Travel Weekly (UK) articles from March 2006

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from March 2006

High flyers welcome.
March 3, 2006... THE Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Department has launched an advertising campaign to position the principality as the world's leading deluxe tourism brand. The initiative, part of a five-year plan to build Monaco's profile, follows a...

Crown Blue opens up waterway gems.
March 3, 2006... BOATING specialist Crown Blue Line is on course for an increase in sales as travellers look for new ways to explore France. First Choice inland waterways group managing director Mathew Prior said bookings were up 3% last year and are...

High altitude, high return.
March 3, 2006... YOU ARE A travel agent who knows your stuff. You've dynamically packaged beach breaks in Beirut and unearthed last-minute long weekends in Las Vegas for the ladies of the Lands End bowls club. Group travel is a piece of commission-earning...

UK fuels Sri Lanka recovery.
March 3, 2006... SRI LANKA'S recovery from the tsunami in December 2004 has been bolstered by strong traffic from the UK on SriLankan Airlines. Leisure traffic on the airline's 12 weekly flights from Heathrow to Colombo is still 16% to 18% below the...

There's lots more to sea.
March 3, 2006... Pictures: www.picturescolourlibrary.com WHY would you want the hassle of struggling with luggage and hanging around airports when you can pack up the boot of the car, drive on to a ferry and have a few days enjoying some of the pleasant pace of...

Aix marks spot for art lovers.
March 3, 2006... THE city of Aix-en-Provence has some making up to do when it comes to Paul Cezanne Before he died 100 years ago, the artist offered to donate the contents of his studio to the city's art gallery. The curator spurned the offer, saying the...

Pilots take Ryanair to court.
March 3, 2006... RYANAIR is facing court proceedings brought on behalf of 11 former Buzz pilots who claim they were unfairly dismissed. The British Air Line Pilots Association (BALPA) is mounting a civil case against the low-cost carrier after its members...

Keycamp moves into chalets.
March 3, 2006... KEYCAMP has introduced chalet accommodation at its best-selling sites in France. The three-bedroom chalets will be featured at five sites and will include a fully fitted kitchen, bathroom, covered terrace and barbecue. The sites are...

Stock up on that Bollinger.
March 3, 2006... WINE tour specialist Arblaster and Clarke has launched self-drive Champagne-buying weekend breaks in Ay, the home of Bollinger and other producers. The company is offering two dates, April 7-10 and June 30-July 2. Clients booking the...

Put your Trust in us.
March 3, 2006... TRUST ACCOMMODATION'S Spain and Portugal advance sales are up 210% for summer 2006 on the same period last year. Gran Canaria and the Costa Blanca proved particularly successful for winter 2005/06, up 232% and 234%, respectively, on winter...

Small just gets bigger.
March 3, 2006... Small Luxury Hotels of the World has added 59 members for 2006 in the largest expansion in the association's 15-year history. Russia, South Korea, Laos, Estonia and St Lucia are represented for the first time, and there has been...

Meet the virtual concierge.
March 3, 2006... InterContinental has launched a virtual concierge in select Holiday Inns in the US. Guests can access information about restaurants, attractions, cinemas, shopping, transport links and events near their hotel through free high-speed...

New logo for Helios Airways.
March 3, 2006... CYPRIOT airline Helios Airways will be rebranded this month as Ajet. The carrier insists the name change was in the pipeline before the Helios crash north of Athens last August in which all 121 passengers and crew died. Chief...

Avion in Kosmar talks.
March 3, 2006... TRANSPORT giant Avion Group is weighing up a bid for Greece and Turkey specialist Kosmar. The Icelandic company, which already owns Icelandair, Excel Airways, Freedom Flights and direct-sell operator Travel City, has already held early...

BA takes action over strikes.
March 3, 2006... BRITISH Airways wants the keys to Gate Gourmet's loading trucks so it can avoid a repeat of last summer's Heathrow crisis, when wildcat strikes grounded 700 flights. A spokeswoman revealed the flag carrier is working on "a number of...

All change for Monarch flights.
March 3, 2006... LAST-minute changes to Monarch Scheduled's summer 2006 flying programme have seen Turkey capacity cut and more flights added to the Canaries. In the same week the low-cost carrier published its winter 2006/07 schedule [degrees] including...

