Travel Weekly (UK) articles from September 2006

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from September 2006

Jamaica thrives on luxury boom.
September 1, 2006... Jamaica is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, according to one Caribbean specialist. Caribtours managing director Paul Cleary said sales to the Caribbean island have increased by 45% already this year, and the luxury end of the...

On the trail of Ethiopian legends.
September 1, 2006... As my flight touched down in Addis Ababa the words of Nelson Mandela were ringing in my ears. On visiting Ethiopia I felt I would be visiting my own genesis, unearthing the roots of what made me an African. Ethiopia offers something many...

Kenya believe it? There's golf galore.
September 1, 2006... Kenya is gaining recognition as a golfing destination, with more operators offering golf packages and the tourist board set to push the sport. Kenya Tourist Board senior sales and marketing manager Angie Meddins said: "Visitors can combine...

Kenya's back in the running.
September 1, 2006... A terrorist attack in November 2002 knocked the life out of Kenya's tourist industry and led to a huge slump in bookings, particularly for beach holidays. But those dark days are now fading into memory. Security has increased considerably at...

High demand adds to safari price tags.
September 1, 2006... The cost of a safari holiday to east Africa could soar by 15% next year as high demand puts pressure on lodge capacity, according to operators. Increases in park fees, accommodation and fuel costs could also lead to a hike in prices,...

The many wonders of Rwanda.
September 1, 2006... Rwanda looks set to be the next big thing for Africa, with high demand from UK visitors keen to see something more than the country's ubiquitous gorillas. Aardvark Safaris director John Spence said: "For us, Rwanda is a growth country....

Africa's tailor-made for Thomson.
September 1, 2006... Thomson has significantly added to its East Africa product in its first standalone Africa brochure, launched in August as part of the Tailor-made series. Among new properties in Tanzania is La Gemma Dell'Est on Zanzibar. Set on Nungwi...

There's big fun on tiny Anguilla.
September 1, 2006... The Caribbean stretches down in a curvaceous 2,000-mile chain from Bermuda in the north to Suriname in the south, and from Barbados in the east to Belize in the west. Throughout this series we'll give you the lowdown on everything the...

Set for a good innings.
September 1, 2006... WHEN Trinidad drew its football World Cup match against Sweden back in June, an announcement came over the Tannoy at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium in St Lucia that Trinidad had won the World Cup. It seemed a draw against the Swedes was enough...

It's a rich man's world.
September 1, 2006... WHEN your customers have oodles of cash to spend on your recommendation, the pressure is on to make the right choices. In the luxury sector of the Caribbean there is so much on offer, you'd be forgiven for not knowing what distinguishes one...

Food for the soul.
September 1, 2006... SELLING a holiday isn't just about getting the best value flight or hotel rooms, it's about enticing customers to a destination. It's no myth that the way to most people's hearts is through their stomach, so what better way to sell than...

departures.
September 1, 2006... The power of film is undeniable: you didn't have to sit though all 10 hours of the Lord of the Rings trilogy to see what a hit movie can do for a destination. Director Peter Jackson gave the Kiwis their biggest ever advertising campaign...

Majorca for grown-upsPura Hotel adds spice to Palma.
September 1, 2006... Puro Hotel has opened in Palma's old town, offering an unusual mixture of Arabic design, Asian hospitality and Spanish architecture. Design Hotels has four nights' bed-and-breakfast accommodation at the Puro Hotel in Palma from ?600 for a...

Know your clients.
September 1, 2006... A SHOPPING research consultant has urged agents to focus on the needs of their customers and how they can give them added value. Speaking at the Creating Retail Excellence seminar, Mike Greene, chief executive officer at HIM - a shopper...

'Community is key' whoever you are.
September 1, 2006... BUDGENS retailer Jonathan James has advised agents how to play an active role in the community and increase their bottom line. James holds a customer panel every two months to find out what they think of his business and gives them up to...

A fruitful meeting.
September 1, 2006... See what happened when grocery experts joined agents to brainstorm sales ideas SPONSORING a local amateur dramatic production to promote the fact you can sell West End shows is just one of many new ideas that could be rolled-out by agents...

