Entice your clients to book an escape with new deals & destinations Winter Sun August 15 2014 | ISSUE NO 1,884 | www.travelbulletin.co.uk puzzle bulletin play Su Doku for a chance to win a £50 M&S voucher bulletin briefing ANTOR directors of tourism offer autumn booking tips for agents training new online modules, agent incentives & events uk airports a round-up of the latest news & developments 15 11 19 12 this week Produced by www.travelbulletin.co.uk Luxury Your one-stop guide All About August 2014 to all the latest news and developments in Luxury Holidays with this issue DON’T MISS...
Transcript
Entice your clients to bookan escape with new deals
& destinations
Winter Sun
August 15 2014 | ISSUE NO 1,884 | www.travelbulletin.co.uk
puzzle bulletinplay Su Doku for a chance towin a £50 M&S voucher
bulletin briefingANTOR directors of tourismoffer autumn booking tips foragents
BIRTHDAY BASH...Avro Flights recently celebrated its 30th anniversary at its Bromley office in Kent, with a red, whiteand blue themed day to coincide with last month's American Independence Day. Pictured enjoying the celebrations arethe team - from the left: (back row) Sharon McKenna, Josh Gregory and Richard Burke with (front row) Roshni Patel,Michael Vinales, Tracey White, Carolyn Roberts and Neil Payne.
This Week
3 newshorizon brighter for UKtourism & leisure sectors,says MHA
8 notes from normantonSandy enjoys a day at theraces with TIPTO
15 traininga round-up of new onlinemodules, agentincentives & events
18 personality bulletinAudrey Singh fromSandals is in the hot seatthis week
19 uk airportsa round-up of the latestnews & developments
23 winter sun operators boostprogrammes with newdestinations and hotels
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Horizon brighter for UK tourism &leisure sectors, says MHAAROUND ONE third of staff working in guest houses,hotels, restaurants and pubs are now employed on zerohours contracts, according to the latest Travel & TourismSurvey conducted by MHA, a UK-wide association ofchartered accountants and business advisors.Yet, despite the flexibility that this arrangement offers
employers, more than 60% of these staff regularly work 20hours or more – with more than three quarters of theseroutinely employed for 40 hours per week.The survey paints a picture of an industry starting to
benefit from an upturn in trading conditions, with 56%reporting improved profitability in the last 12 months and58% predicting that 2014 will be better still. However, 50%cited turnover either stagnant or growing by less than 5%over the last 12 months.The association's head of travel and leisure, Andrew
Burnham, said: “The travel and tourism sector is emergingfrom a sustained period of low growth, but withdiscretionary spending improving across the economy as awhole, the hope is that – weather permitting – the yearahead will see the return of profitability capable ofsupporting future investment plans. “One indicator of this growing confidence is the number
of employees working extended hours on zero hourscontracts – this sector was always going to be an adopterof this employment option, but the numbers working whatmight be considered a ‘standard’ working week suggestthat this arrangement is working for both parties.”Almost a quarter of the operators covered by the surveylook set to increase investment this year in premisesrefurbishment, while 16% will be spending more onmarketing – particularly social media – to supportbusiness development.
AGENTS IN Scotland cannow book packages to seethe musical Jersey Boys atEdinburgh’s Playhouse. Theshow arrives this autumnfor a short 17-night runfrom October 8 to October24. The show is embarkingon its first UK and Irelandtour and these are the onlyEdinburgh dates on sale.The operator has launchedpackages that includeovernight accommodationand tickets to see themusical.
Graham Balmforth, thecompany’s national salesmanager, said: “Jersey Boyshas not been to Scotlandbefore and we expect thisshow to draw customersfrom a huge catchment.Agents have a realopportunity to generateinterest and sales. This willundoubtedly be one of thehottest theatre tickets of2014. Agents shouldn’tunderestimate how popularJersey Boys is – it has beenseen by over 19 millionpeople worldwide and wonover 55 awards. Tickets areexpected to sell fast so Iurge agents to startpromoting it now.” Prices are from £56.50
per person includingovernight accommodationand a ticket to the show.For more information visitwww.superbreak.com/agents or call 01904 -436000.
Superbreaklaunches JerseyBoys short breaksin Edinburgh
EUROPCAR IS warning holidaymakersheading to Spain this summer to beaware of the country’s new drivinglaws, where Brits could be hit withfines of up to £488 for speeding.In Spain, motorists can now be fined
€407 for going just 1km per hourabove the speed limit. Seriousspeeding offences could rise to £488.A new EU directive could see UKmotorists getting penalty points ontheir licence for any driving offencescommitted on the continent. On thespot fines are the big risk formotorists heading to France, withreports of drivers accompanied tolocal cashpoints if they don’t have
enough cash to pay the fine. “Driving abroad can be daunting for
some motorists as echoed by a newsurvey revealing that 75% of womenhave never driven abroad and almosthalf aren’t going to bother,” said KenMcCall, managing director, EuropcarUK Group. “In contrast, men are morelikely to break the law when drivingabroad but that could result in themcoming home with more than asuntan. “The greater focus on speeding and
dangerous driving in Spain and Franceshould reassure British motorists thatother drivers will be keeping to thespeed limits. And that should help to
boost confidence when driving onforeign roads. “We advise drivers to familiarise
themselves with the driving laws ofany countries they are visiting ifthey’re planning to drive either theirown car or a hire car. For instance, inFrance it is a requirement for driversto carry a breathalyser kit in theirvehicle; in other countries there’s azero alcohol limit. Whichever countryyou are visiting, don’t get caught outby assuming that foreigners will beexempt from the law. Make sure youdo your homework before arriving atyour destination so that you rememberthe trip for all the right reasons.”
www.travelbulletin.co.ukAugust 15 20144
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ROAD TO CATHY…Throughout the recent World Cup, Jetset ran anexclusive competition with Travel Bulletin called "The Road ToRio". Cathy Ellis of Traveltime in Beaconsfield emerged as theoverall winner of the grand prize - a hamper containing a varietyof items representing some of the World Cup's top teams. Cathy ispictured (right) receiving her prize from Jetset's Nisha Tailor.
A SURVEY of 2,000 peoplehas found that Brits are notnecessarily using theirsummer holidays to simplybask in the sun. As it turnsout, our biggest pleasureson holiday are escaping theevery-day such as having toclean the house and do dailychores. The study, commissioned
by bathstore, looked into
Brits holidaying habits, and66% of those surveyed saidthat the best part of theirholiday was the relief ofstepping away from thedomestic drudgery ofcleaning. To further highlight that
we are a nation of simplepleasures, more than one insix (17%) respondentsadmitted that one of the best
things about being onholiday was stealing thetoiletries, with Norwich andSouthampton being thecities that admitted tostealing the most minishampoos. Other popularperks of staying in a hotelincluded not having to cook,having the luxury of anensuite and a comfy bed.However, when it comes
to taking the journey, manyparticipants highlighted thatusing a 'toilet-in-transit'was their worst experienceof the trip. Nearly a third ofus (31%) hate using toiletson aeroplanes, and a furtherfifth of us won't go to toiletson trains or coaches, insteadchoosing to ‘hold it in’ forthe full course of thejourney.
New Spanish law could see UK motorists face speeding fines
Survey highlights Brits' holidaying habits and motivation for taking a break
BOURNE LEISURE is announced as thelatest sponsor of the Travel BulletinStar Awards. The operator's national sales
manager, Louise Tansey, said: “We aredelighted to be supporting the TravelBulletin Star Awards once again thisyear. Travel agents are an integral partof our team who are increasinglyrecognising the potential of the domestic booking market withits cross sell opportunities from their existing overseas clients. "We not only support events such as the Travel Bulletin Star
Awards but our travel trade team is also proud to deliver ahigh level of support and training to agents throughout theyear. We host thousands of agents with free day passes, groupfam trips, open days and onsite events, so that every agent isable to experience our products first hand. We also offer 24-hour support on our dedicated agent website which hasrecently had a 40k investment to enhance its features evenfurther including selling support, product information, bookingincentives and much more. "We would like to thank our travel agent friends for their
ongoing support of our ever popular UK holidays at Butlins,Haven and Warner Leisurehotels and we will continue tosupport them in every way wecan."
