Travel Weekly (UK) articles from March 2005

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from March 2005

there's no escape from the mystery shopper In association with.
March 4, 2005... The target Edinburgh wanted A week to 10 days in Tunisia, including a mini camping safari British Airways Travel 32 Frederick Street There were only a few brochures on display and I couldn't spot any for Tunisia. I...

A bag of tricks.
March 4, 2005... Essential kit to keep you ahead of the pack Molton Brown luggage This range of luggage is new for spring and includes olive-stone grey leather and marshmallow-pink nubuck suede and leather in three different ranges - the city life and...

They don't belong.
March 4, 2005... Open letter to Martin Wellings, ABTA: I have effectively seen ABTA taken over by tour operator members, who should not be in the organisation as they are not travel agents. Then I've seen the withdrawal of commission by airlines...

there's no escape from the mystery shopper In association with.
March 4, 2005... The target Edinburgh wanted A week to 10 days in Tunisia, including a mini camping safari British Airways Travel 32 Frederick Street There were only a few brochures on display and I couldn't spot any for Tunisia. I...

Diary Dates.
March 4, 2005... March 8 Agent Achievement Awards, Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. E-mail: franciszka.ozog@kingley.co.uk. 8-9 ASPIRE, the ITT's conference for industry newcomers. Britannia Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool. Tel: 0870 7707960. 10 Guild of...

'Economics and technology drive the market'.
March 4, 2005... I despair at the coverage and slant commentators sometimes give about comments I have made about the 'death of the package'. So to put the record straight this is what I really think, and why it is economics, and technology, not emotion or...

Stub it out.
March 4, 2005... It's national No Smoking Day next Wednesday and workplaces across the UK are being urged to take part. Beverley Fearis reports Smoking in the workplace costs businesses money. According tothe latest statistics, smoking accounts for 34...

Not in our universe.
March 4, 2005... A client phoned us for a quote for a family holiday to Turkey with Cosmos. We priced the holiday at [pounds sterling]4,308 and the client then informed us she had been quoted [pounds sterling]4,108 by the operator. We matched the offer...

The empire strikes back.
March 4, 2005... EVERYBODY knows that Tunisia doubled up as Tatooine in the Star Wars trilogy, but Hollywood was actually the latest in a long line of invaders drawn to Tunisia's shores over the centuries. Long before package tourists discovered its sandy...

Tried and tested.
March 4, 2005... Record growth expected as UK holidaymakers flock to Tunisia THE Tunisian National Tourist Office is aiming for record UK visitor numbers this year after getting close to 300,000 in 2004 - a 33% rise on 2003. UK director Leila Ben...

Green light gives region eco appeal.
March 4, 2005... CANCUN'S beaches are among three priority areas to benefit from a new responsible tourism project in Mexico. Also included on the project's action list is the preservation of the Riviera Maya's cenotes - freshwater pools popular for...

Site helps agents book conventions.
March 4, 2005... THE Mexico Tourism Board has launched an online tool to help agents booking conventions to the destination. Called Conventions Online, the tool enables bookers to search the different service providers, such as hotels and convention...

sample; product.
March 4, 2005... Kuoni's 14-night Mayan Highlights and Mexico City tour leads in at [pounds sterling]1,461 per person twin-share. The tour includes Chichen Itz. and Merida. All accommodation is three star and is a mix of room-only and bed and breakfast. The...

Spread your wings.
March 4, 2005... The Yucatan peninsula offers plenty beyond Cancun. Try mayan ruins for size WITH its white sandy beaches, balmy sea, swanky hotels and year-round sunshine, Cancun could be just another Caribbean resort. Yet its purpose-built nature -...

Forward planning.
March 4, 2005... Before your clients book, make sure they follow this checklist: Decide whether full, half-board or self-catering would be best. Find out as much as possible about the accommodation. Will the hotel provide a cot? Is there a kettle? Are...

Bourne plans series of UKmega fam trips.
March 4, 2005... BOURNE Leisure is designing a mega fam trip to give agents the chance to sample all three of its key holiday products in the same day. Head of sales Colin Wilson said one projected itinerary for the West Country includes up to 35 agents...

