Welcome to a slightly shorter version of the Weekly Wrap as many of you potentially tuck into some hot cross buns a day late or some Easter eggs a day early.
In getting to the Easter long weekend, we have now surpassed more than a quarter of 2025 already – in fact, after next month, we will be in the final month of the first half the year.
Not that I support sensationalist news, but there is always a way to look at things that makes it slightly alarming.
As we are already one day into the long weekend, I’ll spare you the usual lengthy feature with (as has become somewhat of a hobby for me) included infographics, and instead recap a few of the more surprising stories that have come by the Travel Daily, Cruise Weekly, and travelBulletin news desks this year.
Starting with the most recent – the Paspaley Pearl is back in the news.
After the relationship between Ponant and Paspaley dissolved back in November last year, there were mutterings earlier this year that it was soon to be reincarnated.
On Wednesday we got confirmation of this with Pearl Expeditions being launched, led by Sarina Bratton. There was a slight irony that just a day before, MS Paul Gauguin, part of the Ponant business, had docked in Darwin, newly refreshed from a seven week stay in a Singapore dry dock. Darwin is, of course, HQ for Paspaley.
Just last week, there was also the news that the Cox & Kings brand, now under Abercrombie & Kent, would make a return to the Australian market. You can read about the downfall here but the return seems to be a triumphant one… or “carefully calibrated” as the statement read. Regardless, it seems to be surrounded by positivity from the market.
On 2 April, Kelsian Group announced it was going to offload its Australian tourism portfolio. Considered for sale are Kingfisher Bay Resort, K’gari Beach Resort, K’gari Explorer Tours, Murray Princess, Adelaide Sightseeing and many more.
Also up for sale are some of the company’s SeaLink operations around Australia, which includes Captain Cook Cruises operations in Sydney and Perth, Red Cat Adventure Tours in the Whitsundays and more.
In March, Heathrow Airport caught fire. Actually, it didn’t catch fire, a substation nearby did, but chaos ensued to the point where the entire airport had to be shut down for almost 24 hours, then politicians and business leaders feasted on it for many days afterwards as the finger pointing began. Potential headline of the year, “LHR boss asleep at the yoke?”.
Speaking of airports shutting down, Tropical Cyclone Alfred is barely a distant memory in the minds of many (those in Southeast Queensland aside) as it threatened absolute chaos but delivered, thankfully, relatively minimal damage. It did manage to shut down some major airports though, with Brisbane and the Gold Coast closing shop as a precaution but the industry was quick to act and support those areas affected.
There’s been a lot of news around people movement as well, but one of the biggest was Jason Worth, the VP International Sales for Oceania Cruises, packing up to relocate to South Florida after more than a decade at the cruise line’s Sydney office.
Worth assumed the new role of VP Brand Finance and Strategy for Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, while Steve Odell, SVP and Chief Sales Officer for Regent, transitioned to a new role as SVP International and Consumer Sales for both Oceania and Regent under the changes.
Air New Zealand tried its best to be in contention for “people move of the first half” with CEO Greg Foran announcing his exit from the Kiwi carrier after five years at the helm.
A global search is underway to find a replacement for Foran, who informed the board he will exit on 20 October. Rumours that Joe Aston will put his hand in the ring to show Alan Joyce how it’s done are said to be wide off the mark.
That same shocking joke could have been applied to Virgin Australia before the announcement that Dave Emerson would be taking over from Jayne Hrdlicka as leader of the airline.
Paul Jones looked to be in the captain’s seat for a while, but backlash from the Transport Workers Union seemed to scupper that – he put on the first officer’s garb instead, landing as CCO.
While we’re still on airlines and VA, there was that small deal that got approved between it and that minnow Qatar Airways which caused quite the stir in the lead-up. Apparently, another large Australian airline was dead against it.
And finally, there really should be an honorable mention to Gai Tyrrell, who kicked off the big news of 2025 by being our first breaker of the year on 2 Jan, announcing her departure from Globus family of brands. She was eventually replaced by Chris Hall.
I said I would spare you the usual lengthy feature so I best stop now, although admittedly, there was plenty more that could have been included here.
Enjoy your Easter long weekend, and for those (like me) taking the three days between that and ANZAC Day, the extended break as well.
