Travel Weekly (UK) articles from November 2004

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from November 2004

Naughty but nice.
November 5, 2004... Mile High Kit We don't know why, but there is something about air travel that brings out our primeval urge to merge. Maybe it's the constant throb of the engines; maybe it's the cabin pressure; maybe it's all that talk about returning...

Flights of fancy.
November 5, 2004... Thomas Cook's consolidator Flight Savers celebrated its 25th anniversary in style at a recent event for its trade partners and staff The camera crew are, from left, Tommy Davies, Qantas Holidays; Tim Gallagher, El Al; and Mark Mullord,...

Northern stars.
November 5, 2004... Virgin Holidays recently held a dinner for more than 80 Northern Irish agents at the Bourbon Restaurant in Belfast to thank them for their continued support Seeing red are, from left, Kathy Maguire, Down Travel; Deirdre Laughlin, Selective...

did you; know?
November 5, 2004... The Park Life survey threw up a few interesting findings, highlighted below. For more information contact Oliver Brendon on oliver@attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk L The top three theme park activities are (in order): go on a scary ride;...

Wood you believe it?
November 5, 2004... More than 100 people attended a golf day in aid of the Just A Drop charity at Belton Woods in Lincolnshire, where over [pounds sterling]9,000 was raised in a charity auction The fab four are, from left, former Disney vice-president sales...

there's no escape from the mystery shopper In association with.
November 5, 2004... The target Winchester wanted A Mediterranean cruise for a family with two teenagers Lunn Poly 62 St Georges Street I was served by one agent who admitted she didn't know anything about cruising but said a work...

Three for the price of one.
November 5, 2004... Stop, look and stay a little longer ASK most people where Benelux is and you'll probably see their eyes glaze over as they struggle to recall another country squeezed in between Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. But if you can't...

Great Fun for foodies.
November 5, 2004... WALLONIA specialist Great Fun Holidays is launching a spa and gastronomy brochure. The Peterborough-based operator distributed its first programme to the region, offering self-drive family holidays, last March. The new brochure, Great...

A tasty trip to the Continent.
November 5, 2004... BENELUX is a beer lover's dream. Agents selling the destination should get to know where is best to sample its brunes and blondes and try a tipple or three themselves - all in the interests of work, of course. Next year is Beer Year 2005...

Going Dutch.
November 5, 2004... AGENTS are to be included in a [pounds sterling]2.2 million advertising campaign to boost Dutch city-break bookings in the UK. The year-long Netherlands poster campaign began in London and the southeast on October 4, where it ran for three...

Q& A.
November 5, 2004... Q How did you become a beer ambassador? A To fund my way through law school, I started work in a specialised Belgian beer house. There I gathered a wealth of information and experience. Then I came to London as drinks buyer, head of the bar...

Langham seeks to expand.
November 5, 2004... NEW deluxe hotel brand Langham Hotels International aims to further extend its brand across the world with product initiatives, more properties and more marketing, senior vice-president sales and marketing Brett Butcher has said. The...

Double the attraction.
November 5, 2004... Malta is becoming a popular option for twin-centre holidays Operators are seeing an increasing number of UK holidaymakers visiting Malta as part of a twin-centre break. The trend has prompted Malta specialist Sunspot to launch a...

Boost in short breaks.
November 5, 2004... Operators report high demand for weekend winter getaways Malta is capturing a growing share of the short-break market as more holidaymakers seek long weekends in the sun during the winter months, according to operators. Sunspot deputy...

Tell us the full story.
November 5, 2004... P&O Cruises head of sales Giles Hawke claims its Christmas cruises were fully booked by the end of March (Travel Weekly October 15). Through Bolsover Travel, a cruise specialist, I booked a P&O cruise on Oriana on August 11, sailing from...

Agents keeping cruises buoyant.
November 5, 2004... I was fascinated to read the comments by Stelios Haji-Ioannou (Travel Weekly October 22) where it was reported the Easygroup chairman thinks selling cruises through travel agents is "inefficient". He also suggests the decision by cruise...

Saga is a different story.
November 5, 2004... Reading your letters page recently, it is clear there is dissatisfaction across the board in the travel industry. There lies the answer - the board and its responsibility to its shareholders. At my company, staff are leaving in droves,...

