Friday 20 January 2017 Issue 3465 Incorporating Tabs on Travel News.......................... p1, p2, p3, p4, p7 Aloha Friday .................................... p5 RCL Cruises ..................................... p6 7 Pages This Issue 6.40am every weekday Auckland to Christchurch Learn & Win Roadshow 2017 PLUS CLICK HERE TO REGISTER •DUD •CHC •NSN •WRE •AKL •NPE •WLG •PMR •NPL •TRG •HLZ $5m Drug Bust At AKL Customs officers have discovered $5 million worth of MDMA or ecstasy crystals hidden in three false bottom suitcases at Auckland Airport. The 12kg of crystals were discovered after the bags, belonging to three 24-year- old foreign nationals arriving on a flight from Singapore, were x-rayed. The three men face a maximum pen- alty of 14 years in jail. Avalanche Buries Hotel Up to 30 people are missing, feared dead, after an avalanche buried a hotel in central Italy. Rescuers are now scouring the four-star Hotel Rigopiano, which is now under tonnes of snow, in the Abruzzo province. Lo- cal reports say that when rescuers on skis arrived at the hotel there were no signs of life, with rescue crews saying they yelled out but heard no replies. Prior to the avalanche, a number of earthquakes rocked the province ear- lier in the day. Regional agents are being urged to show their continued support for JAWS by registering for the annual roadshow, which takes place in Mar. The event is the chance for regional agents to meet with airlines and tour- ism boards who don’t often get to visit their area, and is an important oppor- tunity for both agents and suppliers, says committee member Chris Jones of Discover the World. “For the frontline consultant it’s great, they can come to JAWS for a couple of hours, meet with a wide variety of suppliers—not just airlines but tourism product as well—and get a real update with no interruptions,” he says.“From a supplier point of view it’s valuable too.” JAWS has been a success for the last 20 years and that continued success relies on agents continuing to attend, says Jones. “Really JAWS is for the regional areas by and large, and we’ve always had good support, they know it’s worth- while,” he says.“There is a cost to these things, particularly travelling around the country, and we appreciate the support. We will go to an area that supports us.” This year, JAWS will return to Auck- land’s North Shore for the first time in a number of years—largely because of feedback from brokers who were keen to see the suppliers, says Jones. “Based on what happens we might look at other parts of Auckland [next year],” he adds. . . . Travel Prizes As well as the obvious value in meet- ing with suppliers, a major drawcard for JAWS has always been its prizes, and this year will be no exception. Up for grabs for all agents who attend are major prizes like KLM, Aircalin and China Airlines airfares, Expedia vouchers and a seven-night stay at the Scenic Matavai Resort. There’s also door prizes given away each night. For details and to register, see t-mail sent today or CLICK HERE JAWS Returning To The Regions Tussaud’s Trump Card With Donald Trump’s inauguration fast approaching, Madame Tussauds in London has unveiled an impressive wax figure of the new president—complete with his famous orange colour- ing. The waxwork took around six months to create, and the sculp- tors reportedly used yak hair to recreate his hair-do. Visitors can have their photo taken with Trump from Fri (local time). SOUTHERN AFRICA 22 DAYS Departing 1 May 2017 small group hosted journey GUARANTEED DEPARTURE! CLICK HERE TT Back To Bali Tigerair Australia will resume flights to and from Bali from 03 Feb, after securing ‘key approval’ from the Indonesian Government. Until then, Virgin Australia will continue bring- ing TT passengers home from Bali to where possible. AA’s Uniform Mystery Some American Airlines flight attendants have claimed their new uniforms are making them sick, in- cluding with rashes, wheezing and fatigue. They think chemicals in the fabric are causing problems, but so far testing reportedly hasn’t shown anything amiss.
$5m Drug Bust At AKLCustoms officers have discovered $5 million worth of MDMA or ecstasy crystals hidden in three false bottom suitcases at Auckland Airport. The 12kg of crystals were discovered after the bags, belonging to three 24-year-old foreign nationals arriving on a flight from Singapore, were x-rayed. The three men face a maximum pen-alty of 14 years in jail.
Avalanche Buries HotelUp to 30 people are missing, feared dead, after an avalanche buried a hotel in central Italy. Rescuers are now scouring the four-star Hotel Rigopiano, which is now under tonnes of snow, in the Abruzzo province. Lo-cal reports say that when rescuers on skis arrived at the hotel there were no signs of life, with rescue crews saying they yelled out but heard no replies. Prior to the avalanche, a number of earthquakes rocked the province ear-lier in the day.
