TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TRAVEL WEEKLY’S COMPREHENSIVE ASIA/PACIFIC PORTFOLIO:

Contact your Travel Weekly Sales Representative or Bruce Shulman, Publisher, at bshulman@travelweekly.com or 561-799-1788

ISSUE DATE CLOSE DATE

January 18 January 5

March 21 March 8

April 18 April 5

May 16 May 3

June 20 June 7

August 15 August 2

September 19 September 6

October 17 October 4

November 21 November 7*

December 19 December 6

*Early close date

2016 asia/pacific update

Each year, more and more travelers book trips to the Asia and South Pacific regions to explore colorful cultures and ancient history.

Travel Weekly’s Asia/Pacific Updates cover the most important travel news, latest developments and market trends keeping 120,000 of the most influential travel agents informed about this increasingly popular region.

Asia/Pacific Updates

›› Visit TravelWeekly.com/EditCalendar2016 for rates and specs ‹‹

Ayers Rock: Adventure, authenticity

The camel gently rocked me from side to side as the beam of light grew gradually wider, revealing the desert’s rust-red earth and cracked scrub.

Sunrise and sunset are when the vast stone monolith, known to some as Ayers Rock, is most spectacular, but its presence is commanding at all times of the day. Formed over 600 million years, the 1,142-foot-high sand-stone rock towers dramatically over the dunes, a revered beacon for indigenous people over the last 10,000 years and, in more recent times, for tourists.

But while the natural envi-ronment is largely unchanged, recent years have brought with them a number of tourism de-velopments.

For one, calls to ban climbing on the rock, both out of respect for the traditional owners of the land and for safety reasons, have seen the sight of people scaling the physically demanding rock face become a rarity. More than

35 people have died attempting the mile-long ascent.

There are plenty of safer and more respectful ways to enjoy the splendor of Uluru, with my camel adventure just one option.

The next day, I took an inter-pretive walk around part of its 6.2-mile base with a local Anan-gu guide who shared some of its spiritual secrets, while other guests took a dawn bus ride to a dedicated viewing platform amid the ochre sands.

Resort refurbishedChanges have also been made

to Ayers Rock Resort, the oasis-like desert town managed by Voyages Indigenous Tourism.

A multimillion-dollar refur-bishment has given the flag-ship five-star property Sails in the Desert a new sheen, with all rooms and restaurants com-pletely restored and the opening of a new conference center.

And across all four hotels, about 230 indigenous employees

now go about their duties (com-pared to just two when Voyages took over management in 2010), with a dedicated training pro-gram now in place.

There is also a new range of authentic activities showcasing indigenous culture available to guests at no extra cost. These include an artist in residence program, the chance to learn to play the didgeridoo (a hardwood wind instrument that makes a drone-like sound), throw a spear or boomerang, participate in an

indigenous dance performance with the Wakagetti Dancers or chat with an Anangu storyteller in the Circle of Sand, the resort’s indigenous heart.

And while the under-the-stars appeal of the signature Sounds of Silence open-air desert din-ner endures, the resort has added Tali Wiru, a higher-end dining experience offering more privacy and romance but still set within the dunes. There have been around six proposals there this year already.

Recent high-profile visitors have also helped to shine a light on the property, with Prince William and Princess Kate fly-ing in as part of their royal tour in April. Their bed for the night was provided by luxury desert camp Longitude 101, with the 15-pavilion desert camp also emerging from a $2 million soft refurbishment this year.

Meanwhile, the U.S. maintains its position as the resort’s most significant international market, with Executive General Man-ager Ray Stone revealing that the number of American visi-tor numbers rose 8% last year thanks to the enhancements and strengthening consumer confi-dence.

He is determined to grow those numbers further by work-ing closely with U.S. trade part-ners and will undertake a trade mission later this year.

Both Jetstar and Virgin Aus-tralia fly daily direct into Ayers Rock Airport from Sydney, with Jetstar also operating service from Melbourne four times per week. Qantas operates daily flights to Ayers Rock Airport via Alice Springs from Sydney and direct flights from Cairns and Alice Springs.

Visit www.ayersrockresort.com.au.

By Anne Majumdar

From the swaying saddle of my one-humped ride, I watched the stars disappear as a slit of sunlight appeared on the Australian horizon, piercing the pitch black to give us our first glimpse of Uluru’s stern silhouette.

A S I A / S O U T H PA C I F I C

44 A U G U S T 1 8 , 2 0 1 4 W W W . T R A V E L W E E K L Y . C O M

Cultural activities at Australia’s Ayers Rock Resort include participation in a performance by the Wakagetti Dancers.

44T0818;5.indd 44 8/14/14 2:23 PM

MAKE A GLOBAL IMPACT by advertising with Travel Weekly Asia and Travel Weekly China – multi-platform information providers connecting you to the growing Asia-Pacific travel market.

Talk to your sales representative to learn more about our digital, event, and print options.

We’re Going Global

www.travelweekly-asia.comPublished by Northstar Travel Media Singapore Pte Ltd MCI (P) 166/07/2014 PPS 1849/09/2014 (025581)

Making A DifferenceOCTOber 2014

TALKING POINT

2

Print, Like Love, Is Forever

bY THe WAY

Charting A New Course

OPINION

To Infinity And Beyond

TeCH TALKING

Addicted To Mobile

4 4 4

P4 VOICeS: TO INFINITY AND BEYOND P6 DATAbANK: CHINA’S NEW TRAVELLER CLASS P8 PrODUCT FOCUS: CRUISES P14 COVer STOrY: THE SINGLE MINDED TRAVELLER P22: DeSTINATION: SINGAPORE P26: AGeNCY STOrY: BEHIND THE SCENES OF UOB TRAVEL P28 MArKeTING: SOCIAL MEDIA: HOW TO CREATE GREAT CONTENT P30 AVIATION: GLASSES FOR PASSES P32 GAMeS CHANGerS: JIMMY CHOO P34 TW QUeSTIONNAIre

THe SINGLe-MINDeD TrAVeLLer

Growing legions of singles are stepping into a brave new world and creating a consuming class with distinct needs and spending patterns. From silver nomads in Australia to youths and divorcees and elderly across Asia, it’s a market segment you should pay attention to.