Development surges ahead in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

New luxury hotels, an arts precinct, a waterfront brewery and an expanded marina are among the millions of dollars of development underway in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland Director of Business and Tourism Events Rosie Douglas said the popularity of the destination had brought a surge of investment in infrastructure ideal for the business events industry.

“Especially exciting is the advent of new luxury hotels for Cairns with the Ghassan Aboud Group undertaking a $120 million redevelopment of the Rydges Tradewinds into a five-star hotel with 300 rooms, and constructing an $80 million inner-city hotel with 200 hotel rooms and 100 apartments.

“The Pullman Reef Hotel Casino has just completed a $6.5 million refurbishment, including a new-look hotel lobby, the expansion of Tamarind Restaurant, a 4-metre LED interactive pillar showcasing reef and rainforest displays, and new Bar36 Live Lounge.

“The $550 million Nova City, a luxurious residential and commercial development near the Cairns Convention Centre, will also add to the city’s accommodation inventory.

“Meanwhile, the $50 million Cairns Aquarium is nearing completion and slated for opening in May, offering a unique indoor event space and a new touring option in the heart of the city.

“The Precinct in Cairns, a $66.5 million development incorporating the Cairns Performing Arts Centre, is under construction alongside the Munro Martin Parklands outdoor performance space.

“The Cairns CBD is also getting a facelift with the $17.4 million City Centre Alive transforming the city heart into a landscaped pedestrian friendly area with public art and feature lighting.

“On the waterfront, Shed 2 at the Cruise Liner Terminal will become the second location for Port Douglas-based Hemingway’s Brewery. With construction scheduled to begin in March, the new brewery will span more than1400 sq. m and will be available for offsite events.

“In Port Douglas, the Reef Marina is undergoing an $85 million expansion with 44 additional berths, luxury residences and new waterfront dining and entertainment areas including the original Hemingway’s Brewery.

“The Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort has completed a $40 million upgrade including new suites and swim out rooms as well as the redevelopment of the Country Club, the resort’s main buildings, surrounding pools and landscaping.”

FREE WEBCAST: TARGETING INTERNATIONAL VISITORS

The NSW tourism industry is invited to a free online webcast next Wednesday, 1 March 2017, to find out how to target international visitors.

The online event provides an introduction for tourism businesses, such as tours, attractions and accommodation providers, on how to become ‘export ready’ and sell tourism products to international visitors via the inbound travel trade.

Webcast: Export Ready 101: Targeting International Visitors
Date: Wednesday 1 March, 2017
Time: 12.00 - 12.45
Register here for the free webcast.

Did you know you can drib=ve on the Ice Trucker's Road?

From June 2017, road trippers will be able to drive the road made famous through the Ice Road Truckers television series.

The Tuktoyaktuk Winter Road, situated about two hours from Inuvik in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is set to be sealed by June, with the Tuk Highway officially opening in November. 

The 137 kilometre Tuktoyaktuk Winter Road forms part of the famous Dempster Highway. 

Visit http://spectacularnwt.com/

Destination Canada 1045 Howe Street Suite 800 Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9 Canada

Destination Canada 1045, rue Howe, bureau 800, Vancouver (Colombie-Britannique) V6Z 2A9, Canada

https://www.destinationcanada.com/en/

Forbes Travel Guide Reveals Its 2017 Star Award Winners

Mandarin Oriental, Taipei

Forbes Travel Guide unveiled its 2017 Star Award winners, a global group of the world’s finest hotels, restaurants and spas spanning from Barcelona to Bali to Bogota.

View the full list of official 2017 Forbes Travel Guide Star Ratings here.

What makes our list of Five-Star, Four-Star and Recommended winners stand out from the rest is that we have the most exacting standards in the industry. Forbes Travel Guide’s scoring system uses a proprietary algorithm that weighs service at 75 percent and the quality of the facility at 25 percent. Our rigorous standards focus on graciousness, thoughtfulness and a sense of personalized service.

Our team of expert inspectors anonymously evaluates properties against up to 800 objective standards in 162 destinations across 42 countries.

Simply put, we verify luxury.