Regional agents are being urged to show their continued support for JAWS by registering for the annual roadshow, which takes place in Mar.The event is the chance for regional agents to meet with airlines and tour-ism boards who don’t often get to visit their area, and is an important oppor-tunity for both agents and suppliers, says committee member Chris Jones of Discover the World.“For the frontline consultant it’s great, they can come to JAWS for a couple of hours, meet with a wide variety of suppliers—not just airlines but
tourism product as well—and get a real update with no interruptions,” he says. “From a supplier point of view it’s valuable too.”JAWS has been a success for the last 20 years and that continued success relies on agents continuing to attend, says Jones.“Really JAWS is for the regional areas by and large, and we’ve always had good support, they know it’s worth-while,” he says. “There is a cost to these things, particularly travelling around the country, and we appreciate the support. We will go to an area that supports us.”This year, JAWS will return to Auck-land’s North Shore for the first time in a number of years—largely because of feedback from brokers who were keen to see the suppliers, says Jones. “Based on what happens we might look at other parts of Auckland [next year],” he adds.
. . . Travel PrizesAs well as the obvious value in meet-ing with suppliers, a major drawcard for JAWS has always been its prizes, and this year will be no exception. Up for grabs for all agents who attend are major prizes like KLM, Aircalin and China Airlines airfares, Expedia vouchers and a seven-night stay at the Scenic Matavai Resort. There’s also door prizes given away each night.For details and to register, see t-mail sent today or CLICK HERE
JAWS Returning To The Regions
Tussaud’s Trump CardW i t h D o n a l d T r u m p ’ s inauguration fast approaching, Madame Tussauds in London has unveiled an impressive wax figure of the new president—complete with his famous orange colour-ing. The waxwork took around six months to create, and the sculp-tors reportedly used yak hair to recreate his hair-do. Visitors can have their photo taken with Trump from Fri (local time).
SOUTHERN AFRICA
22 DAYSDeparting 1 May 2017
small group hosted journey
GUARANTEED DEPARTURE!
CLICK HERE
TT Back To BaliTigerair Australia will resume flights to and from Bali from 03 Feb, after securing ‘key approval’ from the Indonesian Government. Until then, Virgin Australia will continue bring-ing TT passengers home from Bali to where possible.
AA’s Uniform MysterySome American Airlines fl ight attendants have claimed their new uniforms are making them sick, in-cluding with rashes, wheezing and fatigue. They think chemicals in the fabric are causing problems, but so far testing reportedly hasn’t shown anything amiss.
Gambia Travel WarningThe New Zealand Ministr y of Foreign Affairs and Trade now advis-es against all tourist and other non-essential travel to The Gambia due to the political and security situation (high risk). MFAT says Kiwis in The Gambia should consider leaving the country by commercial means at the earliest opportunity if there is no es-sential need to remain. See safetravel.govt.nz/gambia for further details.
Qantas has taken the top spot in AirlineRatings.com’s list of Top 20 Safest Airlines for 2017, for the fourth year in a row, while Aer Lingus has been named as the Top 10 Safest Low-Cost Airline for 2017. Taking into account government audits, airlines’ crash and serious incident records, profitability and fleet age as well as audits from avia-tion’s governing bodies and lead as-sociations, AirlineRatings.com also examined each airline’s fleet history and its track record of initiating new safety technology when making its selections. Following Qantas, Air New Zealand was named as the second safest air-line, followed by Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways and British Airways to round out the top five. Cathay, Delta, Etihad, EVA Air, Finnair, Ha-waiian Airlines, Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airline System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia also made the cut. Flybe, HK Express, Jetblue and Jet-
star Australia took second to fifth place, respectively among other LCCs. Rounding out the top 10 is Jetstar Asia, Thomas Cook, Virgin America, Vueling and Westjet. In total, AirlineRatings.com sur-veyed 425 airlines.
Safest Airlines For 2017 Named
New Local AF-KLM FaceAir France KLM has appointed Quentin Voss as its new country s a l e s m a n a g e r for Australia and New Zealand. Voss joined the team on 16 Jan and will be responsible for the airlines sales ac-tivities in Australia and New Zealand. He has more than 18 years of experience in the travel and airline industry, including with Qantas and Air New Zealand, most recently as leisure revenue devel-opment manager for QF. AF-KLM announced in Dec that it would be closing its New Zealand office.