Do the Cancun.
March 4, 2005... The region's 'beach and all-inclusive formula' continues to lure visitors BYLINE: Report by emily williamson OPERATORS are reporting booming sales to Cancun for this summer. According to Thomas Cook the overall market is up 14% year on...

Cultural revolution.
March 4, 2005... THE Mexico Tourism Board is hoping a series of art and film events featuring Mexico will raise awareness of the destination, while bringing its culture to the fore. The National Portrait Gallery in London is currently exhibiting 50...

From adult pleasure to family leisure.
March 4, 2005... To move away from its reputation as the 'Vegas of Africa' Sun City is investing millions into revamping the resort to attract the family market. Paul Nelson reports SOUTH Africa's Sun City resort is in...

Fjord fun.
March 4, 2005... The Royal Scotsman Short breaks remain a key theme for the Royal Scotsman in its new 2005 brochure. The season for the luxury train operator starts on April 30 with the three-night western itinerary, travelling along the West Highland...

Charity efforts.
March 4, 2005... SUN City has invested more than [pounds sterling]1.3 million in its corporate social responsibility programme over the past decade which has included the recent opening of two HIV/Aids hospices. The programme led to the opening of two...

Baby on board.
March 4, 2005... We chose the only rainy day of a week-long stay in Hammamet to take our baby daughter on an organised trip to Carthage, on the coast near Tunis. First stop, rather worryingly, was the Tophet, where the Carthaginians reputedly dragged their...

sample; product.
March 4, 2005... Panorama offers a week half-board at the four-star Aziza Thalasso Golf Resort from [pounds sterling]325 per adult and [pounds sterling]265 per child in May. Panorama charges a [pounds sterling]20 flat fee for under-twos. Thomson has a...

Did you know?
March 4, 2005... n Sol Kerzner, born in 1935 to poor Russian immigrants, founded Sun City in 1979. It now has four hotels, the flagship being the five-star, 300-plus room The Palace of the Lost City Hotel. The resort includes a man-made beach and...

in brief.
March 4, 2005... Oceania Cruises gets Carter for top sales position Luxury cruiseline Oceania Cruises has appointed Bernard Carter as director of sales for Europe. Carter will be based in the UK and has previously worked for Norwegian Cruise Line, Star...

Ryanair set to rule the skies.
March 4, 2005... RYANAIR will add 70 Boeing 737-800s to its fleet by 2012 in a $4.6 billion deal that could see it become Europe's largest scheduled airline. The low-cost carrier also has options to buy and/or lease another 70 of the 189-seat aircraft,...

Travelcare to use new technology.
March 4, 2005... Exclusive Single platform for call centres TRAVELCARE is overhauling its call centre technology to put all its distribution on the same platform. The retail giant will implement Comtec's package holiday system EasySell Web and...

Island hopes for World Cup boost.
March 4, 2005... JAMAICA expects the 2007 Cricket World Cup will help it attract a record number of UK holidaymakers. The country is hosting 12 events - including the opening ceremony and one of the semi-finals - during the six-week tournament in the...

MPs to hear final advice on ATOL rules.
March 4, 2005... The Charter Institute of Marketing Travel Industry Group's latest seminar focused on licencing and airline regulations in the travel industry. Caroline James reports THE Civil Aviation Authority expects to deliver its final advice on...

HOROSCOPES.
March 4, 2005... AQUARIUS (Jan 21 - Feb 19) Avoid stormy waters. Expect the kind of get-togethers that will light up your heart. Your luck: weigh up the pros and cons. PISCES (Feb 20 - Mar 20) A little doubt could prevent you from taking on more...

Jamaica puts faith in trade.
March 4, 2005... JAMAICA has placed travel agents at the centre of plans to increase UK visitornumbers by 7% this year. Jamaica Tourist Board UK and Europe regional director Elizabeth Fox announced plans to launch an agent incentive scheme and online...

'Industry faces skills shortage'.
March 4, 2005... INDUSTRY skills body People 1st is to embark on a radical project which will see educational institutions, the Government and industry employers sign up to a skills framework. All three parties will sign a contract that clearly outlines...

in brief.
March 4, 2005... Royal Caribbean in management restructure Royal Caribbean Cruises has restructured its Miami-based senior management team. Former executive vice-president Adam Goldstein is now president of Royal Caribbean International and senior...

