I had the pleasure of attending Express Travel Group’s XChange conference in Adelaide last week, where I had a great time catching up with agents during a visit to Monarto Safari Resort on the first day, then enjoying a cocktail or two with some fabulous suppliers and chatting with industry pros like Tom Manwaring and Jason Aghan.
One of the much talked-about highlights of the three-day event was a panel discussion where several agents shared their honest feedback on the industry and the roadblocks they face.
On the panel was Independent Travel Advisors’ Chris Jenkins, who moved to Albury from Melbourne two years and noticed the marked difference in how suppliers treated her as soon as she moved out of a metro area.
As she described, “it was like my arm got cut off because suppliers and their representatives just do not go to regional areas”.
And what a missed opportunity when so many cashed-up retirees are now moving to rural towns and looking to their local travel agent to help plan their holiday, she added.
“There’s a lot of product out there – if we’re not across it, and we haven’t got contact with suppliers, we lose it because we can’t get to these shows,” Jenkins said.
Her insights were met with plenty of vigorous nodding and applause from the audience made up of agents.
I wrote about the panel discussion earlier this week and it resonated with Robyn Sinfield from Home Travel Company, who has been based in Tasmania for 42 years.
Sinfield has had similar experiences and said Jenkins’ observations are “spot on”.
While Sinfield noted that her agency has “wonderful relationships” with their preferred partners, who are happy to work closely with them and share their knowledge with team members and clients, there are some common stumbling blocks.
“When business development managers decide to visit, they usually give us just a week’s notice and to this day, some don’t even make an appointment and just land at your desk,” Sinfield said.
“Even when they do visit, they don’t come prepared with sales strategies or ways to improve mutual business.”
While there are suppliers who do host events on the mainland, regional agents aren’t often on the invite list, she noted.
“When we do accept these invitations, it’s at our own expense, which we are happy to invest in,” Sinfield said. “When events are held locally the no-show factor is negligible, if at all, compared to no-shows of advisors in major centres – that alone is a cost to business with no return.”
I brought these agent concerns up with Andrew Young, SVP of Sales Oceania at TTC Tour Brands, which will host a series of Worldwide Rendezvous 2026 roadshow events kicking off in September.
The team will visit 41 cities across Australia and New Zealand, including regional areas like Bundaberg, Geelong, Townsville, Tamworth, Newcastle and more.
“TTC Tour Brands recognises that many of our guests come from regional areas, most often referred by local agents who are integral to their communities and in many cases, their clients are friends, neighbours, or family,” Young told travelBulletin.
“Our Oceania sales team, with managers in every mainland state of Australia and New Zealand, prioritises regular visits to non-metropolitan agents, providing the tools and support to make this possible.”
In addition, the travel business offers 2024 and 2025 top achiever trips with spots reserved specifically for regional agents, “ensuring they’re recognised without competing against city-based peers”.
I’m actually really keen to hear more about the unique experiences of regional travel agents, as well as the evolving traveller living in country areas. You can contact me here: [email protected]
Moving on and it’s been quite a rocky week for cruise.
Off the back of Disney Cruise Line’s (DCL) decision to no longer homeport in Australia, my colleague Matt Lennon was inspired to investigate the struggles our local cruising industry has been experiencing lately. DCL is now the third cruise line to pull out of Australia in just two years, following Virgin Voyages and Cunard – four if you count the complete retirement of P&O Cruises Australia earlier this year.
Thankfully, during the New Zealand Cruise Association (NZCA) conference in Napier this week, newly minted Princess Cruises Vice President Asia Pacific, Matthew Rutherford, shared that the cruise line is committing to Australia and has no plans to leave our shores.
Also attending the conference was NZCA CEO Jacqui Lloyd, who warned attendees earlier in the week that the local industry is becoming known for being unpredictable and difficult to work with, all wrapped up in red tape and high costs.
“We are at a tipping point, the time for action is now – this is not a drill,” Lloyd urged.
“If we do not act decisively now and see cruise numbers begin to return in the 2027/28 and 2028/29 seasons, the risk is not just a few quiet years.
“If this downturn persists, we will see the erosion of product quality, skills, investment, and infrastructure, which could take a decade or more to rebuild.”
In more positive news, premium tour operator Tauck has unveiled its first new brand in 10 years, Room by Tauck, specifically aimed at travellers aged in their 40s and 50s.
“A high-end travel product of this nature that offers the flexibility to personalise, with signature experiences and, importantly, has active options, will be particularly attractive to our Australian travellers in their 40s and 50s,” Managing Director Australia David Clark said.
Meanwhile, Qantas has announced it will shift its Sydney to New York via Auckland flight (QF3/4) to daily from June next year, and Shenzhen Airlines has revealed it will be launching flights to Melbourne shortly. The thrice-weekly route will launch on 22 December using Airbus A330-300s.
Another bit of news that I find particularly interesting is the 2025 Regional Destination IQ Forum on 18 September, hosted by the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, which will discuss the future of the First Nations tourism strategy in the state.
I really feel as though there are so many missed opportunities around Indigenous tourism in Australia, so I’m curious to hear about the ideas and insights that will come out of that event.
Enjoy your weekend!
