Travel Weekly (UK) articles from January 2006

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from January 2006

Features.
January 6, 2006... Feeling confident after our first day, we felt ready to take the next step up the Hawaiian surfing ladder and left the shelter of Waikiki to head for Oahu's North Shore. With sheer determination we skirted the island's main tourist...

Cooking up a storm.
January 6, 2006... MORE than 150 top-selling Thomas Cook retail and Thomas Cook Signature staff enjoyed a lunch and party at the Jumeirah Carlton Towers Hotel in London for the company's annual Stars event. Pictured are, from left, Joanna Edmunds, Fraser...

A family trip to the Venetian Riviera.
January 6, 2006... Thomson 217b High Street Both of the consultants were free when I entered the shop but neither of them acknowledged me. When I approached one with my request she gave me a Magic of Italy brochure from the racks and her colleague...

Features.
January 6, 2006... Thomson North America offers seven nights at the four-star Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel, followed by two nights at the four-star Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco on the return journey, from [pounds sterling]989 per person...

Combined strengths.
January 6, 2006... ALEADINGtravel management agent expects to see mergers and acquisitions among Europe's airlines this year. Chambers Travel Management director of sales and account management Fiona Vandersluys said: "We've seen Swiss join Lufthansa and Air...

A brave move in branding.
January 6, 2006... Later this month Thomson will reveal details of a new franchise concept, which I believe could be a major development in the way travel is sold in the UK. We tend to associate the franchise business model with fast food outlets such as...

GDS deregulation may cost you.
January 6, 2006... THE deregulation of global distribution systems could lead to agents facing charges to book flights via GDSs. The European Commission proposes to deregulate the GDSs fully and could do so some time this year. The move would allow GDSs...

Consolidation is way forward.
January 6, 2006... The online travel world is set for consolidation this year, according to Cheapflights director of business development Liz Faherty. Travelocity bought Lastminute.com for [pounds sterling]577 million last year and Faherty believes fresh...

Crunch time for the industry.
January 6, 2006... IT'S a new year, a fresh start and, as tradition dictates, it's time to make tough decisions. No, not the annual vow to burn off those post-Christmas pounds. It's serious this time; this new year's resolution could decide your company's...

Travel industry cottons on to web at long last.
January 6, 2006... AGENTSand tour operators will finally embrace online travel this year, making it the year of the Internet according to PaulRicher, senior partner at travel technology consultancy Genesys. Richer believes the big four will overhaul their...

January sales attract punters.
January 6, 2006... THE trade claims there are initial signs of a boyuant January. Agents said shops had been busy sinceDecember 27 but year-on-year comparisons on aday-to-day basis are skewed because of how bank holidays fell and last year's tsunami. ...

'Airlines will fail in 2006'.
January 6, 2006... The coming year will bring steadier fuel prices but is likely to see at least one airline fail, according to a senior aviation figure. Monarch Scheduled managing director TimJeans said fuel prices should stabilise at around $50 per barrel....

Virgin on the hopeful.
January 6, 2006... THEREis no such thing as an easy year for airlines, and this year will be no different, according to Virgin Atlantic commercial director Willy Boulter. He said: "We'd love to see cheaper fuel, but that might be wishful thinking." Yet...

Recruitment companies look forward to good 12 months High hopes for 2006.
January 6, 2006... STAFF on the lookout for new careeropportunities, pay rises and job changes are in line for a bumper year as companies look to expand. The prediction from recruitment company senior executives follows a relatively lean 2005 as firms...

New year looks bright for pay.
January 6, 2006... PAY levels are set to rise this year as companies look to stand out from their industry rivals, say experts. Executives from the recruitment sector have said salaries should be on the moveagain after several years of staying still. ...

of the best hotels for romance.
January 6, 2006... VALENTINE'S Day is on the horizon and it is time to show clients your trump cards. Customers know they can book a dull airport hotel through agents, complete with easy motorway access and early-morning transfer buses. But let's face it, that's...

Romance in all the right places.
January 6, 2006... STUCK for a special holiday idea? Take inspiration from your colleagues in the trade. Whether it was the scene of a proposal or a wedding, four operators name their most romantic spots in the world. Fred Harrison, weddings ...

