Travel Weekly (UK) articles from March 2007

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from March 2007

News.
March 2, 2007... - the number of additional nights UK visitors spent in Finland in 2006 over 2005, an increase of - the total number of hotels nights visitors spent in Finland in 2006, an increase on 2005 of - the largest single monthly increase for UK...

News.
March 2, 2007... 1 Blackpool 2 Skegness 3 Isle of Man 4 Cornwall 5 Spain 6 Bridlington 7 Scotland 8 Rhyl 9 Weston-super- Mare 10 Wales

News.
March 2, 2007... pg12 Barometer stats Number of seats to/from Heathrow/Gatwick (2007) US/Canada 1,631,831 Asia/Pacific 1,037,878 Middle East 564,922 Africa 547,197 Source OAG Worldwide Ltd 2007

News.
March 2, 2007... 1. Nags Head Beach North Carolina 2. St George Island State Park Beach Florida 3. Glorietta Bay Beach California 4. Bowman's Beach Florida 5. Hilton Head Island Beach South Carolina 6. Indiana Dunes State Park Beach...

News.
March 2, 2007... pg12 Barometer Fastest growing long-haul package holiday destinations 1. Thailand 2. Maldives 3. Morocco 4. South Africa 5. Seychelles Source: Lastminute.com

News.
March 2, 2007... The first Passenger Shipping Association Cruise Convention in Dover is offering agents the chance to taste Norwegian Cruise Line's increasingly popular cruises out of the port. The operator's newest ship, Norwegian Gem, will operate a...

News.
March 2, 2007... The cruise sector is ripe for exploitation by dynamic packaging firms - although cruise companies are nervous about agents repackaging their product. On Holiday Group is in the final stages of developing its Dynamic Cruise Solutions...

News.
March 2, 2007... Lee Hayhurst The second generation of the worldwide web, known as Web 2.0, will increase the quality of dynamically packaged holidays as consumer-driven content exposes 'the cowboys'. Speaking to Travel Weekly as part of our Dynamic...

News.
March 2, 2007... pg16/17 column Kevin May, editor Travolution There is little doubt that the concept of dynamic packaging has pretty much given the traditional players in the travel industry a new lease of life. Indeed, about a year or so ago,...

News.
March 2, 2007... Agents have been warned not to abandon traditional operator packages - even though dynamic packaging is the future. Hays Travel is piloting a new dynamic packaging system for its agents, which it hopes to roll out in the next two to three...

News.
March 2, 2007... Today's issue marks the start of Dynamic Packaging Month in Travel Weekly. Throughout March we will be bringing readers a range of articles, both in the magazine and online, from news and opinions to features, Mystery Shopper and practical...

News.
March 2, 2007... pg10 pic caps pic: 'pg10 Easyjet' EasyJet welcomed its 20 millionth passenger to pass through London Gatwick last week. Lesely Allan was travelling to London from Glasgow on a business trip. EasyJet started services from the airport in...

Could you sell Holidaysplease?(News)
March 2, 2007... Homeworking company invites potential recruits to view live enquiries in bid to attract suitable staff "We are opening our doors because we want to make sure the applicants are on the money" Juliet Dennis A homeworking company has...

News.
March 2, 2007... Juliet Dennis juliet.dennis@rbi.co.uk ABTA is "seriously concerned" it could lose its Financial Services Authority exemption to regulate sales of travel insurance following a damning report by MPs. A cross-party Treasury Select...

News.
March 2, 2007... EasyJet will begin a four-times-a-week service between Edinburgh and the German city of Dortmund on May 30. It will be its fifth new route from Edinburgh in four months and its third between Scotland and Germany in a year. The carrier...

News.
March 2, 2007... Virgin Galactic has identified a potential launch site in Scotland and announced plans to work with US space agency Nasa on the design of passenger spacecraft. RAF Lossiemouth, in northern Scotland has been mooted as a possible launch...

