Travel & Tourism

Just Another Day on the Farm. Goat Rides Horse in Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism Ad

May 12, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

As anyone who’s fallen down the rabbit hole of YouTube animal videos can attest, little goats like to climb up onto things, and it’s hella cute watching them do it. (does anyone still say the word ‘hella’ anymore? So, when the crew filming Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism commercials spotted the unlikely duo near Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve, they just had to capture the moment.

In response to what must have been a doubting YouTube commenter, a spokesperson for Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism said:

“While we appreciate that this seems like an unlikely situation, there are actually four goats on this farm, and they all ride the horse. The owner of the animals assures us this is a regular occurrence. When the horse lies down, the goats climb on his back, and then the horse stands up. Our video captures the rest.”

[via Business Insider]

Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: goat, horse, Newfoundland & Labrador

It’s No Joke. JetBlue Covers Flight Costs of April 1 Travelers Named April

April 4, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

While brands like Google, BMW, Nissan and many others were celebrating April Fools Days with fake product announcements, JetBlue was keeping it real by offering a credit voucher equal to the cost of their flight to people (presumably women) with the first name April, who were flying April 1.

On the airline’s Blue Tales blog, the company’s Director of Media Relations April Dinwoodie (yes, April) explained:

“April 1st isn’t always fun and games for everyone. For many of us, it represents an annual tradition of mockery. We’re thrilled to take a moment and do something for those customers that might not look forward to starting their month with a day of teasing.”

[via Convince and Convert]

Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: airline, april fools, JetBlue, USA

Bear Grylls Goes Wild in Air New Zealand Pre-Takeoff Safety Video

March 2, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

Passengers on Air New Zealand never quite know what, or who to expect when the pre-takeoff safety videos are played.

Past safety videos have featured the All Blacks rugby team, American fitness guru and short-shorts enthusiast Richard Simmons sweatin’ out the instructions in a disco-fueled performance, while just last fall a cabin full of characters from the upcoming movie ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey‘ appeared pointing out the exits and how to use the oxygen masks.

Now it’s Bear Grylls’ turn in ‘The Bear Essentials of Safety’. The British adventurer, best known for his television series Man vs. Wild, filmed the safety video in a remote part of the Routeburn Track near Fiordland in New Zealand’s South Island late last year.

Bear Grylls says shooting an in-flight safety video in the wild was an inspired idea. “New Zealand is a country that I have always called my home away from home and I feel so proud to be involved with this campaign. We shot in a truly amazing setting with an amazing team – and that is always a privilege.”

Besides making sure your seat-belt is fastened and your food tray is the upright position, Bear highlights other important safety points, such as safely storing your fish under the seat in front of you and not using the oxygen mask as a portable loo.

Online viewers of the clip can earn a chance to win a trip for two to New Zealand to complete the Great Kiwi Bucket List by counting how many times a moa (a giant flightless bird) appears in the video. The prize includes a 10 day New Zealand holiday with the winner’s choice of six adventure activities from a list that ranges from swimming with dolphins in Doubtful Sound to hot air ballooning across the Canterbury Plains.

[via Air New Zealand]

Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: air new zealand, Bear Grylls, Man vs Wild, new zealand, Routeburn Track

Solar Charging Dummies Demonstrate the Recharging Power of a Sunny Holiday

January 27, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

With the insight that four Danes experience winter depression and a study that shows that 58% would like travel to warmer destinations to recharge, SPIES Travels, the largest travel company in Denmark and their agency, and their agency Robert/Boisen & Like-minded created a fun experiment.

They drafted in the Technical Institute of Denmark to create two solar charging dummies covered with over 3000 flexible solar panels. The two dummies were sent off on separate vacations, Soren was flown to sunny Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, while Urik was stuck at home in snow covered Solrod, Denmark.

After a week, the dummies were brought back to the Institute to test their energy levels. Their batteries were hooked up to robots to demonstrate how that extra energy would play out at the workplace and in the bedroom.

[via Ads of the World]

Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Canary Islands, Denmark, solar power, Spies Travel

Visit Scotland Unleashes Natural Cuteness With Shetland Pony Ambassadors

January 27, 2013 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

Visit Scotland’s newest ambassadors may not wear kilts or play the bagpipes, but Shetland ponies Fivla and Vitamin look simply smashing in their hand-knitted sweaters custom-knitted by Scottish knitter Doreen Brown from Shetland wool.