This year’s crop of Star-Rated properties is our largest yet. See the full list here. Below is a look at our 59th list by the numbers:

• The winners include 22 new Five-Star hotels, 76 new Four-Star hotels and 83 new hotels in the Recommended category.
• Among restaurants, seven received first-time Five-Star honors, 13 won new Four-Stars and 12 earned new Recommend titles.
• The list also recognizes nine new Five-Star spas and 35 new Four-Star spas.
• In Australia, Crown Towers Melbourne and The Darling in Sydney picked up their respective city’s first Five-Star hotel honors. Each city also gained a Four-Star spa (Crown Spa Melbourne, Sydney’s The Darling Spa).
• Melbourne added a Four-Star (Park Hyatt Melbourne) and two Recommended properties (Grand Hyatt Melbourne; The Langham, Melbourne).
• Sydney racked up two Four-Star (The Langham, Sydney; Park Hyatt Sydney) and a pair of Recommended hotels (InterContinental Sydney Double Bay; Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney).
• Bali snapped up Five-Star distinctions for Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan and The Villas at Ayana Resort Bali. In addition, Bali tallied an impressive 10 Four-Star hotels and three Recommended properties. Five Four-Star spas also debuted.
• Manila launched with a pair of Five-Star hotels: Marco Polo Ortigas Manila and Sky Tower at Solaire Resort and Casino, a quartet of Four-Star properties and a pair of Recommended hotels.
• Several European destinations debuted with their first Five-Star properties: Budapest (Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest), Barcelona (Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona), the French Riviera (Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel) and Venice (Belmond Hotel Cipriani).
• Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong and Wynn Macau set a new record, achieving a total of six Five-Star awards for the hotel, spa and four restaurants.
• These hotels nabbed triple Five-Stars for their hotel, restaurant and spa: Banyan Tree Macau; The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs; The Cloister in Sea Island, Georgia; Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego; The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong; Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas; Mandarin Oriental, Macau; Mandarin Oriental, Miami; Montage Laguna Beach; Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island; and Wynn Las Vegas.
• Las Vegas’ fine-dining scene heats up with three new Five-Star restaurants: Le Cirque Las Vegas and Picasso, both in Bellagio, and Wing Lei in Wynn Las Vegas.
• The brand-new Meadowood Spa brings Napa Valley its first Five-Star spa.
• Mexico acquired its first Five-Star spa, Sense, A Rosewood Spa at Mayakoba in the Riviera Maya.

View the full list of official 2017 Forbes Travel Guide Star Ratings here.

SOUL IN THE CITY - SAN FRANCISCO'S GOT A LOT

The African American Freedom Trail tells how African American pioneers in San Francisco changed the world. There are more than 400 locations and the SF Soul Shuttle tour visits a number of them. Some points of interest along the trail were also included in this “Diverse Destinations” itinerary published in 2008. For more information about the African American Freedom Trail, read more.

Yerba Buena Center • Bayview District

Begin your day downtown at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (701 Mission; 978-2787), a six-acre park that includes exhibition and performing venues. At the south end of the circular esplanade is the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Waterfall, designed by African American sculptor Houston Conwill.

Across the street is the recently remodeled Museum of the African Diaspora (685 Mission; 358-7200), a 20,000-square-foot, glass-fronted building whose exhibitions tell powerful stories of slavery and liberation, and celebrate the ancient to contemporary contributions of Africa’s people — in music, dress, food and more.

On the next block is the California Historical Society (678 Mission; 357-1848), which features photos and artifacts, many from the Gold Rush era. In the shop is the Fall 1996 issue of the Society’s journal, “California History,” devoted entirely to African Americans in California.

Call Alexander Book Company (50 Second St.; 495-2992) to see if the Sister Circle is meeting — usually with readings by writers such as novelist Gwendolyn Parker and social psychologist Gaile Elizabeth Wyatt.

At Montgomery and Market, in the underground Metro station, take the T-Third train, which goes past the Giants’ AT&T Park and all along Third Street to the Bayshore Caltrain Station. Many platforms along the route have dramatic public artworks reflecting neighborhood characteristics. Also, along the way you pass a bar and barbecue owned by the son of Sam Jordan, the late Mayor of Butchertown, the first African American to run for mayor of San Francisco in 1963 — Sam Jordan’s Bar, recently designated as a San Francisco landmark. (4004 Third St.; 282-4003).