News.
March 2, 2007... US budget carrier JetBlue faces a $30 million compensation bill after more than 100,000 passengers were stranded and 1,100 flights cancelled over six days in late February. The airline was hit by winter storms which ravaged the northeast...

News.
March 2, 2007... More than one in two UK airline passengers expect their flight to be delayed and one in four experience a hold-up, according to a survey of almost 3,000 passengers. Up to 17% have been forced to sleep in an airport departure lounge as a...

News.
March 2, 2007... pg20/21 nibs Hungary's state airline Malev has been sold to a consortium backed by Russian carrier KrasAir for [pounds sterling]530,000. The buyers have taken on Malev's [pounds sterling]85 million debt along with its 29 aircraft and...

News.
March 2, 2007... After 18 months as ABTA chief executive, Mark Tanzer has unveiled his plans for a more streamlined, more effective trade body. This is what he was brought in to do and now it is up to members to decide whether they like what's on offer. No...

News.
March 2, 2007... M2-forums/blogs From the blog Picture caption The blog's inaugral caption competition featured this image of First Choice boss Dermot Blastland and received some interesting responses . . . If you would like to send us a picture...

Departures.
March 2, 2007... M2-hotels-chefs By Kerry Baggott When the Ritz-Carlton opens in Ireland later this year it will have one additional selling point that only a handful of worldwide hotels can boast - a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. The Ritz-Carlton is...

News.
March 2, 2007... Agents can cash in on next month's Formula 1 Grand Prix race in Kuala Lumpur with special packages being offered by Shangri-La Hotels. The hotel group's Kuala Lumpur property has a special package for the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend at...

News.
March 2, 2007... pg26 downpage Accor Hotels has launched a new budget brand in the UK aimed at both business and leisure travellers. The hotel group plans to have more than 100 Etap hotels in the UK with properties in Birmingham, Glasgow, Sheffield,...

News.
March 2, 2007... Kelly Ranson Eleven Courtyard by Marriott properties will be converted into Holidays Inns following a deal with the InterContinental Hotels Group. From May 2007, the properties, which operate under a franchise agreement with Kew Green...

News.
March 2, 2007... Keith Prowse Attraction Tickets has launched a 'mega' agent giveaway with holidays to Disney theme parks in Hong Kong and Florida among the prizes. The ticket specialist's top seller each week for the next 12 weeks will win a prize. A...

News.
March 2, 2007... First Choice is poised to speed up its strategy to focus on premium long haul and mid haul product while MyTravel and Thomas Cook merge. It could take MyTravel and Thomas Cook up to two years to fully integrate. First Choice UK and...

News.
March 2, 2007... Lord Forte dies at 98 Hotel and catering magnate Lord Charles Forte died on Wednesday aged 98. Forte opened his first milk bar in 1934 and went on to set up an empire of restaurants and hotels, including Trust House Forte. The use of the...

News.
March 2, 2007... See what's in Store for sustainability Harrison Brown rightly believes small hotels are finding it difficult to compete with the green credentials of some of the larger hotel chains (Travel Weekly, February 16), so he may be pleased to...

News.
March 2, 2007... So difficult for Derek, I don't think Derek Jones may say "these are difficult times" (Travel Weekly, February 16), but I am sure he will be able to escape them while he's on his skiing holiday. We, on the other hand, wait to hear if we...

News.
March 2, 2007... Not all call centres are a shambles Reading your article in Travel Weekly (February 16) regarding phone chaos at Thomson's call centre, I can't agree that a 10-15% abandoned call rate should be acceptable for any call centre. Here at...

News.
March 2, 2007... Every week in the travel trade press we read about dynamic packaging and travel websites. And now we're using Skype-style Internet phone technology. Crikey, when I started in travel 26 years ago, we didn't even have push-button phones! ...

News.
March 2, 2007... TWcruise is a welcome addition With the cruise industry sustaining such consistent growth, it is very satisfying to see Travel Weekly taking this sector of the industry so seriously. TWcruise is easy to read, informative and educational....

