Travel Weekly (UK) articles from August 2006

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from August 2006

A gem waiting to be uncovered.
August 4, 2006... THE Taiwan Tourism Bureau has secured four new tour operators to brochure the destination, since the launch of its UK representation, marketing and public relations arm on April 1. Audley Travel, Asia Fare and Cultural Tours are among the...

News.
August 4, 2006... The great thing about polls is that they are often mildly controversial. So in an attempt to cause a hullabaloo of our own we have decided to try to discover who are the most influential people in online travel over the past 10 years. ...

20ways to sell holidays in Turkey.
August 4, 2006... With so much to see and do, Turkey can be a complicated sell. The centre of the country is packed with historical attractions for those in search of culture, while the beaches and restaurants of the coastal resorts attract budget-conscious...

the holidaymaker.
August 4, 2006... Why did you choose Turkey and how did the agent sell it to you? We went last year, to the same hotel and at the same time, so little persuasion was needed. We knew what we wanted. Did the holiday meet your expectations? Very much so. In...

Cosmos brochure makes easy reading.
August 4, 2006... COSMOS has launched a new-look Turkey and Bulgaria brochure for 2007 with icons to help agents quickly identify properties with kids' clubs, golf courses and spas or wedding packages. Pre-bookable options appear in a separate section...

Kosmar's Turkish delight.
August 4, 2006... KOSMAR Holidays has pledged to increase capacity into Turkey each year for the next five. The Greece specialist confirmed trade sales of 15,000 holidays since launching to Turkey, a figure director Abhi Dighe said he was "delighted" with....

From your doorstep to Dalaman.
August 4, 2006... OPERATORS are offering more regional departures into Turkey in response to heightened demand. Goldtrail Holidays added Leeds Bradford to Dalaman and East Midlands to Bodrum last month, following the launch of its Leeds Bradford-Bodrum...

A new Turkish hideaway.
August 4, 2006... THE exclusive resort of Turkbuku, on Turkey's Bodrum Peninsula, is emerging as a top destination for high-spending, discerning clients thanks to new stylish accommodation and increased coverage by UK operators. This former fishing village, 25...

News.
August 4, 2006... Voyage Holidays celebrated its opening with a launch party last week. The Wigan-based agency invited more than 100 suppliers and customers to celebrity haunt The Cocoa Rooms in Manchester. Business development manager Ruth Mort said: "It was...

No-frills flights to Hong Kong.
August 4, 2006... Hong Kong tourism chiefs have welcomed the news start-up airline Oasis Hong Kong will launch budget flights from the UK later this year. Hong Kong Tourism Board director for northern Europe Richard Hume said the cheap flights, due to start...

Jetlife pushes Vietnam for twin centres.
August 4, 2006... Jetlife AsiaWorld is encouraging agents to include Vietnam in tours of Southeast Asia by featuring it in new multi-centre itineraries. Product director Paul Tilling admitted the absence of direct flights from the UK to Vietnam was a...

In for the long-haul?
August 4, 2006... It's brochure-production time for the long-haul operators, and as those heavy envelopes come through your agency door thick and fast, we pick a few favourites from the new Asia programmes. Thomas Cook Signature: Worldwide Tibet and the...

An undiscovered paradise.
August 4, 2006... British arrivals to the Philippines rose 13% last year to 63,000 - cause for celebration in the tourism industry perhaps, but not if you compare these figures to neighbouring Southeast Asian destinations. Thailand received more than 500,000 UK...

UK visitors to Thailand on the up.
August 4, 2006... BRITISH visitor numbers to Thailand rose eight per cent to 714,489 last year, despite many beaches still being considered no-go areas in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. While bookings for the worst-hit resorts of Phuket and Khao Lak...

Get your business travel tips in Barcelona.
August 4, 2006... BUSINESS travel consultants can get tips on how to improve their skills and services at the Association of Corporate Travel Executives' conference in Barcelona. The three-day event, called the ACTE Global Education Conference, will include...

Marriott's Global Pursuits.
August 4, 2006... TRAVEL agents can learn about new developments at Marriott and stand a chance of winning a seven-night stay at one of the group's properties, when they attend the company's annual industry get-together next month. Now in its 10th year,...

departures.
August 4, 2006... Practising what I preach for a change, I'm forsaking air travel this summer and taking my holidays in the UK. Last week it was Devon - a riot of cream teas, B&Bs, antique shops and country walks. Next month we're off to Scotland. Eschewing...