The historic Bayview neighborhood is home to the city’s largest concentration of African Americans, an estimated 45%. Many settled here during World War II to build ships for the Navy, and more arrived in the 1960s when the Fillmore district fell victim to urban renewal.

Begin your tour at the landmark Bayview Opera House (4705 Third St.; 824-0386), the city’s oldest theater and the only one to survive the 1906 earthquake, now used primarily for community programming.

Close by is a church St. Paul of the Shipwreck (1122 Jamestown; 468-3434). Just off Third Street on Oakdale is the Southeast campus of City College of San Francisco, one of nine college campuses in the city. Its Josephine Cole Library is named for the African American woman who integrated San Francisco’s public schools in the 1940s.

Fillmore District • Divisadero Street

Fillmore Street, linking the Western Addition on the south to Pacific Heights on the north, is the dynamic axis of what locals call “The Fillmore.’’ The neighborhood has gained fame as one of the primary incubators for San Francisco’s revitalized music scene, an area where musical greats such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and Count Basie headlined jazz clubs back in the day when this was known as the “Harlem of the West.”

In 2017 Marcus Books, the oldest black bookstore in the U.S., is slated to move to a new location in the neighborhood. This literary feast of more than 14,000 books by and about African Americans also hosts events and readings.

1300 on Fillmore reinvents the supper club and serves comfort food such as grits and fried chicken with a sophisticated flair. The $6 music surcharge for the Sunday Gospel brunch is well worth it and “spirits for your soul” include bottomless pomosas (think mimosa made with red pomegranate juice).

Also, on the south side of Geary, the legendary 1960s music emporium the Fillmore still rocks the ‘hood. There’s a bin of apples at the entrance for concertgoers, a tradition started by famed music impresario, Bill Graham, and concert posters dating back to '60s adorn all the walls.

The area is home to some of San Francisco’s most historic churches including Bethel A.M.E. Church, First A.M.E. Zion Church and Third Baptist Church (all of which are stops on the African American Freedom Trail).

African American Art and Culture Complex (762 Fulton; 922-2049) is home to organizations that program dance, jazz, country music, theater performances, film, poetry readings, and drumming and dance workshops. Also on site are the Sargent Johnson Gallery and the San Francisco African and African American Historical and Cultural Society Library Archives.

For evening entertainment, drop in at the Boom Boom Room (1601 Fillmore; 673-8000).

A specialty store featuring incense and oils, Your Scents (645 Divisadero; 931-4227), also displays masks from Zaire and Africa’s West Coast.

Civic Center • Downtown

African American history, art and cuisine are a rich part of the city’s downtown neighborhoods. Start your day at the Civic Center. The street in front of the beautifully renovated City Hall is named for the late African American civic leader Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett, publisher of the Sun Reporter newspaper.

On the third floor of the Main Public Library (Larkin and Grove) is the 400-square-foot African American Center (557-4400), featuring selections from the library’s extensive collection of books, periodicals, videos and recordings on African American history, education and the arts.

Head downtown to San Francisco’s avenue of art, Sutter Street, and visit the Meridian Gallery (535 Powell; 398-7229), which maintains a slide registry of Bay Area African American artists. A third of Meridian’s collection showcases contemporary African American art.

African American performing arts are alive and kicking in San Francisco. For evening entertainment, check out these theater and dance companies: The contemporary music, dance and theater of Rhodessa Jones and Idris Ackamoor’s Cultural Odyssey is rooted in African American traditions (292-1850). LINES Contemporary Ballet Company founder Alonzo King’s multilayered choreography redefines classical ballet technique (863-3040). ZACCHO Dance Theater adds to those art disciplines trapeze and aerial work (822-6744). Robert Moses Kin’s dance company (252-8384) is often at Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center. Award-winning Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (345-3980) presents African American writers and actors, September to June, in a variety of venues. The late jazz dean Phil Elwood called Biscuits & Blues (401 Mason St.; 292-2583) “a real city joint . . . [with] top-of-the-line blues.” The music’s served up nightly with Southern fare.