24 hours of art in Barcelona.
September 1, 2006... barcelona street art Visitors can enjoy art in Barcelona without setting foot inside a gallery or museum. A large ceramic mural by Joan Mir? welcomes visitors to Barcelona International Airport Terminal B Don't miss the pottery-covered...

Agents see it, love it, sell it.
September 1, 2006... Somewhere2stay and Riu Hotels took a group of Future Travel homeworkers to Gran Canaria in June. They used the four-star Riu Palace Meloneras as a base for their three-night stay and travelled around the island, visiting five other Riu...

Marbella.
September 1, 2006... A well-oiled tourist machine and one of Spain's most famous holiday resorts, Marbella was a natural choice for this year's ABTA Convention. Hundreds of you will descend on the resort in November and many more will be selling the destination to...

PortAventura ready to make a splash.
September 1, 2006... Spanish theme park PortAventura has opened a Beach Club with seven aquatic areas on Salou's Playa Larga. There is a sports pool for activities such as aqua-gym or aqua-aerobics, and a water park with jet sprays and water beds. There...

Clifford GrauersGeneral manager, Great Eastern Hotel, London.
September 1, 2006... WHEN I asked my wife to marry me in Amsterdam, I went down on one knee and told her if she said yes, she would be committing to a life of travel. Thankfully, she agreed. Since then we have spent an awful lot of time living in hotels that I've...

Advantage tests screens.
September 1, 2006... ADVANTAGE members are to pilot interactive digital media screens in shop windows from October after delays in ironing out content and software issues. The six-month scheme will take place in seven shops across the country, each with different...

News.
September 1, 2006... Tanzer speaks out On ABTA: "I'm more aware than anybody of the value of the ABTA brand. It's absolutely crucial we maintain that. The message is that you are much safer booking your holiday through an ABTA member than not." On Triton:...

Madrid base is Easy.
September 1, 2006... EASYJet will make Madrid Barajas airport its 17th base from next February as it seeks to take greater advantage of the relatively undeveloped low-cost market in Spain. The carrier has operated from Barajas since 1998, and has expanded to...

Shopped: where BAA goes wrong.
September 1, 2006... MAJOR airlines have asked the Office of Fair Trading to refer its investigation of UK airports to the Competition Commission, with some urging a break-up of operator BAA. British Airways stopped short of calling for a break-up, but has...

'There's no such thing as loyalty'.
September 1, 2006... TRAVELLERS are increasingly fed up with airline loyalty programmes, which they see as delivering few benefits and earn them points that go unclaimed, according to two studies. Etihad Airways, national carrier of the United Arab Emirates,...

Can you manage the job?
September 1, 2006... THOMAS Cook has launched a major recruitment drive to fill management positions across the south of the country. The jobs are for store managers and customer service managers. Experience is necessary but there will be some training...

Desperately seeking staff.
September 1, 2006... BRIGHTON-based flight operator Teleticket claims it is struggling to attract new candidates to keep pace with its expansion plans. The company, which has 37 staff, hopes to expand by 20%, taking the total number of employees to 44. ...

A pain in the asp...
September 1, 2006... THE queues for Snakes oOn aA Plane have rivalled the check-in lines that are snaking around airport terminals. Box office tills are registering in the millions for the Samuel L Jackson film drama, which by coincidence is running concurrently...

Take risk out of a risky businessCaught in a (PR) spin over terrorThe winners are...Will big boys tolerate start-up upstarts?Who will pay the damages?
September 1, 2006... After much deliberation and as nearly as many votes polled as for the winner of ITV's Love Island, we can now reveal who you would like to see in our virtual Love Shack. Our winning lady is none other than Diane Mosson of Seligo, and as for...

Blasts reveal dynamic flaws.
September 1, 2006... The phenomenon of dynamic packaging has taken even its biggest advocates by surprise. The opportunity for agents to package together for themselves flights and beds without all the costly bonding has gone from being great in theory to pretty...

Caribbean gets a facelift.
September 1, 2006... Ocean Village has released details of its winter 2007/08 programme, doubling capacity with a second ship in the Caribbean as well as offering cruises out of Jamaica. Head of marketing Gill Haynes said the two itineraries out of Montego...

