Travel Weekly (UK) articles from July 2007

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from July 2007

Change is a necessary evil.(Comment)
July 6, 2007... Anyone who finds themself without a job could do worse than consider homeworking There has been much huffing, puffing and finger-pointing this past week in response to the news that up to 3,000 jobs could go as a result of the Thomas...

will cover go under?(News)
July 6, 2007... All sales of holiday insurance will be regulated by the Financial Services Authority from 2009. Ian Taylor considers the cost and time implications for the trade "If it takes 30 minutes to fill out the paperwork, no one will do it" ...

Montenegro or bust...(Departures)
July 6, 2007... The former state of Yugoslavia is enjoying a renaissance and with a mountainous interior and tranquil coastline, it practically sells itself. Emily Ashwell reports Not since the 1970s has Montenegro been so hot. It ws once one of the...

News.
July 6, 2007... % of uk adults who hired a car on their last holiday, by region 1 London 21% 2 Midlands 17% 3 South 9% 4 Northwest 11% 5 Yorkshire 10% 6 Wales and West 8% 7 East of England 8% 8 Northeast 5% 9 Central...

News.
July 6, 2007... top 10 attractions 1) London Eye, London 2) Tower of London, London 3) Eiffel Tower, Paris 4) Musee de Louvre, Paris 5) Colosseum, Rome 6) Anne Frank House, Amsterdam 7) Musee d'Orsay, Paris 8) State...

News.
July 6, 2007... time to set up swaps? A travel agent has called for the trade to set up localised brochure swap services to reduce wastage. Greenstar Travel director Martyn Fisher said around 25% of the brochures in his shop are recycled because they...

News.
July 6, 2007... racking up the worth of in-store brochures Travel agencies need to ensure they are not treated as brochure book shops by making better use of fewer brochures, according to Haslemere Travel managing director Andrew Brownrigg. He said...

News.
July 6, 2007... Will technology and environmental concerns change the role of the traditional holiday brochure? Travel Weekly chaired a debate with leading trade figures to find out their views. Juliet Dennis reports Is print running out of value? ...

News.
July 6, 2007... 'Agents: take stock of supplies' Agents and operators are being urged to trust each other to ensure the success of a Green Brochure Charter. BP Travel Marketing Services has signed up 27 tour operators and 84 travel agents for the...

Star Cruises makes move for UK clients.(News)
July 6, 2007... More itineraries geared towards western market expected in 2008 programme Kelly Ranson Asian cruiseline Star Cruises is expected to announce more itineraries for the UK market when it launches its 2008 programme later this month. ...

Crystal adds cruises for 2008.(News)
July 6, 2007... Luxury operator Crystal Cruises has launched its 2008 brochure, which includes 10 new destinations as well as a return to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. The 162-page Worldwide Cruise Atlas has 61 itineraries, ranging from...

Harp Wallen riding wave alongside PSA.(News)
July 6, 2007... Harp Wallen Executive Recruitment has joined the Passenger Shipping Association as an associate member. The cruise sector has accounted for around 20% of the travel recruitment company's business so far this year and managing director...

Mauritius gives Costa fresh offer.(News)
July 6, 2007... Costa Cruises will be the first cruise operator to depart from Mauritius, with its new programme launching in December. The company expects to carry 11,000 passengers during the season. Costa Marina will offer six 14-day cruises throughout...

News.
July 6, 2007... in brief Regent offers unique trips Regent Seven Seas Cruises has launched a collection of "unique and intriguing" itineraries for 2008. The Masterpiece Series features 24 cruises ranging from nine to 115 nights. Regent hopes the...

Ocean Village slashes prices.(News)
July 6, 2007... Cruiseline knocks hundreds of pounds off brochure deals to promote July departures on its two ships Kelly Ranson Family-friendly cruiseline Ocean Village has slashed its prices by 50% on some key summer holiday departures. The...

TW Cruise Club in RCI podcast.(News)
July 6, 2007... Members of Travel Weekly's Cruise Club are to appear in Royal Caribbean International's first podcast, part of the company's online training programme. Ultimate Destinations managing director Alan Haynes, Americas4u director Andrew...