SQ’s $1 Transit DealSingapore Airlines has $1 transit offers available for flights with a tran-sit time of longer than six hours, for sale until 17 Feb. The offers include the transit lounge, transit hotel and day-use hotel, and are available for 618 tickets issued on or between 09 Jan and 17 Feb, and travel 01 Apr-30 Nov, on SQ operated flights only. See krisport.co.nz
TICKET OFFICERA full-time position has become available in the Singapore Airlines Auckland Ticket Office.
The team provides a support service to the NZ Travel Agents and the travelling public. The successful candidate’s role will encompass ticketing, refunds and general agency support to a high standard with an aim to increase customer satisfaction and ultimately improve market share.
Minimum skills• Intermediate/Senior Fare
Calculation & Ticketing experience• Two years plus industry
experience• CRS experience• Word/Excel• Knowledge of the SQ product
and network would be to your advantage
Applicants must have NZL permanent residence.
If you are a quick learner, capable of multi-tasking and looking for a challenge and the opportunity to work in a dynamic team, please contact us.
Applications should address the criteria listed, clearly stating the role they are applying for, no later than 5.00pm Wednesday 25 January 2017 to:
If you have a proven ability to achieve sales targets, excellent customer service, and a “can DO attitude, then apply now by forwarding your CV, along with a covering letter to:
Is your New Year’s Resolution for 2017 to find yourself an exciting new challenge?!
Then this is the role for you!
Cruise Consultant We are looking for an experienced consultant to join our very successful Wholesale Cruise Team.
This is an exciting opportunity for you to join a dynamic team, to indulge your passion for Cruising and to sell exciting and varied Cruise Product.
Applications close 5pm, Wed 25 Jan.
2016
Winner
JQ Vietnam FlightsJetstar will launch Dreamliner flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City in May. The flights will operate four times weekly from Sydney and three times weekly from Melbourne.Jetstar boss Jayne Hrdlicka says Viet-nam is one of the fastest growing holi-day destinations in South East Asia, with the potential to become as popu-lar as Bali or Thailand for Aussies.From Ho Chi Minh, travellers can fly to 15 other destinations within Viet-nam on Jetstar Pacific.
Airbus’ 2016 ResultsAirbus’ commercial aircraft deliveries in 2016 were up for the 14th year in a row, reaching a company record of 688 aircraft delivered to 82 customers. De-liveries included 545 single aisle A320 Family of which 68 were A320neo, 66 A330s, 49 A350 XWBs and 28 A380s. In addition, Airbus achieved 731 net orders from 51 customers, of which eight are new. These included 607 sin-gle aisle and 124 wide-body aircraft. At the end of 2016, Airbus’ overall backlog stood at 6874 aircraft valued at USD1018 billion at list prices.
No Works On NZ7000Air New Zealand adv ises that effective 27 Jan, The Works product will no longer be available for sale on NZ7900-7999 series flights operated by Virgin Australia on the Tasman. As a result, changes to the existing fare structure have been made, includ-ing a new V class Seat+Bag Smart Saver fare and new Q, H, M, B, Y class Seat+Bag Flexi fares on NZ7000 series flights. Customers who have booked and ticketed The Works prior to 27 Jan will continue to receive The Works on their VA operated service, including the in-flight meal and drinks. This will apply if the customer amends their ticket to travel at a later date on an NZ7000 series flight, however Agency Support will need to make the change.For more details, see airnzagent.co.nz
Hyatt Buys MiravalHyatt Hotels has acquired Miraval Group, which operates wellness and mindfulness experiences and resorts such as the flagship Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa. Miraval will form a dis-tinct new wellness category within the Hyatt portfolio of brands.“The Miraval acquisition reflects our commitment to super serving the high-end traveller and finding new ways to understand and care for them,” says Hyatt boss Mark Hoplamazian, who says wellness is becoming increasingly important to Hyatt’s guests.
E-passport Tech At HIRThe Solomon Islands’ Honiara International Airport has launched its Electronic Passport and Border Control Management System, say reports. The e-passport technology is expected to reduce waiting time and check-in procedures as well as improve border control and man-agement. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavara was reported as saying the technology would eventually allow for faster visa processing by coun-tries such as New Zealand.