News.
March 2, 2007... Hotels should raise their game Last week (February 23) you featured reports that suggested travel agents will book more hotels via global distribution systems, and that travel management companies ought to make more bookings online. ...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
March 2, 2007... VOIP is not the only answer The comments by Ben Merschal regarding the use of Voice Over Internet Protocol (Travel Weekly, February 23) are correct as far as they go, but I would advise any company wanting to reduce its call charges to...

Departures.
March 2, 2007... It takes more than a visit from a hurricane named Wilma to keep Brits away from Cancun. Back from the brink, bigger and better than before, the resort has been completely rebuilt after Hurricane Wilma battered it 18 months ago. The beach...

Departures.
March 2, 2007... First Choice is working with The Travel Foundation to help Mayan communities in Mexico benefit from tourism. Mexico product manger Alex Remili has just returned from a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula, where she met with Mayan communities to...

Departures.
March 2, 2007... March date for travel fair Mexico's annual travel industry fair, Tianguis Turistico, will be held in Acapulco from March 25-28. More than 450 suppliers and 1,000 buyers are expected to attend the event. Explore Yucatan by bicycle ...

Departures.
March 2, 2007... Sunvil Latin America is to launch a programme in Mexico. Director Lloyd Boutcher said the operator will initially launch the programme on its website at the end of April, and will feature it in its 2008 Brochure. The programme will...

Departures.
March 2, 2007... M2-mexico-touchdown Touchdown offers holidays to Mexico with flights from just [pounds sterling]259 per person plus taxes and a wide selection of hotel accommodation. See www.touchdown.co.uk for full details.

Three's company for De Vere.(News)
March 2, 2007... Optimism in the corporate market brought destinations and hotel chains out in force at this year's event in London's Earl's Court. Kelly Ranson reports "The changes recognise the vast differences that exist between the properties" The...

Copenhagen looks to future.(News)
March 2, 2007... Copenhagen is hoping to secure a bigger slice of the convention and conference market this year, with four new hotels and a host of updated facilities. The Danish capital city currently offers 13,000 hotel rooms and last year added 450...

Hyatt sets sights on Chinese expansion.(News)
March 2, 2007... Hyatt Hotels and Resorts plans to open 15 new hotels in China over the next three years as it strengthens its brand in Asia. The expansion includes the opening of three Park Hyatt hotels, three Grand Hyatt's and nine Hyatt Regency Hotels....

Ey-oop! It's Yorkshire South.(News)
March 2, 2007... International Confex marked the launch of new destination marketing partnership - Yorkshire South. The new tie-up will bring together Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster and [pounds sterling]100 million worth of new investment...

News.
March 2, 2007... Royal Caribbean International will bring out a European preview brochure this month following the announcement that the largest ship ever to be based in the UK will sail out of Southampton next summer. From May 2008 the 3,634-passenger...

News.
March 2, 2007... pg18 nib Libra Holidays has expanded its weddings and honeymoons programme to include Greece. Ceremonies on the islands of Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Skiathos, Zante and Santorini are on offer with prices leading in at [pounds sterling]2,133...

News.
March 2, 2007... NCL was founded as Norwegian Caribbean Lines in 1966 by Knut Kloster and Ted Arison, with just one combined cruise ship and car ferry offering low-cost Caribbean cruises. The company pioneered many firsts in the cruise industry such as the...

News.
March 2, 2007... pg25 Box Norwegian Dream Weight: 50,674 tonnes Length: 754 feet Number of passengers: 1748 Number of crew: 700 Passenger/crew ratio: 2.5:1 Swimming pools: two

News.
March 2, 2007... Voyages of Discovery has revealed details of its first programme of cruises on new ship Explorer II. The destination specialist has agreed a six-year deal to lease the ship, formerly Swan Hellenic's Minerva. The ship will undergo a...

Jumeirah bolsters UK team.(News)
March 2, 2007... Jumeirah has strengthened its UK team with three new staff. The hotel chain, which has a large presence in Dubai, is planning to add six hotels in the Emirates over the next couple of years as well as opening properties in Jordan,...

