Travel Weekly (UK) articles from February 2006

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from February 2006

In search of faraway wonder.
February 3, 2006... The South Pacific islands offer everything from underwater adventure to balmy seclusion Key selling points: with a raw, untamed landscape, Papua New Guinea has snow-capped mountains, jagged limestone, moss forest, mud swamps and varied...

Simply the best.
February 3, 2006... Best Mainstream Cruise Company: P&O Cruises Best Specialist Cruise Company: Ocean Village Best English Channel Operator: P&O Ferries Best Ferry Operator (all other routes): P&O Ferries Best Holiday Add-ons: Holiday Extras ...

Features.
February 3, 2006... Whether it be a young couple, an old lady or a farmer, clients of all shapes and sizes never cease to amaze with their demands Facts and figures It's best to have a good bedside manner for those clients who need nursing through their...

Champagne and sparkle.
February 3, 2006... Skyflyers Alpha and Bravo, left and right, share a joke with Trust Accommodation.com's John Harding Cosying up for the camera are, from left, Lisa McAuley, Tracy Smith and Simon Garrido, all from Avis Sharing a laugh are, from left,...

Features.
February 3, 2006... Key selling points: popular as a stop-off point to and from New Zealand, the Cook Islands attract young travellers after some fun in the sun. The sparkling beaches of Rarotonga and Aitutaki are most people's first port of call, with comfortable...

New Caledonia.
February 3, 2006... Key selling points: New Caledonia has the second and third longest barrier reefs in the world, making it an excellent choice for snorkelling and diving. Befitting a French colony, it also has the best designer shops in the South Pacific. The...

News.
February 3, 2006... Michelle Groves from Wroxham Travel in Norwich won the Lee Ryan and G4 CDs. Elaine Beauchamp from Travelcare in Rugby, and Adam Campbell from Going Places in Lincoln won the 'Ducks in a Row' competition. Clair Manning from the Travel...

Olympic campaign.
February 3, 2006... PIEDMONT'SMinistry of Tourism is launching a [pounds sterling]350,000 advertising campaign to promote the region in the UK on the back of the Winter Olympics, due to take place there between February 10-16. The campaign, focusing on the...

Milan to host top travel event.
February 3, 2006... THE 26th annual Borsa Internazionale del Turismo show will take place in Milan between February 18-21. The exhibition, at the Fiera Milano centre, is Italy's leading travel show, focusing on the Italian market. Last year the show,...

Be a sporting winner.
February 3, 2006... AREyou thinking of cashing in on the 100,000 fans going to Germany this summer to support the England football team? Many will need ferry or rail tickets at the very least, and others will be seeking flights and accommodation. The...

'Competition can be tough'.
February 3, 2006... EDWIN Doran Sports Travel is one of the first names to crop up when sports fans are thinking about travelling to follow their favourite team. But anyone thinking of using the company to go to Germany for the football World Cup or to...

Diffusing the problem.
February 3, 2006... MONARCH Airlines has a policy of restraining disruptive passengers only in dangerous situations. The airline's safety and emergency procedures superintendant Elaine Allan said: "Our staff will not mess about. They are trained and very...

Is it all the rage?
February 3, 2006... After several reports of disruptive passengers on board flights last year, Caroline James asks whether air rage is a growing problem Is it all the rage? THE seeming...

Tasteof the Highlife overseas.
February 3, 2006... HIGHLIFE Breaks is planning a big push into the overseas short-breaks market with an increase in destinations and more competitive pricing. The company, known for its UK holidays, already offers eight international city breaks, including...

The jerk is on you.
February 3, 2006... FEW things in life are certain to cause The Insider to giggle like a naughty schoolboy than inadvertent sexual innuendo. At a press conference at the recent Caribbean Hotels Association Marketplace event in Puerto Rico, SuperClubs executive...

Branching out D own Under.
February 3, 2006... VIRGIN Holidays has reported a 100% increase in year-on-year forward sales for New Zealand this year. The operator has added more product with extra tours, both fully escorted and self-drive, and new properties in the form of lodges and...