Bourne Leisure latest sponsor of Travel Bulletin's Star Awards
Hurtigruten offerstwo free nights inBergen withVoyage of theVikings bookingsHURTIGRUTEN ISoffering two free nightsaccommodation inBergen for customerswho book a 12-day‘Voyage of the Vikings’departing on September9. During the trip fromBergen, up to Kirkenesand back again, BritishMuseum Curator andViking expert GarethWilliams will be givinglectures on board as wellas leading tours andexcursions on land.Customers can choosefrom five hotels for theextra nights in Bergen,which will be on a bed-and-breakfast basis. The12-day voyage, combinedwith two nights at theRadisson Blu NorgeHotel in Bergen costs£1,736 per person, basedon two people sharing aninside cabin on a fullboard basis.For more informationcall 020-3582 6642 orvisitwww.hurtigruten.co.uk/agents
PRELIMINARY FIGURES for the first half ofthis year released by Grenada TourismAuthority (GTA) show that UK tourist visitsto the Caribbean island have increased by16%, year-on-year. Overall, Grenada recorded a 14%
increase in visitors from January to July2014 compared to the same period last yearwith arrivals totalling 214,403. Cruisevisitors, who remain on Grenada for oneday, grew by 12% to 149,073.The island welcomed 12,477 UK visitors
between January and June 2014, up from10,758 for the same period in 2013. The UK,which accounts for 23% of all Grenadatourism arrivals, benefits from four flightseach week from Gatwick - two with BritishAirways and two with Virgin Atlantic - withmost travellers originating from the GreaterLondon area.Sharon Bernstein, Grenada Tourism
Authority general manager UK & Ireland,said: “These figures are very encouragingand come within months of the launch ofour new brand, Pure Grenada, Spice of theCaribbean. The UK has always been one ofthe most important overseas markets for
Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique,and we’re confident that, with our new,more targeted approach to promoting theisland with Pure Romance, Pure Diving andPure Adventure, in addition to newaccommodation and new attractions in thepipeline, we’ll continue to secure tourismgrowth.
“Sandals LaSource Grenada hasprovided a boost to tourism and, along withinvestment by Spice Island Beach Resortand the renovation of Calabash Hotel thissummer, bodes well for the future. TheTourism Authority continues to promoteinitiatives including regattas and culturalfestivals with international appeal, and thisDecember will see the first evertransatlantic yacht race to end in Grenada,positioning the island as a truly world-classyachting destination.”Pure Grenada, Spice of the Caribbean -
launched by Minister for Tourism and CivilAviation, Hon. Alexandra Otway-Noel, onFebruary 14 this year - promotes theauthentic experience visitors enjoy inGrenada with a basis in sustainability andgeo-tourism.
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THE ORIGINAL Tour hasbroken sales records for2013 and for the first quarterof 2014, crediting the supportof agents as it introduces itsmost high tech fleet to thecapital’s roads.The company's managing
director, Colin Atkins, said:“We broke all our recordslast year and have alreadybeaten our targets for thefirst quarter of 2014 and withall the signs pointing towardsa very healthy summer forLondon’s tourism we lookforward to doing morebusiness with our trade
partners than ever before.”The company offers
competitive commissionrates backed by a dedicatedaccount manager, plustraining and promotionsupport. A choice of flexibleticketing options includes thepurchase of pre-printedvouchers in advance,production on demand by theagent, or a web affiliateprogramme. At the same time the
company is celebrating itsrecent 62nd anniversary withthe introduction of its mostmodern, high tech, low
emission fleet of 32 buses ata cost of £4million in time forthe summer season.The new fleet exceeds
requirements for the LondonLEZ standards and featuresthe latest exhaust treatmentsystems to reduceadmissions. In addition, allolder buses have been fittedwith new low emissionengines. The revamp alsomarks the rollout of thecompany's new wheelchairrestraint system which isless intrusive and quickerand easier to fit forwheelchair customers.
New Qatardevelopment from
PullmanPULLMAN, ACCOR'Supscale brand, hasannounced the opening ofa new hotel in Qatar,Pullman Doha West Bay,due to open in 2015.
The Pullman DohaWest Bay will feature 373rooms and 97 servicedapartments, extensivemeeting space includinga ballroom of more than1,300sq.m and anextensive range of foodand beverage facilities,including threerestaurants.
One of The OriginalTour’s new eco-friendly
buses passes the Housesof Parliament
The Original Tour introduces new fleet for summer
Grenada records double digit growth from UK in 2014
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COSMOS TOURS & Cruises haslaunched its full range of 2015 NorthAmerica and Worldwide holidays with anew flexible tour category, Relax andExplore’, a significant increase incruising and touring holidays, as well asa private home pick-up service includedin the holiday price.A choice of smaller group tours in
Asia, Africa and the Middle East hasbeen added as well as new classic toursin North America and new options toextend a holiday with another tour orcruise to experience the most of aspecific destination. The popular ‘Start in Style’ service
offers customers a home pick up servicein a chauffeur-driven car and assistancewith luggage on arrival into the terminalbuilding with the same service offered onthe return journey home. The operator's head of product, Amy
Shine, said: “To meet demand fromthe changing touring market, we haveintroduced a new tour classification‘Relax & Explore’ to our Worldwideand North American programme.Already popular in the European
programme, it offers the flexibility of asingle or twin-centre, combined withthe choice of doing and seeing asmuch with a range of optionalexcursions. Our customers want moreof a flexible style holiday and theability to decide on arrival what theywant to experience and see. “There are many incentives for
booking early with our ‘Start In Style’private chauffeur driven home pick upservice included in the price and a lowdeposit of £175 per person onbookings made before December 19”.New Relax and Explore holidays
include an eight-day ‘Hanoi & Ho An’(£1,579 per person), a five-day ‘Dubai’option (£945), 15-day ‘Sydney, Rock &Reef’ (£2,699) or 15-day ‘Highlights ofAustralia’ itinerary (£2,629), a nine-day‘Contrasting Costa Rica’ tour (£1,389)and a ten-day ‘Tale of Two Cities –Tokyo & Kyoto’ (£2,435).To meet demand for small group
touring in worldwide destinations, thenew range includes a nine-day ‘Wild &Scenic Sri Lanka’ from £1,549, a 16-day ‘Enchanting Kerala & Southern
India’ from £1,875 and an eight-day‘Through The Savannah’ tour from£1,835.To add to the choice of themed and
worldwide special events available,several new options have been addedfor next year. New winter holidaysinclude an eight-day ‘Alaska’s IditarodTrail Dog Sled Race' from £2,169 and anine-day ‘Cape Town & WinelandsCulinary Delights’ from £2,075.Special offers for the new brochure
include an Airport Hotel Offer of £29per room available at a four-star ratedairport hotel for a one night pre- orpost-tour stay and includes up to 14nights' parking. And to meet demandfrom single travellers, a wider choiceof departure dates and itineraries withno single supplement has been addedto the programme.A number of direct flights are
available to North America and manylong-haul destinations from Heathrow,Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester,Edinburgh and Glasgow.For further information visitwww.cosmostoursandcruises.co.uk
Inghams adds three- and four-nightXmas Markets breaks from £399INGHAMS HAS issued a new Christmas marketsprogramme for 2014 featuring three- and four-night breaksthroughout November and December to six cities in threecountries. The new short breaks programme departs Wednesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays and is bookable online atinghams.co.uk/christmasmarkets.Holiday prices include flights from a choice of regional
airports, transfers, three- or four nights' breakfastaccommodation in prime locations within walking distanceof the Christmas markets, plus a range of extras includingfree day trips and excursions, free use of city transport, afree city map or guide book and free rail upgrades andvouchers to exchange for drinks at the Christmas markets.Prices are based on scheduled and low-cost flights where
fares traditionally increase closer to departure and thereforeguests are encouraged to book early for the best value. As well as the Christmas market short breaks, the
company is offering a value seven-night, all-inclusive WinterWonderland holiday to Hotel Karwendelhof in Seefeld, withdepartures on December 13 and 20 and prices leading in at£939 per person. The operator's executive director, Hugh Walton, said: “We
have long been asked for a winter programme for non-skiers and we’re excited about our Christmas marketsbrochure which we’re sure will appeal to our loyal summerLakes & Mountains guests. They will find all the usualbenefits they expect from us including an excellent selectionof departure airports, quality-checked hotels and a hugerange of added value offers such as free excursions and freeupgrades.”
New flexible tour category from Cosmos Tours & Cruises
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SPEARING AHEAD...Pictured at the opening of Spear Travels'ninth branch office in Skipton, following the recent acquisition ofNeil Rankin Travel, are Peter and Libby Cookson of Spear Travelswith the Mayor of Skipton, John Dawson.
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Our most popular special is still on the menu! FREE Disney Dining
disneytravelagents.co.ukFind out all the details now at
Book 24 Apr–4 Nov 2014, for arrivals on selected dates from 1 Jan–30 Nov 2015**, and everyone in the party dines for FREE for the entire stay.
CUSTOMERS STAYING AT A DISNEY MODERATE RESORT enjoy FREE Disney Quick Service Dining Plan.
CUSTOMERS STAYING AT A DISNEY DELUXE RESORT or selected DELUXE VILLA RESORT receive FREE Disney Dining Plan.
