Travel Weekly (UK) articles from July 2004

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from July 2004

A real zest for rural life.
July 5, 2004... Clients can get a different flavour of Cyprus on an agro-tourism holiday How do you like these oranges?" said Sofronis, as he led us into the depths of the grove. We stared in awe at the heavily laden trees and, invited to pick some, we...

hotel check; Tochni village houses; Tochni, Cyprus.
July 5, 2004... Where is it? Tochni Village is 10 minutes' drive inland from Governor's Beach on the coast and about 20 minutes' drive from Limassol. Larnaca Airport is 40 minutes away. 4444 What's it like? The rustic rooms are either...

Short and simple.
July 5, 2004... DEMAND is rising for short breaks to Cyprus as operators continue to offer flexible alternatives to the standard seven and 14-night holidays. Amathus, Argo and Olympic have all reported an increase in three-night breaks, particularly for...

Hoteliers aid recovery.
July 5, 2004... Cyprus is emerging from a disastrous 2003 but recovery is still slow, according to operators. While some are reporting signs of business picking up into the peak season, others have admitted the overall picture is poor. Amathus...

Brochures to steer clear of north zone.
July 5, 2004... UK operators say they are unlikely to feature northern Cyprus in the near future, despite holidaymakers on the island being sold day trips across the border. Hopes of introducing the Turkish-controlled zone to 2005 programmes were dashed...

news in brief.
July 5, 2004... golden sun offers early-booking deals Golden Sun's 2005 preview brochure, available later this month, features early-booking discounts and 'two weeks for the price of one' offers for holidays to Cyprus from August 29-September 22 2005. It...

The long goodbye.
July 5, 2004... There's more to parting company with your employer than handing in your notice and planning a leaving party. Lisa James reports YOU'VE finally managed to get out of the job you hate. You've written your resignation letter, you've worked...

'Future is no-frills'.
July 5, 2004... ABTA president John Harding has predicted EasyJet may be prepared to distribute through agents if load factors of the low-cost carriers continue to decline. "Once load factors dip below 80% there will be a change in how no-frills carriers...

Phuket Air takes flight on UK route.
July 5, 2004... FORMERThai domestic airline Phuket Air took to UK skies for the first time last Thursday when it made its inaugural flight between Gatwick and Bangkok. The carrier, established in 2001 as a regional Thai airline, launched into Europe's...

of the best breaks in Jersey and Guernsey.
July 5, 2004... THE two main Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey are generally thought to be more suited to summer holidays for families and off-peak breaks for older visitors. While both sectors are undeniably big earners, the islands can also cater for a...

news in brief.
July 5, 2004... premier's web sales Premier Holidays has introduced an online booking facility for the trade. Agents can book air or ferry-inclusive packages and accommodation-only deals with instant confirmation. To register, e-mail...

Younger market drawn to Jersey.
July 5, 2004... Low-costs aid island's appeal JERSEY Tourism is attributing a small drop in the average age of visitors to the rise in low-cost flights to the island this year. On March 28 Bmibaby launched daily flights from Manchester with one-way,...

Jersey in bid to educate agents.
July 5, 2004... JERSEY Tourism is planning a fresh wave of educationals in the autumn to encourage more agents to see the island first-hand. The tourist board co-hosted around 240 agents with key operators in the first six months of this year and is hoping...

Blinding truth.
July 5, 2004... WE was robbed. Did you see the Asda advertisements that offered a free eye test if you could produce a Swiss passport? It's a good job we've got a sense of humour, or we'd all be looking for tall buildings to jump off. Yet again England...

Care is in the contract.
July 5, 2004... Guest Columnist Andrew Morton BYLINE: Guest Columnist Andrew Morton

Diary Dates.
July 5, 2004... JULY 6ITT Summer Barbecue, Westminster Boating Base, London. Tel: 08707 707 960. E-mail: events@itt.co.uk. 7AITO General Meeting, Vintners Hall, London. Tel: 020-8744 9280. 7South Wales ABTA Regional Meeting, St David's Hotel,...

Would you like fries with that?
July 5, 2004... YOU'D never think it by looking at him, but new Air Miles boss Chris Jansen has something in common with bad-boy rapper Eminem. No, it's got nothing to do with a penchant for bling or a love of chainsaws - more the fact that they've both...

