Grab yourself a coffee and catch up on today’s news in brief. It is packed with the latest deals, updates from the industry and everything you need to know in bite-size pieces.
New women only hikes from Australian Walking Holidays
The triple eco-certified Australian Walking Holidays company has launched six new women’s walking trails 2023 from inspiring three day walks to challenging 16 day hikes. Women walkers looking for minimal impact walking experiences filled with a ton of female-focused fun and connection can now take on the Northern Territory’s Larapinta Trail, Tasmania’s Walls of Jerusalem and the hottest new 2023 destination, Flinders Island, with Australian Walking Holidays. All treks are led by a team of inspiring female guides who deliver special experiences for the participating ladies.
Travellers Choice member puts environment ‘front and centre’
Inspired by preferred suppliers’ efforts to reduce their environmental impact, Travellers Choice member Greg Close is this week officially launching his own hyper-local carbon offset initiative, Trees For Travellers. Close – the owner and founder of Live The Dream Travel, which recently moved into a new shop front in Strathalbyn, southeast of Adelaide on the edge of the Adelaide Hills – says the concept is simple: every time a customer books a holiday, his agency buys and plants a tree. With Australians more aware than ever before of the carbon emissions their international journeys generate, Close says his customers have universally embraced the Trees For Travellers program, which is on track to plant 50 new saplings in its first month.
Tourism demand sees Jetstar increase capacity to the Cook Islands
Recognised as Lonely Planet’s top country to visit, the Cook Islands are living up to their reputation as a must-see piece of paradise in the South Pacific, with tourism demand seeing Jetstar increase their year-round non-stop service from Sydney to Rarotonga from two to three times a week, during peak travel periods. Jetstar’s first non-stop flight from Sydney commences on 29 June, with one-way fares between Sydney and Rarotonga starting from AU$369 for select travel dates between 29 June and 31 October 2023. The overnight flight departs Sydney on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 9.30pm arriving in Rarotonga at 7.00am the same day. The return flights leave Rarotonga at 9.00am arriving in Sydney at 12.30pm the following day.
LATAM Adds Four New Routes to its Network
LATAM Airlines has announced the start of flights between Santiago (Chile) and Porto Alegre, Lima and Brasilia, Bogota and Orlando, and also Bogota and Guayaquil. A new frequency will also be added on the Santiago (Chile)-Easter Island/Rapa Nui route, reaching six flights per week as of this month. Also, as part of the Joint Venture with Delta Airlines, the US airline announced that it will operate the seasonal route between New York (JFK) and Rio de Janeiro/Galeão (GIG) as of 16 December 2023.