Upgrades can be made between plans (including the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan) for an additional charge. After that, all they’ll pay is the tip.
KUONI HAS launched its latest Far East brochure valid fromSeptember this year to December 2015. It features 21 newboutique hotels, including the SALA Rattanakosin inBangkok, Thailand which has 15 rooms and floor to ceilingwindows with views over Wat Arun; the Princess d’Annam inPhan Thiet, Vietnam, designed by award-wining architect TanHock Beng; and the Essence Hoi An Hotel & Spa, Vietnam,which opened last year and has 70 rooms. There are 12 newhotels exclusive to Kuoni guests in the UK, such as therecently opened Bandara Villas Phuket; plus exclusive roomtypes, some including free spa treatments. New destinations
in the brochure include the Palawan in the Philippines, idealfor divers and kayakers; and the island of Gili Meno locatedoff the north west coast of Lombok in Indonesia. More experiences have also been added such as a StreetFood tour in Hanoi, Vietnam. Customers will join a culinaryexpert to visit the markets used by locals that aren’t featuredin guidebooks. The tour includes sampling Vietnamesecuisine and learning about local traditions, daily life and theculture of Vietnam. Cruise additions include a PrincessCruises tour of Japan and an Azamara Quest Stay & Cruiseholiday, discovering Indonesia.
Kuoni adds new boutique hotels to latest Far East brochure launch
RABBIES IS highlighting two short breaks with prices from £159. A Heart of England, Wales and Yorkshire leads in at £289 per person andhighlights include Shakespeare country, Conwy Castle, the mountains of Snowdonia, Ironbridge World Heritage Site and the historical ChatsworthHouse, owned by the Duke of Devonshire. The four-night trip includes transport by Mercedes mini coach and the services of a guide and departsevery Friday until October from London Victoria. Meals, accommodation and attractions are extra. A three-day Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Bath andthe South West Coast is also being highlighted with prices from £159. Highlights include Stonehenge, the Jurassic coast of Dorset, Dartmoor,Glastonbury and the historic cities of Exeter and Bath. The trip departs every Wednesday year-round from London Victoria. For details call 0131-226 3133 or see www.rabbies.com
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Trafalgar offers 'The Balkans andVenice' from £2,268 for 12 nightsTRAFALGAR IS offering a 13-day 'The Balkans and Venice' itinerary.Starting the journey in Zagreb, Croatia, guests will stay for
two days before moving on to Sarajevo in Bosnia &Herzegovina for a further two nights. The itinerary then travels (en route to Dubrovnik) to the
bridge at Mostar, followed by a day trip to Montenegro to seesome of the various cities along its coast before heading backto enjoy the last night in Dubrovnik. Leaving Bosnia &Herzegovina, the ship then sails back to Croatia to the ancientroman city of Split, where guests can take in the city sights,including the roman Emperor Diocletian’s Palace. Other portsof call include Plitvice, Ljubljana, Lake Bled and Venice. Prices lead in at £2,268 per person land-only, including 12
nights’ breakfast accommodation, VIP door to door airporttransfers, sightseeing and a travel director.To book or for further information see www.trafalgar.com
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WEBSCLUSIVES� Win a 100 Euros train voucher with Deutsche Bahn.To be in with a chance of winning, enter today atwww.travelbulletin.co.uk/competitions
� Last chance to win £75 worth of duty free voucherswith Birmingham Airport atwww.travelbulletin.co.uk/competitions
� Check out our All About Luxury Holidays supplement,hard copy enclosed with this edition of Travel Bulletinor digital edition at www.travelbulletin.co.uk/travel-bulletin-back-issues
All this and more at:
www.travelbulletin.co.ukThe home of the web savvy travel agent
Go
MOVERS� HOLIDAY EXTRAS has appointed David Hinder Edwards as
account manager for the Midlands.� FIONA FOSTER has joined Innstant Travel as head of operations.� Oman Air has appointed Abdulrahaman Al-Busaidy as chief
operating officer.� DISCOVER NEW England has announced Lori Harnois as its
new executive director.� PARK RESORTS has appointed Iain Richards as sales and
marketing director.� THE SMALL Maldives Island Co. has appointed Alexa Sinzig-
Mootoo as director of sales for Europe.� CONDOR FERRIES has announced that Graham Hopcraft, group
sales manager, has been elected to join the Board of the CoachTourism Association Limited.
� ESTHER LAPOLE has joined The Doyle Collection's TheKensington Hotel as director of sales.
BEEN QUITE busy the last couple of weeks –was helping out at Oakwood Travel one daywhen Richard Hey came in from Bedsonline.
He is always so passionate about his company andwhat they are doing. He mentioned about theirdirectly contracted Disney offers for Orlando - theyhave all the WDW Florida hotels on sale up toChristmas/New Year 2015/16 with their usualterms of business on Accommodation-Only,Accommodation and 14-Day Ultimate Ticket andeach of the Dining Plans available at each hotel. Hesaid they will soon have deals for all The Universalproperties too, and he reckons they also have someof the best prices around on just the ticketsthemselves for both Disney and The Orlando FlexiTickets, throughout this year and next. Thecompany also has great deals on a range of hotelsthroughout the rest of USA & Canada, the MiddleEast, Far East and even Down Under – with afantastic range of transfers, attractions andexcursions too. Sounds like Bedsonline have goteverything covered - have a look at their website atwww.bedsonline.com
Thank you to TIPTO for inviting me to Ladies Dayat Pontefract Races (right on my doorstep!) to helpcelebrate 15 years of successfully supportingindependent agents. They have great a website fortraining and the latest updates - if you want to joinemail [email protected]
What a great day with Champagne to start withfollowed by a fantastic lunch and afternoon tea, andit was nice to catch up with some of the suppliersthere in a nice informal atmosphere.
‘If you are doing your best you won’t have time toworry about failure’ and ‘The heaviest thing youcan carry is a grudge!’.
Closing date for entries is Thursday, August 21st. Solution and new puzzle
will appear next week.
The winner for 25th July is Linda Isgrove, Izzy Tours in
Birmingham.
July 25 Solution: A=9 B=6 C=8 D=2
�A
�B
�C
�D
Number: 031
Travagrams
Across 1. The UK's leading travel association (4)3. Travel group, ___ family of brands (6)7. Number of players in a volleyball team (3)8. One of the Baltic countries (7)10. Bay and scenic resort on the Costa Brava (5)11. Film and Television award (5)12. Edinburgh airport code (3)13. Salford Quays theatre and gallery complex,
The ___ (5)15. Rome is the capital of this region (5)17. State capital of Georgia (7)19. Norwich International airport code (3)20. Biblical character featured in a Lloyd
Webber/Rice musical (6)21. Villas specialist, part of TUI (4)
Down 1. The Inbetweeners cause havoc in this country at
a cinema near you (9)2. Nicknamed The Lone Star State (5)4. Flag carrier of Poland (3)5. Town and national park in Alberta (5)6. Island home of the annual Battle of Flowers
carnival (6)9. Turkey specialist, ___ Sky (9)11. The Guggenheim Museum is located in this
Spanish city (6)14. Country famous for its National Eisteddfod (5)16. In Greece it's known as Zakynthos (5)18. Naples International airport code (3)
Where Am I?
Fill in the crossword to reveal the mystery location highlighted by the green squares.
