Coverage of the Florida Huddle plus new deals & product developments from operators USA January 24 2014 | ISSUE NO 1,857 | www.travelbulletin.co.uk conference update an insight into the topics raised at the AITO Agents' domestic conference bulletin briefing advantage outlines its new consultancy approach for members cruising how investment has led to a significant growth in cruise sales 10 25 12 this week seat only new investments, routes & flight offers 23
Transcript
Coverage of the FloridaHuddle plus new deals &
product developmentsfrom operators
USA
January 24 2014 | ISSUE NO 1,857 | www.travelbulletin.co.uk
conference updatean insight into the topicsraised at the AITO Agents'domestic conference
bulletin briefingadvantage outlines itsnew consultancyapproach for members
cruisinghow investment hasled to a significantgrowth in cruise sales
10 2512this week
seat only
new investments, routes & flight offers
23
TB2401 2014 Cover_TB Front Cover.qxd 1/22/2014 12:14 PM Page 1
AGENT AMIGOS...Funway Holidays hosted eight travel agents on a visit Mexico for the first time recently. Agents weregiven the opportunity to win their place on the trip, following a booking incentive that asked agents to confirm aMexico package holiday with a minimum stay of seven nights, flying with British Airways. Pictured at Dreams RivieraCancun are, from the left (back row): Daniela Castillo, Dreams Riviera Cancun; Bob Honeyman, Ramsey World Travel;and Andy Travis, Funway Holidays, with (front row): Lucie Jones, Liphook Travel; Julie Giles, Travelabout; CarolShoesmith, Designer Travel; Kay Willis, Newells Travel; Desni Fowler, Midcounties Co Op; Gemma Venning, Bath Traveland Denise Emery, Funway Holidays.
9agent bulletinoffer from Hoseasons to win£70 in Love2Shop vouchersevery day until March 11
10conference updatean insight into the topicsraised at the AITO Agents'domestic conference
11puzzle bulletinplay Su Doku for yourchance to win a £50 M&Svoucher
12 bulletin briefingAdvantage takes a newconsultancy approach forits members
14trainingwhat's new in Travel Gymplus the latest trainingmodules & courses
17usanews from the FloridaHuddle travel trade eventplus updates from operators
23 seat-onlynew investments, routes &flight offers from airlines
25 cruisingCLIA examines how invest-ment has led to a significantgrowth in cruise sales
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STERLING’S SLOW climb back to strengthagainst most holiday currencies meansthe forecast is looking much brighter forUK tourists planning trips abroad thisyear, according to the eighth Post OfficeTravel Money Holiday Money Report.
Prices are down in 70% of the 44destinations surveyed by the Post Officefor the annual report’s Worldwide HolidayCosts Barometer with the biggest falls of30-32% in Jamaica, Japan and theGambia. Bali emerges as best valueoverall while Portugal’s Algarve ischeapest in Europe.
Resort prices in Portugal and Spainprovide the report’s most unexpectedstory. Even though sterling is still weakeryear-on-year against the euro (-1.9%),prices have plummeted 18% in theAlgarve. As a result, Portugal emerges asEurope’s cheapest destination for the firsttime since 2010 and its barometer total ofjust over £35 suggests Portugal’s mostpopular resort area means strongbusiness in the year ahead.
Conversely, Spain is the only euro zonecountry surveyed to register a significantprice rise. A 22% increase in meal costson the Costa del Sol accounts for theoverall rise in the price of eight typicaltourist items to around £39, which meansthat Spain falls from joint first place in lastyear’s Costs Barometer to sixth position.
However, Spain is in the minority as thereport says that cheaper tourist meals
account for the lower prices it found inmost destinations. Boosted by a sterlingsurge that will give UK visitors extramoney to spend in more than three-quarters of the most popular holidaydestinations, the report found that eatingout costs less now than a year ago in 30 ofthe resorts or cities surveyed.
These include Bali, which has toppledboth Sri Lanka and Spain from the topspot they shared a year ago. At around£31 for the barometer items, including anevening meal with drinks, Bali’s prices aremore than a third cheaper than in SriLanka, which has fallen to 15th place afterregistering the barometer’s highest pricerise of 38%. A slump in the value of theIndonesian rupiah makes tourist costs19% cheaper in Bali now than a year ago.
In the euro zone Portugal is not theonly destination surveyed where prices forUK tourists will be lower. Resorts inCyprus (Paphos), Greece (Corfu) and Italy(Sorrento) are also cheaper, althoughItaly remains most expensive in theeurozone – and in Europe overall - with abarometer basket costing around £81,more than twice as much as either Spainor Portugal.