Wombling free.
July 5, 2004... If last resort remembers rightly, The Wombles proudly used to boast they would make good use of the things that they find. So God only knows what poor old Uncle Bulgaria (that's the moth-eaten one in the middle, by the way) will be up to...

He's nuts about his future bride.
July 5, 2004... What is it about aviation and love? No, we're not talking about the 'two sunburnt lardy holidaymakers trying to squeeze into the only toilet on a packed EasyJet flight back from Alicante' kind of love. It's the more romantic kind we're...

Sunhotels nets deal with agent.
July 5, 2004... INDEPENDENT agent BowenTravel has agreed to use accommodation-only website Sunhotels.net in return for 15% commission. The 40-agency group has struck a deal with the website, which sells exclusively to travel agents, allowing Bowen's...

Holiday Brokers web deal.
July 5, 2004... TRAVELSCENE has signed a deal with DIY packaging trade website Holiday Brokers to provide city-break hotels under its accommodation-only brand Citibedz.com. Under the deal, agents will be able to book a no-frills flight on the Holiday...

l in brief.
July 5, 2004... Soteri sticks at ITT The Institute of Travel and Tourism has appointed Ande Soteri as commercial manager. She will be responsible for managing the ITT's commercial initiatives including sponsorship. Soteri has been working for the ITT in a...

l in brief.
July 5, 2004... London City increase London City Airport has reported a 12% increase in passenger numbers for the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. Growth has been put down to new routes and matching demands from businesses....

Sabre wins Eaton Travel.
July 5, 2004... GLOBAL distribution system Sabre has won the Eton Travel account from rival Galileo. The GDS has also acquired seven more Uniglobe agency accounts as well as the account for Farnborough-based Phileas Fogg Travel. Eton Travel operations...

l in brief.
July 5, 2004... ABTA insurance call ABTA has sent out 4,500 travel insurance training programme packs to agents, urging them to get qualified as soon as possible. Interested agents should e-mail abtatitp@ttctraining.co.uk or call June Wheeler on 01483 713...

Putting our people first.
July 5, 2004... I write regarding your front page story about Interpol warning that operators, including First Choice, are failing to support rape victims and give them the right advice in resort (Travel Weekly June 28). All our area managers have complete...

Peace of mind comes with our packages.
July 5, 2004... Your story and opinion column, in which Interpol accuses operators of not offering assistance to rape victims, are unfair (Travel Weekly June 28). Holiday reps are not all young, immature youths who just want to spend the summer in the...

Let's employ a bit of quality control.
July 5, 2004... I agree with the comments of Sunday Times journalist Mark Hodson (Travel Weekly June 21) that the national press has focused on Internet booking. It is refreshing to hear that he is being converted to the benefits of using agents. We have...

All delegates have to pay their way.
July 5, 2004... David Speakman is wrong to say ABTA board members get their convention travel and accommodation for free (Travel Weekly June 28). Just like everyone else, they pay for these things themselves. The only concession ABTA gives board and Council of...

Mine's a top job.
July 5, 2004... At our company conference in December, chairman David Speakman announced he was to reward all Travel Counsellors who had sold in excess of [pounds sterling]500,000 during the previous year with the status of 'Gold Travel Counsellor' and we got...

A jumbo-sized problem.
July 5, 2004... I saw only recently your excellent article comparing the two new 'jumbos' (Travel Weekly May 24). Chris Tarry is right to say that whatever extra space may be available, operators will do little other than squeeze in more seats. But he...

His talk is cheap.
July 5, 2004... Richard English's tirade against non-attending, whingeing agents would be more credible if his company, as an ABTA Travel Industry Partner, did not receive a reduction in the cost of the annual convention. ABTA membership does not come cheap,...

Show me the money.
July 5, 2004... Last week's story on Travel Counsellors focused on the top earners but failed to indicate what 75% of the homeworkers earn (Travel Weekly June 28). If the top 25% earn an average of [pounds sterling]25,538, what do the bottom 25% earn? ...