Princess welcomes first-time cruisers.
September 1, 2006... PRINCESS Cruises is promoting new regional flights and itineraries on Sea Princess as ideal for first-time cruisers in its Caribbean 2007/08 brochure. The cruiseline has increased its regional flight programme to cover seven UK airports...

New world of adventure.
September 1, 2006... THE POPULARITY of longer cruise itineraries and demand for more adventurous trips has prompted Princess Cruises to include a world cruise and an extended land-stay programme in its new 2007/08 Exotic Cruises Worldwide programme. The...

Hays big spender gambles on Keane.
September 1, 2006... NEW Sunderland manager Roy Keane is not known for his light-hearted, happy-go-lucky nature. So when his appointment was finalised this week, The Insider knew of one travel agent who would be anxious not just about the team's progress in...

ABTA gets fit for the future.
September 1, 2006... ABTA is undergoing a thorough review of its operations to ensure it is efficient and offers members value for money. In an exclusive interview with Travel Weekly to mark a year since he took over, chief executive Mark Tanzer said the...

CAA expects little change.
September 1, 2006... THE Civil Aviation Authority does not expect a major change in the number of ATOL holders or protected holidays and flights when the September renewals are completed. Some companies, most notably TUI UK, have threatened to reduce their...

Are consumers protected ATOL?
September 1, 2006... THE number of air travellers protected by ATOLs fell by 5.7% in the year to March 2006, compared with a 1.6% increase in the 12 months to March 2005. But a 5.5% rise in the average holiday price to ?525 meant the overall turnover of...

News.
September 1, 2006... THE GROWTH of Alaskan cruises could be hit after the US state voted to impose a $50 per passenger tax, the world's largest cruiseline has warned. Micky Arison, chief executive of Carnival, which owns P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and...

Be a winner during Cruise Month.
September 1, 2006... TRAVEL Weekly has designated September Cruise Month. Coinciding with our second year of cruise roadshows, from next week regular features such as Mystery Shopper and The World According to... will have a cruise theme. There will be...

News.
September 1, 2006... INTERNET searches for bargain air fares held up well following the immediate aftermath of last month's security crisis. Cheapflights looked at hits to its website nine days before the attempted bombing of transatlantic flights and for the...

Extra sparkle from Gold Medal.
September 1, 2006... GOLD Medal has launched a new-look logo to modernise its image and encourage the trade to see it as a long-haul package operator. The logo will appear on 2007 brochures, which have been delayed by about a month as a result. Group...

Lowcostbeds in hunt for early bookings.
September 1, 2006... LOWCOSTBEDS.COM is targeting the early booking market, having put 3,000 summer 2007 properties on its site yesterday. The move follows complaints by travel agents about the lack of accommodation-only stock available for next year. ...

P&O opts for happy families.
September 1, 2006... P&O Cruises will be aiming to attract a younger market and more families when it launches new ship Ventura in April 2008. The 113,000-ton ship will be the largest built for the British market, with capacity for 3,110 passengers and 880...

Ryanair solo in lawsuit.
September 1, 2006... RIVAL airlines have failed to join Ryanair in a ?3.3 million lawsuit against the Government over losses incurred by stricter security measures. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and BMI are concentrating on getting schedules back to normal...

From this...To this...
September 1, 2006... NERVOUS tour operators are considering slashing capacity in beleaguered Turkey following the bank holiday weekend's terrorist bombs. The highly-profitable destination has long been considered a key growth market by operators determined to...

450 jobs go in Thomson closure.
September 1, 2006... THOMSON has announced the loss of 450 jobs after business through its largest call centre more than halved in seven years. Retail and commercial director Derek Jones said the Cardonald call centre in Glasgow, one of seven owned by Thomson,...

Bombs put agents on spot.
September 1, 2006... A TOUR operator whose customers were wounded in the Marmaris explosions has challenged dynamic packaging travel agents to offer the same standard of service in an emergency. Jewel in the Crown managing director Platon Loizou said a family...

No movement on travel plans.
September 1, 2006... TOUR operators have refused to allow holidaymakers to Turkey to change their trips since the weekend as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not changed its advice. The FCO warns travellers "there is a high threat of terrorism" in...