'MyTravel woes forced prices up'.
March 4, 2005... MYTRAVEL'S financial woes have contributed to rising ATOL bonding costs - insurers now see travel companies as "higher risk". That's the message from DeMontfort Insurance Company senior underwriter Roy Brafield, who says start-up travel...

Reality check on regulations.
March 4, 2005... FLIGHT Directors chief executive Paul Argyle offered attendees his '10-point reality check' during CIMTIG's seminar on travel industry regulations. Argyle said travel companies must realise they operate within a regulated industry, adding...

'Agents must test the water first'.
March 4, 2005... WHILE the dynamic packaging argument has raged, agents' focus has been diverted away from the crunch issue of making money from their core skills. The debate over dynamic packaging at the Travel Technology Show and Travel Weekly's own...

CIMTIG event highlights long-haul appeal.
March 4, 2005... CIMTIG seminars will be held on the subject of destinations and on the media in the next two months. 'Destinations - the long and the short of it' is on March 22. The event will be hosted by CIMTIG and Pacific Asia Travel Association and...

Trade slammed for failing to sell Isle of Wight.
March 4, 2005... WIGHTLINKHolidays has blasted agents on the South Coast following disappointing results in a mystery shopper survey. The Isle of Wight specialist complained of 'a high level of disinterest' among retailers when approached about a mini-break...

Harlequin joins with competitor.
March 4, 2005... RIVAL tour operators Harlequin Travel and Complete Caribbean have becomeassociate companies to boost both companies' trade sales in the luxury market. Essex-based Harlequin has four programmes - the Indian Ocean, Caribbean, Europe and...

Trips to Lapland added.
March 4, 2005... COSMOS has added day trips to Lapland from Birmingham and Manchester airports to its Winter Sun 2005/06 programme. The operator now offers a range of one, two, three, and four-night trips to Lapland from Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester...

Read all about it.
March 4, 2005... PREMIER Holidays sales manager for the north Amanda Holberry has hit the road to highlight changes in the operator's second-edition Faraway brochure. As well as a number of special offers, new product includes Fujairah's Le Meridien Al Aqah...

in brief.
March 4, 2005... Argo programme to include BA Club Class seats Argo Holidays will now offer Club Class seats with British Airways as well as charter seats as part of this summer's Greece and Cyprus programme. Selected flights to Salonika, Crete, Larnaca and...

Wales plans Showcase for awards.
March 4, 2005... WALES Tourist Board is planning a second awards scheme as part of an event to showcase the country's potential. The National Tourist Awards and Showcase Wales will be held at Cardiff City Hall from October 18-20 in a bid to boost the...

in brief.
March 4, 2005... TTI conference call The Travel Technology Initiative's spring conference has a host of industry heavyweights lined up to discuss dynamic packaging. Former MyTravel boss and Holiday Brokers chief executive Steve Endacott, Holidayandmore.com...

Specialist to employextra staff.
March 4, 2005... HOMEWORKING specialist Instant Cruise Holidays is trebling its number of advisers following its first year of business. The cruise arm of Future Travel has sold more than [pounds sterling]5 million worth of cruises since its launch in...

Airline throws Excel-lent party.
March 4, 2005... EXCELAirways' office-warming party wasn't a typical travel industry soiree. For one, the president of Iceland ilafur Ragnar Gr[degrees]msson joined more than 100 guests for a glass of mulled wine and a tour of the company's plush new...

Don't sell on price.
March 4, 2005... Having been in the accommodation-only sector for several years, it never ceases to amaze me how in some cases the trade is willing to take the quality of holidays backwards just to get to a specific price point. While tour operators have...

Time to change that booking model, Steve.
March 4, 2005... I must totally agree with Steve Endacott's comments (Travel Weekly February 25) that agents should not unnecessarily reduce their margins when indulging in dynamic packaging. It is time the whole industry, agents and operators, got out of...

Let's unite to fight dual-pricing policy.
March 4, 2005... Well done for highlighting the practice of tour operators having dual-pricing policies. Travel agents have, quite rightly, been up in arms for years about the ever-increasing presence of operators' direct-sell call centre telephone numbers and...

Operator in it for long-haul.
March 4, 2005... Demand for Cosmos Tourama's new programme 20% above target COSMOS Tourama's new long-haul programme is 20% ahead of its target following its launch this year. Sales director Peter Traynor said Cosmos Tourama will increase capacity to...