The two well-dressed ponies from theThorndale Shetland Driving Centre, are helping promote the Year of Natural Scotland celebrating how artists and others have been inspired by the rugged natural landscape of the country for generations. More pictures here.

[via Style Bistro]

Photo credit: Visit Scotland

Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Scotland, Shetland Isles, Shetland Pony, UK

Air France Mobile App Unlocks Music Tracks Hidden in the Sky

November 25, 2012 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

If you’re at an airport and you notice people their iPhones up at the sky, they might not be taking pictures of the clouds. They just might be unlocking music hidden in the sky by Air France.

The Music in the Sky app enables it’s users to find, unlock and collect dozens of music tracks from a playlist of established and emerging artists. The tracks curated by Air France Music are different depending on which country you are currently located. The sky here in Canada contained tracks from artists including Fleet Foxes, Lana Del Ray, Feist, Kanye West and many more.

Simply point the iPhone up to the sky or ceiling, (it uses the built-in gyroscope to detect the angle of the phone) and scan around until you locate one of the floating music notes. Zero-in on the music note until you’re ‘locked-on’ to it. The track will then be unlocked and added to the playlist in the app, available to you to stream at anytime.

The Music in the Sky app was developed by BETC Paris.

Filed Under: Mobile, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Air France, app, BETC, France, mobile, smartphone

Smartraveller Travel Tales: Australian Woman Survives 360 Fall Foot from Broken Bungee Cord

November 19, 2012 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

Australian Erin Langworthy was travelling in Africa when she and a friend decided to try bungee jumping. All was going well until her bungee cord snapped, dropping her 360 feet into the river below. The cord became stuck in the rocks and she couldn’t make it back to the surface, however she mustered the strength to free herself and saved her own life.

After the accident she was airlifted to a hospital in South Africa, where she received a call from the Australian Consulate in Canberra, who had been alerted when she didn’t arrive at her expected destination. Erin had registered her travel with Smartraveller before leaving on her trip, and had purchased full travel insurance that ensured treatment in a high-quality hospital and covered her $50,000 in medical bills.

While it may be difficult to find a story quite so dramatic as Erin’s, the Smartraveller Travel Tales Competition is looking for travel stories from Australians that benefited from the service, or others who had wished they had taken Smartraveller precautions. The submissions judged to be the best will win a share of $6000 in travel vouchers.

[via mUmBRELLA]

Filed Under: Financial Services, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Australia, Smartraveller, travel insurance

Australian Train Safety PSA Features Impossibly Catchy ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ Song

November 16, 2012 By Randy Matheson 2 Comments

Most train safety PSAs rely on scare tactics to make people aware of the results of being careless around train tracks.

Melbourne Metro Trains, agency McCann Melbourne and Tangerine Kitty have taken a different approach, producing a catchy tune titled ‘Dumb Ways 2 Die‘. The song compares the stupidity of someone’poking a stick at a grizzly bear’, or ‘scratching a drug-dealer’s brand new ride’ with ‘standing at the edge of the train platform’ or ‘driving around the boom at a level crossing’.

The PSA features an assortment of cute, colourful risk-takers, who despite their horrific injuries, still manage to return to dance and sing their way through the catchy chorus.

Also included in the campaign is the Dumb Ways to Die website of safety tips, a Tumblr blog featuring animated clips, a Soundcloud posting featuring the song and a ringtone version.

Filed Under: Music, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Australia, McCann Melbourne, Melbourne Metro Trains, PSA

Hobbit Characters Prepare for Takeoff in Air New Zealand Safety Video

November 1, 2012 By Randy Matheson Leave a Comment

Air New Zealand has become well-known for their creative flight safety videos including one featuring flight crews wearing just body paint and another with fitness guru Richard Simmons (who thankfully was wearing real clothes).

Air New Zealand’s latest safety video (embedded below), features a flight crew and plane cabin full of characters from the upcoming movie ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey‘, including Peter Jackson, and author J.R.R. Tolkien’s great-grandsons Mike and Royd Tolkien.

The video is part of Air New Zealand’s sponsorship partnership with The Hobbit, which includes the (temporary) re-branding of the Airline of Middle-Earth.

Viewers should watch for the Elvish script, then enter to win a trip for two to New Zealand, which includes a tour of the Hobbit movie set, a visit to the Weta Cave, and double passes to the movie premiere of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’.

The safety video was created in partnership with Jackson’s Weta Workshop and Weta Digital.