News.
March 3, 2006... Cahn quits BA post British Airways head of government and industry affairs Andrew Cahn has resigned to take a senior job within the Department of Trade and Industry. BA head of legal Maria da Cunha will absorb Cahn's role from April 1. ...

Rodel quits Harry Weeks.
March 3, 2006... JEAN Rodel has resigned from Harry Weeks Travel after 14 years with the Orpington agency. Managing director Rodel will leave on March 31 for personal reasons. She has been in her current role for six years. "I'd been mulling this over...

hotel check Fiestamericana Condesa, Acapulco.
March 3, 2006... Where is it? On the beach, in the heart of the older-style high-rise hotels of Acapulco. It is surrounded by bars, restaurants and shops, with the entrance on the main drag. ??? What's it like? The 500-room 18-floor...

The Red wedge.
March 3, 2006... OPERATORS have reported a leap in bookings to Egypt's Red Sea resorts, turning around sluggish demand after last year's bombings in Sharm el-Sheikh. Longwood Holidays sold out of holidays to Taba Heights in January and February, and said...

Moor the merrier.
March 3, 2006... Morocco is hoping to more than double the number of flights into the country by 2010 following the signing of an open-skies agreement with the European Union. Morocco had bilateral aviation agreements with a number of EU states, but the...

Tunisia makes play for independent minded.
March 3, 2006... THE Tunisian National Tourist Office is looking to raise awareness of the country's spa and boutique hotels ahead of Freedom Flights' May launch of weekly flights from Gatwick and Manchester to Monastir. Tunisia has 28 seawater spas...

Latch on to UK market.
March 3, 2006... Congratulations on having a UK enquiry on your Mystery Shopper page (Travel Weekly, February 10). It was long overdue. However, it was disappointing to see that none of the agents provided the mystery shopper with a Haven & British...

there's no escape from the mystery shopper In association with.
March 3, 2006... Toucan Travel 32 Chantry Way One of two consultants served me immediately. After checking on her screen she said Crystal and Ski All America offered summer skiing in Chile and Argentina. She only had a file copy of the Crystal Ski brochure...

Eastern flies to Inverness.
March 3, 2006... REGIONAL airline Eastern Airways will launch a service between Leeds Bradford International and Inverness next month to take advantage of increasing traffic to the north of Scotland. The service will operate six days a week from April 24,...

Signature tune had to change.
March 3, 2006... Perhaps the only surprise about Thomas Cook's move to merge its Signature brand with the rest of its holiday division was that it had taken so long. Signature is a legacy of the failed joint venture with British Airways, which for a while...

Fair pay battle still rages on.
March 3, 2006... AS A MAN in a management position I am on dodgy ground when I start talking about fair pay between the sexes. I like to think [degrees] or have been persuaded to think [degrees] I am being paid a fair salary benchmarked against someone else in...

Czech out the cultural aspects.
March 3, 2006... THE NEW UK director of the Czech Tourist Authority says he wants to change the perceptions UK corporate and leisure travellers have of the country. Jan Mlcak, who took up his post on January 1, is planning a series of roadshows, fam trips...

UK agents lose out on corporate cruise sales.
March 3, 2006... CRUISELINES are becoming increasingly aware of the potential of the corporate charter market and say agents are losing out on lucrative opportunities. UK director of SeaDream Yacht Club Ian Buckeridge said over 50% of the company's UK...

Paramount unveils its Signature brand.
March 3, 2006... PARAMOUNT Hotels has launched a Signature brand for its premium hotels following the purchase of three properties from Furlong Hotels for [pounds sterling]42 million. Marketing director Elizabeth Howe said the UK hotel group, which...

RCCL's BA partnership.
March 3, 2006... ROYAL Caribbean International and sister cruiseline Celebrity Cruises have been chosen as preferred partner suppliers by British Airways. The deal will help the cruiselines develop their flycruise itineraries and offer more regional...

Boudicca rises from the water.
March 3, 2006... FRED Olsen Cruise Lines' newest cruise ship Boudicca is already proving popular among the operator's repeat clientele, although its contemporary redesign is expected to appeal to new UK customers after a small ship experience. The...