Holidaymakers take the Scenic route.
February 3, 2006... SCENIC Tours has reported a 35% year-on-year increase in sales for its New Zealand escorted tours since its extensive product overhaul late last year. The operator has had to reprint 30,000 copies of its dedicated brochure. ...

Emirates adds to portfolio.
February 3, 2006... EMIRATES Tours is to add a further 16 properties to its New Zealand portfolio, bringing the total number offered there to 20. The operator will also move its New Zealand programme online within the next couple of months to showcase its...

Trade prepares for travel awards night.
February 3, 2006... THE sixth annual New Zealand Travel and Tourism Awards will take place on February 6 at the London Aquarium and will be presented by television personality Nick Knowles. Sponsored by Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand, the awards set...

ways to go beyond the capital.
February 3, 2006... YOU'VE booked clients to the cities, so now sell them holidays to the rest of the country. Central Europe is a popular city-break destinations with places such as Vienna, Prague and Budapest attracting more and more visitors every year....

the holidaymaker.
February 3, 2006... Chris Burn, 42, and her husband Keith, 47, took children Samantha, 12, and Steven, 14, to Sunny Beach in Bulgaria for 14 nights last August. They stayed in thethree-star Hotel Pomorie, booked through Balkan Holidays. They made the booking at...

Romania push.
February 3, 2006... Training events are being planned for agents as Romania secures its foothold in the UK. The Romania National Tourist Office is working with operators such as Peltours, Nielson, Inghams and Cox and Kings to increase the trade's awareness of...

Centralwings hopes to see double for '06.
February 3, 2006... NO-FRILLS carrier Centralwings plans to more than double the amount of passengers it carries this year. So far it said it has carried 715,000 passengers, of which 337,000 were on scheduled flights and the rest on charters. This year,...

Sixt motors into CECTA.
February 3, 2006... GERMAN car-rental group Sixt has joined the Central Europe Countries Travel Association. CECTA chairman Terry Coates said the move comes as it becomes easier to book flydrive holidays across the region. He said: "Members are reporting an...

Features.
February 3, 2006... Kirker adds warsaw as city-break option Kirker Holidays has introduced Warsaw in Poland to its city-break programme for 2006. Three nights' bed and breakfast at thefive-star Le Royal Meridien Bristol starts at [pounds sterling]422 per...

Egg bids to poach agents.
February 3, 2006... INTERNET bank Egg has become the latest company outside the industry to target travel call-centre staff. Egg took out a full-page advertisement in Travel Weekly last week, offering staff a starting salary of [pounds sterling]25,000, with...

Shining examples.
February 3, 2006... The achievements of women in travel, tourism and hospitality will be celebrated at the 2006 Shine Awards this month. About 80% of travel agency employees are women, and yet you only have to flick through the pages of Travel Weekly to see...

Plenty of room for romance.
February 3, 2006... If you are looking to put some steam back into your love life, then where better to head than Italy? The home of pasta, Prada and passion, the country has more sexy hotels than its hot blooded men have had romantic trysts. Whether...

Songs for lovers.
February 3, 2006... IF there's a whiff of le fromage around, point your nose towards TW2's CD collection. We went to the Vive La France show at Olympia last week, which showcases everything French and came back with something so cheesy, not even the camembert...

A potion for passion.
February 3, 2006... IF your other half is lacklustre in the love department, a new hotel brand has a secret weapon that could put the passion back. It may have been originally mixed by Benevento monks, but today, New Hall - a manor house in the West Midlands -...

Valentine's hideaways.
February 3, 2006... WHETHER your client wants to seduce an old flame or add some spark to a burgeoning romance, there are plenty of romantic hotel breaks on offer for the Valentine's season. Here is our round-up of three of the best breaks on offer to put the...

Olympic's luxury extras.
February 3, 2006... OLYMPIC Holidays has added four new destinations to its luxury holiday Gold Collection 2006 brochure. Turkey, Tunisia, Bulgaria and Egypt's Red Sea Riviera have all been included with three, one, two and seven properties respectively. ...

Need a morale boost?
February 3, 2006... CHANNEL 4 is looking for travel companies to appear on a new show aimed at improving staff morale, performance and customer service. Featured companies will go under the spotlight of a business expert who will identifywhere the company...