News.
March 2, 2007... Having a laugh at 35,000ft First Choice is calling it the biggest nose-job in the UK - its first aircraft with a red tip as part of its Comic Relief partnership. The Boeing 757, which made its first flight in its new livery last...

News.
March 2, 2007... Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Dream will be taking its place at the first PSARA Cruise Convention in May. NCL provides travellers with the freestyle cruising option - with no set schedules or timetable on board. The ship...

News.
March 2, 2007... Exclusive Over-50s 'baby boomers' are becoming more adventurous travellers and look set to dominate the market for the next two decades. A survey of 1,700 people by marketing agency Millennium, obtained exclusively by Travel Weekly,...

Phenix hots up training.(News)
March 2, 2007... Travel Counsellors has created two new roles as it focuses on training and dynamic packaging system Phenix. The independent agency has appointed Helen Bate as training manager and Rachel Grenville as information officer at its Bolton head...

News.
March 2, 2007... Amee Khatau has joined Hurtigruten as commercial executive. Amee will work in several departments including agency sales, marketing and product and will provide support to agents calling the sales team. She joins from Embassy Leisure Breaks....

News.
March 2, 2007... Trading tales - pics by Matt in newspics and one head shot of Donna Smith to follow first thing monday. -Box- Agency: Travel Journeys Where: Standstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire Trading: three years Staff: Joint directors...

News.
March 2, 2007... Saturday March 3 Total lunar eclipse visible over the eastern Americas, Europe, Africa, and western Asia Sunday March 4 Inaugural celebrations for new cruise ship Carnival Freedom, Venice Monday March 5 Discover America...

News.
March 2, 2007... M2-worldaccordingto Richard Heeley, director, Holiday How many holidays do you take a year? Personally I would probably only take one, or maybe two, but in the last year my work on BBC Holiday has taken me to America, Bermuda,...

News.
March 2, 2007... NCL has appointed Annette Davies as director of marketing and sales following a rebranding exercise in December. Joining from BAA, Davies has been brought in to ensure the company makes the most of its new brand launch. She will...

News.
March 2, 2007... Travel firms in the Sunday Times Deloitte Buyout Track 100 National Company Activity Annual profit Latest profit Staff Main ranking growth over [pounds sterling] million shareholders two years 16 Titan Airways Charter...

money talks.(News)
March 2, 2007... Private equity firms are tuning in to travel like never before. Edward Robertson examines why they are suddenly interested in the sector - and the potential consequences Private equity companies have been labelled the unacceptable face of...

News.
March 2, 2007... pg20/21 lead Pic BA fins or Airbus A380? by Ian Taylor British Airways began a major overhaul of its long-haul fleet and a titanic battle between aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus by announcing the order of four Boeing 777s...

News.
March 2, 2007... pg4 box Proposals: e_SBlt Board reduced from 18 to nine and to include president and chief executive e_SBlt Four elected representatives - one large principal (turnover [pounds sterling]50 million-plus), one small principal (under...

News.
March 2, 2007... pg5 lead by Ian Taylor Claims that the ABTA board was unanimously in favour of the proposed changes to the association have been undermined by outgoing director Alan Cornish. He has posted detailed criticism of the changes on his...

News.
March 2, 2007... Ian Taylor ian.taylor@rbi.co.uk ABTA members have just four weeks to decide on far-reaching changes to the association's structure that will see elected members on a reduced board cut from 18 to five. The remaining seats on ABTA's new...

News.
March 2, 2007... Most board members representing smaller businesses broadly agree with the proposals, while recognising there will be concern. Britaly Travel partner Daniele Broccoli said: "My biggest concern is the person on the board needs to be a strong...

News.
March 2, 2007... Chief executive Mark Tanzer has dismissed concerns about the changes and the speed at which members must decide on them. "No one has come up with an alternative vision or model. ABTA will fulfil the functions of a trade association, but be...