All you need is love...
January 6, 2006... SO February 14 is around the corner and across the country lovers' thoughts are turning to how to spoil their special someone. Operators hoping to make the most of the celebration believe short breaks make the perfect romantic gift. ...

Dynamic sales to increase in 2006.
January 6, 2006... ADVANTAGE expects commission cuts to make dynamic packaging the focus for independent agents this year. The consortia's managing director John McEwan conceded the majority of business would still be carried out with conventional business...

Features.
January 6, 2006... Embassy Leisure Breaks offers a Valentine's singles night on February 14 with a bucks fizz and canapes reception, buffet and disco at the Ramada Tunbridge Wells from [pounds sterling]60 per person. Other packages include a two-night 'Kiss and...

Big spenders head to Greece.
January 6, 2006... THE Greek islands are beginning to attract higher-spending clients as new and refurbished hotels come on stream. Louis Hotels is upgrading nine of its 15 properties with the most extensive change happening at the Louis Corcyra Beach on...

GB to fly direct to Rhodes.
January 6, 2006... BRITISH Airways franchise partner GB Airways will be the first scheduled airline to fly direct to Rhodes when it launches twice-weekly flights this May. The services will operate every Wednesday and Saturday out of Gatwick between May 3...

Libra adds cruise-and-stay product.
January 6, 2006... LIBRA Holidays has expanded its Greece programme with a cruise-and-stay product plus new properties in Mykonos. The specialist operator - which launched its 2006 brochure last month - said demand for Greece is as strong as ever. "The...

Be a winner with Freedom Flights.
January 6, 2006... Charter seat-only company Freedom Flights is offering agents the chance to win a place on a weekend incentive to Marbella. Any agent booking with the company by March 31 can register at Freedomflights.co.uk to take part in the promotion....

A STEP in the right direction.
January 6, 2006... A dedicated meetings area for the online travel market is being introduced at this year's Spanish Travel Exchange for Professionals trade fair, STEPS2006. Online companies will be able to arrange 20-minute one-to-one appointments with...

Revival of the fittest.
January 6, 2006... LET'S get one thing straight, there's more to Corfu than the Irish pubs andall-day breakfasts of Kavos. In fact, you'd be hard pushed to find them anywhere else on the island. Once a haven for lager louts, the island has finally shed its...

Features.
January 6, 2006... portaventura gets a new private beach PortAventura has landscaped its own private beach for the exclusive use of the residents of the Hotel Caribe Resort and the Hotel PortAventura. The beach, opening in summer 2006, has bars, restaurants...

A taxing time in the Balearics.
January 6, 2006... Car-rental companies, tour operators and industry bodies are putting pressure on the government of the Balearic Islands to rethink its plans to introduce a tax on car hire on the islands. Widespread lobbying has already persuaded the...

Features.
January 6, 2006... The Balearic Islands is not the only destination considering taxing its tourists: Rome outlined plans last autumn to impose a tourist tax of @1 to @3 to hotel bills to help maintain its crumbling national monuments. City leaders in...

Features.
January 6, 2006... A popular misconception about Hawaii is that it's just one island. In fact there are 132 of them. Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean - equidistant from Japan and the US - it's the most isolated archipelago in the world. Each of the six...

Riding the waves off Waikiki shores.
January 6, 2006... As we paddled together through the balmy turquoise water, Stuart said: "Remember, sharks can smell a single drop of blood from more than a mile away." My friend since childhood was trying his hardest to scare me witless. Moments earlier...

What's the alternative?
January 6, 2006... It's not all about two weeks on a sunlounger. Faced with intense competition in the package holiday market, Spain's tourism officials have been promoting alternative ways for Brits to spend a holiday in the country. A spokesman for the...

Eftichiou: 'use the web'.
January 6, 2006... MIDCONSORT Travel Group chief executive Charles Eftichiou expects this year to be better than 2005, but warned agents they must embrace the web to grab their share of the market. He said he thought overall holiday sales would increase by...