Douglas McHugh.
February 3, 2006... We are the official hotel of London Fashion Week which is great fun and a great advert for us. There are lots of hotels in the area so it's nice for them to choose us. The people in the fashion industry can be a little bit excitable but...

ABTA's six take a bow.
February 3, 2006... HISTORYwill be made this year when six of ABTA's 11 council of regions' representatives step down after six years in their jobs. It's the first time so many council of regions roles have come up for election in one year, according to trade...

'Push the red button for profit'.
February 3, 2006... THE travel industry has been urged to jump on the interactive TV bandwagon made popular by reality shows such as Big Brother. Speaking at technology forum Toward Europe's first meeting of 2006, advertising guru Graham Hawkey-Smith said the...

News.
February 3, 2006... WANTED: regional chairpeople for Greater London, southern, eastern, South Wales, northeastern, and Northern Ireland regions Job description: chair five regional meetings annually plus represent your region at five council of regions...

ABTA gets political.
February 3, 2006... Consumer protection and changes to travel insurance policies to cover acts of terrorism topped the agenda at ABTA's annual get-together with MPs. Lee Hayhurst reports ABTApresident MartinWellings has called on...

Web shopping fails consumer.
February 3, 2006... OPODO head of user experience Tanya Lidstone said online travel retailers must offer a better shopping experience than the high street. Lidstone said more information about the hoidays searched for would increase the public's confidence in...

Offline is vital to branding.
February 3, 2006... ONLINE travel agents have been warned an over reliance on a pay-per-click search engine marketing strategy could damage their brands. Advertising agency Smarter Communications managing partner Graham Hawkey-Smith said focus group research...

News.
February 3, 2006... SPECIALIST cruise agent Traveland of Glamorgan has become Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' latest top-selling Viking member. Director Carol George said:"Our business has been growing recently, mirroring the increased popularity of cruising." The...

Phenix system proves hot stuff.
February 3, 2006... TRAVEL Counsellors has had its best January on record with sales up 18% on last year, according to managing director Steve Byrne. In the first three weeks of January, the company has already made sales of [pounds sterling]15.3 million,...

Trade set for bookings surge.
February 3, 2006... AIRLINES and tour operators dealing with Egypt, Turkey and even Libya are expecting a surge in last-minute travel enquiries as the March 29 total eclipse approaches. The path of the eclipse passes from west Africa through the Libyan Sahara...

Travel Counsellors in Contact.
February 3, 2006... TRAVEL Counsellors has launched a new customer database system to give agents the ability to manage their clients more effectively. The Contact Centre system is being rolled out to the homeworking company's consultants this month, enabling...

Wooing high-street vital for expansion.
February 3, 2006... TRAVEL Counsellors is confident it will employ more than 700 agents by the end of 2006 following its fourth recruitment webcast last week. The homeworking giant, which now has 585 consultants, was expecting more than 100 potential new...

New deals section boosts bookings.
February 3, 2006... FLEXIBLETRIPS has seen a 40% increase in bookings this year following the introduction of a Deals of the Day section on its website. The new section was introduced following agent feedback, is updated daily and includes regional departures....

MyTravel bucks trend.
February 3, 2006... MYTRAVEL Airways improved its flight punctuality last summer by almost 8%, bucking a trend by most UK charter airlines towards longer flight delays. Latest figures from the Civil Aviation Authority show First Choice Airways was the most...

SuperDealz in Brazil.
February 3, 2006... THOMAS Cook has launched its budget SuperDealz programme for the second year running following demand from customers. Brazil features for the first time as the operator targets growth of up to 25%. Director of product and planning Tony...

Gold Medal adds US product for 2006/07.
February 3, 2006... GOLDMedal Holidays has launched its America and Canada brochure 2006/07 with increased coverage of Florida, New York, California, Nevada, Texas and New Mexico. General sales manager Jill Martin said the move was in response to growing...

Cruise popularity soars.
February 3, 2006... NORWEGIAN Cruise Lines (NCL) has increased the price of ex-UK cruises out of Dover to the Baltics by as much as [pounds sterling]300 due to high demand. The move comes during the busy early year wave period for bookings. NCL says it is on...

