area, including the Mae Fah Luang Art & Culture Park, the Hall of Inspiration, the Hall of Opium and the former residence of the Princess Mother.

At the MTF 2012 event, representatives from Google also updated delegates on the latest marketing and travel trends. Several other speakers offered insights on community-based tourism and preparing for a significantly increasing number of visitors to the GMS. Factors contributing to this growth include the opening up of Myanmar, the outbound travel potential of China and India, the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015, and significant upgrades of infrastructure and transportation links, especially the Asian Highway.

The choice of Chiang Mai for the MTF 2012 event highlighted Northern Thailand’s unique cultural and historic attractions. Encouraging tourism in Northern Thailand is now a major strategic priority for the Ministry of Tourism and Sports as part of a national development policy to better balance distribution of visitors nationwide and narrow the tourism earnings gap with the rest of the country.

 

PATA organized the first MTF in 1996 and led it for 10 years. The event then rotated among various GMS destinations until 2005. The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) revived the forum in 2010 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, while MTF 2011 took place in Laos.

Plenty of Over 55’s Age Group Visit NSW

I just fit into the over 55’s age group. I van be comforted by the fact that in 2011 there were 7.8 million domestic overnight visitors to NSW Australia over the age of 55. This figure has increased by 21 per cent over the last decade. Over 55s comprise one third of all domestic overnight visitors to NSW and their average length of stay is 4 nights.

In 2011, almost half (47 per cent) of over 55s travelled as a couple, while one-quarter travelled alone. There were equal numbers of over 55s travelling for holidays as there were travelling to visit friends and relative (42 per cent each) with only 12 per cent travelling for business.

Excluding business visitors, over 55’s spent $3.4 billion in NSW in 2011. Seventy-nine per cent of over 55s used a private vehicle during their trip while 13 per cent chose to fly.

When it came to gathering information about their trip, 30 per cent used the internet, 17 per cent relied on information from previous visits and 47 per cent did not research their trip at all. The most popular activities for over 55s during their trip include eating out, visiting friends and relatives, sightseeing, shopping and going to the pub.

Cute Little Penguins On Display In Manly

Little Penguins On Display In Manly Penguin Cove exhibit

The popular tourist attraction in Manly, ‘Oceanworld Manly’, is no more. It has been relaunched as ‘Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary’. As part of the relaunch a new display called Penguin Cove has been created for the Little Penguin, a species of Penguin found in Manly.

The brand new Penguin Cove exhibit captures the Little Penguins native environment, with sand, native grass and plants from the Manly area and a sandstone-like shelter emulating the Manly shore line.

Manly is one of the last mainland breeding colonies of Little Penguins in Australia and the exhibit provides a place where visitors can discover the species and their importance to the shores of Manly. While they can usually only be seen in the wild when they are nesting, the launch of Penguin Cove will allow visitors to see Little Penguins all year round.

Elvis on Display at Penguin Cove exhibit

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary opened on Thursday, 28 June. Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary is open from 10am - 5.30pm every day, except Christmas Day.  Last admission is at 4:45pm.

Manly is a popular seaside suburb of Sydney Australia. To get to Manly via public transport, you can catch a ferry from Circular Quay in the City to Manly Wharf, or catch a bus going to Manly.

For more information see the website

www.manlysealifesanctuary.com.au/

Thailand-Brunei Darussalam Joint Exhibition Program 2012

The Thailand-Brunei Darussalam Joint Exhibition Program 2012, the fifth of its kind, was held at the auditorium of the Government Public Relations Department (PRD) in Bangkok. It tool place back-to-back with the third joint musical variety show, Alai Pa Plern, on 29 June, also at the PRD auditorium.

The joint exhibition was held for three days, from 27 to 29 June and focused on the theme “Connectivity in the ASEAN Community.” The content was related to the concepts of “ASEAN integration” and “ASEAN connectivity,” aimed at providing knowledge and understanding about ASEAN and promoting ASEAN awareness toward the ASEAN Community in 2015.

Heads of the Thai and Brunei delegations jointly cut the ribbon marking the opening of the joint exhibition on 28 June at 2:30 p.m. Target groups were officials, students, audience members coming to the joint musical show on 29 June and all other interested persons.

The exhibition had captions in Thai and English, and a brochure in Thai and English was provided, with content featuring the theme of this exhibition and the background information of the joint exhibition, together with souvenirs from both sides for the visitors.

It is part of the Thai-Brunei Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Information and Broadcasting, which was signed on 16 August 2001 by the foreign ministers of both countries, in an agreement to exchange locally produced radio and television programs, news items, and publications, as well as visits of broadcasters, program producers, journalists, and information officials.

Costa Rica, A Country Like No Other

Manuel Antonio,

There is a country in the heart of Central America where we can enjoy the real beauty of our planet Costa Rica is considered to be one of the best travel destinations in the world. There are certainly many reasons why people choose Costa Rica as a perfect place to go on vacation year after year.

What makes it so special? It is a country rich in natural surroundings. Its breathtaking landscapes, the wonderful crystal blue water off the beaches on the Caribbean coast, as well as the Pacific, and its friendly people make Costa Rica a unique country.

Meanwhile, this paradise in Central America has much more to offer to its visitors.Every day is an adventure. There are several national parks, such as Manuel Antonio, and protected areas where people can observe and feel the nature as it is. Across the country, it is plain to see that Costa Rica is also one of the countries with the highest concentration of biodiversity in the word.

While enjoying the beauty of natural treasures, there are many other activities in which Costa Rica travelers can participate. Volcano watching, hiking in the rainforest, golfing, and water sports are some of them. In addition, people can soak in fantastic hot springs, or enjoy a relaxing massage on the beach.  Costa Rica has a large number of spas and health clubs.

After the sun sets, there are amazing sites–such as Jaco Beach, Tamarindo, and Escazu–for entertainment with dozens of bars and live music. The capital city San José is one of the best cities for fun with casinos, discos, plenty of bars, and mariachi bands. In this marvelous city can also be found refined restaurants with specialized gourmet food from around the world, where you can enjoy a meal in a stunning environment.

Getting to Costa Rica couldn’t be easier, Juan Santamaria international airport, near San Jose, receives flights from all over the world. However, if you prefer going by yacht, the world-class marina at Los Suenos Resort will receive you.  Amenities there include many restaurants, Cuban cigar shop, fine French bakery, casino, two spas, championship golf course, Marriott Hotel, as well as private villas and condominiums to rent for your stay.

Jaco Beach

For an unforgettable vacation, this wonderland offers luxurious accommodations and personal services.  Mead Brown is a renowned full-service vacation rentals, which can supply all you need for a luxury vacation. Recognized by Condé Nast Traveler magazine as the only villa rental specialist in Costa Rica, Mead Brown has a range of superb villas, condominiums and sophisticated services to offer its guests an exceptional vacation.

This gorgeous country has everything to give you a unique and luxury experience. Feel the nature around you, enjoy Costa Rica!

Written by Guest Writer Elvio Bettencourt Rodrigues