Is working from home all it's cracked up to be?
August 4, 2006... FOR people who've made the switch from the high street to homeworking, the grass really is greener, according to a survey by Travel Counsellors. The homeworking organisation surveyed 550 of its staff to find out what it's really like...

Take a fast jet to China.
August 4, 2006... Column: FIONA JEFFERY TAKE IT AWAY CHINA THAT holidayholiday demob feeling is in the air. Have you smelt and felt it? Have you sorted your summer breaks out yet? Well, I'm off to visit Australiasee e the wizardry of Oz with the...

Will film grow Miami's slice?
August 4, 2006... TOURISM bosses are praying today's launch of action flick Miami Vice will signal a revival in Florida's fortunes. Visit Florida director Colin Brodie blamed a number of factors for some operators suffering a double-digit drop in sales...

Time to awaken the sleeping giant.
August 4, 2006... MORE UK holidaymakers than ever are travelling to Latin America. With product to suit virtually any customer, it is a lucrative region for agents to sell. According to Iberia, the carrier that takes the largest volume of passengers between...

Colonia del Sacramentoof twoPunta del Este.
August 4, 2006... Colonia del Sacramento in southwest Uruguay is a historic destination located on the opposite banks of the River Plate from Buenos Aires. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, the city's Barrio Hist?rico district is a maze of...

What happens now that the Magic's gone?
August 4, 2006... Following the news that Thomson is to ditch its Magic Travel Group programme, may I say how sad it is to see a well-respected competitor disappear. Despite what Thomson head of product Stuart Lane says (Travel Weekly July 7), it is clear...

Nile cruise ships have hygiene under control.
August 4, 2006... There has been recent publicity concerning the poor standards of hygiene on Nile cruise ships, which I have followed with great interest. It's fair to say that the low standards of hygiene found on these Egyptian ships were commonplace in...

Insurance? Same old story.
August 4, 2006... I'm glad not to be selling travel insurance anymore. Our agency hasn't lost any business because of this commercial decision. However, I would be very much obliged if someone from the insurance industry could tell me the contact number of...

TW2 has gone green this month. Read on to see how you, too, can help save the planetA green, green tome.
August 4, 2006... Of all the jargon used in the travel industry, one piece sticks out beyond the rest even more so than 'dynamic packaging'. The term eco-tourism has been with us for some time, but the industry is no clearer as to what makes a holiday 'green' or...

did you know?
August 4, 2006... Travel Weekly columnist Simon Calder has discovered the best places to spread out on a beach in Europe. He calculated the amount of space per person and found Croatia came out on top with 403 millimetres. The UK came in second with 294mms, well...

News.
August 4, 2006... MIDLANDS Co-op Travel customer Philip Ashmore collected ?500 of holiday cash from Clay Cross branch manager Emma Waddoups after winning a competition open to anyone who purchased foreign currency from any of its 87 shops in May.

Is it the right time to float?
August 4, 2006... I have spent a huge amount of time in the City recently looking at whether to float Lowcost Travel Group on the Alternative Investment Market. However, the mechanics of a float are expensive and rather complicated, and we intend to think...

Liquid lunch for me, says Neil Herbert.
August 4, 2006... HOLIDAY Extras' outgoing sales director Neil Herbert is sticking to a liquid diet in a bid to shed two stone. But it's not the sort of liquid diet many in the travel industry swear by not a drop of alcohol had passed his lips for almost a...

Dedicated follower of footy.
August 4, 2006... Standfirst The World Cup helped put Germany firmly on the tourist map even to the most biased English football fan. Football writer, Simon Ellis-Jones, gives his first hand account of the highs and lows of a month on the road in a campervan at...

If ever there was an argument for T5...
August 4, 2006... LONDON has provided six of the of world's top 10 fastest-growing long-haul routes over the past 10 years, according to aerospace consultancy Ascend. Dubai-London tops the growth figures for the decade, with an additional 848,000 seats...

Oasis flies low cost to Hong Kong.
August 4, 2006... START-UP carrier Oasis Hong Kong Airlines believes the low-cost model can be adapted to long-haul flights. Oasis will launch a five times a week service between Gatwick and Hong Kong from mid-October with one-way fares at a starting price...

