Travel Weekly (UK) articles from October 2008

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from October 2008

Lounge.(Destinations)
October 3, 2008... Business travellers know airports better than most, but what services and facilities are being provided to make their lives easier? Nick Easen reports lizards Airports and airlines realise that minimising the business traveller's...

High-flying business.(Destinations)
October 3, 2008... Nick Easen looks at ways of taking the hassle out of business travel With this year's Heathrow Terminal 5 fiasco, growing airport queues and backed-up traffic heading to the airports - business travellers are looking into services that...

aboardAll.(Destinations)
October 3, 2008... What better way to see the spectacular Canadian landscape than from When it comes to experiencing the dramatic mountains and wide open spaces of the Canadian West, you can't beat the railways for comfort and style. Of course, clients could...

5wilderness and wildlife holidaysOF THE.(Destinations)
October 3, 2008... Get back to nature, with a wilderness break in Canada - just don't feed the bears! Paul Blaney reports BEST Canada is a vast, unspoilt land and is the perfect place to get away from it all. There are also plenty of opportunities to...

Newfoundlove.(Destinations)
October 3, 2008... Stephanie Krahn reports on a fam trip to the Humber Valley Resort in Newfoundland The island of Newfoundland off the east coast of Canada is the perfect place to experience the great outdoors. With seemingly endless hiking trails,...

Get the message across.(News)
October 3, 2008... Byline: Martin CouzinsManaging Editor "Now is the time to tell consumers of the benefits of booking through an agent" Things are bad. Six out of 10 travel agents said they would consider leaving the industry - and that was before the...

The Online Travel Group goes into administration.(News)
October 3, 2008... The Online Travel Group went into administration with the loss of 20 jobs and an unspecified number of forward bookings. The web agency sold ferry crossings, trips to Disneyland Resort Paris, ski holidays, accommodation, airport parking and...

Industry slams Tory veto plan.(News)
October 3, 2008... Conservatives' stance on Heathrow sparks fury "The rationale does not match the facts and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the airport" Ian Taylorian.taylor@rbi.co.uk The Tory announcement that a government led by David...

HOW TO...be a successful homeworker.(Destinations)
October 3, 2008... David Hoyle, of Future Travel, was voted Travel Weekly's Best Homeworking Agent for the northern region. He tells us how to make working from home work for you Being a successful homeworker requires a number of attributes: flexibility,...

'Mobile phones are a saviour to the trade'.(News)
October 3, 2008... Mobile web use is keeping bookings up, says WTM chairman The mobile phone is helping travel technology to buck the industry slowdown, according to World Travel Market. Mobile phones, with more then three billion users worldwide, have...

Protected or not? The case is still not ATOL clear.(Columnists)
October 3, 2008... Byline: Jane Atkins, Head of Freedom Travel Group "Why should we expect a customer to understand the nuances of ATOL and ABTA?" Three weeks after the collapse of XL, and it has become even clearer that not all agents in the retail...

News.
October 3, 2008... Surcharge probleme_SFlbBuilding fuel surcharges back into ticket prices would be a "logistical nightmare" for British Airways,UK general manager Richard Tams said. Business travel consultant, Tony Pilcher of Pilcher Associates, said: "It is...

Destinations.
October 3, 2008... tips for car hire Car hire is down year on year by 5%, according to a recent survey by the Guild of Travel Management Companies. Here are some tips on making it work for you: * Cars hired for business are still treated as a status...

Survey reveals agents open to other careers.(News)
October 3, 2008... Exclusive State of the Nation finds 60% of agency staff would consider new industry "If people are optimistic about the industry, why would they leave?" Juliet Dennisjuliet.dennis@rbi.co.uk Six out of 10 travel agency staff would...

News.
October 3, 2008... There will be a [pounds sterling]243 million pot of commission available in 2009 for agents who sell cruise, according to Complete Cruise Solution sales director Giles Hawke. The figure is based on sales of 1.5 million cruise holidays at...

Whiteman quits as Travel 2 boss.(News)
October 3, 2008... Travel 2 managing director Maria Whiteman is to leave the company after two-and-a-half years. Whiteman has resigned from her role and will officially leave the Stella Travel Services-owned company at the end of November. Staff were told...