For the solution to the Crossword, Where Am I? and Travagrams, please see page 30
Crossword
Su Doku
Num
ber:
031
Let this Mauritius specialist captivate you
This company’s motto is: “Africa’s Most Awarded Airline”
A Changed Ninths Oily
A Factorial Shinier Sun
Can you solve the following anagrams to decipher the destination & tour operator?Win a £50 M&S voucher in the travelbulletin Su Doku prize puzzle
After a summer of excellent English weather jam-packed with top sporting events, agents shouldnot feel disheartened as it’s now an ideal time to
sell holidays and benefit from last minute summerdeals. Agents should encourage Brits to book anautumn holiday to stave off the impending autumnalchill and instead enjoy an endless summer by exploringthe wide variety of places on offer from ANTORmembers. See www.antor.com for more details on ourmembers. Below are some tips from our Directors ofTourism to help with your bookings. Tracey Poggio,ANTOR Chairman.“Bored with end to end sports on every channel? Fed up
with endless queues for the outdoor terraces for dinner ormiles of slow traffic, packed parks and beaches full ofcrowds trying to soak up the sun? Escape to Quebec,Canada. We have wide open spaces, lakes with beaches,millions of acres of forests, mountains, rivers and vastempty roads to travel on – and more moose per squarekilometre than people! You can even rediscover yourpartner and children as there are some areas where youcan have a total detox and disconnect from your laptop,tablet or phone.” Josephine Wiggall Lazarus, DestinationQuebec UK, ANTOR Board Member.“I’d focus on digital detox, escaping sport banter, drunk
Brits and experiencing the best of other destinations thatblossom in the summer. Lithuania has fantastic spas,beautiful hikes and trails all throughout the country,festivals, great food and a rich and varied culture that isevident in the architecture in Vilnius Old Town and thecountry homesteads and farms. Only a two and a half hourflight away with Wizz Air offering flights twice a day there’sthe added beauty of no jet lag!” Alexander Gray, LithuaniaTourism Office.“Having enjoyed watching the Commonwealth games
why not escape to the clean, warm and calm sea ofCyprus, enjoying all kinds of water sports. Followed by lazyal fresco dining under the stars.” Oretis Rossides , CyprusTourism Organisation, ANTOR Vice Chairman.“My top tips for agents would be to highlight Abu Dhabi’s
reliably pleasant winter climate and combine their packagewith a ticket to one of our international sporting eventsfrom November onwards. With such a stellar line-up ofdiverse sporting events, including the season finale ofFormula OneTM Eithad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on23 November, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final between
26-30 November, the highly anticipated Volvo Ocean RaceAbu Dhabi Stopover from 15 December – 3 January andthe Abu Dhabi HSBC Gold Championship from 15 – 18January next year UK holidaymakers will be more thantempted to leave their sofas for a sporty sunshine break inthe UAE capital.” Nabeel Al Zarouni, UK Country Manager,TCA Abu Dhabi “If you did watch the Commonwealth games I hope you
saw our three medallists. Samoa is one of the moreuntouched destination in the South Pacific where findingwifi to stream a football match may present more of achallenge, but you will find rugby being played everydayaround the island. The ten islands of Samoa provide theperfect tropical oasis of calm to escape to. The two mainislands of Upola and Savai’i offer a mix of natural beautyand soft adventure with lots of snorkelling and divingaround the coral reefs, hiking up volcanoes, kayakingbetween islands and numerous pools, caves and waterfallsin swim in and explore. The annual Teuila Festival at theend of August is a celebration of all things Samoan and agreat introduction into the different culture and lifestyle.Alternatively head to the Robert Louis Stevenson’s homeand burial ground.” Eve Gardiner, Samoa Tourist Office“Oman is a year round destination with summer
temperatures similar to Turkey and Greece but if you wanta cooler climate head to the mountains or south toSalalah. The newly opened Alila Jabal Akhdar resort, partof the Al Haja mountain range is also one of Oman’s mostspectacular regions to explore and guests can indulge atthe luxurious Spa Alila, a peaceful sanctuary dedicated topampering you from head to toe. Alternatively,the recentlyrefurbished luxury mountain camp The View is on theJabal Shams Mountain.” Suzanne Halil, Travel TradeManager, Oman Tourism Office
Industry Insight by...
Antor directors of tourism offer tips to help with your bookings
bulletinbriefing
"Agents should encourage Brits tobook an autumn holiday to staveoff the impending autumnal chilland instead enjoy an endlesssummer by exploring the widevariety of places on offer from
Thomson selectsAirways Holidaysas Channel IslandsupplierAIRWAYS HOLIDAYS,which is part of Jersey-based C.I. Travel Group,has been selected asThomson’s preferredChannel Island supplier.Thomson travel advisorswill now proactivelypromote the operatorthrough its retail shopsacross the UK, and willbe incentivising itsdedicated sales teams todrive sales to theChannel Islands. Agentscan also benefit from thelocal advice provided bythe company'sreservations team whichis based in Jersey.As an example of
prices, a seven-nightJersey break departingon August 23 leads in at£476, staying at the two-star Talana Hotel withflights from Oxford. Prices for four-night
short breaks start from£245 at the three-starBeachcombers Hotel and£246 at the three-starSaints Bay based on anOctober 3 departure andincluding flights fromGatwick or Southampton.
TRAVEL 2 has expanded its offering with anewly released 2014/15 Africa brochure. Withnew properties across a variety of locations,plus new tours available, the brochure offersan even greater choice to clients.The operator has added 13 new hotels to its
existing list of accommodation. As examples,the four-star Victoria and Alfred Hotel in CapeTown is ideal for clients looking to explore thefamous waterfront with a huge selection ofshops, bars and restaurants set in the heart ofa working harbour, with prices from £1,869per person for 14 nights. On the other end ofthe scale, the Garden Route Game Lodgeoffers clients ‘Big 5’ game viewing at the startof the Garden Route – and is an ideal hotel fora stopover before the self-drive tour. Dreamsof Zanzibar and the DoubleTree by Hilton
Zanzibar are also featured in the brochure forthe first time.Three new tours have been added to the
brochure giving agents more options forclients looking to explore more of thecontinent. As an example, a six-day Highlightsof Botswana tour takes clients on a journeythrough the Okavango Delta and ChobeNational Park. Meanwhile, the company's Advance
Registration Policy makes it easier for agentsto book. If the fare increases by more than 5%on airline bookings, the operator will cancelfree of charge or the customer can pay thedifference in cost. If the fare has increased upto 5%, the company will guarantee the priceand cover the difference.For details visit www.travel2.com
SINGLES SPECIALIST, FriendshipTravel, has launched its winter2014/15 brochure in a buoyant mood,following record-breaking earlysummer sales which are currentlyrunning 18% up on the same periodlast year.The company's managing director,
Colum McLornan, said: “This year wehave seen a notable increase indemand for four- and five-starproperties. To this end, we haveexpanded our programme ofupmarket hotels this summer inTurkey, and have just introduced thenew five-star Garcia Hotel in OluDeniz.“We have also seen an increase in
last-minute bookings, particularly forour house party holidays in Turkey
and Greece, where we have exclusiveuse of ‘small and friendly’ family-owned hotels." Turning to winter, the company
continues to expand its offerings tosolo travellers and has introducedspecial interest breaks such asBordeaux Wine Weekends. Highlights of the Bordeaux breaks,
which depart in November and Marchand offer wine-based excursions,include a visit to the Ecole du Vin anda trip to two wine producers in theMedoc region – along with a walkingtour of the city. The cost of £595 perperson includes Gatwick flights,transfers, five nights' breakfastaccommodation and excursions.Other short-haul options making
their debut this winter include
Marbella in Spain, Cyprus, Marrakechand the High Atlas mountains andMalta packaged with GozoNew long-haul holidays include the
Breathless Punta Cana Resort in theDominican Republic, a luxury all-inclusive property where facilitiesinclude a casino, spa, fitness centreand watersports. On offer betweenNovember and April, prices startfrom £1,665 per person includingGatwick flights, transfers and sevennights’ accommodation in a juniorsuite. On all holidays guests enjoy sole
occupancy of a double or twin roomand the services of a travel host. For more information or to make abooking call 0844-800 2770 or visitwww.friendshiptravel.com
Friendship Travel boosts programme with 2014/15 winter brochure launch
newsbulletin
PRESTIGE STAMPEDE... Prestige Holidays awarded staff at C The World Travel in Bristol with a hamper inrecognition of a £55,000 booking to Canada, taking in the Calgary Stampede, Vancouver; the RockyMountaineer; and a seven-night cruise. Pictured receiving the prize from Louise Stambury of Prestige Holidays(middle) are Claire Rosser, travel consultant (left) and Carolyn Park, owner of C The World Travel, Bristol.
CELEBRITY CRUISES hasdeveloped a new portfolio ofmaterials to aid agents. TheCelebrity Xtra trade packtoolkit has been designedfor independent partnersand Consortia, allowingthem to produce individuallybranded website bannersand posters to promote thecruise line withpersonalised materials. Thekit includes two variations ofweb banners, eightvariations of wall postersand banners and an A4 SuiteClass poster which can thenbe personalised with agents’
own logos. Nicki Tempest-Mitchell,
the line’s director of salesUK and Ireland, said: “Indeveloping the CelebrityXtra toolkit we were mindfulof making it both personalas well as practical with adeparture from the ‘one sizefits all’ approach. The bankof materials has beendesigned to be eye-catching,informative and easy to useso our agent partners willhave strong sales tools. Thefeedback to date has beenhugely positive and we lookforward to seeing more and
more of our agents takingadvantage of theopportunities this marketingsupport brings.”
Agents can request thetoolkit viacruisingpower.co.uk. As partof the request, agents willbe asked to submit abusiness case for each pieceof collateral, ensuring it isutilised in the most effectiveway and allowing the cruisecompany to identify areaswhere it can provideadditional support. For more information visitwww.cruisingpower.co.uk
BRIGHT (Bringing Real Informationand Guaranteed High Quality Training)has announced dates for its post-summer workshops for independentagents.