Beast in BA has awoken.
August 4, 2006... It's good to see British Airways' profits up in the last quarter. The short-haul part of its business lost money for years, as it dithered in its positioning between quality and price. That has stopped, and we are now seeing an aggressive...

Franchises are a balancing act.
August 4, 2006... COMMENT The jury is still very much out when it comes to how successful the franchise concept can bework in the travel sector. Whilest the likes of Subway, McDonalds and Pret a Manger have proved franchising can work fantastically well in...

Go on - share your views.
August 4, 2006... You will have read a lot in recent weeks about the state of the market and how sales are up, down or sideways depending on which part of the sector you are in. But how are things in your shop? You can have your say and share your...

UK brands earmarked for growth.
August 4, 2006... AS PART of Accor's five-year global expansion plan all its core UK brands are set for rapid growth. On top of the planned growth of Etap, the number of mid-market Novotels and Ibis hotels is set to double. Expansion of the group's...

Accor plans massive expansion of Etap.
August 4, 2006... ACCOR Hotels' economy brand Etap is planning a massive expansion in the UK, hoping to tap into the large bed-and-breakfast market. There are currently only three Etap hotels in the UK, the newest of which opened last November in...

Hotels are hot in the city.
August 4, 2006... HOTELS in London and the UK had their best month in June since the Millennium celebrations of 2000, as sizzling summer temperatures helped boost visitor numbers. The latest figures from PKF hotel consultancy have revealed room yields in...

News.
August 4, 2006... Hotel chain Von Essen is offering London business travellers the chance to beat the congestion with a new helicopter service. Champagne flights operated by PremiAir are available from the Battersea helicopter pad to the chain's hotels in...

Wales needs more beds.
August 4, 2006... A REPORT published by the Welsh Assembly has found that to meet the demand for hotel accommodation, the southeast of the country will need an extra 400,000 room nights annually by 2010, a 16% increase. With Cardiff expected to continue as the...

News.
August 4, 2006... in brief Game of polo anyone? Ramada Jarvis is offering guests a taste of the high life with special Polo Experience breaks at the Ramada Plaza Royal Berkshire. Weekends are available from ?120 per person and include free parking and...

News.
August 4, 2006... in brief Game of polo anyone? Ramada Jarvis is offering guests a taste of the high life with special Polo Experience breaks at the Ramada Plaza Royal Berkshire. Weekends are available from ?120 per person and include free parking and...

Jaws for thought...
August 4, 2006... CAGE-diving with sharks might seem the kind of thing best left to the crazier inhabitants of South Africa where the sport was popularised. However, agents clued up on the domestic market could soon find themselves booking the activity for...

Sunvil's damp squib.
August 4, 2006... WE all know being out in the field is the toughest part of any job in travel. Whether it's reps dealing with irate customers, sales staff travelling the length and breadth of the UK trying to flog their wares, or trainers gritting their...

Plimsoll report raises doubts.
August 4, 2006... DOUBTS have been expressed about the latest industry assessment from Plimsoll Publishing that found huge contrasts in agency performance. The study of 1,500 travel agencies reported more than half are struggling to break even, while the...

Australia website to boost trade ties.
August 4, 2006... AUSTRALIA Travel Market has appointed its first UK commercial director as it prepares to build stronger links with the trade. Former Tourism Australia trade development manager Amy Sullivan joined the company last week. Global Travel...

BA Connect in service shake-up.
August 4, 2006... BRITISH Airways' regional carrier BA Connect is to launch a twice-daily flight between London City and Madrid from October, but will suspend Birmingham-Belfast services from August 21. Rival Flybe immediately announced a seventh daily...

Customers choose to go Barking Mad.
August 4, 2006... AGENTS confronted by canine-captivated customers can benefit from a new service being offered to the trade. Barking Mad managing director Lee Southern set up her company in 2000 after discovering up to 25% of dog owners would not go on...

Agents to glean retail ideas from grocery sector.
August 4, 2006... TRAVEL Weekly and Triton have teamed up to run a workshop for agents later this month on future retail initiatives. The Creating Retail Excellence seminar will build on the success of Budgens retailer Jonathan James' presentation at this...