ABTA reveals new logo.(News)
July 6, 2007... ABTA has unveiled a new logo to go with its change of name from the Association of British Travel Agents to ABTA, highlighting the fact that it is a travel association. A spokesman said the updated image reflected changes in structure...

Advantage unveils strategy.(News)
July 6, 2007... Consortium plans to forge longer-term deals with selected operators and foster agent specialisation Juliet Dennisjuliet.dennis@rbi.co.uk Advantage plans to introduce longer-term commercial deals with key tour operators and increase the...

News.
July 6, 2007... Budget motoring can cost you dear All this talk of protecting your business from fraud, but what about protecting customers when it comes to 'deductions' from credit cards? After searching the Internet for cheapish car hire while...

News.
July 6, 2007... A suspect bag at Heathrow's Terminal 4 caused a five-hour closure on Tuesday after most UK airports had returned to normal following the weekend bomb attacks. Private cars remained banned from most terminal forecourts, with BAA...

Agent admits charges.(News)
July 6, 2007... An independent agent based in the southwest has admitted obtaining more than [pounds sterling]30,000 from customers by deception. Gillian Dennis, 49, who operated from Barnstaple in north Devon, admitted obtaining property by deception when...

Flood victims cancel holidays.(News)
July 6, 2007... Agents in flood-hit parts of the country have been struck by a wave of holiday cancellations and altered bookings by customers unable to leave their homes, despite the wet weather leading to improved sales elsewhere. Freedom Travel Group...

Elite plans recruitment blitz.(News)
July 6, 2007... The Elite Travel Group, formerly Midconsort Elite Travel Group, plans an autumn blitz to poach rival agents. The consortium, which dropped the Midconsort name to represent members outside the Midlands, will distribute flyers among agencies...

Blastland at TUI helm.(News)
July 6, 2007... First Choice Mainstream Holidays managing director Dermot Blastland will head the new TUI Travel's UK and Ireland operations following the merger between the TUI and First Choice groups. The prospectus for the merger was published last...

Hodge gets tourism.(News)
July 6, 2007... Margaret Hodge MP has become the new tourism minister following a reshuffle at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport under incoming Prime Minister Gordon Brown. She replaces Shaun Woodward, who has been named Northern Ireland...

'Tourists ignore attacks'.(News)
July 6, 2007... International visitors won't be put off coming to Britain following the latest bomb attacks, according to UKinbound chief executive Stephen Dowd. He conceded there may be a "marginal decline" in visitors initially, but insisted long-term...

Brits defy threat of terror to escape rain.(News)
July 6, 2007... Holiday sales are far from a washout despite security alert "Shops are saying the security alerts over the weekend have not deterred customers" Juliet Dennisjuliet.dennis@rbi.co.uk The trade reported a pick-up in sales this week...

News.
July 6, 2007... First Choice, TUI, Thomas Cook and Jewel in the Crown have been identified as the companies fined by ABTA's code of conduct committee for displaying misleading prices on websites. The committee sat two weeks ago after ABTA promised a...

Thomson Cruises opts for Liverpool sailings.(News)
July 6, 2007... Exclusive Thomson Cruises will sail out of Liverpool next year as demand grows for easier access to embarkation ports from customers in the north. The operator will base Thomson Celebration in the port in October 2008, offering three...

Travelzest profits looking up.(News)
July 6, 2007... Online travel group Travelzest reported a profit of [pounds sterling]1.7 million for the first half of the year, marking a significant recovery from the same period in 2006 when the company lost [pounds sterling]1.3 million. The value of...

News.
July 6, 2007... Chilly response from Cresta Can anybody tell me if there is anyone actually working in the BCT customer relations department? If you go on the Cresta website and look under 'frequently asked questions' it states a postal ande-mail...

Marine utopia on the way.(News)
July 6, 2007... Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Doth Kevin Ivie (of 1st4cruising.com) talk with forked tongue (Travel Weekly, June 22)? A little over a year ago on these pages Travel Weekly printed a letter of mine relating to discounting by tour operators to...

News.
July 6, 2007... Forgive us our bi-polar disorder I cannot believe that a respected publication such as yours would actually quote Alan Haynes at Ultimate Destinations saying that he "has customers booked to view polar bears in Antarctica." (Travel Weekly,...