They are as follows: September 9 atthe Claremont Hotel, Isle of Man;September 10 at the Best WesternQueen Hotel, Chester; October 7 at theSpa Hotel, Tunbridge Wells; October 8at the Mandalay Hotel, Guildford;October 21 at the Lanhydrock Hotel,Bodmin; October 22 at the WoodburyPark Hotel, Exeter.
All events begin at 18.00 with areception followed by a session witheach of the ten Bright members andthen a dinner and raffle prize giving.
Members of Bright are: KirkerHolidays, Explore, Viking Cruises,Hurtigruten, Attraction World, 1st
Class Holidays, Veloso Tours, MosaicHolidays, Cox and Kings, Sunvil, TheCanary Islands, Crystal Cruises andJersey.
Pictured at a recent workshop inGlasgow (above) are, from the left:Pippa Baines of Explore with Caroline
Birse, Birse Travel Strathclyde; ArleneDonald, Arlene Donald Travel Renfrew;and Garry Burns, Hynds TravelGlasgow. For more information or to book aplace at an event email:[email protected]
Barceló promotes loyaltyprogramme for
agentsTHE NEW Barceló Hotels& Resorts online traveltraining eLearningcourse providesinformation on Barcelóproperties in Cuba, theDominican Republic andMexico, with details ofthe resort credit offers inBarceló Bavaro BeachResort, Barceló MayaBeach Resort, BarcelóCosta Cancún andBarceló Tucancun.Agents have the chanceto enrol in the hotelgroup's loyaltyprogramme, BPartner,where they can earnpoints for bookings andredeem them for roomnights at 142 propertiesacross 16 countries.
The company is alsooffering agents thechance to win one of two,four-night stays in one ofits luxury resorts inCuba, the DominicanRepublic and Mexico.
To be in with a chanceof winning one of thethree prizes, agentsshould complete andpass the course byDecember 30.
GOLD MEDAL has launched its third mega famin conjunction with Emirates.
The tour operator will be sending four teamsof independent travel agents to secret locationson the Emirates network before jet setting backto Dubai for an ‘Access All Areas’ trainingconference. Here each group will share theirdestination experience so agents benefit fromall four trips, whilst enjoying the fifth.
The trips will be hosted by the company’ssales development managers, with placesbeing allocated eight per region, and will besplit between the top selling agents and themost improved year-on-year. Agents shouldbook with the operator to be in with a chance ofwinning.
League tables tracking agencyperformances are published on the company’swebsite at www.goldmedal.co.uk each week,
and highlight those that are currently in line tosecure a seat, and those in the running to takea top spot.
The operator’s head of sales & businessdevelopment, Ruth Hilton, will be there to greetthe four trips in Dubai as they arrive for athree-night stay at the Atlantis, The Palm.Hilton said: “We are delighted to once againoffer our valued agents the chance toexperience five trips in one. Our unique megafam concept gives agents a wealth ofdestination training and knowledge to takeback and share with their customers, and wecan’t wait to host them in some of the world’smost amazing locations.
“It’s going to be an exciting few weekswatching the league tables!”To book call 0800-0147777 or seewww.goldmedal.co.uk
Gold Medal teams with Emirates to launch third mega fam
trainingbulletin
Celebrity Cruises introduces Xtra trade pack toolkit for agents
Bright announces post-summer workshops for independent agents
PROEXPORT COLOMBIA has launcheda new e-learning programme for UKtravel agents called Learn Colombiaaimed at increasing agents’ knowledgeof the country and boosting sales.
Any UK agent who completes thecourse by September 30 will be in withthe chance of winning one of four returnflights to Bogota with the nationalcarrier Avianca or one of ten Colombiangoodie bags. As an added incentive, allagents completing the course byDecember 31 will receive 20% off flightsto Colombia with Avianca.
Maria Claudia Lacouture, president ofProexport Colombia, described theonline educational programme, whichcan be found atwww.learncolombia.com, as a ‘one stopshop’ for travel agents selling thecountry, containing information andmodules on everything from Colombia’s
range of hotels to its natural wonderssuch as Tayrona National Park, vibrantcities such as Bogotá and Cali, andhistorical gems such as Cartagena.
Lacouture said: “Everything an agentcould ever wish to know about sellingour wonderful country, from the richhistory and culture to the incrediblydiverse tourism sites and experienceswe have been promoting in our ongoingColombia is Magical Realism campaign,can be found in this wonderful resource.Completing the whole course will notjust turn UK agents into Colombiaexperts, it will hopefully give them apassion for selling the country and helpthem to ramp up their sales. If thatwasn’t incentive enough they also standa good chance of being able toexperience the country for themselvesthanks to the great prizes we areoffering in collaboration with our
partners such as Avianca.” Once agents have registered to use
the programme they can access theinformation they require via thehomepage using the themed tabs inthe left-hand navigation bar such asHistory, Nature and Culture, backed bya Suggested Itineraries option and aGeneral Information section containinguseful advice on areas includinggeography, food and travelling aroundthe country.
Meanwhile, the agent’s progress andperformance is registered in the MySpace section, accessed via a tab inthe navigation bar at the top of thescreen. This can be found next to thetab for Agents Toolbox, which containsa range of useful sales resourcesincluding an image gallery, the latestnews items and details of upcomingevents.
WENDY WU Tours has announceddetails of its 2014 agent roadshow tour,which will span across 11 UK locationsfrom September 2-24.
The tour begins in London and willbe supported by key partners includingQatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, MacauGovernment Tourist Office, Hong KongTourist Board, Guilin Tourism andEmirates.
The roadshows will offer agents thechance to meet Bambu and the WUcrew, discover what’s new, find out the
best ways to sell tours and enjoy a fun,interactive event with the chance to winprizes.
The dates and locations for theevents are as follows: London onSeptember 2 at The Wesley, Euston;Leeds on September 8 at The LeedsClub; Newcastle on September 9 at TheJury’s Inn, Gateshead; Edinburgh onSeptember 10 at Holiday Inn SampansRestaurant; Glasgow on September 11at the Hilton Grosvenor; Norwich onSeptember 15 at the Hong Kong Fusion
Restaurant; Birmingham on September16 at Chung Ying Chinese Restaurant,Wrottesley St; Nottingham onSeptember 17 at The Belfry Hotel;Plymouth on September 22 at theHoliday Inn; Bristol on September 23 atthe Dynasty Restaurant; andBournemouth on September 24 at theHallmark Hotel.For further details visitwww.wendywutours.co.uk/roadshowsor to apply for a place [email protected]
Travel 2 launches ‘T2 FAM School’TRAVEL 2 has launched a new agent training scheme, the‘T2 FAM School’.
As part of the new scheme, the operator is sendingupwards of 200 travel agents over the course of this yearto 15 countries – an investment of more than £200,000.Destinations on the list include South Africa, Barbados,the Maldives, New South Wales, Dubai, Hong Kong, NewZealand, Thailand, Vietnam and Fiji.
The main aim of the scheme is to equip agents withknowledge gained by experiencing products on fam trips.
Gordon McCreadie, the operator’s sales and marketingdirector, said: “More than 3,000 agents have registeredfor the T2 Academy since its launch in 2012. With morethan 51,000 modules completed, covering destinations,air product and ground suppliers, it’s clear that trainingis a key aspect of our partnership with travel agents. Thesuccess we’ve seen over recent years was the drivingforce behind the launch of the new T2 FAM School and weare a big believer in helping agents develop theirknowledge to improve sales. First-hand experience ofproducts is key to this and this is why we’re offering somany fam trip places as part of our new T2 FAM Schoolthis year.”
TIPTO HAS launched a new training incentive giving agentsthe opportunity to win a Pandora bracelet with a charmwhen they complete all 14 supplier training modules byAugust 31 to gain five star status.
A winner will be chosen at random when the competitioncloses.To complete the modules and for further information visitwww.tipto.co.uk
New training incentive from Tipto
trainingbulletinProexport Colombia launches new e-learning programme
Wendy Wu Tours announces launch of 2014 agent UK roadshow series
Business development manager for London, Kent, Surrey& Sussex, Sandals
What's your favouritehousehold gadget?Sky+.
What are yourfavourite TVprogrammes?Sons of Anarchy.
Who does thecooking? Anyone but me. .. can’tcook, won’t cook!
What's a typicalweekend for you like? Sleep, potter about, shop,housework.
What's your guiltypleasure?PJ’s all day on a Sunday.
What do you do to relax?Read.
What music do youlisten to? Motown and RnB.
What's your favourite movie?The Wizard of Oz.
What's been yourlatest DIY project? Painting the bathroom.
What othercompanies/organisations haveyou previously worked for? Hoseasons, Hays Homeworking, TV Travelshop, Citalia, Horizon Holidays and a fewindies.