Grey market is still lucrative.(Letters)
October 3, 2008... A sad goodbye to Kosmar Holidays I would like to say a big thank you to Kosmar Holidays and am very sorry to see them leave our brochure shelves. I was lucky enough to win a holiday with Kosmar to the Palm Beach hotel in Larnaca,...

MAUREEN.(Maureen)
October 3, 2008... I see Thomson and First Choice are advertising free chat time with travel agents. Blimey, the folk round here don't need an invitation. Especially not those who've already booked with someone else. Work, rest andpray It's conference...

First ChoiceThomas CookKing World Travel Thomson.(Mystery Shopper)
October 3, 2008... 46, King Street, Kilmarnock Both consultants were busy when I entered and it took over four minutes for one of them to offer me assistance. Even then no apology was made for the length of my wait, nor was I offered a seat. The...

Consortium creates trust fund to attract start-ups.(News)
October 3, 2008... Advantage has introduced measures designed to attract more start-up agencies that do not have ABTA or ATOL bonds from the end of this year. The consortium is creating a new trust fund facility to bond agency members. It will also launch a...

News.
October 3, 2008... 'Value' keeps cruise afloat A recession could benefit the cruise industry as more people discover its "exceptional" value. Royal Caribbean Cruises chairman and chief executive officer Richard Fain said the industry is doing better than...

Economic crisis to bring down more businesses.(News)
October 3, 2008... The current economic crisis is far worse than that which followed the September 11attacks,and could be "longer and deeper" than downturns of recent years, business travel agents were warned. British Airways general manager UK Richard Tams...

News.
October 3, 2008... ON THE WEB THIS WEEK Elite to use Advantage The Elite Travel Group is to work with Advantage Travel Centres to use some of its financial services products. The consortium's 95 members already use the Central Advantage Payments...

News.
October 3, 2008... 'One site in three is bad' An audit of every Advantage member website suggests only two-thirds would score favourably in terms of usability, design and search engine performance. According to the study, by digital design specialist Click...

Distribution has to be overhauled.(News)
October 3, 2008... Agents urge operators to stop dumping unwanted brochures on them Jackie Davidtravel.weekly@rbi.co.uk There have been demands this week for a shake-up in brochure distribution as tonnes of surplus brochures were dumped on independents,...

home fromhome.(Analysis)
October 3, 2008... Mahindra Homestays is providing tourists to India with the chance to experience 'real' family life and culture. Penny Wilson finds out more "Singh's home drips in antiques from her palace" "His dinner table is laden with home-grown...

State of thenation.(News)
October 3, 2008... Advantage business and leisure agents reveal their thoughts on current industry issues and the future in an exclusive Travel Weekly survey. Juliet Dennis reports The survey results demonstrate exactly how much change agents are witnessing...

News.
October 3, 2008... Tech a beverage with Avvio Avvio is this year's sponsor of the annual Technology and Online Travel drinks reception at World Travel Market, to be held from 6pm-7.30pm, on November 11 in the Technology and Online Travel region. Avvio,...

News.
October 3, 2008... Sunvil Traveller Real Latin America -09New next year is a multi-centre Journey through the Andes,taking in Peru, Bolivia and Chile,a jungle lodge in Costa Rica accessible by raft, the Galapagos Safari Camp and Mountain Lodges of Peru andthe...

News.
October 3, 2008... Operators call for united effort to ease fears A call has gone out to the industry's regulatory bodies and the trade to uniteto boost confidence in the holiday-buying public. Tour operators made a plea at the Advantage...

'Help us match low deals'.(News)
October 3, 2008... Agents demand cruiselines step in to help them compete with rivals who discount Juliet Dennis juliet.dennis@rbi.co.uk Advantage agents have called on cruiselines to take actionamid claims they cannot sell cruises because they are...

Tell us what you think.(News)
October 3, 2008... 1. Do clients understand consumer protection on holiday purchases? a.Fully b.Partly c.Not at all 2. Do clients ask about consumer financial protection? a. Yes, more ask since XL's failure b. Yes, but no more ask than...