News.
March 3, 2006... "I think if customers want a bigger ship they will consider Boudicca. It's nicely updated and the staff are amazing." Jenny Comerford, manager, Dane Bank Travel Centre, Cheshire "The public areas are spectacular, they've put in a lot of...

best new sightseeing hotelbest new luxury hotel.
March 3, 2006... Buildings for a bright tomorrow Park Hyatt Dubai (opened autumn 2005) All three Hyatt brands [degrees] Grand, Regency and Park [degrees] now have a presence in Dubai. The Park Hyatt is just 10 minutes from the airport, close to the business...

News.
March 3, 2006... 2WENTYS was celebrated across the First Choice network last weekend as the youth brand launched its second summer 2006 brochure. Staff at the company teamed up with First Choice Travel Shop and Holiday Hypermarket colleagues to promote the...

Israel 1 [degrees] Arsenal 1.
March 3, 2006... ISRAEL will be hoping to score at Arsenal's new stadium next football season with a [pounds sterling]350,000 marketing agreement. The country will be promoted on pitch-side billboards, on 450 television screens around the Emirates Stadium...

Australia swears by new advertisement.
March 3, 2006... TOURISM Australia cannot confirm whether it intends to run a TV advertisement in Britain which has been criticised for pandering to national stereotypes. The advert, which carries the headline "So where the bloody hell are you", was...

BA pilots threaten pensions strike.
March 3, 2006... BRITISH Airways faces another summer of costly and damaging strikes if disgruntled pilots confirm their threat to take industrial action to protect their pension entitlements. A meeting between airline bosses and union representatives, due...

Travel is second to treats.
March 3, 2006... PEOPLE are spending increasing amounts on everyday items and then seeking holiday bargains, according to a survey of consumers by online bank Egg. Newspapers, sweets and cigarettes are bought without regard to price, but expensive items...

News.
March 3, 2006... TINSEL town is being given a makeover by its most famous residents as Los Angeles teams up with the likes of Barbie and Diane Keaton to promote itself. Other stars, including Raquel Welch, boxer Oscar de la Hoya and actress Jamie Lee...

RCI has eye on Navigator.
March 3, 2006... ROYAL Caribbean International will have one of the world's largest ships sailing out of Southampton in 2007, but it has ruled out creating a brand specifically for the UK market. After completing its second season, the cruiseline's Legend...

Forte says fun fuels expansion.
March 3, 2006... SIR Rocco Forte told delegates at the International Confex exhibition in London last week that he aims to establish properties in every major city in Europe. But he said his aim in establishing his hotel chain was to introduce a sense of...

News.
March 3, 2006... Ibiza club ticket sales rocket past last year Seligo has said agent sales for Ibiza club tickets are soaring this year and more have been sold than last summer already. At just [pounds sterling]9 each they are cheaper to buy through agents than...

News.
March 3, 2006... LORD Spencer has warned that more must be done to safeguard the country's heritage or many tourist attractions could disappear The brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, was speaking at the British Travel Trade Fair in Birmingham. He inherited...

News.
March 3, 2006... Travelsphere sale The final round of bids were submitted on Monday for Travelsphere, the over-45s direct-sell operator valued at [pounds sterling]200 million. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of this month with rival Saga and...

Agent hits back at search engine ban.
March 3, 2006... THE AGENT named and shamed by Mark Warner for under-cutting its prices online has hit back at the operator. Surrey-based Avant Garde was named Mark Warner's Agent of the Year in 2005. Director Carolyn Szepietowski said: " I am very...

You are held in a queuea.
March 3, 2006... POOR training, outdated technology and second-rate management are making travel's call centres some of the worst in the business. Hot on the heels of news that Thomas Cook is axeing hundreds of telephone sales staff (Travel Weekly,...

Clifford blames web for failure.
March 3, 2006... DEFUNCT Glasgow agency Clifford International has blamed cheap Internet competition for the falling sales that put it out of business. The independent agency, with two outlets in the city, was forced to lay off all of its 14 staff when it...

Tanzer to speak at ITT event.
March 3, 2006... ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer will join senior travel executives to debate industry issues at the sixth annual International Travel and Tourism: Policy, Law and Management conference in May. Tanzer will speak on challenges facing the...

'Early sales push prices'.
March 3, 2006... CRUISE specialists say the growth of the early booking market is pushing prices up, although heavy discounting is still a problem. Operators and agents have reported the peak booking period has been quieter than expected but changing...