News.
July 6, 2007... Princess has abdicated... Princess Cruises is not showing fairness in the compensation it is offering on a cancelled cruise. On April 14 I booked a31-day cruise from Sydney to San Francisco for my wife and myself, sailing in March...

These girls need therapy.(Departures)
July 6, 2007... Louise Scott reports on a luxury evening at Harrods, where agents got to kick back and indulge in Pangkor Laut's Malaysian spa treatments YTL Resorts invited 24 UK travel agents to sample treatments from its luxury private-island spa...

Step into holistic heaven.(Departures)
July 6, 2007... It's time to treat body and mind to some serious pampering, but where do you start? facts If a list of spa treatments reads as if it was written in another language, that's because it probably is. Get your head around the ancient...

Maureen.
July 6, 2007... There's always the odd one who looks forward to a dose of diarrhoea to shed a few pounds Hard to swallow Food poisoning is like a visit from a mother-in-law: it arrives unannounced, stays far too long and ruins your time off. When food...

Cosmos programme is no Distant Dream.(News)
July 6, 2007... Cosmos Holidays has launched its specialist brochure Distant Dreams for 2007/08 with a choice of new resorts, hotels, safaris, tours and cruises. The programme has been enhanced to offer a broader range of holidays in exotic locations so...

Kids' meal cards come to London.(News)
July 6, 2007... Sales and representation company Connect-Worldwide UK is in talks with agency groups to sell its Kids Eat Free meal cards as it launches the product for London restaurants this summer. The company is also considering launching the card,...

News.
July 6, 2007... Free rooms Egypt Hotels in the Red Sea resort of El Gouna, Egypt, are offering agents and tour operators free rooms plus discounts on spa treatments and at health clubs. The offer is valid until October 31. For more information visit...

'Brochures are dying out'.(News)
July 6, 2007... Cosmos figurehead says 'print on demand is the future in bucket-and-spade market' Juliet Dennisjuliet.dennis@rbi.co.uk A leading tour operator has predicted the end of mainstream holiday brochures by 2010, and their replacement by...

Barking mad?(News)
July 6, 2007... It is official - men are bigger worriers than women. Well, on the subject of deep vein thrombosis they are, anyway. According to a survey by YouGov, 37% of people are worried that DVT may spoil their summer holidays. However, 42% of...

Honesty is the best policy.(Skillzone)
July 6, 2007... You might be tempted to tell a lie on your CV to secure a good job, but you could end up in serious trouble. Linsey McNeill reports If you're thinking about applying for a new job and are tempted to stretch the truth a bit on your CV, you...

Skillzone.
July 6, 2007... What was your first job? A trainee legal executive at a West End law firm. What was your first job in travel? A management consultant, doing software development. A local agent, Stewart Hall, came to me with a single-user...

Internships are the path to success.(Skillzone)
July 6, 2007... Jo Gardner reports on how work experience can increase your chance of securing a full-time job case study Anna Stedman is near to completing a one-year placement with Argo Holidays "I'm studying a four-year travel and tourism...

Skillzone.
July 6, 2007... Bolton-based consolidator Flightdeck has announced its new sales and marketing executive is Vicky O'Brien, who rejoins the company after two years away from the travel industry. Karen Tippett has been named as Virgin Holidays' new head of...

A man of the people.(News)
July 6, 2007... This week's profile from our Agent Excellence Awards is Chris Vince, from Amex's Birmingham call centre, who won the Best Business Travel Manager in the Midlands/East of England category Most people who win one of the Travel Weekly Agent...

News.
July 6, 2007... Chris Tarrant is supporting the US state of Arkansas to promote it as a major fishing destination for Brits. The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host visited Arkansas as part of an organised trip with specialist operator Anglers World Holidays....

Agent provocateurs.(News)
July 6, 2007... Island Cruises unites with Jongleurs jokers, and narrowly avoids rocking the boat What do you get when you cross a comedy club with a group of travel agents? A night of laughter with Island Cruises, that's what. Last week the...

Kuoni drives more traffic with better connections.(News)
July 6, 2007... Kuoni is driving more bookings online after allowing access to real-time product information and an enhanced booking capability. The company, which stopped using viewdata to sell its holidays at the end of March, has improved its...