Cyprus ready for next step.
November 5, 2004... Future plan is for high-end tourism The fall in visitor numbers to Cyprus appears to have levelled out this summer. Figures from the Cyprus Tourism Organisation for the year to September show a 0.1% fall in arrivals from the UK...

Taxing times ahead.
November 5, 2004... Fuel surcharges, VAT and airport levy put a dampener on sales A triple whammy on package prices to Cyprus has held back the island's recovery, according to operators. Sunvil Holidays managing director Noel Josephides blamed a poor summer on...

Call for 'common sense'.
November 5, 2004... THE Cyprus Tourism Organisation believes the island's image is improving despite the recent collapse of specialist tour operator Golden Sun. London director Orestis Rossides said its demise in September was a disappointment, but it had...

Sex cruise in Ayia Napa 'was one-off'.
November 5, 2004... Tabloid newspaper reports of a 'sex cruise' out of Ayia Napa in the summer are not the start of more salacious revelations about the beleaguered resort, says the Cyprus Tourism Organisation. Pictures of the night cruise from the resort...

Border is still a sore point.
November 5, 2004... The opening of the border with Northern Cyprus has yet to have much impact on tourism because of the difficulties of organising tours to the area, say tour operators. But at least one UK firm is offering trips across the border for clients...

Olympic reports summer success.
November 5, 2004... OLYMPIC Holidays is offering its largest-ever dedicated winter programme to Cyprus for 2004/05. Commercial director Photis Lambrianides said sales to the island were up from 75,000 in summer 2003 to 105,000 for this summer. "About half of...

Upmarket shift.
November 5, 2004... Libra Holidays believes it is already benefiting from Cyprus' move upmarket. Sales and marketing manager Paul Riches said: "Our numbers are slightly down on last year, but the average value of sales is up by [pounds sterling]40-[pounds...

Cadogan raises game.
November 5, 2004... DESPITE the setbacks for the island, Cadogan Holidays reports a boom in sales to Cyprus this summer. Bookings so far this year are more than 20% up year on year. Managing director Gary David said: "We have taken 6,000 passengers to Cyprus...

news in brief.
November 5, 2004... new helios route Helios Airways will begin scheduled flights between Birmingham International and Larnaca from December 20. The flights, using Boeing 737-800, will depart on Mondays at 5.45pm. Prices start at [pounds sterling]158 including...

Call to reintroduce eco-tax on islands.
November 5, 2004... A professor of tourism in Barcelona has hit out at the abolition of the eco-tax in the Balearics last year. Professor Josep Vallf, head of the tourism department at the Esade business school in Barcelona, said: "Tourism to the Balearics is...

Multiple choice.
November 5, 2004... Different markets targeted for 2005 The multiples are changing their product in the Balearics for 2005 in reaction to a drop in sales this summer. "We're introducing a second cruise ship, which changes the way we operate," said TUI...

New holiday village to open.
November 5, 2004... First Choice hopes to offset some of the difficulties in attracting customers to the Balearics by opening a holiday village near Alcudia in Majorca. "The holiday village is our flagship," said First Choice head of short-haul Nicky...

on the move.
November 5, 2004... Belleair Holidays has appointed Richard Gamber as sales and marketing manager to replace Duncan Roberts, who has left after six years with the company. Gamber, previously Far East business manager for Internet travel agency Voyana, will build...

Flights to north of Tenerife.
November 5, 2004... Santa Cruz, capital of Tenerife, could become 'the new Barcelona' after GB Airways introduced direct flights to the north of the island last year, according to Mundi Color Holidays sales and marketing manager Tony Maniscalco. "The capital...

Island on good form.
November 5, 2004... AFTER a week enjoying the hedonistic rigours of Ibiza, what better way to chill out than with a few nights on Formentera? No, it's not one of Ibiza's quiet northern resorts but the least-known island in the Balearics, a place to get away...

A change of scene.
November 5, 2004... Holidaymakers will find the Troodos mountains a refreshing alternative Rather like the Jamaican bobsleigh team in the comedy classic Cool Runnings, where John Candy takes his squad of unlikely heroes from the Caribbean sunshine to the...