News.
March 2, 2007... March: ABTA distributes voting packs April 3: EGM in London May: final meeting of outgoing board June: board elections July: first meeting of board, comprising four elected members, chief executive and outgoing president....

News.
March 2, 2007... Edward Robertson ed.robertson@rbi.co.uk Independent agents have been credited with being the driving force behind a significant upsurge in dynamically packaged holiday sales for operator Cosmos. Sales director Andy Washington said...

Warning over GDS deregulation.(News)
March 2, 2007... Deregulation of global distribution systems could hand airlines more power and see more protracted negotiations similar to the recent British Airways talks. With little chance of a solution before the current deal expires - as Travel...

Gold Medal moves into luxury market.(News)
March 2, 2007... Restructure clears way for launch of five-star programme Edward Robertson ed.robertson@rbi.co.uk Gold Medal is launching a luxury tour operator to compete with the likes of ITC Classics and Elegant Resorts following an internal...

News.
March 2, 2007... The Council of Regions will be retained - despite ABTA withdrawing funding for regional meetings in favour of roadshows due to start this month. It will be opened to all members, regardless of turnover, and be chaired by the president. The...

News.
March 2, 2007... Paul Nelson paul.nelson@rbi.co.uk Thomas Cook has agreed a 4% annual pay increase for its travel agents. The deal comes as a welcome boost to the group's agents following news of the planned merger with MyTravel that is expected to...

News.
March 2, 2007... A leading member of Advantage Business Travel has hit out at a survey suggesting travel management companies short-change clients. The survey, on behalf of German-based Hotel Reservations Service, revealed 45% of corporate clients question...

News.
March 2, 2007... Former Midconsort Elite chief executive Charles Eftichiou has parted company with Harvey World Travel to set up a consultancy for independent agents. Eftichiou left Midconsort Elite in November to set up upmarket independent consortium...

News.
March 2, 2007... Emirates Tours is hoping to cash in on the increasing popularity of China, having launched its first ever programme of private tours to the destination. General manager Stuart Ellis said the operator was targeting the luxury end of...

News.
March 2, 2007... Edward Robertson Kuoni is launching its first ever dedicated brochure to Sri Lanka in a bid to turn around the flagging fortunes of the destination. Product manager Linda Pedler said the drop-off in visitor numbers following the Asian...

News.
March 2, 2007... Musical Attraction Attraction World is now offering tickets for Las Vegas shows, including Mamma Mia, Phantom of the Opera, Blue Man Group and The Producers. Prices lead in at [pounds sterling]44 and can be booked as part of a wider...

News.
March 2, 2007... Scissor Sisters cut loose in Paris Disco divas might be tempted by Leger Holidays' latest short-break package - a Scissor Sisters concert on April 23 in Paris. Prices lead in at [pounds sterling]139.50 for one night's two-star...

News.
March 2, 2007... Superbreak is to launch the first Highlife brochure following its acquisition in December. The programme will sit alongside the operator's core Superbreak brochure. Sales director Ian Mounser said the two brochures, offering...

Major players speed migration to web.(News)
March 2, 2007... The top five mass market operators have doubled their online hits over the last two years, according to Hitwise figures. Thomson, Thomas Cook, MyTravel, First Choice and Cosmos have grown their share of industry online visits from 10% in...

News.
March 2, 2007... Lastminute.com is to offer its dynamic packaging customers the chance to offset their carbon emissions and will add a sustainable tourism section to its website. A 'sustainable holidays' tab will be added to the online agency's homepage,...

Thomas Cook will sell by numbers.(News)
March 2, 2007... Thomas Cook is to use reference numbers to improve co-ordination between sales channels. The company said customer service would also improve as holidaymakers could use the number when booking through a Thomas Cook shop, call centre or...

News.
March 9, 2007... Carnival Cruise Lines chairman Micky Arison does not expect the company to become the UK's brand of choice but he does expect it to get its fair share of UK customers. Speaking to Travel Weekly during the Carnival Freedom launch, Arison...