Avro axes Ibiza after poor sales.
July 5, 2004... IBIZA has been dropped from seat-only operator Avro's newly launched summer 2005 programme due to lack of sales. Commercial and aviation director Michael Vinales said it was the only destination that had been scrapped. "It was just not...

on the move.
July 5, 2004... Claire Perry has been appointed manager of Forward Travel, Redditch, part of Midlands Co-op Travel. Perry began her travel career seven years ago as a trainee at Midlands Co-op Travel in Redditch. Emirates has appointed Denise Holmes as its...

Thomson signs Sky TV deal.
July 5, 2004... THOMSON has signed a seven-figure deal to sponsor Sky News weather after claiming the brand would be "lost" if it backed a high-profile TV series. It is the first time the operator has ventured into long-term TV sponsorship and comes after...

Trade site for All of America.
July 5, 2004... ACCOMMODATION and tours specialist All of America has launched a trade website, offering agents 11% commission. The site links the company to several US wholesalers and automatically finds the lowest price. It is loaded with more than 2,500...

Everything must go.
July 5, 2004... OPERATORS to Greece and Cyprus have been forced to offer heavily discounted flight-only product to cater for the rising number of travellers wanting to package their own holidays. Olympic Holidays' flights to the Greek Islands dropped as...

Shall we get a room...?
July 5, 2004... Operators are cashing in on the trend forself-packaging, with an increasing number now offering accommodation-only product IF someone comes into your agency to book a flight, it's likely they'll also need a roof over their head. Tour...

news in brief.
July 5, 2004... Cosmos flights adds taba Cosmos Flights is flying to the Red Sea resort of Taba for the first time for summer 2005, with fares from [pounds sterling]299 on Monarch. The Taba addition gives the operator a total of 31 destinations for next...

Cabin fever.
July 5, 2004... Do your clients need more legroom? Try these for size SIZE really does matter when it comes to flying - a few extra inches of legroom will guarantee a more comfortable journey. But seat pitch isn't the only thing to consider when choosing...

Freedom in regions boost.
July 5, 2004... Operator set to expand services for next year to meet growing demand Nottingham East Midlands and Glasgow. New destinations this summer include Orlando, Sharm el-Sheik in Egypt, Lisbon and Athens. To support its expanded programme,...

Share options.
July 5, 2004... There are plenty of opportunities for agents to tap into the time-share market news for travel agents. The first RCI survey of its 200,000 members revealed that, in addition to visiting their time-share properties, time-share owners...

Travelscene goes live with new Citybedz site.
July 5, 2004... TRAVELSCENE'S new accommodation-only website has gone live, offering rooms in more than 100 cities. Prices start at [pounds sterling]18 per person for one night in Istanbul, including breakfast, for travel in November or December. There is...

sample seat-only fares.
July 5, 2004... First Choice is offering Manchester to Alicante with First Choice Airways from [pounds sterling]195 including taxes and meals in peak season. Flights depart from Manchester and Alicante in the early morning. MyTravel offers flights from...

Currency.
July 5, 2004... SPOTRATES Argentinian Peso5.403 Australian Dollar2.602 Brazil Real5.616 Canada Dollar2.423 China Yuan15.077 Cyprus Pound0.8681 Denmark Krone11.104 Euro1.493 Egypt Pound11.316 Hong Kong Dollar14.152...

World weather.
July 5, 2004... key c=cloudy; dr=drizzle; f=fair; fg=fog; r=rain; sh=showers; th=thunder; sn=snow; s=sunny midday readings [degrees]F[degrees]C Alicantes9334 Amsterdamf7021 Athenss8831 Aucklands5714 Bahamasf9032 ...

Having a ball.
July 5, 2004... The Caribbean Tourism Organisation held its annual prestigious Caribbean Ball at the Dorchester Park Lane. Guests partied into the early hours in true Caribbean style Ready to party are, from left, Simon Burgess, Curaco Tourist Board;...

bump it up.
July 5, 2004... Liz Howe, a civil engineer in her thirties, has owned three time-shares for at least eight years - in the French Alps, the Costa del Sol and Fuerteventura - but she actually prefers to travel long haul. "I'm so busy with work I don't often...

Hit the spot.
July 5, 2004... Occasionally you might find yourself with a spot or two and need some help getting rid. This blemish wand from Botanics not only helps shrink spots with willowbark, burdock and rosemary, it also incorporates a light liquid concealer to disguise...

there's no escape from the mystery shopper In association with.
July 5, 2004... The target Nottingham Nottingham A self-catering break in Corsica with motorbike hire A self-catering break in Corsica with motorbike hire Travelcare 3 Beastmarket Hill This was a nice, bright agency although...