News.
March 3, 2006... Check your flight details at the train station Gatwick Express passengers will be able to see flight details before boarding their train at London's Victoria station. Screens above Platform 13 will show flight information and departure...

News.
March 3, 2006... TSSA in major talks The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association is holding talks in Bradford today with Thomas Cook following last week's announcement it is to make 325 redundancies. Meanwhile, ABTA has reported the travel giant has closed 19...

Site lets agents pitch for trade.
March 3, 2006... A NEW eBay-style bidding website has been launched offering agents the chance to bid against the big tour operators for business. Request a Quote, now being featured on consumer website Australiatravelmarket.com, invites consumers to list...

How Sm@rt are you?
March 3, 2006... IS YOUR business flying high thanks to an investment in technology? If so, you could be a winner with Travel Weekly's new sister publication Travolution. Entries are already flooding in for Travolution's sought-after Sm@rt Agent prize,...

Stansted flights hit by M11 chaos.
March 3, 2006... THOUSANDS of passengers using Stansted Airport last Saturday missed their flights after a lorry fire closed the M11 motorway. Traffic jams stretched up to 10 miles after a recovery van sent to rescue a broken down lorry burst into flames at...

Bonding could be slashed.
March 3, 2006... ABTA'S High Court victory over the Civil Aviation Authority on ATOL bonding in January could lead Thomas Cook to review its financial protection and save up to [pounds sterling]10 million a year. UK chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa...

'Joint venture is on cards'.
March 3, 2006... THOMAS Cook is poised to announce a major joint venture in the financial services sector. UK chief executive Manny Fontenla- Novoa said the deal did not relate to foreign exchange, but he refused to give further details. The group sold...

VisitBritain campaign.
March 3, 2006... VISITBRITAIN has launched a new campaign aimed at increasing city breaks among domestic tourists. Chief executive Tom Wright said the Enjoy England City Culture campaign features tourist information on 33 cities. It is being supported...

News.
March 3, 2006... We want our equal share' SENIOR women in the travel industry have called for employers to be more flexible after Government figures revealed women's pay still seriously lags behind men's. A Women at Work report, out this week, commissioned by...

Stick your neck out for changes.
March 3, 2006... In answer to Diane Coleman's question "What is the point of ABTA?" (Travel Weekly, February 24), perhaps I can answer. ABTA is certainly changing the rules. It is also reacting to the waves of change that have hit us in recent years and...

Key is to target right company.
March 3, 2006... The debate about homeworkers has revolved around how little one gets for how much work. A lot of these issues may be resolved by being a lot more careful who you work for. The answer seems to be to avoid any company that actively looks for...

Divorced from reality.
March 3, 2006... In articles on weddings abroad I have failed to see any warning regarding the possibility of divorce. As the divorce rate is high in the UK, tour operators are opening themselves up to possible future litigation. I inform all prospective...

The road to Orlando.
March 3, 2006... THE Orlando Tourism Bureau is planning its first regional roadshow of the UK and Ireland between March 13-17 to promote the city and its attractions direct to travel agents. Senior tourism bureau representatives and its tour operator...

Airtours expands long haul.
March 3, 2006... AIRTOURS is launching packages to Thailand and Kenya with a dedicated brochure for each destination. Marketing director Owen Whitehead said the decision to include the destinations was inspired by the popularity of the programme to Brazil,...

African Safari Club resumes Nile cruise.
March 3, 2006... AFRICAN Safari Club is reintroducing its Nile River Cruise programme with the hope of operating it year-round. Sales and marketing manager Daniel Sykes said the programme operated for one season in 2003 but was dropped due to difficulties...

Website offers e-brochures.
March 3, 2006... BROCHUREBANK.CO.UK has launched an e-brochure order facility for consumers. Operated by brochure distribution company BP Travel Marketing Services, the site previously only allowed customers to order paper brochures. Visitors to the site...

Gold Medal expands Down Under.
March 3, 2006... GOLD Medal has launched its Australia and New Zealand 2006/07 programme complete with more than 75 new tours. General manager sales Jill Martin said more than 50 of the touring options have been added to the Australian section, where 25...

Commission axed.
March 3, 2006... HOLIDAY Autos is ditching agent commission in favour of a net rate structure. UK commercial and sales director Ian Coyle claimed cheaper direct-sell car-hire firms had forced it to review the way it rewards agents. "Prices are being...