Springboard gets ahead with trip to the Berbers.
September 1, 2006... Have you ever wanted to do something really life- changing or wanted to help make a difference to others? Well with the Springboard Charitable Trust (Scotland) you now have the opportunity to do both, with its most ambitious fundraising to...

Covering up a real mess.
September 1, 2006... I never thought I'd support Ryanair's rantings. . BBut good luck to itthem to them in any legal action against the Government and BAA airport security. The situation borders on mass hysteria with bottles of water now regarded as a threat...

Not the sharpest.
September 1, 2006... On checking in at Heathrow, a man who had forgotten his toilet bag was pleased with the array of replacements on sale in the departure lounge at Boots -OnA man checkinged in for his holiday flight at London Heathrow, airport a manand realised...

Take a leaf out of our book.
September 1, 2006... At Treeflights we plant trees for airline passengers who are concerned about their CO? 2 emissions. We are currently trying to link up with tour operators and travel agents who might like to offer our service as a green option to their...

?16k salaries? In our dreams.
September 1, 2006... RI would just like to say regarding your front page article (Travel Weekly , August 25), that I would just love to know where the Office of National Statistics gets its information from. I presume the average wages itthey stated were for...

A decade of service and still paid peanuts.
September 1, 2006... Further to the salary debatee about pay conditions and the fact the travel industry isis one of the worst offenders lowest (Travel Weekly, August 25), it was intersesting to see that the 'average' wage for the sector is ?15,950. I have...

Latin lover can see a bright future.
September 1, 2006... Two of your recent news items (Travel Weekly, August 25) did no service to Latin America -, one highlighting the apparent disinterest of the Chilean Tourism Board in marketing in Britain, the other warning of street crime in Peru. It would...

Windows of opportunity.
September 1, 2006... With reference to your excellent article on Thornton's Travel windows displays (Travel Weekly, August 25) I would like to congratulate Paul Emery and the team at Thornton's for their ongoing initiative and use of technology to create new...

Getting behind the barbed wire.
September 1, 2006... BALES Worldwide is expecting a 10% sales increase for its 2007 China and Far East programme after the introduction of North Korea for the first time. The operator claims it is among the first to enter the North Korean market with its...

Kuoni add-ons put earnings to fore.
September 1, 2006... KUONI Travel has expanded its range of excursions in its 2007/08 America and Canada programme. The operator has focused on destination experiences and added a raft of tours and excursions to the brochure. New trips include a paddle...

Latitude bolsters luxury choice.
September 1, 2006... THOMAS Cook Latitude has introduced 66 hotels to the 2007 programme, taking the total number to 129. General manager Jill Thompson said the new hotels have come in as new destinations are introduced including Australia, Bora Bora, Borneo,...

News.
September 1, 2006... in brief Aer Lingus in talks Aer Lingus staff are to discuss their options with unions following the Irish government's decision to sell the carrier later this month. The ?810 million sale is expected to raise ?300 million for the...

News.
September 1, 2006... How to boost your business A sample from many of the ideas put forward on the day: ? Take a stall at local garden f?tes or carnivals ? Use calendar events such as Valentine's Day to theme the shop and invite local media ? Get regular...

News.
September 1, 2006... Get by with a little help from these trends SHOPPING expert Mike Greene picked out a number of trends affecting customers' shopping behaviour and suggested how travel agents should adapt to these: ? Pressure-cooker lifestyles - people...

News.
September 1, 2006... What they said Why did you decide to attend the seminar and what do you hope to learn from it? "I was at the Triton conference in Tenerife and I was impressed with what Jonathan James said. We are thinking of specialising more in...

'We can learn from grocers'.
September 1, 2006... TRAVEL agents today face the same issues that grocery retailers had to deal with more than five years ago. Advantage sales and marketing director Colin O'Neill said experts from the grocery sector were well equipped to advise agents on...

Sunvil's southern hospitality.
September 1, 2006... SUNVIL Latin America has launched its 2007 brochure complete with more information to guide agents around the continent. Sunvil Latin America director Lloyd Boutcher said many agents are now discovering the region and need more information...

News.
September 1, 2006... BLOG BLOG BLOG BLOG BLOG michael and winston The government has stuck a knife right into Ryanair's business model - with the hand luggage ban putting huge pressure on its quick turnarounds. So what do Michael O'Leary & Co do in order to get...