Cathay Pacific is planning a major review of its business model on a scale not seen in 20 years, as the carrier continues to face increas-ing competition.Changing customer expectations, dramatic growth in competition, the unpredictable economy and other factors have put ‘huge pressure’ on
the business, the carrier has said in a statement to media.“The competition is here to stay and the uncertainty is ‘the new normal’ – we simply must respond,” it said.CX outlined a new customer-centric strategy, and says to deliver it, there’s a need for a ‘leaner, simpler’ organ-isational structure.Changes will start at the top, says CX, and will create opportunities—but will also mean some jobs are no lon-ger needed.“Some new jobs will be created and other jobs may be redefined. There will be more change in some areas than others and overall the work will involve a holistic review of how our business is structured—something of this scale hasn’t happened for more than 20 years,” says the carrier.“2017 is going to be a year of sig-nificant change and an opportunity to better align our business with the increasingly competitive aviation landscape
CX To Undertake Major Review
More EK To NairobiEmirates will increase its service to Nairobi, which it says is a favourite gateway to Africa for New Zealand-ers, from 01 Jun. The carrier will introduce a third daily flight between Dubai and Nairobi, increasing its flights between the two cities to 21 a week.
Fiji PGA AvailabilityYatule Resort & Spa has space available in all bure types over 17-20 Aug for people interested in the Fiji International PGA Golf at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course, ad-vises local rep Eye 4 Travel. The course is a five-minute drive from Yatule, and taxis cost around FJD10 each way.
Fri 15 May 15 P3Fri 20 Jan 17 p4
News & ProductTHE EMIRATES GLOBAL SALE IS ON
In business, strong partnerships are everything. That’s why at Air New Zealand, we are the preferred Travel Agency partner for many of New Zealand’s leading companies. We currently have a number of Account Manager opportunities where you will drive and present compelling solutions to our clients with a key focus on revenue growth, sales optimisation and high customer satisfaction. Commercially astute, you will champion and build a value proposition to your agencies, including transparency around financial and marketplace performance, whilst driving Air New Zealand’s profitability and competitive offering.
Account Manager- Retail (x2 positions)• Combine your sales expertise with your leadership skills to drive Air New Zealand’s key agency relationships• Strategically manage your agency portfolio to drive profitability and deliver results• Opportunity to grow a long standing career with one of New Zealand’s most trusted brands• Exciting two Account Manager Retail opportunities! Portfolios covering North Island regions• Industry experience would be strongly preferred
To apply click here: https://careers.airnz.co.nz/?job=115370TT
Account Manager - TMC• Commercialise your Travel Account Management expertise to drive Air New Zealand’s TMC portfolio• Strategically grow a mix of new and established TMC client base• Nationwide focus- some domestic travel required• Travel Industry experience is essential
To apply click here: https://careers.airnz.co.nz/?job=115353TT
These roles are an outstanding opportunity to heighten exposure and experience within Account Management, however confidence, knowledge and positivity must come naturally for you to influence thinking and gain credibility!
Applications close: Wednesday 25 January 2017.
Account Manager Opportunities
Launch your career
careers.airnz.co.nz
S e a b r e e z e R e s o r t w o n t h e top award at the inaugural Sa-moa Tourism Excellence Awards, held earlier this month, with the property taking home the Na-tional Tourism Excellence Award as well as the prize for Best Accommodation.The awards were launched to cel-ebrate the island’s tourism industry, with the results taken from a year-long survey of visitors conducted last year as well as inspections by the Tourism Standards Committee.Seabreeze (pictured) was nomi-nated in five categories, and the award capped off four years of wins including winning Leading Ho-tel in Samoa at the World Trav-el Awards for the past four years.
Other winners at the inaugural Samoa event included Best Car Rental: Blue Pacific Car Hire; Best Taxi Service: Magik FM Taxis; Best Airport Trans-fer: Aga Reef Resort; Best Bar & Hang-
Samoa Names Best In Tourism
out: The Edge Marina; Best Cultural Entertainment: Saletoga Sands Resort; Best Tour Operator: Coconuts Beach Club Resort & Spa; Best Attraction Site: Robert Louis Stevenson Museum; Best Restaurant: Paddles; and Best Hygiene: Amoa Resort.Last year was a big one for Samoa’s tourism industry, with new hotels opening, phase one of the Faleolo International Airport re-development completed, and progressive devel-opments in the Samoa submarine cable project (which will improve con-nectivity). This year, the focus is on sustainability, with 2017 designated by the UN as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
SITA Asia-Pac ApptSITA has appointed Sumesh Patel as president Asia Pacific. As a member of the senior leadership team, Patel will be responsible for developing and driving the strategic direction for SITA in the region. Patel is based in Singapore. Outgoing president Asia Pacific Ilya Gutlin has now assumed the position of president for SITA’s global air travel solutions division.