If you could change one thing inthe industry what would it be? Discounting wars.
What personal item do you haveon your desk at work? Lipstick.
What's the best thing about your job? My agents and my work buddies.
What's a typical day like? Every day is different.
What's your favourite travel app? London Tube Map.
Who has been your inspiration inthe travel industry?A travel lecturer on my YTS back in 1984.
What was the last email you received? From a work buddy about business plans.
What skill are you most proud of? Surviving nearly 30 years in travel.
What do you love about the travel industry? The fact that we survive no matter whatis thrown at us, 9/11, ash cloud, touroperator failures, tsunami, civil unrest. ..WE SURVIVE!
What item do you always takewith you when travelling? Digital weighing scales. l love to shop,and don’t want to get caught with extraluggage allowance costs.
The fact that wesurvive no matterwhat is thrown at
us, 9/11, ash cloud,tour operator
failures, tsunami,civil unrest. . .WE SURVIVE!
Audrey Singh
“
”Where would you most like to visit and why? Borneo. Slightly obsessed withOrangutans!
What are your hobbies?Travel and shopping.
What's your favourite (non-workrelated) website?Facebook.
Do you use social media for workand play? Yes, you have to in the 21st century.
What trait do you dislike in other people?
Bad manners.
What is your best quality?The ability to laugh at myself.
What's your most embarrassing moment? Asking a lady at a mother and toddlergroup when the baby was due, for her tosay the nine month-old crawling on thefloor was the baby! Ooops.
Do you have any nicknames?Nothing that can be printed.
If you could invent a new law,what would it be? Three-day weekends.
BRISTOL AIRPORT has recorded itsbusiest June to date, serving more than646,000 passengers during the course ofthe month and representing a 3.34%increase over the same period last year.
Passenger numbers for the last 12months also reached 6.23 million,surpassing the record total for acalendar year achieved in 2008 for thefirst time.
A particularly strong performancewas seen on Aer Lingus Regional’sDublin service, which exceeded 8,000passengers in a calendar month for thefirst time. Strong year-on-year growthwas also seen on bmi regional routes toFrankfurt and Munich, indicating thatthe airline’s codeshare agreement withLufthansa is generating additionaltraffic.
Another factor contributing to
increased passenger numbers was theintroduction of a larger aircraft on KLM’sfour times daily service between Bristoland Amsterdam. The airline carriednearly 20,000 passengers on the routewhich opens up connections todestinations worldwide via KLM’sSchiphol hub.
June also saw the launch of asummer service between Bristol andStockholm, operated by ScandinavianAirlines (SAS). The twice-weekly flight isproving popular with Scandinaviantourists as well as travellers fromacross the South West and South Walesvisiting Sweden.
Meanwhile, a £6.5m central walkwayrecently opened at the airport andincludes four new pre-boarding zonesserving up to six departure gates. The3,880sq.m structure connects directly to
the departure lounge and is served byan escalator, six lifts, food and drinkvending and toilet facilities.The design ofthe new facility takes into account thelatest generation of twin-engine, wide-body jets, such as the Boeing 787, withprovision made for the addition of anairbridge for passengers boarding long-haul flights in the future.
Shaun Browne, the airport's aviationdirector, said: “The strong performanceacross all airline sectors is particularlyencouraging, with business, leisure andinbound traffic all contributing to June’srecord passenger numbers. Newfacilities are in place to ensure wemaintain service levels as passengernumbers continue to grow, and we arealready focusing on furtherimprovements we can bring to the routenetwork from Bristol.”
A PAIR of travel agents won £1,000 after entering a Facebookcompetition on why they love Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield.The airport ran the competition with agents from early July tohighlight its activity with the travel trade. Pictured outside the airportwith their winning entry are Katie Louise Gleadell (left) and LauraDean from Thomson Travel Agents in Gainsborough.For more information visit www.facebook.com/dsa.trade
AIR INDIA has committed to increase its Birmingham-Delhi-Amritsar operation from four flights per week todaily services from November, when its 18th Boeing 787‘Dreamliner’ aircraft is inducted into service.
The carrier’s current schedule operates fromBirmingham on Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursdayon its B787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s chief executive, said:“We are extremely thankful to Air India for recognising
the demand from travellers needing the flexibility of dailyservices from Birmingham.
“The West Midlands receives more foreign directinvestment from India than any other region outside ofLondon and Birmingham’s VFR market grew by 7 1% in2013, now attracting more visitors from India than anyEnglish city other than London.”Bookings for the airline’s current operation can be madevia www.airindia.com
Air India commits to daily flights from Birmingham
ukairports
Bristol records busiest figures for June & welcomes summer Stockholm service
Bristol Airport
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Fast Track airportoption fromHoliday ExtrasHOLIDAY EXTRAS offers aFastTrack Security Pass toadd to customers’ airportparking or hotel bookings.Pass holders receive apriority service with adedicated lane throughsecurity at airports acrossthe UK from £3 per person. As an example, eight days’parking with added securitypasses for two adults andtwo children at LutonAirport in the summerholidays costs from £37.99. Clients combining anairport hotel and sevendays’ parking, includingpasses for two adults, atLeeds Bradford costs from£82.00.
Pre-booking a pass cansave passengers around33% compared to buying atthe airport.
Fast Track Security isavailable as an add-on atManchester, Liverpool JohnLennon, Luton, Bristol andLeeds Bradford airports.
Flybe to continueLondon Cityservice from
AberdeenFLYBE WILL continue itsAberdeen to London Cityroute following the recentannouncement by BritishAirways that it would bewithdrawing from theroute at the end of thesummer season. Flybewill operate twice dailyflights starting fromMonday, October 27.Seats are on sale now atwww.flybe.com from£49.99 one-way includingtaxes and charges.
BRITISH AIRWAYS is introducing a twice-weekly, direct non-stop service fromGatwick to the Dominican Republic thiswinter.
Flights will depart on Tuesday andSaturday from Gatwick to Punta Cana fromOctober and BA will use a three class, 280seat Boeing 777 aircraft with 40 Club Worldseats, 24 World Traveller Plus and 216
World Traveller seats.UK & Ireland director of the Dominican
Republic Tourist Office, Sabrina Cambiasosaid: “This timely increase in air serviceswill expand on our amazing tourismsuccess to date by increasing visitornumbers to the country and sharing withthem our natural beauty, culture andfriendly people.”
FLYBE, OPERATED byStobart Air, has added 2,500extra seasonal seats on itsnew routes from LondonSouthend Airport to Franceincluding 28 extra flightsper week between Rennesand Caen-Normandy untilthe end of August.
The airline now operatesten additional flights on itsRennes route and an extra18 flights on its Caen-Normandy route.
The Caen service is nowavailable six instead of fourdays per week, withservices operating onTuesdays and Saturdays.
The airline recentlylaunched six new routesfrom London Southend tocontinental Europe and alsolaunched a daily servicefrom the airport to Rennesin June, with one-way faresfrom £29.99. The service toCaen-Normandy
commenced last monthwith one-way fares from£29.99.
Roger Clements,managing director atLondon Southend Airportsaid: “This is very welcomenews for London SouthendAirport which is furthertestament to the popularityof the airport for businessand leisure travellers alike.Adding these seasonal
flights will enable morepassengers to experiencethe benefits of LondonSouthend Airport and I lookforwarding to welcomingthem in the month ahead.”
The airport’s newterminal is close to a newtrain station, with up toeight rail services everyhour. It is 53 minutes bytrain to Liverpool StreetStation in London.
Seasonal flight additions from Flybe at London Southend
British Airways adds direct Dom Rep flights from Gatwick
www.travelbulletin.co.ukAugust 15 201420
ukairports
PLANE PALS...To mark the arrival of Aegean Airlines to Terminal2, The Queen's Terminal, at Heathrow, the carrier's Athens-basedground operations director Panos Nicolaidis (right) presented amodel of its Airbus A320 to the terminal's operations andprogramme director Andy Garner during a VIP reception. Theairline operates three return flights a day to Athens and serves atotal of 87 destinations in 32 countries. Details at www.aegeanair.com
Record passengernumbers take off
from Luton RECORD NUMBERS ofpassengers took to theskies from Luton in June asthe airport experienced itsbusiest summer period onrecord.
More than one millionpassengers flew to morethan 100 destinations,including 13 new routesadded so far this year.
New destinations on salethis summer includeNaples, Catania andSkiathos with moreannounced for this winterincluding Copenhagen,Lyons and Basle.
The upward trend is setto continue and passengernumbers for this year arepredicted to be the highestin the airport’s 76-yearhistory.
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Newsbites● THOMSON AIRWAYS recently celebrated the
departure of it’s first long haul Boeing 787 Dreamlinerflight from Newcastle International Airport.