Cyber shopping gets Easier.(News)
July 6, 2007... No-frills airline creates website to help users package from its range of products Karl Cushingkarl.cushing@rbi.co.uk Low-cost carrier EasyJet has launched a website aimed at the package holiday market. Until now the company has...

Superbreak revamps site.(News)
July 6, 2007... Superbreak has overhauled its agents website in a bid to drive more bookings online. The updated Superbreak.com/agents site, which was due to go live yesterday, features a revamped homepage, video previews of West End shows, and more...

A Day toremember.(The Big Interview)
July 6, 2007... Car hire might not be a sexy sector, but Angela Day liked it so much she and her husband set up their own company. Lisa James discovered how she copes with life in the fast lane "I have a 6ft-tall Czech nanny who lives with us...she's like...

Cruising.
July 6, 2007... Island stands up in the name of comedy Island Cruises treated more than 200 agents to a night of laughter to celebrate the launch of its tie-up with comedy chain Jongleurs. Throughout the summer, comedians will be performing two nights...

Departures.
July 6, 2007... Everything you need to know for the week ahead Homepage: Budget Rent-a-Car has enhanced its trade website to make it easier for agents to make bookings. The company's trademark blue and orange dominate the design. Latest offers are...

News.
July 6, 2007... late news Advantage board confirmedAdvantage members Nick Marks, of Baldwins Travel, and Roderick Thompson, of Regent Travel, have been re-elected to the board to represent leisure members. The positions had been contested by Ray Tyler of...

'Package at your peril'.(News)
July 6, 2007... New guidelines mean agents will have to exercise caution in DIY bookings that lack consumer cover Ian Taylorian.taylor@rbi.co.uk Government guidance on the definition of a package holiday will substantially tighten controls on...

Insurance at a price.(News)
July 6, 2007... FSA regulations will increase cost of policies sold by travel firms, admits Treasury "Price is key in travel insurance, so companies have looked to reduce levels of cover" Ian Taylorian.taylor@rbi.co.uk Regulation by the Financial...

Delays on the cards.(News)
July 6, 2007... Passengers told to prepare for heightened security following terrorist attacks Ian Taylorian.taylor@rbi.co.uk Passengers should prepare for heightened security and possible delays at UK airports throughout the summer following the bomb...

News.
July 6, 2007... Southwest winners put on the style Thornton's Travel Service and Fast Track Holidays triumphed at Travel Weekly's Southwest and Wales Agent Excellence Awards this week. Bristol-based Thornton's won awards in the agency innovation and...

First ChoiceThomas Cook STA Travel.(Mystery Shopper)
July 6, 2007... Unit 1, 99-105 Friar Street, Reading The outside of the shop seemed a bit grubby: handwritten signs were amateurish and poorly punctuated. The door frame had paint peeling off at the top. Two assistants, both dressed in uniform and...

Columnists.
July 6, 2007... Byline: Danny RogersEditor of PR Week Act now for prosperous future More bad publicity for Ryanair, EasyJet and Thomas Cook this week, as it emerged the Office of Fair Trading was losing its patience over their 'misleading pricing...

Package holidays are changing.(News)
July 6, 2007... Byline: John Hardingsales and marketing manager, Hotels4U.com This summer the package holiday market will change beyond recognition - that seems to be the consensus reached at the recent Triton and Institute of Travel and Tourism...

'Skilled staff will find jobs'.(News)
July 6, 2007... Merger employees urged not to ditch the travel industry Emily Ashwell Travel recruitment companies are urging staff who may be made redundant by Thomas Cook/MyTravel to stay within the industry, warning a mass exodus could lead to a...

Train breaks are back on track.(Departures)
July 6, 2007... Some have been settings for films others are architecturally stunning. Will Gray reports, not only on great train journeys, but where they begin The golden age of train travel may seem long gone, but a quick check of the specialist...

DTI logo blunder sets shredders a-whirring.(News)
July 6, 2007... Goodness knows, the trade has waited long enough for Department of Trade and Industry guidance on what now constitutes a package holiday for the purposes of consumer financial protection and ATOL cover. The guidance had been promised early...