Diary Dates.
November 5, 2004... november 8-11 World Travel Market, ExCeL, London. See: worldtravelmart.co.uk. 13/14****Midconsort Conference,*************The Costa Del Sol,*************Malaga, Spain. Tel: 0121 7423113. 17 TIPTO Roadshow, Hilton Hotel,...

Disney kitted out for sales.
November 5, 2004... Disney has launched a holiday planning kit to help consumers organise their visit to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The kits will be distributed to 250,000 households via nationwide door-drops, interactive television and the Internet....

Our survey said...
November 5, 2004... ... web wins on attraction tickets while agents reap holiday bookings Research carried out by a direct-sell ticketing specialist has highlighted both strengths and weaknesses for agents selling Florida and its theme parks. Attraction...

Don't let the fun be spoilt by choice.
November 5, 2004... US theme parks used to be a bit of a Mickey Mouse affair. Literally. It was the lure of Disney that saw plane-loads of Brits begin flying to Florida during the 1980s, all dying to meet Mickey. Now, the US theme park market is more...

Take what jobs you can, graduates urged.
November 5, 2004... TRAVELgraduates should stop complaining about low pay and take whatever jobs are available to gain valuable experience, says New Frontiers managing director Julia Feuell. The travel industry is awash with new graduates moaning about the...

Recruits sought outside travel.
November 5, 2004... TRAVEL companies have revealed they are turning away from recruiting staff from within the industry in favour of external candidates who offer a better quality. They say the trend is fuelled by a poor standard of applications from within...

Tourism boss to court trade.
November 5, 2004... The Malta Tourist Office's new UK director says marketing the destination to the trade is his main priority. Michael Piscopo, who took on the role last month, has vowed to be "more aggressive" in his promotion of Malta by increasing...

Flexible route to retain staff.
November 5, 2004... TRAVEL companies have been urged to embrace flexible working to improve staff retention. The sector suffers from a crippling staff turnover rate of 30% a year. Various reasons have been given for this, including pay, conditions and poor...

news in brief.
November 5, 2004... TRansun family deal Transun has added a range of new family and friends offers to its 2005 Malta and Gozo programme. Two adults and two children under 12 can save up to [pounds sterling]200 when sharing a family room at the three-star...

'Too many players'.
November 5, 2004... INTENSE competition in the travel sector is driving down wages, leaving the sector lagging behind rival industries, US Airtours chief executive Guy Novik has warned. Salaries in the industry were notoriously low, he said, especially for...

sample product.
November 5, 2004... Sunvil features a week in a restored farmhouse in Kakopetria in April from [pounds sterling]547 per person twin-share including flights, breakfast and car hire. The price of a two-week stay is [pounds sterling]786 per person twin-share. ...

Atlantic crossing.
November 5, 2004... Keycamp Holidays Camping operator Keycamp Holidays has increased its focus on flydrive packages in Europe in its new 2005 brochure. New managing director Robin Parry said flydrive was increasingly popular with the growth of low-cost...

The great escape.
November 5, 2004... The Canary Islands offer the best option for Brits seeking year-round sunshine More than four million Brits visited the Canary Islands last year, making the Spanish group of islands off the coast of Morocco the most popular destination in...

The ride of your life.
November 5, 2004... Busch Gardens has announced the launch of a new rollercoaster at its park in Tampa Bay, Florida. Dubbed SheiKra and due to open next May, it will be the eighth white-knuckle ride at the Anheuser Busch park. A Busch Gardens spokeswoman said...

Crystal show on the road.
November 5, 2004... CRYSTALCruises is to launch its first-ever UK agent training roadshows this month to educate agents on how to target clients seeking a luxury experience. Sales and marketing manager Sophie Higgins said it would target a 50/50 mix of about...

Going Places agents learn new skills online.
November 5, 2004... GOING Places has launched an online training system giving agents the opportunity to learn the skills of a shop manager. The system, called Showmedevelopment and available through MyTravel's intranet, has been introduced to give agents the...

TQ3 'grows' consultants.
November 5, 2004... AMAJOR skills shortage in the business travel sector has forced TQ3 to launch a modern apprenticeship scheme. TQ3 operations director Ray Ollivere blames the industry for the skills crisis that has forced the business travel firm to "grow...

Costa embraces web for UK sales.
November 5, 2004... COSTA Cruises aims to use new Internet technology to leverage sales and push the cruiseline to realise its full UK market potential, says managing director PaulEllerby. The Italian cruiseline is investing a "substantial" amount of money in...

