Travel

Updates on travel industry trends, tourism, and economic impact.

Travel
Batik Air entry lifts Melbourne-KL route competition
The number of airlines flying between Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur will rise to three when Batik Air introduces year-round flights in July. Melbourne Airport said the Malaysian full-service airline, which is part of Indonesia’s Lion Air group and flies to Melbourne seasonally, would operate four times a week using a 377 seat Airbus A330-300, with 12 seats in business class and 365 in economy. Batik will join Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia in flying between the Malaysian capital and Australia’s most populous city, supplementing the carrier’s daily flights between Melbourne Airport and Bali. Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus said Batik Air’s year-round service would provide more choice for Victorians heading abroad and international students and visitors looking to visit Melbourne. “Having three airline groups offering year-round service between Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur makes this route more competitive than most Australian domestic routes,” Argus said in a media release. “Batik Air prides itself on being a premium carrier and serves more than 70 destinations across India and Southeast Asia, and we are confident both inbound and outbound travellers will welcome the extra choice. “To keep pace
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Norwegian Cruise Line's Aqua sets sail in Lisbon
Norwegian Cruise Line has brought its first passengers aboard the Norwegian Aqua vessel, the inaugural ship in its new Prima Plus Class. The cruise line’s Prima Plus Class will feature larger ships than its Prima Class. Its maiden voyage will sail from Lisbon, Portugal to Southampton in the United Kingdom, before crossing the Atlantic to be christened in Miami. “This is a milestone moment for Norwegian Cruise Line as we set sail aboard Norwegian Aqua, a ship designed to offer our guests MORE — more wide-open space, more thrills, more culinary experiences, and more immersive entertainment,” said Norwegian Cruise Line president David J. Herrera. “During this inaugural season, we look forward to welcoming our travel partners from around the world and to give them the exclusivity of being the first to experience our newest product and to fully understand how guests can ‘Experience More at Sea’ with us.” For its first voyage, the ship will host more than 2,000 guests out of a 3,571 double occupancy capacity. After arriving in Southampton, it will cross to Boston, Massachusetts. It is set to be christened in Miami on 13 April. The Norwegian Aqua’s home ports will be Miami, Port Canaveral, and New York City, targeting
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Heathrow reopens as probes launched into closure
Heathrow Airport and the British Government have launched investigations into how a power outage resulted in one of the world’s busiest airports closing for almost a day. Heathrow said it had asked independent board member, former Transport Minister Ruth Kelly, to review the airport's crisis-management plan and response to the incident last Friday, Reuters reported in an article. The airport, the world's fifth-busiest, resumed normal operations on Saturday, a day after 1,351 flights flying up to 291,000 passengers were affected by the closure of the crowded London aviation hub due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband ordered an urgent investigation, led by the National Energy System Operator (NESO). "We are determined to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned," Miliband was quoted as saying in a BBC story. The fire broke out at the North Hyde substation in west London that supplies power to the airport. The last disruption of this scale at a European airport was during the 2010 when Icelandic volcanic ash cloud grounded 100,000 flights. Heathrow Airport, Britain’s busiest airport is owned by FGP Topco Limited, a consortium owned and led by A
Travel
Carnival Corp reports record revenue, raises outlook
Carnival Corporation reported robust financial results for the first quarter of 2025 on Friday, exceeding market expectations and raising its full-year earnings forecast. The cruise operator delivered adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.13, surpassing market expectations of $0.02 per share, while revenue reached a record $5.81 billion, coming in above estimates of $5.75 billion. First-quarter revenues climbed $400 million year-over-year as the company cited “strong close in demand and continued strength in onboard revenue”. Net yields significantly outperformed the company's December guidance, and operating income nearly doubled from the previous year to $543 million. “Our first quarter was truly characterised by outperformance. This was across the board and led by incredibly strong demand throughout our portfolio including exceptional close-in demand that exceeded expectations for both ticket prices and onboard spending,” said Carnival’s CEO, Josh Weinstein. Given the strong results, Carnival raised its full-year adjusted EPS outlook to $1.83, up from the prior estimate of $1.70. Weinstein highlighted that the revised forecast "incorporates our increased first quarter yield results and reduced interest exp
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Tripping the flight fantastic: airlines need deep pockets
Virgin Australia 2.0 could be the next airline to land an IPO on the ASX’s tarmac of broken dreams With around 300 airlines of varying sizes coming and going in Australia's aviation history, there’s one thing we know for sure: It takes more than deep pockets to keep an airline flying, but also profitable. Since mid-2024, Australian travellers have witnessed the collapse of low-cost carrier Bonza and more recently the closure of Rex, the long-time regional airline of small turboprop aircraft born out of Ansett’s ashes. What we’re left with is a duopoly comprising Qantas (ASX: QAN) – euphemistically called the national carrier - and its unlisted counterpart, Virgin Australia (Virgin). As at December 2024 ACCC data reveals that Australia’s passenger market share was divided between Rex 1.4%, Qantas and its budget-airline subsidiary, Jetstar 65%, while Virgin controls slightly under a third (29%).ACCC airline market share data Virgin’s well-heeled backer Late February, the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approved the sale of 25% of U.S. private equity Bain Capital’s (Bain) 95% stake in Virgin to Qatar Airways, with Virgin founder Richard Branson continuing to own the airline’s remaining 5%. Since the Gulf ca