Abu Dhabi woos UK trade.
February 3, 2006... ABU Dhabi is to target the UK as its prime market following the opening of its first overseas tourism office in London this week. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, a government-funded body created 14 months ago, was set to bring a 15-strong...

Features.
February 3, 2006... Around my manor (the thoroughly gentrified borough of Dulwich), there aren't many reminders that gritty south London is just around the corner. However, there is one thing no amount of yummy mummies and organic delicatessens can disguise - the...

Concorde pioneer dies.
February 3, 2006... Robert Macdonald, the agent who brought Concorde to Liverpool, has died aged 72. Macdonald joined Compass Travel on leaving school and went on to become managing director of MD Travel inLiverpool. In 1979 he organised the first chartered...

How Avis got its Globe back.
February 3, 2006... THE great Grosvenor House Globe award theft has finally been solved. If Avis wondered where its priceless Globe award went after the euphoria of scooping the prize last month, The Insider can reveal what happened. A certain fellow...

Madonna fans get into the TW2 groove.
February 3, 2006... THE Insider always knew Travel Weekly's women's lifestyle supplement, TW2, was a sure hit with our readers. After all, when we invited agents to sign up for their own personal copy of the industry's best-read supplement, we had more than...

'She isn't an able seller'.
February 3, 2006... I'M a homeworker for a Co-op division and also left a manager's position to take up homeworking with no client base at all. Yes, there is no dispute the hours you put in as a homeworker are longer, but you also need to be able to sell. To...

Taste of honey for Thomson.
February 3, 2006... THOMSON has signed up with loyalty card Nectar to become its exclusive points provider for high-street holiday sales. The operator and agent has been supplying holidays as rewards to the scheme since Nectar was established in September...

'Not a soft option'.
February 3, 2006... Homeworking is not a soft option but you make your own decisions about what to sell, don't have directional selling and your product knowledge develops as you need to look at all possibilities. I have a great rapport with my fellow team...

'Homeworkers are not quitting'.
February 3, 2006... I have been a homeworker for a number of years and believe it is a good career choice. However, it is not an easy one and takes time and commitment to be successful. You should go into homeworking with your eyes open - certainly not with the...

Aboard with the star sailors.
February 3, 2006... IFYOU'VEbeen on a Princess Cruise in the last six months there was just a chance you may have bumped into a familiar face off the television. The Carnival-owned cruiseline enlisted six celebrities to experience the glamour and glitz of a...

'Sales support was the worst I've ever had in a job'.
February 3, 2006... I'm an ex-homeworker for the Co-op and I must agree with the letter from a disgruntled homeworker (Travel Weekly, January 27). I worked for Holiday Now and was told at the interview that people were earning [pounds sterling]25,000 to...

Cendant's mini-bond.
February 3, 2006... ADIVISIONof US travel giant Cendant has brought out a bonding scheme for small and medium-sized agents and tour operators. Bastion Surety is offering a Mini Exposure Bond covering the mini-ATOL category of [pounds sterling]10,000 to [pounds...

What the doctor ordered...
February 3, 2006... Q. Where and when did you go and which ship were you on? A. I went over Christmas and New Year around Asia and Australia for two weeks on Diamond Princess. Q. Did you have any concerns orpre-conceptions about cruises? A. I always...

'We have a model that works'.
February 3, 2006... I was sorry to read the anonymous letter from a Co-op homeworker (Travel Weekly January 27). It is a bold decision to move from salary to commission only. But at Travel Counsellors. we know if you have the necessary ingredients, we have a...

'It's worth the hard work'.
February 3, 2006... I HAVE been a homeworker for more than eight years with Phone and Fly. I had no customer base when I started and at times it has been a hard slog, but I have never earned as little as [pounds sterling]50 or even [pounds sterling]150 in an...

'It's the best thing Iever did'.
February 3, 2006... Within my company (Travel Counsellors) you are able to start with an existing base of clients, either as a personal travel counsellor or as a telesales counsellor. You are given leads in which to build up a successful client base. I...

Educate the masses.
February 3, 2006... If many people in the travel industry are confused about the implications of the latest twists in the bonding debate, what about the customer? Does the average holidaymaker really understand the difference between ATOL, ABTA and various...