TW2.
July 6, 2007... have a thrilling summer Summer is here and with thrills and spills aplenty, UK theme parks are a great place for a family day out. Here's what's new this season. If your children can't wait for the latest Harry Potter doorstopper,...

Columnists.
July 6, 2007... "I like to relax by the pool with a book but I usually end up drinking too much white wine" The world according to... Ben Fogle, TV presenter and travel writer How many holidays do you take a year? Far too many. My job is...

Delta loses in game of Texas Hold'em thanks to YouTube.(News)
July 6, 2007... Kevin MayTravolution editor Visitors to the Travel Weekly and Travolution blogs last week will probably have seen an incredible piece of video footage. A passenger on a flight to Dallas-Fort Worth used a camcorder to record an...

Departures.
July 13, 2007... Since the introduction of the Skyscanner programme, agents have been able to incorporate low-cost airlines into their dynamic packaging bookings. However, with so many carriers emerging on to the scene, it can be tough keeping up with who goes...

Departures.
July 13, 2007... J13-DP-Insurance By Jo Gardner Having maxed out on a holiday, shelling out more can be daunting enough without paying for something you may not use. But with so much potential to go wrong, insurance is one extra that shouldn't be...

Departures.
July 13, 2007... Twice voted most liveable city in America, Pittsburgh has transformed from smoking, belching, roaring town of steel to one of the US's most cultured cities. In the early 1900s, men would take two shirts to work because their collars would be...

Analysis.
July 13, 2007... Academics are becoming concerned that with all the hype about carbon footprints, the travel industry will forget about the other equally important aspect of responsible tourism: such as bringing much needed income to some of the poorest...

News.
July 13, 2007... Field marketing specialist The Network plans to launch an auditing service for consumer magazines in newsagencies and supermarkets. The business, which started out auditing brochures in travel agencies, plans to introduce a service called...

News.
July 13, 2007... p19 could box out Jane Dyson's four key messages on running a successful business 1. Believe in yourself Jane Dyson started her career as a counter clerk for Intasun Holidays for [pounds sterling]2,400 a year, which in her words...

News.
July 13, 2007... To be successful in business means "not having your cake and eating it", according to The Network managing director Jane Dyson. Speaking at an Association of Women Travel Executives' lunch, Dyson said she had been forced to make sacrifices...

News.
July 13, 2007... 1. EasyJet 2. Ryanair 3. Multimap 4. aa route planner 5. Holidays 6. Google Earth 7. Thomas Cook 8. Train times 9. Expedia 10. Cheap flights 11. Cheap holidays 12. AA 13. AA route finder...

News.
July 13, 2007... Regions within which people are most likely to take a holiday Source: Lastminute.com/Holiday Autos 1. Midlands 2. London 3. East of England 4. Yorkshire 5. South 6. Wales and West 7. North West ...

News.
July 13, 2007... 1. National Rail 2. Transport for London 3. TheTrainline 4. National Express 5. Virgin Trains 6. First Great Western Link 7. Hertz 8. Eurostar 9. Eurotunnel 10. Avis Europe

News.
July 13, 2007... 86% - the proportion of meeting planners who don't think the smoking ban will affect seminar/meeting times 80% - the proportion of meeting planners who think conference delegates will still light up in non-smoking venues 46% - the...

News.
July 13, 2007... How did you get into the travel industry? Twenty-two years ago, when my daughter was five, I wanted to return to work and I was recommended for a job with Avis. I moved from operations to sales and stayed with the company for seven years...

News.
July 13, 2007... The 2007 calendar year started off with such great promise after the turbulent times of 2006. By and large January and February were good trading months, with bookings up all round. However, the market tailed off badly in March, April...

News.
July 13, 2007... Costa's joint venture Costa Cruises has formed a marketing partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board to highlight the cruiseline's presence in Asia this winter. There will be joint marketing initiatives, and product awareness seminars...

News.
July 13, 2007... Kelly Ranson Ocean Village launched its 2007/08 brochure this month, with expanded itineraries in the Mediterranean next summer and a new cruise out of Montego Bay, Jamaica. Agents will receive point-of- sale kits including posters of...