QF South AfricaQantas has reduced its current special fares to South Africa, on sale to 23 Jan. The fares ex Auckland/Christchurch/Wellington to Johannesburg are now $1589 in economy, $2999 in premium economy or $4899 in business. Ad-ditional taxes apply for fares to Cape Town, and add-on points within Af-rica are also available.
G’s New Active TripsG Adventures has released its new 2017 Active brochure, with an expanded tour selection in Pata-gonia and new trips including the Cambodian Water Festival and Longboat Race. The trip, priced from $1289, sees clients spend a week in Siem Reap working with a team from a local Bud-dhist temple to prepare the team’s dragon boat and train to compete in the main event, celebrating the reversal of the Tonle Sap river.
Aloha Friday Incorporating Tabs On TravelIncorporating Tabs On TravelFri 20 Jan 17 p5
LikeHawaii Tourism NZ
*Book O class. Sales until 31 Jan. See GDS for details.
From $994* ReturnStopover in HNL permitted
AKL HNL LAX
HA To Add KOA-LIHHawaiian Airlines will launch daily non-stop service between Kauai’s Lihu’e Airport (LIH) and Kona In-ternational Airport (KOA) on Ha-waii Island from 12 Mar—the first time in HA’s history that it will con-nect the airports with a direct flight.“Demand from our kama‘aina and visitors for travel between Hawaii Island and Kauai has been growing steadily over the past few years,” says HA chief commercial officer Peter Ingram.The 423km flight will be HA’s lon-gest neighbour island route. It will depart KOA at 0938 daily, arriving in LIH at 1036; with the return flight departing LIH at 1544, arriving in KOA at 1644.
C l i e nt s l o o k i n g for a romantic Oahu getaway have plenty of options, says the Hawaii Tourism Authority, with a range of new venues on offer across the island.Highlights include the new five-star Four Resorts Oahu at Ko Olina, in which couples can enjoy sunset snorkelling, beachfront dining and live music at The Fish House restaurant, an adults only pool, a couples massage at the Spa & Wellness Centre and private
oceanfront dining at two other on-resort restaurants, Noe and La Hiki. Also great for couples, HTA says, and one of the newest additions to Waiki-ki’s resort skyline, is the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, with its ocean views from every guest room, culinary delights at BLT Market and ‘legendary’ services and amenities. There’s nothing that says romance like a meal for two, and HTA says couples should head to Roy’s Beach House, a new oceanfront restaurant at Turtle Bay Resort—with misoya-ko butterfish and hot dark-chocolate soufflé top recommendations. Clients could also check out the new Harbor Restaurant at Pier 38, which boasts a coppertop bar and Hono-lulu Harbor views, while the menu is designed around a Brasa inspired oven—a charcoal-burning combina-tion grill, oven and smoker.
. . . Free Vow RenewalsMeanwhile Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort and Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort are offering free vow renewal ceremonies on Valentine’s Day. The ceremony is exclusive to guests at the properties and clients must book in advance as space is limited.
HNL A Top CityHonolulu has been added to Conde Nast Traveler’s list of The Best Big Cities in the US, based on a survey of more than 100,000 of its readers, ad-vises the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Oahu For Romance
Become A Mermaid: New Maui AdventureA new company in Maui turns visitors into mermaids and captures their adventures on film, promising guests the ultimate family photo or profile picture. During their two-hour ‘swimming lesson’, guests will be fitted with a tail and given swimming instructions before their photo shoot begins. Those who take part during whale season might even hear whales singing, says the company. The experience takes place from 0730-0930, and costs USD199 for a single person or USD139pp for a group of two-five. There’s tails available for sizes up to 190lb (86kg). See hawaiimermaidadventures.com
Whale WatchingThe annual humpback whale-watching season in underway, with thousands of North Pacific humpback whales making their way to the warm, shallow waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands to birth and nurse their calves, and mate. The Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau says Jan through Mar are Hawaii’s peak months for spotting the whales and encourages clients to grab a spot on the coastline for views or to hop on one of the many seasonal whale-watching cruises being offered this time of year.