Advantage reveals its independent outlook.(News)
October 3, 2008... Consortium is in talks with ABTA to set up a federation of small travel players Juliet Dennisjuliet.dennis@rbi.co.uk Advantage chief executive John McEwan has set out a broad vision for a federation of independent travel agents. ...

Business agents put IATA in the spotlight.(News)
October 3, 2008... Consultants want answers to service issues in light of current economic crisis "We want to give the best service to our customers but it is very difficult to do" Juliet Dennisjuliet.dennis@rbi.co.uk Business travel agents have...

News.
October 3, 2008... MAG rewards agents with Madge Manchester Airports Group Marketing team took a group of Thomas Cook agents from the East Midlands and Manchester regions to a Madonna concertat Wembley Stadium inLondon.The agents were rewarded for a sales...

News.
October 3, 2008... ON THE WEB THIS WEEK Somers buys Qwerty Qwerty Travel founder and managing director Matt Somers has bought the business for an undisclosed sum from owners youtravel.com. The buyout includes a long-term distribution deal. Qwerty...

News.
October 3, 2008... CAA denies rumours The Civil Aviation Authority's Consumer Protection Group has denied it is in talks with online agency Travel Republic and said no application for an ATOL has been received from the company. However, the agency told...

Who will get the blame for the next collapse?(Columnists)
October 3, 2008... Byline: Danny Rogerseditor, PR Week "At a time when the travel industry is on a knife edge, few people at the top are doing anything to add reassurance" Why are some major airlines not covered by the ATOL consumer protection scheme? It...

News.
October 3, 2008... Agent convicted on fraud charges A Shropshire-based travel agent has been sentenced to three years and nine months in jail on fraud and deception charges. David Oakley, 61, of Alexandra Court, Shrewsbury, was convicted before...

News.
October 3, 2008... online travel news from travolution River cruise launch Cruises on 23 rivers worldwide are now available to book at 1st4rivercruising.com, a new site from 1st4cruising.com, one of the UK's leading cruise specialists. More than 500...

Week in pictures.
October 3, 2008... It's a cruise with JEt2 and Hebridean Carnival UK chief executive David Dingle has opened Bath Travel's first branch in Southampton city centre. The opening of the [pounds sterling]1 million flagship branch reflects the importance of...

Shops set for seven days of promotions in an effort to build customer relationsAgents prepare for the first AITO Week.(News)
October 3, 2008... Chloe Berman chloe.berman@rbi.co.uk Association of Independent Tour Operators Specialist Travel Agents are gearing up for a week of promotions and events to help strengthen their relationships with customers. The first AITO Week, which...

Worst is yet to come.(News)
October 3, 2008... On the eve of ABTA's Travel Convention, chief executive Mark Tanzer warns of poor outlook for year ahead "A longer term squeeze on consumer spending will tighten things further. It is not looking great" Ian Taylorian.taylor@rbi.co.uk...

News.
October 3, 2008... Monarch Airlines will operate additional flights to Spain, the Canary Islands and the Caribbean this autumn and Christmas. But managing director Tim Jeans insisted the carrier has no intention of replacing the capacity lost to the market by...

News.
October 3, 2008... XL repatriation endsThe biggestrescue of UK holidaymakers ended last Saturday when the lastof 222 flights and 83,000 passengers returned following the collapse of XL Leisure Group. The CAA hopes to pay the first of up to 200,000 claims for...

Don't be scared to get help.(News)
October 3, 2008... Companies increase their risk of failure by not seeking help to prevent insolvency. Administrator and insolvency expert Neil Bennett of Leonard Curtis warned company directors: "Take advice as early as possible. The options narrow when you...

Confidence dip leads public back to trade.(News)
October 3, 2008... Exclusive Almost one fifth of holidaymakers are returning to agency bookings "This is a chance for us to communicate the value of the agent" Chloe Berman chloe.berman@rbi.co.uk Nearly 20% of customers are more likely to book with...

Big two report strong figures.(News)
October 3, 2008... Thomas Cook and TUI Travel issued strong trading updates despite the deteriorating economy, suggesting there will be few bargains available. TUI Travel UK will offer 21% fewer seats this winter than a year ago. With one-third of the winter...

