Big Volcano Tourism Marketing & Media

Asiatic wild asses return to Saudi Arabia after 100 years Kristine Sabillo 17 Dec 2024 Jordan "It’s been a century since an onager or Asiatic wild ass was last seen in Saudi Arabia. But in April this year, seven onagers were relocated from neighboring Jordan into one of Saudi Arabia’s nature reserves. One of the onagers has even birthed a female foal since then." Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/gM-38XWn

Despite demand, Air Canada cuts back Qld-Vancouver flights in 2025 "After significantly growing capacity on the route this year, Air Canada has decided to reduce services between Brisbane and Vancouver in 2025.Between February and October, Air Canada says it will “temporarily” lower its Brisbane-Vancouver flights from a daily service to five weekly flights “due to operational constraints”. Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/g4BXFM95

Member survey on GenAI, December 5, 2024 "In September, we invited members to complete a survey about Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). We asked about attitudes towards overseas developers’ use of Australians’ material to train large language models. We also requested feedback on two AI-related licensing proposals for businesses that are covered by our Annual Business Licence: to allow staff to use copyright material in connection with prompts for GenAI tools used in the workplace; and to assist businesses to to develop or enhance GenAI tools to be used in-house We thank the 1,304 members who completed the survey and gave us valuable feedback." Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/gccMjBPa

Qatar Airways to Resume Daily Flights to Canberra December 16, 2024 "Qatar Airways is set to re-launch daily flights to Canberra, the capital city of Australia, driving connectivity and increased competition for the benefit of Canberrans and Australian customers. The daily flights to Canberra will operate via Melbourne to the airline’s hub, Hamad International Airport, in Doha, which has consistently been voted the World’s Best Airport, as well as offering travellers a world-class stopover experience with seamless connections to more than 170 destinations across the Qatar Airways global network." Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/gE4gNcj5

The Holistic Journey: How Wellness Travel Boosts Revenue in Hospitality By Haley Payne Head of Commercial, Pure Wellness | December 2024 "Wellness travel is one of the fastest-growing segments in the hospitality industry. From the pandemic’s impact on travelers to a heightened focus on mental health and increased attention to preventive care, many individuals are prioritizing self-care practices that promote holistic wellness — both in their everyday lives and while traveling. So much so that the wellness tourism market is forecasted to more than double between 2022 and 2027, with spending dramatically increasing from $651 billion in 2022 to $868 billion in 2023 with an expected spend to reach $1 trillion by the end of 2024." Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/gMbbMBTM A useful primer on catering to this market.

Tourism forecasts for Australia 2024 to 2029 Visitor economy outlook The report forecasts a positive outlook for the visitor economy. This is despite various global and domestic uncertainties bringing a downward revision to the forecasts relative to previous expectations. Over the next 5 years, both international and domestic tourism are forecast to continue to grow. The forecasts suggest: international travel to Australia will exceed its pre-pandemic level in 2026 international spend in Australia will exceed its pre-pandemic level in 2024 domestic travel will pick up from 2026, following a stable period in 2024 and 2025 domestic tourism spend, which already exceeds its pre-pandemic level, will continue to rise Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/gyYsP_di

1 in 3 Aussies to prioritise beach holidays in 2025: How travel agents can ride the wave According to the survey of 1,006 Australians, 46% plan to prioritise “do-nothing” holidays in 2025, with many keen on beach and resort-based escapes. This preference translates into clear opportunities for agents to promote idyllic beachfront stays and packages designed around relaxation. Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/gK9hJjsR

Jetstar has launched its first direct flights from Sydney to Port Vila, Vanuatu, offering up to four weekly services and connecting travellers to the South Pacific island nation with more than 80,000 seats annually. The new route will be serviced by the airline’s fleet of fuel-efficient Airbus A321neo LRs, offering a convenient flight time of approximately three and a half hours and comes on the heels of the collapse of Air Vanuatu earlier this year, which left a gap in air travel to the region that Qantas and Jetstar have swiftly moved to fill. Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/gBgbSwGF

Evidence-Based Hotel Management in the Age of Generative AI By Jungho Suh Assistant Professor of Management, The George Washington University School of Business | December 2024 "Just two years ago, AI bots with human-like capabilities were rare, but today they have become widespread. The launch of ChatGPT sparked a wave of commercialization for generative AI technologies, prompting major companies like Google, Microsoft, and smaller firms to introduce their own intelligent virtual assistants, such as Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, Anthropic’s Claude, and Perplexity. With the rapid expansion of these AI services, both entrepreneurs and management scholars have recognized the growing need for a thorough examination of evidence-based management in this new era of AI. However, the use of generative AI tools, including ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude, brings forth several significant challenges. Among the challenges posed by generative AI are "hallucination effects,” where the AI produces false or fabricated information, as well as providing incorrect citations and inaccurate links to external sources. Additionally, AI systems can struggle with tasks requiring advanced reasoning or complex problem-solving abilities. " Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/gvhZp84d It's here, it's not going away, time to harness the useful features of "AI".

Australian travellers are failing in their holiday preparations in one crucial area, finds Telstra As Australian travellers gear up for the summer holiday season, new research from Telstra reveals a critical gap in travel planning: emergency preparedness. Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/guDczRMw Some useful tips for operators as well. (i.e. Where the nearest Telstra public phone booths are located, for free calls and wifi access.)