Pearl Harbour ExhibitionT h e B i s h o p Mu s e u m’s l a t e s t exhibition, Homefront Hawaii, run-ning through to 01 Mar, showcases the stories of Hawaii’s civilian popu-lation following the Imperial Japa-nese Navy attack at Pearl Harbor. The stories are brought to life via ar-chival images and items from Bish-op Museum and export collectors, including rarely-seen photos of ex-plosion-damaged Honolulu streets, a fortified Waikiki Beach protected with barbed wire as well as period artefacts, including the remnants of a Japanese plane shot down in combat. The exhibition hopes to portray how World War II transformed Hawaii and its residents.
ISSN 1176-5275Travel Today (incorporating Tabs on Travel) is published by Tabs on Travel Ltd, New Zealand. Ph +64-9-415 [email protected][email protected]@traveltoday.co.nz
APRILTourism Fiji RoadshowTauranga: Mon 03, Club Mt Maunganui, 1730-1930.Rotorua: Tue 04, Novotel Rotorua, 0700-0845.Taupo: Tue 04, Lonestar Taupo, anytime between 1200-1400.Napier: Tue 04, Crowne Hotel, 1730-1930.Palmerston North: Wed 05, Distinction Hotel, 1730-1930.Wanganui: Thu 06, Stellar Restaurant and Bar, anytime between 1200-1400.New Plymouth: Thu 06, Novotel New Plymouth, 1730-1930.
MAY2017 Amazing Thailand RoadshowAuckland: Mon 08, Sky City Convention Centre.
Industry Diary
Morocco Savings With Adventure WorldAdventure World advises that clients can save $150pp for new bookings on G Adventures’ eight-day Morocco Kasbahs and Deserts trip, for bookings made before the end of Jan and travel by 31 Jul. The trip includes a camel tour in the Sahara Desert and an overnight camping excursion, and travels from Casablanca to Marrakech. It’s priced from $1139pp.
Queenstown Airport had a bum-per 2016, with strong growth and infrastructure expansions. Following its runway and lighting infrastructure earlier in the year, after-dark flights commenced in May and Jun, which aided the in-crease of passenger numbers across all months, with QAC reporting an all-time high in Aug of 1.7 mil-lion passengers in the previous 12 month period. Other improvements included that the airport added around 50 more car parking spaces; six new eGates were introduced at international customs in May, reducing queues significantly; new high speed Wi-Fi went live in Jun; and it expanded the commercial area to enable pick-up and drop-off from the zone.
On the cards for this year is works to improve vehicle flow at the air-port entrance, the establishment of a new roundabout, the addition of 55 parks for staff, the reloca-tion of the coach parks to Chris Read Green and the addition of a dual lane to part of the access road. Other highlights for QAC include that its passenger numbers have increased 38% in the last three years alone—and they are expected to increase by another 33% by the end of 2019, breaking the two million mark.
ZQN Airport’s Growth, Upgrades
Brand USA Pop CultureBrand USA has recruited high profile celebrities and sports heros to show-case ‘their America’ and offer a local insight into their neighbourhood.The NTO is embracing pop culture and is producing a series of short films focusing on the US’ pop culture.From sports stars to movie directors the films will show case Americans offering their insight into the land of the free. Spike Lee is one of those celebrities features and in his clip the movie director tells viewers that the must explore the people, diversity and culture of Brooklyn—and urges all visitors to New York to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. “Discover it for yourself,” he added.
New England Wine TrailFourteen New England wineries which form the Coastal Wine Trail are reporting record demand for their white, red, and sparkling varieties, local Discover New England rep Ca-nuckiwi has advised.The wineries in Connecticut, Mas-sachusetts and Rhode Island are close enough to each other that travellers can tour the entire trail in two to three days, sticking close to New England’s scenic coastline throughout—and the trail is now more accessible to Kiwis, as increased airlift introduces more connections to Boston. The trail is a 90-minute drive from Boston.“There is a new energy on the trail,” says director Maggie Harnett.See coastalwinetrail.com
The Art Of Disney T h e E p c o t I n t e r n a t i o n a l Festival of the Arts is on now until 20 Feb at Walt Disney World Re-sort. It brings a showcase of favou-rite music and Broadway talent to the America Gardens Theatre stage and will run Fri-Mon with brand new art each week. Details, disneyparks.disney.go.com