It's celebration time for Disney.
November 5, 2004... Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original park at Anaheim in California in spectacular style next year and throughout 2006. Highlights from each of the 10 Disney sites around the world will...

New ship launch.
November 5, 2004... THE new 3,400-passenger Costa Magica will launch in Barcelona tomorrow, raising Costa Cruises' capacity by 20%. The cruiseline has also announced the name of its 12th ship, Costa Concordia, which will be delivered by summer 2006. It will be...

Ship stars hit the top notes.
November 5, 2004... The pressure was well and truly on for the latest hopefuls in Thomson and Travel Weekly's answer to Pop Idol, Travel Talent 2004. They had to provide cruise standard entertainment to a discerning live...

Vote for travel's top performers.
November 5, 2004... The Travel Weekly Globe Awards - the industry's ultimate accolades - are just around the corner and it's time for travel agents to cast their votes THE most prestigious travel industry awards night of the year is...

Holiday Network eyes trade.
November 5, 2004... TIME-SHARE exchange company RCI aims to raise the profile of its accommodation provider Holiday Network through the trade. Cendant subsidiary RCI specialises in enabling its members - it has more than 200,000 in the UK - to exchange their...

Unexpected pleasures.
November 5, 2004... The island of Malta is full of surprises and holidaymakers can't fail to be impressed One of the best moments on your travels is when you come face-to-face with something famous that you've heard about or only seen in pictures before. ...

Ryanair awaits Charleroi result.
November 5, 2004... RYANAIR has agreed to pay four million euros to an "escrow account" - a third party - pending its appeal against the European Commission ruling that it must repay funds received for using Belgium's Charleroi Airport. A Ryanair spokesman...

Ex-UK sailings to boost NCL.
November 5, 2004... NORWEGIAN Cruise Line plans to use three new ex-UK 2005 sailings to boost its agent profile and drive sales towards 20% growth. Its newest ship, Norwegian Jewel, will sail out of Dover next August to the Mediterranean, the Baltics and New...

Bmibaby turns two.
November 5, 2004... BMIBABY celebrated two years of flying from Cardiff Airport by donating [pounds sterling]1 from every booking for Cardiff flights on its birthday - October 27 - to the Noah's Ark Appeal, a charity set up to raise money for the first children's...

Agents advise on ATOL cover.
November 5, 2004... Apartmentsabroad considers packages APARTMENTSABROAD.COM is asking agents' advice on the need to cover its new 200,000 passenger dynamic packaging system with an ATOL. The company has launched Travelhawk which extends its product from...

The best possible taste...
November 5, 2004... JAZZY ads and marketing slogans are vital weapons in the battle for consumer awareness and seizing those vital bookings. Who can forget First Choice's BOGOF campaign or Lunn Poly's Getaway rallying cry? But it looks like ideas are...

Carnival's mystery.
November 5, 2004... CARNIVAL Cruise Line is to launch a "mystery shopper" exercise across 1,000 agents to gauge awareness of the brand. The cruiseline is targeting 500 agents by phone and stores in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Reading and Oxford...

Changing face of the travel industry.
November 5, 2004... World Travel Market celebrates its 25th anniversary on Monday. To mark the occasion, Travel Weekly looks back at the industry over the past 25 years ROD Stewart wanted to know if we thought he was he was sexy; Margaret...

Lastminute approval.
November 5, 2004... LASTMINUTE.COM has become the latest online travel site to be approved by the InterContinental Hotels Group to sell rooms in its 3,500 hotels. In April the hotel chain introduced a raft of guidelines for online agencies to stop them engaging in...

l in brief.
November 5, 2004... Santa specials Transun has launched a range of special offers for agents to promote as last-minute trips to see Santa this December. The operator has more free and reduced child places on all-inclusive day breaks and extra night free deals...

l in brief.
November 5, 2004... Avis offers contract car-hire option Avis UK has launched a business rental option for contract car hire. Rental periods range from a minimum of 28 days on a flexible basis or for a set period up to 12 months with cheaper rates. Disney...