'I agree; I was better off in an office'.
February 3, 2006... I am an ex-homeworker for the Holiday Now section of the Co-op, and I would like to voice my thoughts about the letter about the company (Travel Weekly January 27). I have to agree the promise made at the interview stage - an amazing...

'I earn more now'.
February 3, 2006... IN reply to last week's letter, I too am a homeworker for the Co-op travel division, Travel Now. Homeworking is the best thing that ever happened to me. It is all about putting in the hours, being genuine and of course asking for the sale every...

Eos without loads of concern.
February 3, 2006... BUSINESS-class carrier Eoshas dismissed doubts about its survival after reports that some flights are operating with only one in five seats sold. Industry figures who have flown with Eos between Stansted and New York have told Travel...

Cyprus acts on bird flu threat.
February 3, 2006... CYPRIOT authorities have reacted quickly to minimise any threat to tourism following confirmation of a case of avian flu in the north of the island. European Commissionofficials announced the discovery of the disease this week among...

'Run for cover,' warns AAC.
February 3, 2006... ATOL providers have taken a sideswipe at ABTA for abandoning the role that made its name. The Association of ATOL Companies said it is "alarmed" at the decision to allow ABTA travel agents to bypass ATOL rules over dynamicpackaging and...

NCL get tough on payments.
February 3, 2006... NORWEGIAN Cruise Line is writing to agents setting out when it will collect deposits and balances following last year's collapse of Cruise Control. UK general manager Francis Riley said the entire industry was reviewing how it works with...

ABTA ditches 'liability link'.
February 3, 2006... ABTA is to cap its operator members' bonds to three times their annual subscription to reduce the level of overall risk it carries if an agency goes out of business. The move means ABTA will no longer have unlimited liability in the event...

It's down to you.
February 3, 2006... SWEEPING changes to ABTA's role will put the onus on travel agents to tell consumers whether the holiday they book is financially protected or not. The association announced results of its review this week which will reduce its consumer...

Let's get the message right.
February 3, 2006... So has ABTA come up with the answers the industry is looking for? Well I guess it depends on who you are in the sector. Reaction to ABTA's new rulings governing membership, bonding and consumer protection have not surprisingly been mixed. But...

It's very sexy at show time.
February 3, 2006... You can gauge how sexy an industry is in the eyes of the outside business world by the number of IT companies, consulting houses, and management consultants trying to get into it. If this week's Travel Technology and Business Travel Shows are...

Features.
February 10, 2006... 0-5: Oh dear, your knowledge is weaker than the local beer at a two-star all-inclusive in Turkey. Have you any idea what the term all-inclusive actually means? If your clients wanted such a holiday you wouldn't know where to start and would...

Features.
February 10, 2006... US The tradition: chocolate eggs and Easter bunnies have their part to play, but different states have their own ways of celebrating. Lent kicks off with Mardi Gras in New Orleans, then over Easter weekend New York's the place to be. The...

News.
February 10, 2006... If you had the choice, would you rather work from home or in an office? Would rather work at home: 59% Would rather work in an office: 34% Don't mind: 7% For next week's question go to: www.travelweekly.co.uk

News.
February 10, 2006... Cutting the ribbon to officially open the Abu Dhabi's London tourism office are Ali Al Hosani; Mubarak Al Muhairi; His HighnessSheikh Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan; and Khalifa Al Mansouri, allfrom Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority Enjoying the event...

News.
February 10, 2006... Hurricane Heritage hits It may have looked like a quiet week weather-wise, but here in the wild west, Hurricane Heritage hit, leaving confusion and empty coffee cups everywhere. Yes, you know when you've had a visit from Norman...

News.
February 10, 2006... 1. Ensure the company is a well known brand 2. Check transfer cost - for a family this can sometimes exceed the cost of car rental 3. Split the cost of car hire between the number of people in the party, break it down by day and...

Complete Cruise Solution were the sponsors of the Globe Awards' Surfing Sector.
February 10, 2006... Dressed for success, the Kuoni team celebrates winning the Best Travel Trade Website award Host Graham Norton helps Kuoni's Matt Rooke, centre, celebrate his award with Bob Dixon of Complete Cruise Solution Wayne Pearce of Gold Medal...