Churches

For a comprehensive directory of churches throughout the city, pick up a copy of the Sun Reporter. Among the notable are: Glide Memorial Church (330 Ellis St.; 674-6000), a popular Methodist church active in community efforts; Bethel A.M.E. (916 Laguna St.; 921-5529) was founded in 1852 and is the oldest African American religious congregation in the city of San Francisco. Churches in Oakland include: First A.M.E. Church (530 37th St.; 510-655-1527), the Bay Area’s oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded in 1858. Beth Eden Baptist Church (1138 10th St.; 510-444-1625) is the East Bay’s oldest African American Baptist church, founded in 1895. Allen Temple Baptist Church (8501 International Blvd.; 510-544-8910) is 4,000 members strong.

For calendar information and local expert recommendations on all of San Francisco’s arts and cultural activities, visit www.sfarts.org which features more than 1,000 arts events in its database along with curated arts highlights and feature articles. SFArts.org is accessible on iPads, iPhones and other mobile devices.

Explore 10 self-guided tours designed to immerse visitors in San Francisco’s culture, rich ethnic heritage and world-class art.

SYDNEY SET TO SPARKLE FOR MARDI GRAS PARADE

Dust off the dancing shoes, the world-famous Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is set to take over the harbour city on Saturday, 4 March 2017.

Destination NSW has revealed some of the best vantage spots and parties for visitors to join in all of the festivities.

This year the Mardi Gras Parade will feature more than 190 floats and 12,000 members of the LGBTQI community who are expected to march.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said, “Mardi Gras is one of the jewels in the Sydney events calendar crown and is a celebration of our State capital’s amazing support for diversity.

“Attracting over 42,000 international and domestic visitors each year, the Mardi Gras Parade is one of the greatest public celebrations in the world. I encourage people to arrive early and get their spot to take in the best of this dazzling spectacle.”

With more than 100,000 spectators expected to line the parade route, plan ahead for your best Mardi Gras celebration with Destination NSW’s round up of some of the best Sydney spots and parties along the parade route.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade starts at 7pm. Additional tickets are now on sale via the Mardi Gras website.

To start planning your visit, go to Sydney.com.

Image: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade 2014. Credit, Destination NSW

You can attend MEETINGS 2017 in the Day Buyer Programme

Day Buyers have two options to choose from, and registration is free!

Option 1: Day Buyer ( With Appointments )

Keen to get more out of your day? You may elect to join the Online Diary stage of the Pre-Scheduled Appointment programme. This gives you the opportunity to make some appointments with Exhibitors
(without taking on a full schedule ), to be sure you can pre-arrange a few key appointments. Equally Exhibitors may request appointments with you. There is a level of commitment required however, as if you commit to the Online Diary attendance is compulsory.

Option 2: Day Buyer ( With No Appointments )

Roam the exhibition in your own time and meet with those exhibitors of interest to you in
an appointment free setting.

Learn more about each region by visiting the Convention Bureau stand within each region, or explore new ideas for venues, catering, entertainment, team building, luxury and boutique lodges, event technology, theming and design for social events, transport options… There is much to see – the list is endless!

Millennium Hotels & Resorts Luncheon:

We also invite Day Buyers to join Millennium Hotels & Resorts and share in a hosted lunch offering divine cuisine and the company of their Hotel General Managers and fellow Day Buyers. You can choose to join Millennium Hotels & Resorts for this hosted luncheon on Wednesday 31 May and Thursday 1 June.

Celebrity Speakers Speaker Showcase:

Immediately following lunch you have the choice to stay on and experience our Speaker Showcase, kindly brought to you courtesy of Celebrity Speakers. You will enjoy a taste of New Zealand’s best keynote speakers and entertainers. The showcase will deliver different speakers and entertainers each day.

Check our website for the line-up:
Click For Lineup

All you need to do to benefit from these special offers is join us and spend some time at MEETINGS 2017.

Register online at www.meetings.co.nz We will confirm your registration and have a registration pack ready for your arrival at ASB Showgrounds.

Parking is free!

SAVE THE DATE: 31st MAY - 1st JUNE AUCKLAND, ASB SHOWGROUNDS

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ONLINE VISAS FOR CHINESE VISITORS

Chinese visitors to Australia can now apply for a Visitor Visa online, after the Australian Government announced the expansion of online applications for Chinese nationals this week.

The capability complements other visa initiatives introduced for Chinese visitors during 2016, including the trial of a fast-track Visitor Visa service in China, and a trial of a 10-year validity Frequent Traveller Visa for Chinese nationals in December.

China continues to fuel NSW’s tourism growth, with more than 665,000 visitors from China travelling to NSW in the year ending September 2016.