Operators put agent training on agenda.
January 6, 2006... WHEN asked to do a spot of crystal ball gazing on what's in store for the industry, operators were tight-lipped on the subject of commission levels. For them, they agreed, this year will be characterised by staff training and less reliance on...

Sitting really pretty.
January 6, 2006... So the 12 days of Christmas have passed, the decorations have come down and suddenly your home is looking bare. If you're looking to inject a fresh look into your home, log on to Andrewmartin.co.uk. This funky interior design company...

Top-spec specs just for experts.
January 6, 2006... LET'S face it, anything that gives you a modicum of cool on the ski slopes is welcome. But as much as we like these new 'Thin Air' sunglasses from North Face, with a price tag of [pounds sterling]150 they are for serious skiers only. The...

Features.
January 6, 2006... IT'S just too tempting - all those goodies you've had your eye on for months are now in the sales. With news luxury department store Harvey Nichols is opening up in Bristol, there's never been a better time to combine a spot of retail therapy...

One&Only way to banish the blues.
January 6, 2006... YOUR calorie count has topped your annual salary, all you want is a quiet night in and the joy of giving has long gone now you've seen your credit card bill. Yes, Christmas is well and truly over and it's back to work. Thankfully TW2 is...

Time to start studying.
January 6, 2006... AGENTS who wonder if selling safaris is for them are well advised to start finding out as much as possible. Having spent two days with Africa Safari Club in the Kimana Game Sanctuary in Kenya, I can safely say this is a product that's...

Don't forget to add on safaris.
January 6, 2006... AGENTS are losing out on valuable commission by not selling safaris to customers before they travel to Kenya. African Safari Club UK sales and marketing manager Daniel Sykes said around half of his customers do not book a safari before...

Are you game for it?
January 6, 2006... KENYAN prices are set to fall after a tripling of capacity but one specialist operator to the country is confident exclusivity will maintain its value. Following security concerns in Nairobi and Mombasa in May 2003, most operators were...

Get your teeth into selling Kenya.
January 6, 2006... DENTIST'S and optician appointments offering savings of up to 50% will be available from the new year in Kenya. African Safari Club director of operations and administration Frank Neugebauer said the clinics should be open by February next...

Climbing Kilimanjaro in 2006 programme.
January 6, 2006... Climbing Kilimanjaro, lessons in how to track wild game and Nile cruising in Egypt are all being added to African Safari Club's UKprogramme for 2006. Director of operations and administration Frank Neugebauer said both the climbing and...

With a Lotto luck you could be flying.
January 6, 2006... THIS time next week, you could be a millionaire, thanks to our sponsor Freedom Flights. Once again, the airline is giving every single Globes guest a National Lottery ticket for the draw on the night of the awards. As well as that, one...

Silversea: 'Triton must be realistic'.
January 6, 2006... THEnew Triton Travel Group may have to reduce the number of luxury cruiselines it deals with if it is to achieve better terms for its members in 2006, according to Silversea vice-president of sales and operationsTrudy Redfern. The...

Improved inventory to boost cruise sales.
January 6, 2006... Island Cruises marketing director Andy Furlong said as the inventory improves more and more agents are looking to cruise, which he said will offer high commissions and value for money for the foreseeable future. He added that the industry would...

EU backs right to fly for disabled.
January 6, 2006... EUROPEAN anti-discrimination laws have been extended to give more rights to disabled travellers flying within the EU. Members of the European Parliament have approved rules that mean passengers cannot be refused travel on the grounds of a...

Forecast: smooth sailing.
January 6, 2006... NEW ships, a focus on single travellers and an increasing diversity of product will ensure 2006 is a great year for cruising, according to one specialist agent. With the Passenger Shipping Association expecting an additional 210,000 Brits...

Discount policies will wane in 2006.
January 6, 2006... TRAVELagents will discount less heavily this year as cruising becomes more popular and the early-booking message gets through to consumers. NCL general manager Francis Riley said its fluid pricing policy means brochure lead-in prices have...

Niche cruise needs trade.
January 6, 2006... Having read the cruise industry's review of commission payments (Travel Weekly December 9), I thought it worth pointing out it has always been our policy to reward sales with commissions to match. Agents are very much an integral part of...