Destinations.
October 10, 2008... Lying in the Mediterranean off southwest Italy, Sicily and Sardinia are the stepping stones between Europe and Africa and have a different feel to the mainland. Read on to find out what's new. Sicily Next May sees the Rocco Forte...

Destinations.
October 10, 2008... Colourful, cultural and vibrant, there's nowhere else like Italy, and that's before you even consider the fantastic cuisine and picture postcard regions such as Tuscany. The beauty of the Italian lakes is legendary. Cities such as Florence...

News.
October 10, 2008... O10-news-webbox page 2 1st on the web Travel Weekly broke a new record for page views and unique users in September. Smashing the half a million page views mark, 91, 618 unique users viewed a total 514, 619 pages. The new record...

Destinations.
October 10, 2008... As with many businesses in the UK, travel agencies and operators are suffering from the economic downturn. As a result, and in a bid to reduce overhead costs, many travel businesses are considering redundancies. In the past, jobs were...

Destinations.
October 10, 2008... The dramatic and varied scenery of North Africa doesn't only make it a tempting tourist destination - it has also caught the eye of location scouts in the movie business. From blockbusters to art-house hits, many films have set cameras rolling...

Destinations.
October 10, 2008... With its great beaches, dramatic desert landscapes and an abundance of major historical and cultural sites to explore, North Africa is an ideal choice for a short break. Here's a taste of what the region has to offer. Egypt ...

News.
October 10, 2008... O10-comment by Penny Wilson Well, after hearing the UK was "going nowhere" for the next 15 months at least - a good dose of reality delivered on Tuesday to the Abta convention in Gran Canaria by Mark Pragnell, managing director for...

News.
October 10, 2008... I write in response to a story in last week's issue about brochure waste ('Distribution has to be overhauled', Travel Weekly, October 3). Manyof us in the industry are trying our best to be more environmentallyfriendly. For instance, lots...

News.
October 10, 2008... Multi-channel is a must for survival In today's competitiveenvironment, and with theeconomic slowdown on everyone's mind, an integrated approach towards the online and offline customer journey hasbecome a necessity rather than a 'nice to...

News.
October 10, 2008... Juliet Dennisjuliet.dennis@rbi.co.uk Agents'share of the market has increased to 70% of all bookings being taken for summer 2009, according to new statistics from Ascent MI's Leisure Travel Monitor. Agents typically fare well in the...

News.
October 10, 2008... The Paradise Found report suggests tourism can "benefit local people and exist in harmony with the environment" through investment in five key areas: 1. Environment - by moving to a low-carbon economy, protecting biodiversity, sourcing...

News.
October 10, 2008... The recession, consumer protection and how to run your business were just some of the issues discussed at this year's ABTA Travel Convention held in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria. Close to 1,000 delegates attended including 241 agents. ABTA revealed...

News.
October 10, 2008... Costa Cruises has pledged to do more large-scale year-round promotions as the importance of the key January booking periods shifts. The news comes as the cruiseline celebrates the sixth and final winner of its diamond necklace promotion,...

News.
October 10, 2008... Juliet Dennisjuliet.dennis@rbi.co.uk Travel agents could face severe hikes in credit card authorisation fees or be shunned by card companies if the issue of financial protection is not resolved, warned Hays Travel managing director John...

News.
October 10, 2008... O10-news-domestic Travel agents should take advantage of the current economic situation by booking more domestic breaks, says Hoseasons chief executive Richard Carrick. Speaking during a breakfast briefing with VisitBritain at the ABTA...

News.
October 10, 2008... Penny Wilson and Michelle Perrett The UK will see significant business failure over the next 36 months and the country "will go nowhere" for at least the next 15,Mark Pragnell, chief executive of the Centre for Economics and Business...

News.
October 10, 2008... Target your business and focus on servicing the baby boomers who hold80% of the nation's wealth. The majority of 45 to 61-year olds havepaid off their mortgages and seen their kids fly the nest. That was the message from Generation Game experts...

News.
October 10, 2008... By Michelle Perrett and Juliet Dennis The government may be more receptive to listening to industry concerns over consumer protection in the wake of the XL failure indicated ABTA's head of development Andy Cooper. ABTA is lobbying the...