News.
September 1, 2006... Travolution editor Kevin May A few weeks back I took part in what the tech-heads of this world call a webinar - a web-based seminar - hosted by PhoCusWright, a US research group that specialises in travel. The purpose of the session...

A plus for Gazetteers.
September 1, 2006... GAZETTEERS Plus has added a raft of new features to encourage agents to interact with the website. Gazetteers.com now includes blogs, agents reviews, holiday offers and a daily poll. DG&G head of product development Paul Hobden said...

News.
September 1, 2006... HOTELS4U.COM has overhauled its management structure to support sales growth of 80%. The trade accommodation-only firm has tripled its workforce to 54 and added commercial, finance, customer relations and operations departments. Sales and...

News.
September 1, 2006... FIRST Choice is expanding the use of videos on its website. It signed a deal last week with ONVOS to continue hosting and filming the videos. Firstchoice.co.uk has 15 resort-based moving images available to highlight its Turkey and...

Take a trip down...
September 1, 2006... How good is your memory? We've been through some back issues of Travel Weekly to find out what stories were making headlines in August and September last year. See how much you remember about last summer's news by taking part in our quiz. ...

A life on the ocean wave.
September 8, 2006... JUST off Zagarbad Island, in a remote area of the southern Red Sea, a Russian trawler languishes in 25 metres of water. One fellow crew member claims it is just a Russian fishing boat but others believe it to be a scuttled spy vessel. We headed...

Back to the beach.
September 8, 2006... OPERATORS are hopeful last month's Middle East ceasefire will see holidaymakers return to Israel's popular resort of Eilat following months of uncertainty. Longwood Holidays managing director Rafi Caplin said it's a waiting game for many...

Upgrade for Isrotel Hotels in Eilat.
September 8, 2006... ISROTEL Hotels has upgraded two of its Eilat properties with new spas and facilities for children. The five-star Isrotel Royal Beach Hotel re-opened its spa this month after expanding the number of treatment rooms, introducing a more...

Ambitious plan for Red Sea.
September 8, 2006... More than 330 hotels are set to open up in Red Sea resorts over the next five years M ORE than 330 new properties are set to open across the Red Sea resorts as part of an Egyptian Tourist Authority strategy to double the number of visitors...

departures.
September 8, 2006... Pi?a coladas, wall-to-wall shoulder pads and aged Americans battling for space at the captain's table - if this comes anywhere near your vision of a cruise, you need to go on a fam trip. And fast. While traditional cruises will always have...

5of the best private island resorts.
September 8, 2006... PRINCESS Margaret, Marlon Brando, the Bacardi family - anyone worth knowing has owned a private island and, for those who can afford it, the appeal of a personal paradise is not lost on the modern holidaymaker. Fuelled by developments in...

A white-knuckle stopover.
September 8, 2006... As I fastened my seatbelt for the 18-hour flight back to London, it was hard to believe just three hours ago I had been drenched in sweat, clinging to the roof of a small wooden boat ripping through reptile-infested waters in the Borneo...

Discover the Hawaii of China.
September 8, 2006... AS the world seems to get smaller, it's becoming increasingly difficult for agents to come up with new and exotic destinations to impress well-travelled clients. But while they may have hung out in Hawaii, sunbathed in the Seychelles or...

Belgians hold out for a hero.
September 8, 2006... MUCH has been made of a climate of fear that now seems to exist in the skies. A number of incidents have highlighted how the slightest suspicion someone is up to no good can cause a full-scale panic. However, there did not appear to be...

News.
September 8, 2006... In search of a happy ending ENJOY England is issuing agents with an interactive training CD-rom as it launches it latest domestic tourism campaign The six-month Storybook England campaign, pictured at the launch with fictional...

Cut-price tickets.
September 8, 2006... KEITH Prowse Attraction Tickets has cut its prices by more than 10% for 2007 to boost early sales. It is the first time the attraction specialist has launched an early-booking incentive. Managing director Deirdre Finnegan said prices...

News.
September 8, 2006... Pontin's has sweet smell of success Pontin's is offering agents the chance to win Body Shop vouchers throughout September. For every booking made during the month, agents will be entered into a draw to win a ?100 voucher as the first...