Airlines' money troubles continue.
November 5, 2004... LATEST financial reports from two struggling US airlines are not rosy, despite United Airlines recording a 7% rise in operating revenue to $4.3 billion. UAL, United's parent company, reports a third-quarter net loss of $274 million, down from...

Homeworking 'like a prison'.
November 5, 2004... The great debate about homeworking rages on. I also work for a division of Future Travel, having joined two years ago from a large call centre. At the interview, I was shown great figures for some of the existing homeworkers. I thought...

I say Future is perfect.
November 5, 2004... REGARDING the letter 'Not much of a Future' (TravelWeekly October 29) in which a reader criticises Future Travel. I work for one of Future Travel's four homeworking divisions, Personal Travel Advisors, and find it perfect. I work the hours...

Airtours adds Red Sea resort for winter.
November 5, 2004... AIRTOURS has added the resort of Hurghada in Egypt to its 2005/06 winter sun programme. The Red Sea Riviera resort, know for its diving sites, leads in at [pounds sterling]359 per person for seven nights' half-board at the four-star Grand...

P&O fee angers retailer.
November 5, 2004... IS P&O Ferries the meanest company in travel? It has started charging for booking confirmations and duplicate information requests. Customers now receive only a booking reference number, and a confirmation receipt or duplicate information...

Cresta reports city-break shift.
November 5, 2004... CRESTA Holidays is lobbying Amsterdam hoteliers to reduce rates as business switches to Prague instead. The message comes as Cresta adds seven hotels in Prague for its 2005 Cities brochure. It has also introduced four properties in New York...

Excel's timely probe.
November 5, 2004... EXCEL Airways has carried out an investigation into why it experienced a 2.5% punctuality drop this summer and ways it can improve the results in 2005. In 2003 the charter airline recorded 82% punctuality, but saw a 2.5% fall year on year...

Aim to sell more accommodation.
November 5, 2004... CRESTA is urging agents not to think of it as purely a package operator in a bid to increase its share of the accommodation-only market. Accommodation-only sales already account for 33% of its business but this is still not high enough,...

Kuoni launches escorted tours.
November 5, 2004... KUONIhas launched its first-ever escorted tours brochure. The programme includes escorted tours from London to the Far East, Indian Ocean, Australia, the Middle East and the US. It covers tours until 2006 and is the first two-year...

Degree standards to be set by ABTA.
November 5, 2004... ABTA plans to endorse the best travel and tourism degree courses as part of an employer-led radical overhaul of the university system. As the sector's popularity has increased among universities and the number of courses has spiralled,...

WTM brainteaser.
November 5, 2004... Are you all geared up for World Travel Market? Travel Weekly reporters test your knowledge WORLD Travel Market starts on Monday and, as usual, representatives from around the globe will be using the exhibition to tell the trade about new...

Panorama launches brochures.
November 5, 2004... PANORAMA Holidays has unveiled its new winter sun brochures for 2005/06. Its main Winter Sun brochure features holidays to Madeira, Malta, The Gambia, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, with flights from 11 UK airports. The brochure also...

Cosmos offers Turkey in winter.
November 5, 2004... COSMOS has introduced Turkey and extended its Egypt product with Taba for winter 2005/06. Its first-edition Wintersun brochure also includes a Golden Times selection for the mature market after the stand-alone brochure was dropped this year....

Incredible campaign.
November 5, 2004... DISNEYLAND Resort Paris and Thomas Cook Signature are staging their biggest joint trade promotion, themed around new film The Incredibles. The promotion will run in all 650 Thomas Cook shops for six weeks to drive bookings, particularly...

Fraudulent agent gets jail term.
November 5, 2004... ABTAsays a prison sentence imposed on a fraudulent travel agent claiming to be a member will serve as a stark warning to other con artists. Lisa Varley, 38, originally from Norfolk, received a 15-month prison sentence at Norwich Crown...

Leisure brand launch.
November 5, 2004... TRAVELmanagement company Advanced Travel Partners International has launched a new direct leisure travel brand called Odysseus. It will launch a 308-page brochure at the end of the month featuring holidays to almost 60 destinations...

Looking ahead.
November 5, 2004... ALINE-UPof industry heavyweights will discuss the changing nature of the airline industry at The Future of Air Travel Conference at World Travel Market on Monday and Tuesday. Emirates president Tim Clark, Aer Lingus chief executive Willie...