● ALL BAR One is the latest brand to arrive atBirmingham Airport, as two new bars open theirdoors to passengers. The first bar, located in theSouth departure lounge, launched in April this yearand has recently been followed by the opening of anadditional unit in the North landside area of theterminal.
● ETIHAD AIRWAYS will launch its first service fromScotland next year with the start of a non-stop dailyflight from Edinburgh to its home base of Abu Dhabi.The new route, which will commence on June 8, 2015,will be operated with a two-class Airbus A330-200aircraft, offering a total of 22 seats in Business Classand 240 seats in Economy Class.
● NEW RESTAURANTS, bars and cafes have beenunveiled for an £80million terminal transformation atStansted Airport. The additions will include famousbrands and celebrity and a chef appearance. A newBurger King will open later this year and allremaining cafes, bars and restaurants will follow byspring next year. As part of the new brand line up,M&S Simply Food will also open this November.
ukairports
LEEDS BRADFORD International Airport (LBA) hasannounced a range of improvements in customer facilitiesand service which are now operational. This latestinvestment of £1.2m is the next stage of improvementsfollowing the £11m passenger terminal development of2012.
Long stay car park users will now transfer to and fromthe terminal in new larger buses with extra luggage spaceand seating. Improvement works to the terminal frontlayout provide for the new car park shuttle buses to driveup to the terminal front door to drop off and pick uppassengers at a new bus stop just outside the mainterminal entrance and under the terminal building canopy.
The bus route to and from the car park has also beenredesigned and shortened and the journey time from thelong stay car park to the terminal is faster and moreregular. An additional 500 long stay car parking spaceshave also been created to meet increased demand.
Inside the terminal, the departures area has beenupgraded to provide more space to improve the passengerjourney through the airport. A new channel to security hasalso been created with the access point separated from thecheck in areas to simplify the customer process.
John Parkin, chief executive of Leeds Bradford Airport,said: “Leeds Bradford Airport has experienced recordgrowth in recent years and it is important that wecontinually deliver airport improvements to accommodatethat growth and provide the best experience for ourpassengers.”
LBA invests additional £1.2million
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Prestige Holidays adds new properties in the CanariesPRESTIGE HOLIDAYS has added five properties in the Canaries for this winter whichinclude the H10 Playa Meloneras Palace and Cordial Mogan Playa in Gran Canaria,the H10 Conquistador in Tenerife and the H10 Rubicon Palace and H10 LanzarotePrincess in Lanzarote.
H10 Playa Meloneras Palace is located in a quiet seafront position on the south ofGran Canaria about a mile from the busy resort area of Maspalomas, adjacent to oneof the island’s golf courses. The property has two pools, a spa, three restaurants anda choice of bars. A week’s half-board stay including flights from Gatwick and transferscosts from £854 per person.
Located a short walk from the picturesque resort and fishing village of Puerto deMorgan, the large family-friendly Cordial Mogan Playa resort offers tennis, ten pinbowling, boules, a gym and bike hire centre, as well as two pools and a choice ofdining options. A week’s half-board stay with flights from Gatwick and transfers costsfrom £899.
New for the operator in Tenerife is the H10 Conquistador in Playa De Las Americas.The seaside hotel offers direct access to the promenade and a choice of swimmingpools, a Thalasso centre and a range of dining options. The hotel also has adult-only‘Privilege’ rooms with extra facilities. Prices for a week’s half-board stay, includingflights from Gatwick with BA and transfers, lead in at £724.
Meanwhile, in Lanzarote the operator has added the H10 Lanzarote Princess andRubicon Palace both in Playa Blanca. Set back from the seafront, the H10 Lanzarotefeatures three dining options, several bars, a small beauty area and children’sfacilities.
The Rubicon Palace also has extensive children’s facilities including a playground,mini disco, a choice of pools and children’s clubs for up to 16 year olds. In addition,there is a dive school and a disco plus a range of restaurants and an all-inclusiveoption.
A week’s half-board stay at either property costs from £699 including flights fromGatwick with BA and transfers.
The operator’s winter breaks in the Canaries start from £518 per person (includingan early booking offer) for a week’s stay at Casa La Reverica on La Palma. The priceincludes room-only accommodation, car hire and flights with Thomson Airways fromGatwick.
Clients booking a winter break with the operator also benefit from a range of addedvalue offers including free nights, complimentary half-board, child discounts,complimentary spa deals, room upgrades and free rounds of golf. For further information call 01425-480400 or visit www.prestigeholidays.co.uk
New Tenerifepromotions fromAttraction World
ATTRACTION WORLD isoffering new products inTenerife including aMedieval Night of joustingand feasting. Participantsare collected from adesignated point in thesouth of the island andtaken to the MedievalCastle in San Miguel. Uponarrival at the castle, ameal is served in the mainhall and the show begins.Following the show, theDrifters will perform in anearby arena. Theexcursion costs £66 foradults and £31 for childrenaged two-12.The operator is also
offering a Kayak Adventurefrom Playa Paraiso. After ashort introduction, clientswill paddle out along thepicturesque coastline tothe small and originalfishing village of ElPuertito, and there’s alsothe option to take a swimand spot ocean turtles anddolphins. Tickets cost £36for adults and £18 forchildren.
wintersun
HOLIDAYMAKERS ARE being offered a complimentary room upgrade and a free night when booking aminimum seven-night stay at Half Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The 'Great Winter Thaw' package isavailable from January 4 and March 27, 2015 (except February 13-21), and includes airport transfers.For details see www.halfmoon.com
CLASSIC COLLECTION Holidays hasrecorded strong sales to the CanaryIslands for winter 2014/15.
The operator reports that it hasseen an average year-on-yearincrease of more than 20% acrossTenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote andFuerteventura, with Fuerteventurabeing the strongest individualperformer amongst the islands with awinter increase in sales of 57%.
The company’s head of purchasing,Gary Boyer, said: “We’re delightedwith the performance of theseperennial winter sun favourites. Wecontinue to work closely with ourhotel partners in the islands todeliver the best possible value to ourcustomers and currently have morethan 250 special offers availableacross our Canary Island resorts.
“Complimentary upgrades to half-board, reduced hotel rates, freenights and early booking offers areproving particularly popular withsome notable savings being passedon to our customers. We are also verythankful to the travel trade who have
New for Tenerife this winter, theoperator has introduced the HotelVilla Maria in Costa Adeje, a collectionof 78 exclusive villas and, away fromthe tourist resorts on the south ofisland, the CasaBioclimaticasFuerteventura, Iter, an assortment of
energy self-sufficient and carbonneutral eco-houses.
Fuerteventura sees the introductionof the Elba Palace Golf, the ElbaCarlota Resort and the all suiteBarcelo Castillo Club Premium.For further information call0800-008 7288 or visit www.classic-collection.co.uk
Classic records strong winter sun sales to the Canary Islands
RED SEA Holidays’ latest brochureincludes two new hotels in Sharm elSheikh - the five-star MövenpickSharm el Sheikh Resort and the five-star Iberotel Il Mercato Hotel & Spa,as well as increased regional airportdepartures to include Belfast andNewcastle.From February 2015, the company
will offer flights from Newcastle toHurghada every Wednesday, whileflights from Belfast to Sharm elSheikh will start in May. Jason Hilton, the operator’s deputy
managing director, said: “We’redelighted to be increasing ourproduct offering once again – and areespecially excited to be moving in tothe Irish market. This year has beenvery successful; we now have flightsdeparting seven days a week toSharm el Sheikh across our 14 UKpartner airports and continue to addquality hotels to our portfolio.”The company is offering a range of
discounts such as £100 off summer
2015 bookings and £75 off winter sunwhen booked by September 30; fixedchild prices of £439 for any date andduration (including school holidays);and no single room supplements atselected resorts.As an example of prices, seven
nights’ all-inclusive at the SivaSharm Resort and Spa, departingGatwick on or between November 25and December 11, costs from £379per person.For more information visitwww.redseaholidays.co.uk
Siva Sharm Resort and Spa
wintersun
FUNWAY HOLIDAYS is offering an 11-day Orlandoand Mexico multi-centre holiday from £939 per person
including flights with United Airlines and AmericanAirlines. Accommodation is at the Rosen Inn International in
Orlando and the all-inclusive Aquamarina Beach Hotel(pictured) in Cancun, with travel based on a November 5
Winter sun savings of up to 25% atBarceló Hotels & Resorts BARCELÓ HOTELS & Resorts is offering up to 25% offbookings on holidays to the Canary Islands.
As an example, clients can save 25% at the BarcelóVaradero in Tenerife, which offers views of La Gomeraand Teide and is situated next to the Playa de la Arenaand the cliffs of Los Gigantes, in the south east ofTenerife. Facilities include three swimming pools, tenniscourts, spa, gym, sauna, Jacuzzi and solarium. Ratesare from £34 per person, per night.