Ho Chi Minh City eager for Ao Dai festival in March

The fourth Ao Dai (traditional long tunic) festival will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from March 3 to 17.

According to the organising board on February 23, about 13 activities of the festival will be held in open space, including an Ao Dai exhibition in Nguyen Hue Walking Street and a contest for beautiful photos of Ao Dai, among others.

Ao Dai collections of many famous designers like Thuan Viet, Viet Hung, Minh Chau and Ngo Nhat Huy will also be on display.

At the festival, more than 3,000 people wearing Ao Dai will join in a parade at Nguyen Hue Walking Street.

Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism said that the festival aims to honour the Ao Dai and is hoped to become a cultural tourism product of Ho Chi Minh City.

Everyday Locals Championed in New Gold Coast Video

Fresh from launching a new brand last week, Gold Coast Tourism have taken their local love to a new level by releasing a new 'We Are Destination Gold Coast' video which, like the television commercial, favours friendly local faces, some of which you may recognise, over paid actors and models.

The two-minute content piece is an important part of Gold Coast Tourism's new brand suite and has been shaped entirely by locals. A local production team worked behind the lens to capture the Gold Coast story as told by an extraordinary wealth of local talent and set to an extraordinary locally-sourced soundtrack.

Chief Marketing Officer of Gold Coast Tourism, Jan Hutton, said the key to resonating with the modern-day traveller is to showcase authentic, local experiences as told by the people who are so proud to call the Gold Coast home.

“The groups of friends, the families, the café owners, the surfboard shapers, the creatives… these are the people that make the Gold Coast shine, and they love this place more than anyone. This in itself makes them the perfect candidates to take our collective brand to the world,” Ms Hutton said.

Renowned restaurateurs, baristas, lifeguards, skaters, musicians, coffee drinkers, market stall holders and even a famous surfer come together in the clip to show the Gold Coast through the eyes of true locals, all wanting to share a piece of their home with the rest of the world.

The local connection translates to the soundtrack chosen to accompany the video also with Gold Coast dream-pop duo, Lastlings and their single 'You' comprising breathtaking vocals with pulsating electronic beats emulating the uplifting energy that lives within the city.

Vision of popular, but often lessor known neighbourhood hangouts include Palm Beach, Miami and Currumbin, blending cultural hotspots, pumping surf breaks, and sprawling hinterland landscapes that all highlight the incredible depth of experience that lives on the Gold Coast.

Creative locals at the very heart of the campaign piece include musician Mikey Perry (aka PACES), Art-Work Agency founder Claudio Kirac, and owner of Grace Loves Lace, Megan Ziems who all contributed to the project.

“I would love it if people came to the Gold Coast for the first time and they find all the cool things that we all love and know about,” Mr Perry said.

The Gold Coast's burgeoning food and culture scene is also showcased prominently, featuring Nerissa McCluskey, owner of Commune, Etsu Izakaya and Aloha Bar and Dining; and Emma Milikins, co-founder and creative director of Miami Marketta, interspersed with visuals of eclectic restaurants, buzzing cafes and lively nightlife venues.

“We are this kind of bohemian, eclectic, beach dwelling city… we are such a mix of people!” said Ms Milikins.

The video also features some well-known faces that epitomise the city's soulful surf culture. Notably, Eden Saul owner and shaper at Dead Kooks Surfboards, and professional surfer Joel Parkinson, who has travelled to some of the most far flung destinations across the world, but still chooses to call the Gold Coast home.

“You can be surfing perfect waves, get in the car, and in 20 minutes be out in the hills away from everybody,” Mr Saul said, while world champion surfer and parochial Gold Coast local Joel Parkinson sums it up perfectly: “How would I describe the Gold Coast? … It's probably one of the most beautiful strips of coastline… we sell the dream of the dream we have.”

Sharing his passion for the destination, Warren Young, who has patrolled the Gold Coast's beaches since 1973 and is now Chief Lifeguard for City of Gold Coast says: “It's got all the attributes, all the magic”.

The video was produced by the Gold Coast's very own Roam Films. Kody Rankin, Producer from ROAM said “as a local, this was a project that was so close to our hearts. We're so proud to be telling the new Gold Coast story.”

Click here to view the #WeAreGoldCoast video