Agents have youth appeal.(News)
October 10, 2008... Peopleaged16-24 are more likely to book a trip through a travel agent than any other age group, according to anABTA surveyconducted by Ipsos MORI. About45% of respondents aged 16-24 said they booked their last tripwith an agent.Half said...

News.
October 10, 2008... principals get insurance schemeABTA and insurer International Passenger Protection have launched an insurance scheme to cover ABTA principals.The Supplier Failure Insurance will insure against losses whena supplier goes bust.The cost of the...

News.
October 10, 2008... Travel agents are proving resilient in the economic downturn and have reason to be optimistic next year, leading trade figures told delegates. Speaking at the Travel Convention session 'Innovation Begins At Home', ABTA chief executive Mark...

Ministerial reshuffle riles industry heads.(News)
October 10, 2008... Trade will have to deal with MPs who lack experience of travel departments Follett: New tourism minister Hoon: Incoming transport secretary Miliband: Heading new department Ian Taylorian.taylor@rbi.co.uk Industry appeals...

News.
October 10, 2008... The peak January 2009 sales period is going to be tough and holidaymakers could book even later next year despite warnings about capacity cuts. Hays Travel managing director John Hays predicted holidaymakers will leave booking their...

News.
October 10, 2008... Cruise ships could offer the key to disabled travellers who want to holiday abroad but cannot travel comfortably by air. Yet many agents are not confident selling to the disabled market, worth [pounds sterling]50 billion in UK spend alone....

News.
October 10, 2008... Staff training is unlikely to suffer as the industry comes under increasing pressure from the recession, a survey by sector skills council People1st and ABTA has suggested. Half of the 58 employers surveyed said their training budget would...

News.
October 10, 2008... Northern Ireland-based Knock Travel owner Doreen McKenzie believes if staff are happy, customers are happy - and that filters through to your bottom line. "I believe that if you invest in your people, they will deliver the goods," said...

News.
October 10, 2008... Travel agents are proving resilient in the economic downturn and have cause to be optimistic next year, leading trade figures have said. Speaking at The Travel Convention session Innovation Begins At Home, ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer...

News.
October 10, 2008... Travel Weekly's website set a new record for page views and unique users in September. Smashing the 500,000 page views mark, 91,618 unique users viewed 514,619 pages. This follows www.travelweekly.co.uk's stellar August performance which,...

Destinations.
October 10, 2008... How to win the generation game Understanding the A-Z of three generations and how you could improve your business was a focus of one of the sessions at the ABTA Travel Convention So the economy is in freefall, the UK is expected to go...

News.
October 10, 2008... Hotel changeis not on, Thomas Cook I have yet again been informed by [Thomas Cook]customer services thatmy client's holiday to Spain - due to depart in twodays - will now take place atthe 18-30 resort of Lloret de Mar instead of Tossa de...

News.
October 10, 2008... Imaginative Traveller has launched the UK's first-ever mystery tour for 2009 - offering a secret itinerary to anyone brave enough to sign up. The adventure travel specialist is offering the top secret 14-night tour for [pounds...

News.
October 10, 2008... Longwood Holidays Israel and Eilat October 2008-October 2009 This is the first time Longwood has incorporated Israel and Eilat in one brochure. There are new hotels in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea, plus a seven night Holy Land...

News.
October 10, 2008... Marriott Internationalpresident international lodgingEd Fullerwill bein the hot seatat World Travel Market's World Responsible Tourism Day. He will facea grilling from Stephen Sackur, presenter of BBC World'sHard Talknews programme, on...

News.
October 10, 2008... Business competition in travel and tourism can be cut-throat, echoing Victor Kiam's maxim that "the competition will bite you if you keep runningif you stand still, they will swallow you". The norm in business is to create points of difference...

News.
October 10, 2008... After hearing the UK is "going nowhere" for the next 15 months at least, most of us at the ABTA Travel Convention, like the economy, felt a tad deflated. It wasa good dose of reality delivered on Tuesday in Gran Canaria by Mark Pragnell,...

News.
October 10, 2008... by Ian The Civil Aviation Authority's latest ATOL figures suggest the decline in availability of package holidays has been arrested. The CAA completed the September ATOL renewals last week and reports the number of passengers covered...