'Discounts not always necessary'.
August 4, 2006... AGENTS have been accused of going out of their way to earn less money. Luxury operator If Only managing director Brendan Maguire said travel agents are so keen to offer a discount they spend hours trying to find one, even if the customer...

EasyCruise opts for more mellow yellow.
August 4, 2006... EASYCRUISE has unveiled a new look for its second river cruise vessel with yellow and grey replacing the distinctive orange livery. The revised look comes after complaints from customers about the company's corporate bright orange colours...

News.
August 4, 2006... FREEDOM Flights' Abbey Thomas and Bristol International Airport's Shirley Knight turned Trinny and Susannah last week offering these lucky agents a makeover before Travel Weekly's Southwest ball held at the Bristol Marriott Hotel City Centre....

Court out.
August 4, 2006... HOPES for a quick ruling on the dispute over consumer protection between ABTA and the Civil Aviation Authority have been dashed, with TUI UK confirming it will reduce its ATOL cover and risk sending the system into free fall. It was anticipated...

As if by Magic... Mundi Color's off to Italy.
August 4, 2006... MUNDI Color is to launch an Italy programme for 2007, filling the gap left by Thomson's decision to axe its Magic of Italy brand. Tour operations manager Ray Steward said Mundi Color decided two months ago to expand into Italy, but knew the...

PATA UK Chapter reshuffle.
August 4, 2006... THE Pacific Asia Travel Association UK Chapter has had a reshuffle at the top as it relaunches its website. Chairman Tim Robinson is standing down to move to the Bahamas for business. He will be replaced by PATA treasurer, Reed...

News.
August 4, 2006... in brief Doorstep challenge winners revealed The three agents who won Travel Weekly's Doorstep Challenge in conjunction with Superbreak Mini-Holidays are: Jamie Morris, of Howard Travel, in Trowbridge Sue Beckett, of Pandora Travel,...

'We could have shut them down'.
August 4, 2006... FIRST Choice's latest franchise partner TravelPlan was threatened with being shut down by consortium Worldchoice for failing to pay suppliers. Travel Weekly can reveal that in March Worldchoice threatened winding up proceedings at the...

News.
August 4, 2006... MAG's huge losses The Manchester Airport Group, which includes Nottingham East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside, reported a fall in profits of ?87.7 million for the year ending March 2006. This figure is down from ?101 million in 2005,...

News.
August 4, 2006... MAG's huge losses The Manchester Airport Group, which includes Nottingham East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside, reported a fall in profits of ?87.7 million for the year ending March 2006. This figure is down from ?101 million in 2005,...

News.
August 4, 2006... Winter Florida first Flyglobespan will begin a weekly service between Belfast International and Orlando Sanford in November, its first route from Belfast and the airport's first winter service to Florida. One-way fares will start at ?149...

WA Shearings closures.
August 4, 2006... WA Shearings closed its Sheffield branch last week, bringing the number of agencies it has shut since it formed in March last year to 11. The series of closures has come following a review of properties owned by the company, a merger of...

VisitScotland? About 10.5 million did.
August 4, 2006... VISITSCOTLAND.COM has passed the ?50 million mark in overall booking revenue generated following its creation four years ago. The site also saw a 50% increase in traffic last year, taking the total number of visitors to 10.5 million....

'The time is right to redefine Swifta'.
August 4, 2006... SOUTHWEST agents are to revive the Swifta federation to forge closer ties with operators after losing its biggest member. Newly signed Swifta member Anthony Goord, owner of Portsmouth-based Peter Goord Travel, said the loss of Lets Go...

Promises not delivered.
August 4, 2006... In November 2005 we switched our company credit card to American Express, which promised no credit limit, longer credit terms, more information about each transaction and a free Priority Pass Airport Lounge access for a year. ...

Can't we just talk to each other?
August 4, 2006... Am I the only person who thinks that e-mail is the worst creation in the history of our working lives? Every morning when I come into my office I dread the thought of opening my inbox. On average, I must get about 300 e-mails each day,...

Clearing up the Kuoni confusion.
August 4, 2006... I recently wrote to Travel Weekly criticising Kuoni for writing to one of our clients at our address, encouraging him to book direct online. Subsequent e-mails between Liz Warner of Kuoni and myself have clarified this matter, and I am...