Parking drives sales.
March 4, 2005... I am always interested to see the results of your weekly Mystery Shopper exercise along with the summary and five top tips on how agents can improve. It is consistently reported there is a significant customer drift to booking holidays on...

in brief.
March 4, 2005... AITO opts for Budapest AITOSpecialist Travel Agents has announced Budapest is the venue for its 2005 overseas conference. The organisation, formerly known as CARTA, said it was currently arranging packages with the Hungarian Tourist Board....

Air Miles ad makes Everyday 'exciting'.
March 4, 2005... THE Air Miles Travel Company is launching a two-month [pounds sterling]5.5 million campaign on Monday showing new and existing customers how to earn points and rewards. 'Everyday to Everywhere' will be its first campaign in three years. It...

Image makeover.
March 4, 2005... People generally don't like journalists. In fact when the public are asked which professions they like and dislike most, we're usually languishing at the bottom of the table, just above estate agents. But for some people, notably chief...

Hey big spenders.
March 4, 2005... Amex poll shows UK business travellers most likely to overspend BYLINE: Report by caroline james BRITISH business travellers are the worst offenders when it comes to overspending on hotel rooms. Research by American Express has...

Sandals socks 'em a big screen prize.
March 4, 2005... EMMAPanebianco from First Choice Holiday Hypermarket in Northampton was the first monthly winner of a JVC 35ins plasma screen television thanks to a major Sandals sales incentive now running in Travel Weekly. She took the highest number of...

SEX-mad agents.
March 4, 2005... BEINGhosed down with fizzy plonk might seem fairly nice when you're up to no good (those bubbles get everywhere). And ready for a quick squirt across the bow of any agent willing to participate in some gratuitous SEX are those nice folks...

Stop cutting out agents.
March 4, 2005... I feel compelled to write to you regarding CTA Holidays. We have a regular client who has booked through CTA Holidays to Northern Cyprus six times in the past three years. The latest enquiry we have received is destined to be their...

Coach crash probe underway.
March 4, 2005... May I clarify your report on the accident involving a Cantabrica coach in Germany (Travel Weekly February 25). Initial claims the coach had the wrong tyres and was travelling too fast have not been confirmed by the German authorities....

Less dynamic, more undynamic.
March 4, 2005... There is nothing dynamic about dynamic packaging. Long term you can only make money out of it if you have enough of a mark-up from the accommodation supplier and the airline, otherwise customers will just use you for information and as a price...

UK prices hit by weak dollar.
March 4, 2005... inbound travel companies have been forced to freeze prices this year as they battle the effects of the weak USdollar. Members of the European Tour Operators Association are predicting a rise in visitor numbers this year, although the...

Top agents join ITT.
March 4, 2005... THE Institute of Travel and Tourism has welcomed 60 of Travel Counsellors' top agents as new members, and celebrated with a special dinner in Manchester. Pictured here is Travel Counsellors recruitment manager Christine Power, centre...

It's for charity...
March 4, 2005... WANTto know whether you've made it in travel? Simply look in your inbox. You can safely consider yourself a big cheese if you've recently received an e-mail from Holidaybreak camping division managing director Matt Cheetham begging for a...

Price cuts helpto stimulate sales.
March 4, 2005... PRICEcuts in the tsunami-afflicted region are beginning to have an effect as visitor figures start to creep back up. Tour operators have slashed prices after they were given discounts by both hoteliers and airlines dealing in the region....

Air India flies into Midlands.
March 4, 2005... AIR India will start flying from Delhi to Birmingham from May 15, increasing capacity to India by 852 a week. The carrier operates from India to Heathrow 18 times a week but is believed to have wanted to launch a Birmingham route since the...

Josephides warns agents.
March 4, 2005... IFagents want to act as tour operators, then they must take on the subsequent responsibilities, according to Association of Independent Tour Operators council member Noel Josephides. AITO has been urging the Civil Aviation Authorityto...

Their lives are no less ordinary.
March 4, 2005... YOU would think those in the trade with experience of running large travel companies would be savvy when it comes to travelling themselves. You'd be wrong, of course. As we all know, managing directors are still ordinary folk at the end of...

