THE WEST AUSTRALIAN SPECIALIST
DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS is the Number One provider of holidays to Western Australia.
This electronic brochure features the most comprehensive range of holiday options for Western Australia. This range we believe, also represents 'best value for money' for you and your family, and not simply the cheapest.
As The West Australian Specialist, we 'hand make' your holiday, tailoring our suggestions to meet your specific interests and requirements.
Our West Australian Specialist Consultants concentrate all of their expertise on this one area and are able to help you and your agent plan your holiday.If you need any more help in making your choice or information on any destination or holiday - your travel agent and DISCOVER WEST will happily answer all of your questions.
We have great pride in the care we take of our visitors. While on holiday with us you will be given a DISCOVER WEST 'Client Assistance Card' - so when you are away from home friendly help is just a toll Free call away.
DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS is a Western Australian family owned company, whose involvement in the local tourism and hospitality industry dates back more than 30 years.
Enjoy our beautiful state and our unique part of the world!
The Harding Family
and the staff of DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS.
Organisation Overview
West Australia's Number One Wholesaler
DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS operates the State Wholesale Programme for Western Australia.
DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS is responsible for selling Western Australia's tourism products and packages to all 4,000 retail travel agents throughout Australia, and thousands of additional agencies around the world.
As such, DISCOVER WEST brings people from all over the world to holiday in Western Australia.
In recognition of DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS' phenomenal success at marketing Western Australian tourism, in 1998, Tourism Western Australia (Western Australian Tourism Commission) appointed the company to operate the State Government Wholesale Programme on its behalf.
DISCOVER WEST now operates the largest wholesale programme for Western Australia in its own right.
DISCOVER WEST provides more business to Western Australian tourism operators (hotels, coach operators etc.) than any other organisation, and represents around 500 individual tourism operators located throughout the State.
DISCOVER WEST continues to grow at a substantial rate.Over the last year, DISCOVER WEST handled around 30% additional passenger bookings than in the previous year.This current year looks set to repeat this enviable rate of growth, which is at 15 times the growth in the market.
DISCOVER WEST publishes the 154 page "West Australia" Book - the most comprehensive and the most popular holiday brochure for West Australia.
DISCOVER WEST is responsible for discoverWest.com - the most comprehensive and most popular website on West Australia.
International free-call telephone and fax numbers connect agents from various countries to the Perth Reservations Centre.DISCOVER WEST employs around 40 people in its main Perth offices.
DISCOVER WEST works closely with many house-hold-name travel organisations around the world.DISCOVER WEST's major Australian retail agencies include: Flight Centre, Jetset Travel, Travelscene, Harvey World Travel, Travelworld, STA Travel.
DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS "hand makes" every holiday in order to enable sophisticated travellers to break free from the ordinary travel experience.
The on-going training and development of staff is a key to DISCOVER WEST's success.New reservations staff must undergo a DISCOVER WEST Traineeship before they become West Australian Specialist Consultants.
DISCOVER WEST maintains a company culture that fosters excellence within each work team, and which delivers world-class business practices and professionalism. It does not reward people for selling particular products; instead the consumer is matched with the most appropriate product for their individual requirements.
Next Generation Wholesaler
In handling such a large number of wholesale holiday bookings, it is vital that the company's core Computer Reservations system is efficient and accurate. After conducting a worldwide study of existing Computer Reservations Systems, it was deemed that no "off the shelf" solution would be truly suitable. A standard wholesale computer system would simply not 'hand-hold' each booking well enough.
DISCOVER WEST developed it's own cutting-edge-technology Computer Reservations Systems in order to handle the peculiarities of each individual booking effectively and accurately.
A perfect balance has been struck between electronic efficiency and the need to "hand make" each person's holiday.
In 2004, DISCOVER WEST developed and released a proprietary Online Booking System which is delivering 'next generation' internet functionality.
The Online Booking System enables reservations to be taken and confirmed instantly; the bookings being automatically passed onto the suppliers; payment taken; and for Travel Documentation electronically issued - all within a split second and without a single person from DISCOVER WEST's offices being involved.
Agents and consumers can now 'hand make' their own bookings directly into the sophisticated, but simple to use system.
Ongoing development of the Online Booking System will ensure that it maintains its industry leading position, with some exciting new functionality about to be released.
DISCOVER WEST is confident that no other inbound wholesaler would be more efficient and accurate.
DISCOVER WEST Events
DISCOVER WESTEvents Division handles major events and large groups.
DISCOVER WEST’s Events Division has been appointed asthe official Travel, Accommodation and Touring Manager for the followingevents:
Darts World Cup, Pacific Masters, AustralianChampionships and Legends Tournament. All held in Perth in October 2005.
Australian Surf Life Saving Championships to be heldin Perth in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The Australian Surf Life Saving Championships is the world's largest and most spectacular surf sports carnival.It will attract many thousands of competitors, supporters, officials and media each year.Surf Life Saving Australia awarded the contract to DISCOVER WEST for the three years the event will be held on Scarborough Beach.See discoverWest.com/surf.
World Ultimate Club Championships being held in Perthin November this year. This event is expected to bring well in excess of 2,000 people from around the world to Perth. See discoverWest.com/ultimate.
DISCOVER WEST's Events Division looks forward to announcing other major events and large groups over the coming year.
Kalhaven Group
DISCOVER WEST continues to invest back in promoting sustainable Western Australian tourism, and the economic/employment benefits it brings many communities
DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS is a part of the Harding family's Kalhaven Group. The business was acquired by Kalhaven Group in January 1996, and had just one employee at that time.
Kalhaven later established a sister company DISCOVER AUSTRALIA HOLIDAYS which markets all of Australia to international visitors to the country. DISCOVER AUSTRALIA HOLIDAYS - The Australian Inbound Specialist - operates the National Inbound Programme for Australia.
DISCOVER AUSTRALIA HOLIDAYS Website
The Group is amongst the largest of inbound/wholesale organisations in Australia, and continues to grow. The Group expects to handle in the order of 100,000 passengers over this next year.
Consumer Protection
DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS is licensed by the Government of Western Australian.DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS is also a full member of the Travel Compensation Fund - giving confidence and piece of mind to travelling consumers.
The Travel Compensation Fund regulates members and provides any compensation arising from financial losses directly to consumers.
The Travel Compensation Fund requires it's members to undergo regular full Independent Audits and to meet strict financial criteria in order to assure ongoing security and stability.
Please remember: The Travel Compensation Fund does not normally protect any money pre-paid directly to individual hotels or coach operators. Only holiday money pre-paid to a member, such as DISCOVER WEST HOLIDAYS, is protected by the fund.
Industry Information
KALHAVEN GROUPKALHAVEN HOLDINGS PTY. LTD.
AUSTRALIAN COMPANY No 071 663 262
GOVERNMENT LICENCE No 9TA905
Member:
Australian Travel Compensation Fund, International Air Transport Association, Pacific Asia Travel Association, Perth Convention Bureau, Inbound Tourism Organisation of Australia, Australian Tourism Export Council, Tourism Council Western Australia.
