Tag: travels

  • Vietravel posts $3 mln loss in Q1

    Vietravel posts $3 mln loss in Q1

    Tourism company Vietravel has already posted a loss of VND72.8 billion ($3.15 million) this year, or 81 percent of the loss it suffered in the whole of last year.

    Revenues fell nearly 65 percent to VND277 billion as the Covid-19 outbreaks in the first quarter hit travel.

    Its accumulated losses as of the end of March were over VND102 billion, or higher than its equity.

    The company targets an increase of 411 percent in revenue to VND6.24 trillion this year and a pre-tax profit of VND10 billion.

    In the first quarter it spent nearly VND59 billion on its new carrier, Vietravel Airlines, which began operations at the end of last year.

  • Strandbags unveils new retail store experience at Chadstone

    Strandbags unveils new retail store experience at Chadstone

    Luggage and handbag retailer Strandbags launched a new concept flagship store in Chadstone Shopping Centre over the weekend – the first step in a new bricks-and-mortar strategy which will see some stores triple in size over the next three to five years.

    With handheld payment devices freeing up staff and digital screens showing video and digital content, the Chadstone flagship store is Strandbags’ effort to deliver a world-class shopping experience.

    Strandbags managing director Felicity McGahan said the store was fitted to be unique and engaging, but also to give customers the freedom to shop for what they want, how they want, when they want.

    “Digitisation is giving the customers complete control. They’re in control of us, they’re savvy,” McGahan said.

    “Sixty-four percent of our customers have already researched online before they walk into our stores. So, how do we create a space that supports that? Where they can come in and really engage with the brand?

    “We’ve got to give them a reason to get off the couch and come in-store, and not let them down when they get in there. Trying to find that balance has been really important.”

    According to McGahan, the Chadstone flagship is the first in a new line of Strandbags stores, underpinning a complete redesign and refresh of the core brand.

    Contrary to many of its peers, this refresh is not part of a turnaround strategy, or an effort to stave off slowing sales – with the business selling a handbag every five seconds, a wallet sold every six seconds, and a suitcase every 12 seconds.

    “There’s a saying: The time to fix the roof is when the sun’s shining,” MacGahan said.

    “It’s not a broken business, and I’ve spent a lot of time understanding what makes it successful. This is about evolution. We’ve got to keep moving, keep changing. Retail is changing, and the experience is very important.”

    The luggage retail market is growing at a rate of five percent year-on-year, according to McGahan, which has enabled the brand to quietly grow its footprint.

    In the last year, Strandbags has up-sized 25 of its stores and is looking to do the same across many more over the next three to five years with the improvements seen in the Chadstone flagship to be rolled out across its store fleet.

    “We see a mega-store opportunity. We see large stores as well, and then obviously core stores as well. Chadstone is just another proof point to say that this is the right strategy,” McGahan said.

  • Canberra Airport announces new retail partners

    Canberra Airport announces new retail partners

    Canberra Airport is overhauling its terminal retail offering, with construction set to begin on more than 1000sqm of new shops in the coming months.

    On Friday, the airport announced Airport Retail Enterprises (ARE) has been awarded the food and beverage component of the new terminal retail, and Australian Way Pty Ltd (AWPL) has been awarded the news, books and gifting component.

    “We are excited about these new partnerships as we work through the last piece in our terminal puzzle,” Richard Snow, head of property at Canberra Airport, said in a statement.

    “We have worked for years, focusing on making the travel experience for Canberrans and our visitors as seamless and efficient as possible. Now we are proud to be able to add in more restaurants and café options as well as retail that helps visitors remember their trip with local produce and gifts.”

    ARE, which also manages food and drink offerings in Sydney Airport, Melbourne Airport, Brisbane Airport, Gold Coast Airport and Gatwick Airport in the UK, will create a new cafe, City Hill Coffee, featuring locally-roasted Ona coffee, an Asian noodle and sushi offering called Noodles XO and a health food offer on the Western Concourse.

    Several existing food and drink options on the Southern Concourse, will be replaced by Capital Brewing Co Bar, through a partnership with the local brewery of the same name. ARE will also add a mixed news, books, travel essentials and cafe space on the ground floor in the arrivals baggage hall.

    “Canberra has a fantastic local food scene, and we are very pleased to be partnering with many local producers to bring this to the airport,” John Chapman, CEO of ARE said in a statement.

    “The new terminal will become a fantastic showcase of the region’s produce.”

    AWPL, which operates stores in numerous domestic and international terminals around Australia and New Zealand, will initially bring a news, books and travel essentials offering called News@CBR to the airport.

    Following this, it will open a second store called Merchant Canberra, which will showcase iconic gifts from the city, surrounding region and Australia.

    “It is our absolute focus to connect with the local community, deliver a retail offering that brings commercial growth to Canberra Airport, and also significantly enhances the customer experience,” AWPL managing director Costa Kouros said in a statement.

    Construction of the new retail offerings is expected to begin in the coming months, with stage one to be finished by the end of this year. The second and final stage is expected to be complete by Easter 2020.

  • Indonesia promotes tourism branding at World Travel Market

    Indonesia promotes tourism branding at World Travel Market

    The Tourism Ministry is promoting a tourism brand of Wonderful Indonesia at the global travel fair of World Travel Market (WTM) in London from November 7 to 9, 2016.

    By promoting the event, the ministry is featuring the beauty of Banyuwangi (East Java) images on five decker buses from October 31 till the end of November, according to a statement from the Tourism Ministry received by ANTARA here on Wednesday.

    Indonesia has signed an agreement as the prime sponsor of the travel fair. Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said the agreement will help in promoting Indonesian tourism.

    “WTM is a global travel fair. As in 2015, around 50 thousand tourism professionals from 183 countries participated in the fair,” the minister said.

    He added that WTM was an effective and efficient media to promote Indonesia and its tourism brand of Wonderful Indonesia in the global market.

    With a visa-free policy and deregulation on yacht or cruise ship travelling to Indonesia, the government expects 20 million foreign tourists by 2019, nearly double the target of 10.4 million set in 2015.

    At the fair, the Indonesian delegation will showcase UNESCOs world heritage of Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple in Central Java, diving spots in Raja Ampat in Papua, as well as golf, spa and shopping tour in Jakarta and Bandung (West Java).

    The UK and European Union are very important markets, as the number of potential tourists is quite great. Each tourist would stay at least for 10 days on average and would spend a huge amount during their trip.