Steve made Brighton rock.
March 4, 2005... Brighton's chav brigade lost their prime pulling spot this weekend - when the industry's finest descended on Horatio's barat the end of Brighton Pier. Usually teeming with the Burberry set, the pub was hired out for On Holiday Group boss...

in brief.
March 4, 2005... Fastrooms boosts commission to 17%Room-only trade website Fastrooms.com is increasing agent commission from 15% to 17% for all bookings made and confirmed in March and April. The site features 45,000 hotels worldwide and claims it offers...

PATA plans fam trip.
March 4, 2005... Pacific Asia Travel Association UK chapter chairman Tim Robinson said he could soon be running a trip to Sri Lanka to showpiece the country's recovery and hand over much-needed cash. He said PATA had already collected [pounds...

Global gives 'thumbs up'.
March 4, 2005... GLOBAL Travel Group has pre-empted a cross-region scheme aimed at highlighting which resorts are back in business. The Thai, Sri Lankan, Indonesian and Maldives governments are preparing a 'thumbs-up' global advertising campaign to...

Package deals due for revival.
March 4, 2005... Study predicts future for traditional breaks BYLINE: Report by paul nelson THE traditional package holiday is set for a renaissance, according to a new study. Research covering the next five years predicts the dynamic packaging...

Authoritylays down the law.
March 4, 2005... THECivil Aviation Authority claims its new ATOL guidance will set out in "plain English" what agents can and can't sell. Unveiled to the trade this week, the consumer protection guidelines aim to clarify the law and stamp out packages sold...

Just A Drop continues support.
March 4, 2005... Clean water charity Just A Drop is sending a shipment of 47,000 plastic water bottles to the tsunami-affected region. The charity has raised a total of [pounds sterling]227,055. Hong Kong philanthropist and businessman Eric Hotung has...

Journeys offers new Protection.
March 4, 2005... their customers the agents can make the claim and pass on the compensation. Nor is the customer left empty-handed when going away as details of how to get 24-hour assistance are provided as part of the scheme. Also, because the...

Deadline set for compliance.
March 4, 2005... THECivil Aviation Authorityhas said it will give agents a three to four-month period to organise themselves in line with the new guidelines. The authority is also planning a series of open days to help agents get to grips with the...

Truth site a hit with agents.
March 4, 2005... ONLINE travel agent guide Gazetteers Plus recorded more than three million hits in January, six times more than during its launch month last May. DG&G publishing general manager Simon Ferguson believes the increase shows agents are using...

Trade told 'comply or face jail'.
March 4, 2005... TRAVELagents could face a [pounds sterling]5,000 fine and a jail sentence of up to two years if they don't meet Civil Aviation Authority guidelines. The CAA said the new guidance will lead to increased monitoring of the trade and will...

in brief.
March 4, 2005... Kinnock to talk at ITT Travel Weekly editor Martin Lane will interview Labour Member of the European Parliament Glenys Kinnock at the Institute of Travel and Tourism conference. Following Travel Weekly's campaign against child sex tourism,...

'Olympics? Not in my back yard'.
March 4, 2005... Operators Association found 39% were "very positive" about the 2012 Olympics coming to Europe, with a further 28% "slightly positive". However, 13% said they were "slightly negative". ETOA executive director Tom Jenkins suggested...

Ryanair court case.
March 4, 2005... RYANAIR has been convicted of six breaches of the Consumer Protection Act in Chelmsford Crown Court. A jury has found the low-cost carrier did mislead customers about the price of its flights from Stansted via its website. Earlier this...

Ain't no sunshine...
March 4, 2005... WHILE travel agents may spend most of their days putting sunshine into other people's lives, it seems there is little in their own according to a recent survey. The Happiness Index, compiled by the City and Guilds qualifications board, has...

Brittany pulls out of routes deal with P&O.
March 4, 2005... BRITTANY Ferries has pulled out of plans to take over two Portsmouth-Le Havre routes from P&OFerries, blaming market trends for making the deal commercially unsound. P&OFerries offered the routes to its rival last October as part of...

Move to clarify on carriers.
March 4, 2005... THE Civil Aviation Authority is close to resolving the issue of scheduled carriers not being covered by ATOL regulations. Currently airlines such as Ryanair are able to sell fares direct to customers online. For example, Ryanair can offer a...