MSC Opera was music to my ears.
August 4, 2006... Last weekend I was lucky enough to join an exclusive club on board MSC Opera. I was under the impression I was going to see something along the lines of Thomson or Airtours, judging by MSC Cruises' prices. So imagine my surprise when I got...

Can anyone offer an answer?
August 4, 2006... Why is it so difficult for tourism management degree students to find a 48-week placement? If anyone is willing to offer students placements please come forward. I am a student and I'm finding it really hard to understand why most...

Solihull, West MidlandsA family holiday to Eilat19%21%30%69%.
August 4, 2006... SHOP OF HORRORS SHOP OF HORRORS commended SUMMARY Mystery Shopper was planning a family holiday to Eilat, the southernmost city of Israel (it seems not many of this week's agents knew this), during the school half-term holiday in October,...

Agents await VAT decision.
August 4, 2006... AGENTS are waiting for guidance from Revenue and Customs and ABTA to clear up confusion over whether they should pay VAT on their profit margin. It is feared agents and accommodation-only companies that put together packages might face VAT...

Airtours treats World Cup winners.
August 4, 2006... SOCCER-mad agents were treated to a VIP trip of a lifetime to one of Europe's hottest holiday spots to watch last month's World Cup final. The 10 winners had all entered Airtours' Back of the Net competition, having won points for each...

Al Fresco options in ski resorts.
August 4, 2006... THOMSON Al Fresco is launching its early-booking 2006/07 brochure with the introduction of static caravans at a ski resort in France. Managing director John Whitaker said the accommodation in Le Grand Bornand had been included to offer more...

Dove plans to add Extras.
August 4, 2006... INCOMING Holiday Extras sales director Howard Dove plans to introduce a raft of new products to the marketplace. Dove replaces Neil Herbert, who leaves at the end of this month, for an interim six-month period after switching from his...

Kuoni in bid to woo families.
August 4, 2006... KUONI Travel has launched its 2007 Dubai, The Emirates and Oman brochure offering free child places during school holidays for the first time. Managing director Sue Biggs said the offer was being included in recognition of the...

Libra cuts prices to drive market.
August 4, 2006... LIBRA Holidays has dropped prices in two new brochures hoping to drive sales in a depressed market. Sales and marketing director Paul Riches said both the Cyprus 2006/07 and the Greece and Turkey second-edition summer 2007 brochures...

News.
August 4, 2006... TRITON has donated ?3,000 to the ABTA Benevolent Fund. The money was raised by delegates at the super consortium's inaugural conference in Tenerife to help past and present travel industry staff who are experiencing hard times. Triton chairman...

Pioneering adventures.
August 4, 2006... A NEW tour operator is planning to offer customers expeditions that have never been attempted before. Pioneer Expeditions managing director Adrian Gray said he was inspired to set up the company while working as an Explore tour guide for seven...

Rebrand boosts bookings.
August 4, 2006... TRADE sales of Seligo's attraction tickets business are up 61% after winning the Thomson retail account earlier this year and rebranding under the Attraction World name. Managing director Paul Stobbs said rebranding the division three...

News.
August 4, 2006... Color to the Azores Mundi Color is introducing the Azores in its Spain and Portugal 2007 brochure. More than 50 properties are featured in the archipelago's eight islands while an eight-day Grand Tour takes in S?o Miguel, Terceira, Faial and...

New team made one mistake.
August 4, 2006... The decision to close Panorama and Manos and merge it into Glasgow with Direct Holidays is one of the final pieces of the cost-cutting by MyTravel management. The company has been running a matrix management system for a while, with many...

Choose your industry love shack buddy.
August 4, 2006... So August is here and although the heatwave has died down a bit it's still the silly season, so I thought I would have a bit of fun. Since some of us are watching so-called celebrities battle it out on ITV's Love Island, I thought we would...

Blogging gets dynamic.
August 4, 2006... ONLINE blogs could see consumers taking advantage of dynamic packaging to arrange and book trips for fellow bloggers in return for a 'fixing' fee. With the number of blogs having boomed in the past three years to 35 million, a 60% rise,...

Warner's web sales take off.
August 4, 2006... WARNER Breaks has increased web sales by 49% in 12 months thanks to a new online marketing strategy. Online marketing manager Mathew Finch heads up a team of four. Over the past year it has increased web sales to 20% of all sales with the...