Night full of gold stars.
January 6, 2006... DON your glad rags, get your hair done nice and put on your dancing shoes. The Travel Weekly Globe Awards take place next week and representatives from all industry sectors will be battling it out to win one of our coveted golden Globe...

Rivals stand divided on e-ticket benefits.
January 6, 2006... KEITH Prowse Attraction Tickets has vowed not to develop e-tickets for theme parks, claiming they represent a return to unpopular vouchers. The claim follows rival Seligo's launch of e-tickets for Walt Disney World (Travel Weekly December...

The best ideas will come first.
January 6, 2006... WHETHER it's a new piece of technology, a concept that has really captured the minds of the holiday-buying public, or an initiative to increase sales, there are lots of people in the travel industry who are full of good ideas. The Travel...

Something for all in fun-packed evening.
January 6, 2006... ONCE the awards are over, we have plenty of entertainment to suit all tastes. Avis, once again, is supporting the disco featuring our own specially selected celebrity DJ, which gives everyone the opportunity to let their hair down on the...

Poll shows we need educating.
January 6, 2006... ALMOST one-third of travel agents undertake educationals in their own time, according toa survey by global distribution system Amadeus. The poll of 185 leisure and business travel agents revealed 30% have to go on fam trips in their own...

Birthday treats for Keith Prowse.
January 6, 2006... KEITH Prowse Attraction Tickets is launching special early-booking offers and revamping an enlarged portfolio as it celebrates 15 years in the trade. The ticketing specialist has negotiated 15 special offers to mark its anniversary,...

Counsellors' December earnings up 7%.
January 6, 2006... TRAVEL Counsellors' homeworkers earned 7% more money last month compared with December 2004, despite it traditionally being a difficult month. The group's sales for the first 20 days of December rose by almost a third, from just over...

A First for activities.
January 6, 2006... FIRST Choice is getting in on the action by putting the best of its activity holidays in a new Discover brochure. The operator has chosen 39 holidays from First Choice-owned companies in its activity sector. The holidays, in five...

Plantings seeds of recovery.
January 6, 2006... THE Travel Foundation is giving visitors the opportunity to plant trees in Sri Lanka. Backed by the Association of Independent Tour Operators and Sri Lanka's Responsible Tourism Partnership, the Trees for Life scheme promotes trees with...

Features.
January 6, 2006... New Year's resolutions are hard work. And chances are if you made any, like me, you've already broken them, adding guilt to the anticlimax of no more mince pies for another 12 months. So this year I'm thinking beyond the old classics of...

Pax Travel targets agents.
January 6, 2006... A TOUR operator specialising in pilgrimage holidays is looking for more agents to sell through. Pax Travel managing director Philip Dean offers around 60 religious tours in his 2006 brochure, but focuses on tailor-making trips for...

Thomson faces franchise limits.
January 6, 2006... THOMSON'S new franchising store plans will be subject to stricter rules than franchises in other sectors because of ABTA's bonding and financial procedures. To meet ABTA criteria, holiday payments will continue to be made to Thomson...

'There may be trouble ahead'.
January 6, 2006... HARVEY World Travel managing director John Donnelly has warned Thomson its move into franchised stores is not guaranteed to be a success. He said franchising is not straightforward as franchisees need a range of support, including human...

'Low-risk' approach to high-street power.
January 6, 2006... THEBritish Franchise Association has backed Thomson's move as a win-win situation for both the travel giant and the franchisee. The BFA is a membership organisation of more than 400 franchise companies, including Harvey World Travel. It was...

Two sarongs make a right.
January 6, 2006... THOMSON shops could stock sarongs and suitcases in future following a successful trial of sales of ancillary holiday items. A pilot launched at the end of November in shops in and around York has already shown sales of holiday products such...

American tan, anyone?
January 6, 2006... THOMAS Cook has got itself out of a tight spot by changing its policy on leg wear for female staff. Agents had complained the company's insistence that female employees wear only 16-denier flesh-coloured tights in the winter was unfair....

Gone, but not forgotten.
January 6, 2006... AS the light fades over the Andaman Sea, dissolving the sky into a delicate kaleidoscope of colours, it is difficult to imagine the horrendous losses of a year ago. The tsunami claimed more than 5,400 lives in Thailand alone - with 2,817...