Jersey japery.
July 5, 2004... More than 200 travel industry representatives attended the Jersey Workshop, Jersey Tourism's second biennial trade conference Rescue me! Pictured are, from left, Dawn Pinson, Jersey Tourism; Jackie Isham, TravTel International; and Richard...

City slickers.
July 5, 2004... NYC and Company held a dinner in London at Rhodes Twenty Four for UK tour operators Pictured are, from left, Zia Bapuji, United Vacations; Helen Swaffer, Getaway; Tim Crofts, Travel City Direct; and Tara Nixon, Circle Line Sightseeing...

Overhaul at Carnival.
July 5, 2004... CARNIVAL UK has undergone a restructure following recent rapid growth. Managing director David Dingle said the company had doubled in size since he took the role of MD at P&OCruises four years ago. As a result, operational aspects of...

Talking shop.
July 5, 2004... Keep your window display up to date and stay ahead of the game. Juliet Dennis reports Take a good look at your travel agency shop window - does it jump out at you? Would it inspire you to go on holiday, or is it simply a jumbled...

Giving Counsel.
July 5, 2004... Travel Counsellors enjoyed a weekend at the Four Seasons Hotel in Limassol with its top Gold agents, joined by sponsors Royal Caribbean, Avis and Cyplon Kirsten Hughes, Travel Counsellors, left, chats to Bambos Charalambous, Four Seasons...

opinion.
July 5, 2004... Selling intangibles through retailers requires skill, knowledge and a pin-sharp point of view - delivered with the clarity and immediacy retailers of 'in the bag products' don't necessarily have to achieve. Add to this a worldly and...

CTTGoperator scheme falters.
July 5, 2004... THE Co-operative Travel Trading Group has admitted its 'operator of the month' scheme has failed for the first time. For June, Thomas Cook only achieved single-digit sales growth through the five Co-op groups within CTTG instead of the...

ABTA to do it on the quiet.
July 5, 2004... A GUNG-HO approach to lobbying is not the way to tackle the Government which largely ignores the overseas market, ABTA president John Harding has warned. He told members a more productive method is to take a softly softly approach and...

l in brief.
July 5, 2004... Fraud crackdown ABTA has assured members that procedures are in place to protect the association against fraud from within the organisation. President John Harding also described the suspension of a former member of staff over fraud...

Flybe expands regional offering.
July 5, 2004... NO-FRILLS airline Flybe has introduced three new domestic routes for this winter. The airline has avoided expansion in more challenging markets such as Spain, Germany and London for this winter. From October it will compete with...

Agents targeted by Hapag-Lloyd.
July 5, 2004... NO-FRILLS airline Hapag-Lloyd Express has launched a concerted bid to court the UK travel trade. In an unusual move for a no-frills carrier, the TUI-owned airline has launched a dedicated trade section on its website offering agents a flat...

l in brief.
July 5, 2004... Air Canada tie-up Air Canada has signed a five-year contract with E-Travel, part of Amadeus, for a new technology system to power its website. The booking engine will be used for consumer and agency sites and offers fares across classes,...

Travel companies on Top Track.
July 5, 2004... BTI parent company Hogg Robinson has been named the UK's fourth biggest private company. In the Sunday Times KPMG Top Track 100 league table, the Farnborough-based travel management firm was knocked off the third place it achieved last...

Maybe John was right...
July 5, 2004... So, the Air Travel Insolvency Protection Advisory Committee reckons the Government will only be motivated to legislate on consumer protection when a major failure prompts it into action. Its conclusions are an embarrassment for the Civil...

No room for bigots.
July 5, 2004... Congratulations to VisitScotland for kicking bed and breakfast owner Tom Forrest out of its quality assurance scheme after he refused a gay couple a double room. Despite insisting he was not prejudiced, Forrest's homophobia became more...

Training Solutions.
July 5, 2004... P&O Cruises and Cunard Line. "We are working with more agents than ever. An increased sales force means we are able to give agents more support and we are definitely seeing an upturn," he said. The manual - which also covers Princess...