Clients can also save 20% at Barceló Lanzarote whchis ideal for families with its selection of kids’ clubs forall ages plus special activities such as themed days,rock climbing and a variety of sports. To book or for further information call 0800-4227 2356 orvisit www.barcelo.com
Red Sea Holidays adds new flights from Newcastle & Belfast plus new hotels
OLYMPIC HOLIDAYS is offering aselection of destinations includingCyprus, Malta, Egypt, Goa and TheGambia plus Spain in its 2014/15Winter Sun programme.In Cyprus, the operator is
continuing to focus on its core winterproduct of four- and five-star hotels,using low-cost and scheduled flightswith the principal target market ofcouples and older people. The islandis the leading winter sun destinationfor the company that attracts sunseekers and clients looking for acultural winter holiday.The Gambia and Goa are also long-
established winter sun destinationsfor the company.Photis Lambrianides, the operator’scommercial director, said: “TheGambia and Goa are old favourites in
the programme and we offer some ofthe keenest prices to bothdestinations. Both deliver a first-class product and representexcellent value.” Additional properties in the
programme include the four-starAqua Blue Sharm el Sheikh in Egyptand the new two-star Casa de Chris inCavelossim, Goa. Additions in theCanaries include the four-star AllsunBarlovento Hotel in Costa Calma,Fuerteventura; the three-star DunasPirador Maspalomas in Maspalomas,Gran Canaria; and the MansionNazaret Hotel in Costa Teguise,Lanzarote.Cyprus prices start from £349 for
seven nights’ self-catering at thefour-star Louis King Jason in Paphosand the Natura Beach Hotel & Villas
in Polis.Egypt prices lead in at £515 for
seven nights’ all-inclusive stay at thethree-star Viva Sharm Hotel inSharm el Sheikh. The Gambia leadsin at £535 for a week’s breakfast stayat the two-star Badala Park Hotel inKotu, while Goa leads in at £759 for aweek’s breakfast stay at the FalconGuest House in Calangute.As a sample package, seven
nights’ all-inclusive stay at the newlyfeatured four-star Aqua Blue Sharmel Sheikh in Egypt costs from £595per person in December based ontwo sharing a standard room. Theprice includes flights from Gatwickand transfers. For more informationcall 0844-499 4449 or visitwww.olympicholidays.com
Olympic Holidays promotes range of destinations & newly added properties
www.travelbulletin.co.ukAugust 15 201426
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EARLY BOOKERS can secure a free night at Nisbet PlantationBeach Club in Nevis for stays between January and April nextyear. The boutique resort is offering seven nights for the priceof six for bookings made by October 31.For details see www.nisbetplantation.com
Tenerife and Dubai remain popularwinter sun destinations for Travel 2TENERIFE CONTINUES to be the top winter destinationfor UK holidaymakers followed by Dubai for Travel 2. Ricky Wason, the company’s general manager ofshorthaul product and purchasing, said: “Teneriferemains the number one destination for Brits during thewinter months.
“With flights only four hours from most UK airports, itmeans clients don’t have to endure a long haul flight tofind sun and spectacular scenery. This also meansclients are not restricted to a minimum seven-nightbreak. The destination is popular for four- and five-night breaks and sees temperatures of between 20–25degrees throughout the winter months.”
The operator recommends the Sheraton La CaletaResort & Spa Hotel, part of the Starwood Hotelscollection, which is located on the coast of Costa Adeje.As an example, seven nights at the five-star propertyleads in at £629 per person including flights fromLondon to Tenerife (South) with easyJet and breakfastaccommodation, based on a stay in a deluxe room(which includes one free night) for travel on December1.
Wason said: “Closely following the Canaries as thedestination of choice for UK holidaymakers is Dubai,known for its high quality luxury hotels and sunshine.The country is a little further to fly than the Canariesbut is still not considered long haul which gives clientsthe chance to experience a quick four- or five-nightstay.”The company recommends the Anantara The PalmResort & Spa which is located on the eastern crescentof the iconic Palm Jumeirah and offers three swimminglagoons, tennis courts, a gym and spa which features 17treatment rooms. .
A six-night stay at the five-star property costs from£1,119 including flights from London between December6-20 with KLM for a stay in a Premier Lagoon View roomon a half-board basis.
Winter sun optionsfrom Jet2holidaysJET2HOLIDAYS IS offering aselection of winter escapesincluding hotels withChristmas and New Yeargala meals included, as wellas discounts to those whostay longer.
As examples, seven nights’self-catering stay at thethree-star Oasis DunaAparthotel in Fuerteventura,departing from Manchesteron December 5, costs £359per person, based on twosharing and includingtransfers and a 22kgbaggage allowance. A seven-night breakfast stay at thethree-star Hotel DorisolEstrelicia in Funchal,departing Leeds Bradford onFebruary 16, 2015, costsfrom £419 based on twosharing a twin room,including transfers and a22kg baggage allowance.
Seven nights at the five-star Vincci Seleccion EstrellaDel Mar Costa del Sol,Marbella, on a bed-and-breakfast basis departingLeeds Bradford on December1 this year costs £549, basedon two adults sharing asuperior double roomincluding transfers and a22kg baggage allowance.For details or furtherinformation call0800-4085587 or visit thetrade dedicated website athttps://tradesite.jet2holidays.com
wintersunTHE OCEANFRONT Fairmont Mayakoba, Riviera Maya Hotel in Mexico’s Riviera Maya district features 401guestrooms and is surrounded by natural landscape, dense jungle, mangroves and indigenous fauna. Thelagoon and jungle view casitas and beach suites, located minutes from Playa del Carmen, offer luxuriousyet sustainable oceanfront living. Activities on offer include a Greg Norman designed 18-hole El Camaleóngolf course and a spa. Prices at the property start from £210 per night on a bed-and-breakfast basis.
For details visit www.fairmont.com/mayakoba-riviera-maya
THE GAMBIA Experience has added new accommodationoptions for this winter including six new hotels plusluxury tented accommodation at Fathala Wildlife Reservein Senegal, a short journey from Banjul, The Gambia.The hotels include The White Horse Residence in
Batokunku, The Gambia. The new, high quality property isbuilt in the style of a traditional African Lodge and offersseven rooms. Prices start from £898 per person for sevennights’ half-board, based on two sharing a standard lodgeincluding flights and transfers. The operator has also introduced The Coconut
Residence in Kololi/Bijilo, The Gambia, which isreopening under new ownership after four years ofclosure. Its 23 luxurious rooms range from a Junior suiteto a vast Royal suite. The hotel operates a shuttle servicefor its guests to a nearby sandy beach. Prices lead in at£1,047 for seven nights on a bed-and-breakfast basis,based on two sharing a Junior suite including flights andtransfers.Meanwhile, the Fathala Wildlife Reserve in Karang,
Sine Saloum South, Senegal is exclusive to the operator
and consists of luxury, tented accommodation set withina nature reserve just across the Senegalese border. Ashort journey from Banjul in The Gambia, into northernSenegal, the 2,000 hectare wildlife reserve combinesluxury accommodation in air-conditioned safari tentswith the opportunity to observe buffalo, monkeys,giraffes, zebra and rhino on safari drives. The resort’s 20luxury tents have views across the reserve wherefacilities include a swimming pool with sunbathing deck,activity centre and an open-air Mahogany restaurant andlounge, from where a waterhole and its frequent rhinovisitors can be spotted. The Fathala Cafeteria serves lightlunches, including fresh pizzas from its own pizza oven.Game drives can be pre-booked and three- or four-nightstays can be combined with any of the operator’s hotelsto combine a twin or multi-centre holiday. Prices lead inat £499 per person on a bed-and-breakfast basis for athree-night stay excluding flights. Seewww.gambia.co.uk/fathala-wildlife-reserveFor futher information call 0845-330 4567 or visitwww.gambia.co.uk
Selection of new winter accommodation options from The Gambia Experience
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KUONI IS offering seven nights’ all-inclusive stay at Keyonna Beach in Antigua in a beach house standard room from £1,379 per person.The price, based on two sharing for an October departure, includes Economy flights with Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick and transfers.For more information call 01306-747008 or visit www.kuoni.co.uk
TRUE BLUE Bay Boutique Resort in Grenada is offeringtwo free nights when clients stay for seven nights thiswinter.
The offer is available for bookings made by August 31for stays from November 15 to spring 2015.
Clients who opt to stay longer can secure extra freenights. As an example, a 14-night stay will include fourfree nights.
The two-bedroom villas feature a large living area,fully fitted kitchen, private plunge pool and balcony. For more information visit www.truebluebay.com