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Luxury train Canyon Spirit debuts two new scenic routes
United States luxury train operator Canyon Spirit, formerly known as Rocky Mountaineer, has announced an expansion of its signature "Rockies to the Red Rocks" route. Starting in April 2026, the three-day journey will connect Denver, Colorado, with Salt Lake City, Utah, featuring breathtaking views of red rock canyons, rugged river landscapes, and the Great Basin. The new Salt Lake City route will offer an additional travel day, with overnight stops in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and Moab, Utah, allowing guests to explore these picturesque towns. Canyon Spirit promises the same world-class service, including local cuisine, regional beverages, and engaging storytelling about the landscapes along the route. Tickets for the three-day journey, starting at US$2,123 (A$3,375), are now available for booking. CEO Tristan Armstrong of parent company Armstrong Collective emphasised the company’s dedication to memorable train experiences, stating that while the brand name has changed, the commitment to excellence remains unwavering. The expansion is aimed at drawing both domestic and international travellers seeking unique rail journeys that showcase the natural beauty of the Southwest. “We could not be more excited to bring our
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Cairns becomes preferred year-round base for superyachts
Cairns is making waves in the luxury travel market as the Morris Nautical fleet brings its trio of superyachts — M.Y. Northern Escape, M.Y. Flying Fish, and M.Y. Beluga — to Cairns Marlin Marina. For the first time, the marina will host these vessels year-round, showcasing Tropical North Queensland’s position as a rising global superyacht hub. Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen applauded the move, emphasising the region’s allure with its unique combination of reef, rainforest, and outback experiences that cater to the high-end travel market. “These three magnificent charter vessels further broaden Tropical North Queensland’s diverse luxury offerings allowing visitors to experience the reef, rainforest and outback in style,” he said. “Departing from Cairns the superyachts can showcase extraordinary dive and snorkelling itineraries exploring pristine northern reefs with not another vessel in sight. “Tropical North Queensland’s dual World Heritage areas are an international drawcard that appeals to the growing luxury market encouraging investment such as this in high-quality tourism infrastructure.” The superyacht industry is booming, generating $31.9 million for Far North Queensland’s economy in jus
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More Australians taking short-term trips overseas: ABS
Australians travelled overseas more in January according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Overall arrivals rose 12.3% from one year ago to 2,383,330 and departures grew 16.3% to 2,031,060. The number of arrivals was particularly significant as it was the highest arrival number since January last year.Credit: ABSAccording to the ABS data, most Australians opted for short-term overseas travel in January 2025 with arrivals and departures increasing 17.9% and 10.9% from last year respectively. The number of local short-term arrivals also increased 10.9% from pre-COVID levels in January 2019. The three leading destinations people were arriving from were New Zealand, Indonesia and Japan.Credit: ABSThere were only 12,720 long-term resident arrivals in comparison to 1,544,890 short-term arrivals. The same can be seen with departures with 42,520 long-term departures and 1,041,370 short-term departures. For visitor arrivals to Australia, the number of trips was 2.9% lower than pre-COVID in January 2019 and China was the largest source country, accounting for 16% of the arrivals. The state or territory with the most short-term arrivals was New South Wales with 272,580 and the state or territory with
Travel
TDAC, Mabrian partner with WTTC for data-driven tourism
Mabrian, a global travel intelligence platform and part of The Data Appeal Company – Almawave Group, has entered into a significant strategic partnership with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). As the largest privately-held tourism entity globally, WTTC collaborates with Mabrian to leverage its expertise in data-driven insights, aiming to support the sustainable growth of the travel industry. This partnership positions Mabrian as a WTTC Knowledge Partner, delivering valuable, actionable insights for industry stakeholders. The collaboration involves WTTC gaining access to comprehensive travel intelligence databases provided by Mabrian and The Data Appeal Company. This access includes data on key industry trends such as air connectivity, traveler sentiment, demand profiling, and accommodation supply. By offering this robust data, the partnership helps track and analyse trends, shaping strategic decisions for the future of global travel and tourism. This agreement underscores the commitment of all parties to driving sustainable tourism. As highlighted by Mirko Lalli, CEO of The Data Appeal Company, the partnership will empower industry leaders with reliable insights to anticipate trends, optimise strategies, an