BA says it pays to go through agents.
July 5, 2004... BRITISH Airways senior manager of industry affairs Martin Ryan has admitted it is "not necessarily" cheaper to book BA flights direct rather than through a travel agent. Speaking at the Government's Transport Committee meeting last week...

FAILED.
July 5, 2004... THEGovernment has been condemned for failing consumers on holiday protection due to its "inaction and inertia". A leaked excerpt from the annual report of the Air Travel Insolvency Protection Advisory Committee - obtained by Travel Weekly...

Rise of travel e-tailers.
July 5, 2004... less packages on offer." The pace of growth among online companies was enormous, she added. "It didn't surprise me conventional tour operators have pulled back, but the extent of the rise for the electronic companies was surprising."...

A winter of content.
July 5, 2004... THIS winter showed signs of the first recovery in the market since the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The latest Civil Aviation Authority figures revealed increased passenger numbers for winter 2003/04 - the first rise for any...

Butlins to spend [pounds sterling]19m on upgrade.
July 5, 2004... BUTLINS is to invest [pounds sterling]19 million this year to improve services across its three resorts and attract new holidaymakers. The spend includes [pounds sterling]10 million on a 160-room seafront hotel for 640 guests in Bognor...

Bookings open for ABTA Convention.
July 5, 2004... BOOKINGS will begin this week for ABTA's Orlando Convention. Up to 1,800 delegates are expected to attend, with board members able to register from today and general bookings opening on Wednesday. ATP International have again been chosen to...

Push to gain late bookings.
July 5, 2004... ADVANTAGE Travel Centres has launched a late-booking campaign for this month with selected operators. The move follows a poor market in June, with just a few weeks to go until schools break up for the summer. Members have been urged to take...

Appeal to go 'the BAway'.
July 5, 2004... BRITISH Airwaysis looking to boost staff morale with a new communication plan between workers and management. The carrier is also asking for support from staff and customers to help with cuts on operating costs. Its operating profit margin...

ABTA gets domestic.
July 5, 2004... ABTA has recruited former TTC Training managing director Barry Butler to persuade more domestic operators to join the association. Butler will work on a consultancy basis with the primary aim of forming close dialogue with sectors currently...

Court moves back to Gold Medal role.
July 5, 2004... DIANE Court has rejoined Gold Medal Travel just days after losing her job with online flight consolidator Cyberes. Court, sales director at the doomed company, has returned to Gold Medal in the new role of national sales manager, eight...

CTi secures future.
July 5, 2004... THE Travel Company is targeting the north of England after its rapid acquisition of Corporate Travel International. CTi, a division of crashed company Cyberes, was bought by London-based The Travel Company for an undisclosed sum just days...

Euro Disney given month's reprieve.
July 5, 2004... DISNEYLAND Resort Paris owner and operator Euro Disney has been given a month's reprieve on its debt payments while lenders agree a rescue plan. Last week, the company said lenders had approved an extension of its debt covenant waivers...

Eurostar poised for profit return.
July 5, 2004... EUROSTAR expects to return a profit for the first time in 2009, writes Sarah Thomas. The cross-Channel service has been dogged by crippling charges to Eurotunnel, representing 40% of its turnover, and has remained a loss-making company...

Losses continue for Excel.
July 5, 2004... A [pounds sterling]1.8 million investment in promoting its website has led to increased losses for Excel Airways as it battles overcapacity and increased fuel costs. The deficit for the six months to April 30 rose from [pounds sterling]6.5...

Speedferries to snub PSA.
July 5, 2004... LOW-COST ferry operator Speedferries will turn down membership of the Passenger Shipping Association as part of a dispute with rival operators over a "dirty tricks war". The Dover-Boulogne fast-ferry service, which launched in May, said it...

Guesthouse owner outed.
July 5, 2004... VISITSCOTLAND has severed links with a bed-and-breakfast owner who refused a gay couple a double room. The tourism board has asked Tom Forrest, who runs the three-star Cromasaig in the northwestern Highlands of Scotland, to leave its...

Euro defeat kick-starts a recovery.
July 5, 2004... WHILE England's defeat in the Euro 2004 football championships plunged most of the nation into despair, some of the trade claim it may have sparked a market comeback. Just days after the England team was knocked out, some operators and...