Added satisafction with Thomas Cook.
January 6, 2006... I am writing to thank Thomas Cook and to say how impressed I am with the way it handles additions to bookings. In November, I booked three clients on a golfing stag week to Vilamoura and was advised there may be more people added at a later...

Operators seem to lack common sense.
January 6, 2006... We have just received our new Thomson agency agreement, and it's not worth the paper it's written on. A letter received with it states the agreement is valid from January 5 2006, yet the agreement we are asked to sign says: "This agreement...

When an offer looks too good to be true...
January 6, 2006... A warning to all travel staff when booking travel agent offers; they aren't such good value when things go wrong. On a one-week trip to the Maldives with Sri Lanka Airlines, the flight was diverted via Dubai and meant us missing our...

Response teams 'top priority'.
January 6, 2006... THE Foreign and Commonwealth Office's rapid deployment teams had their busiest year in 2005, attending 17 incidents starting with the tsunami. Created to provide help for tourists caught up in disasters and terrorist attacks, the teams...

Lets Go theft leads to security review.
January 6, 2006... LETS Go Travel has tightened security after a staff member stole [pounds sterling]26,100. Cindy Streets, 21, was jailed for 12 months at Exeter Crown Court last week. Streets, who ran the Exeter branch's bureau de change, took the money to...

Not always convenient.
January 6, 2006... UK convenience stores have trialled franchising with both Somerfield and Budgens offering stores to independents. Budgens has more than 80 former corporate stores now run on a franchise basis, with a commitment to switch its entire estate...

Monarch legal wait.
January 6, 2006... MONARCH Airlines has vowed to take legal action against a drunk passenger on a flight from Manchester to Tenerife last month if police decide to press charges. Greater Manchester Police is investigating whether to charge David Wilson, from...

'Little fish' bites back.
January 6, 2006... TRAVEL agent Nicola Henry has reported Thomson to the Office of Fair Trading and the Advertising Standards Authority, claiming its latest television adverts are misleading. Henry has taken issue with Thomson's [pounds sterling]1.6 million...

You must book early.
January 6, 2006... BOOK early. That's the message agents need to tell clients amid warnings not every customer will get the holiday of their choice this year. Operators have cut capacity by 2% this year, with the number of holidays just 1% above 2005 sales,...

Making a case for good service.
January 6, 2006... nyone joining the travel industry on aprofessional basis does so - if you excuse the pun - with a lot of baggage. Going on holiday is the most important time of the year and any agent or group that makes that experience more or less memorable...

What's in store, Thomson?
January 6, 2006... It is also fascinating to join a sector with so many similarities to its grocerycounterpart. Take Thomson's storefranchising plans. How successful this will be rests on how well it demonstrates to potential franchisees that this is a viable...

Explore back in saddle for another 25 years.
January 13, 2006... ADVENTURE travel specialist Explore is celebrating its 25th anniversary in style with a new office and new faces. After 15 years in Aldershot, Explore has moved to larger premises in Farnborough, Hampshire. The operator also announced...

Winners take all at Globes 2006.
January 13, 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.
January 13, 2006... IF you go to the Montenegro website, the first thing that comes up are the words 'Where is Montenegro?' It's a question that probably challenges most minds, not because the country is particularly small - although it is - but because until...

LA gives thanks.
January 13, 2006... LA Inc: The Convention and Visitors Bureau, Los Angeles World Airports, and the Port of LA hosted a joint dinner in London to thank trade partners for their continued support of the US city John Green, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, lines up...

Disney characters.
January 13, 2006... Leger Holidays entertained 60 travel agents on two separate educationals at the end of last year. The lucky bunch travelled with Eurostar from London Waterloo direct to Disneyland Resort Paris for a two-day pre-Christmas experience Making...

News.
January 13, 2006... The funeral of the policewoman shot dead by raiders outside Bradford agency Universal Express took place on Wednesday. A horse-drawn carriage carrying PC Sharon Beshenivsky's coffin began its journey outside the family-run business where the...