News.
March 3, 2006... Price comparison site adds Holiday Extras Travelsupermarket.com has added Holiday Extras to its price comparison site. The company offers more than 100 airport hotels, 59 car parks and 23 lounges at 26 UK airports. Travelsupermaket compares...

RCI targets agencies to boost sales.
March 3, 2006... TIMESHARE firm RCI aims to increase sales through the trade by 150% by improving its relations with agencies. The company, part of the Cendant Group, sold 3,000 units of timeshare holiday accommodation through the trade last year. ...

News.
March 3, 2006... New features aimed to attract more agent business Superbreak adds to its portfolio SUPERBREAK Mini-Holidays is launching its first-edition 2006/07 Superbreak and Hotelbreak brochures featuring 112 new hotels, taking the total in both...

Virgin's Florida promise.
March 3, 2006... VIRGIN Holidays has launched its Book Early Florida 2007 brochure with a new price promise against rival charter tour operators. Florida product manager Gill Standeven said the lowest price guarantee means if customers find the same holiday...

Site to rate operators.
March 3, 2006... TRIPADVISOR.CO.UK is to allow users to air their opinions of tour operators on a dedicated area of its site. The consumer review section will allow holidaymakers to rank the performance of operators based on their holiday experiences. ...

Midlands and Wales come top.
March 3, 2006... STAFF in Wales and the Midlands take the longest leave of absence from work, new research has shown. An average of 11% of the UK population take more than one month off work each year, rising to 15% for the Midlands and 17% for Wales. The...

Flights in high demand.
March 10, 2006... THE Caribbean is seeing a massive increase in flights due to soaring passenger demand. Virgin Atlantic and intra-Caribbean airlines such as Caribbean Sun and Caribbean Star have increased services. This year Virgin Atlantic is...

Make the most of some shore things.
March 10, 2006... IMAGINE going to a restaurant, ordering the most expensive bottle of wine on the menu, pouring yourself a glass and then throwing it away without even having a sip. Sounds bizarre doesn't it? Even more strange were some of my fellow...

Swings and roundabouts.
March 10, 2006... LET'S be honest, for most parents a holiday not only means a break from cold weather and work, but also from the children. Caribbean hoteliers know it too, and are constantly improving the facilities on offer to youngsters so mums and dads are...

gimme five.
March 10, 2006... Five must-see historical attractions: Paphos District Archaelogical Museum: a collection of Cypriot antiques Tombs of the Kings: underground tombs carved from solid rock House of Dionysos: third century mosaic floors Baths...

hotel check ELYSIUM HOTEL, PAPHOS.
March 10, 2006... Where is it? About 400 metres from the seafront of the main resort of Paphos and next door to the Tombs of the Kings. ???? What's it like? This is a relatively new, large hotel comprising more than 500 rooms. It resembles a fortress from the...

sample product.
March 10, 2006... Sunvil Holidays offers seven nights at the five-star Thalassa from [pounds sterling]899 per person twin-share including flights, transfers and bed-and-breakfast accommodation in April. Libra Holidays has seven nights at the four-star Almyra...

hotel check ELYSIUM HOTEL, PAPHOSPlay on Aphro's turfgimme fivesample product.
March 10, 2006... Where is it? About 400 metres from the seafront of the main resort of Paphos and next door to the Tombs of the Kings. ???? What's it like? This is a relatively new, large hotel comprising more than 500 rooms. It resembles a fortress from the...

competition.
March 10, 2006... A short break for two to the Londa Hotel in Limassol [degrees] as featured on page 62 The prize includes return flights and transfers provided by Cyplon Holidays, four nights' bed and breakfast accommodation at the Londa Hotel, dinner for two...

Cyplon looking up.
March 10, 2006... CYPLON Holidays has reported flat sales for 2006, despite a significant upturn in demand for four and five-star properties in Limassol. The operator said it hoped to see demand for the whole island increase from March but has been...

More seats on Cyprus Airways flights.
March 10, 2006... CYPRUS Airways will switch the aircraft operating its mid-week Manchester-Larnaca flight next month to increase capacity, following strong demand for short breaks to the island. The airline will exchange the Airbus A320 for an A330-200,...