In its forecast of likely trends for 2014,Post Office Travel Money tips Burma,Qatar and the Philippines as emergingdestinations to watch. For more information seewww.postoffice.co.uk/worldwidecosts
Post Office Travel Money report reveals best value hotspots
IN ONE of the busiest months for holiday bookings,Enterprise Rent-A-Car is warning UK holidaymakersplanning to hire a car in Spain to be wary of very low carhire deals as they may risk facing a mandatory fuelcharge when they try to collect the car at the airport.
The warning comes after new research conducted bythe company revealed that a fifth (20%) of UK travellersthat hired a car on their last visit to Spain were forced topay an additional 'mandatory' fuel charge before theywere allowed to take the vehicle. This figure rose to 45%when previous trips to Spain were included. The mainreason that holidaymakers from the UK gave for selectingtheir car rental provider was price (46%).
Consumers who took part in the pan-Europeanresearch reported that the average additional charge was
80 per rental. Based on the estimated number oftransactions in Spain’s car rental leisure sector the totalcost to holidaymakers could be as much as €50million.
The mandatory fuel charge is typically applied by somecar rental brands who want to present the cheapestheadline price, often through aggregator websites thatdisplay prices from different providers on the same page.Of those UK consumers that had been forced to pay anadditional mandatory charge, the vast majority (69%) hadbooked via a price comparison website.
While information about the additional charges may beavailable in the small print or the terms and conditions,often the true cost is only revealed when the vehicle iscollected at the branch. This is despite the fact that inmany cases, the customer had already made a paymentthey believed was the full ‘drive-away’ cost of the rental.
The company's senior vice president, Jim Burrell, said:“We’re a relative newcomer to the Spanish market, as weonly opened operations there at the start of 2013.However, in this short time we have become veryconcerned by mandatory fuel practices, which we believeare unfair to the consumer. These charges appear to berelatively commonplace in Spain, but there is a risk wecould see them spread to other parts of Europe.
“We believe that the price quoted should be theminimum ‘drive away’ price with no mandatory extras.That is a far fairer and comparable way for consumers toselect their car rental provider. We’d like to see pressurebrought to bear to stamp out these compulsory charges -or at the very least to ensure greater transparency sothat consumers know before they commit to thereservation that they will be charged for fuel at thebranch. We have approached several MEPs in Brussels,MPs in the UK, and consumer groups throughout Europe,to try and bring greater awareness of this practice.”
LONDON’S NEWEST budget hotel,Qbic, located in the east end, close toBrick Lane, is offering rooms from£59 per night including breakfast andfree Wi-Fi.
Working in conjunction with twocharities, FoodCycle and BikeWorks,Qbic offers sustainable practices andcommunity initiatives, such as
employing at least 50% of theworkforce from the local area and itspartner charities.
The property offers a unique guestexperience tailored to the local area,including impromptu cookerysessions, temporary art exhibitionsand local excursions with a twist toensure guests leave with a story.
Thomas Cook & Brand USA announceEuropean Partnership Agreement
Thomas Cook Group and Brand USA, the destinationmarketing organisation for the US, have announced acooperative marketing agreement aimed at promoting theUS as the world’s leading destination for European visitors.
The multimillion dollar agreement is the biggest mediaand partnership deal Brand USA has made with a travelretailer in Europe, and is part of a fully integrated omni-channel campaign targeting travel-intenders across theoperator's platforms from online through to in-store, directand inflight.
The partnership, which will initially last for three monthsfrom its launch this month and run simultaneously acrossthe UK, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, will see thetwo companies embark on a high-profile, multi-mediacampaign that utilises all of the holiday company’sconsumer and trade touch-points. It will include in-storepromotions across the operator's retail estate, prominencein brochures, a variety of social media activities anddedicated sign up by staff to Brand USA’s new agent trainingtool – the USA Discovery Program; as well as innovativeprint and digital marketing activity.
Qbic Hotel London City offers one-night breakfast stays from £59
Communal area, Qbic Hotel London City
Mandatory fuel charges ‘costingholidaymakers to Spain €50m a year’
www.travelbulletin.co.ukJanuary 24 20144
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THE MAGIC NUMBER...Leeds Bradford Airport is preparing foranother busy year, with seven route launches so far announcedfor 2014. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will launch its firstdestination between Leeds Bradford and Copenhagen from March31 with a twice-weekly service, while Jet2.com and EasternAirways will both introduce new destinations to compliment theirexisting schedules. This week, Eastern Airways introducedservices between Leeds Bradford and Southampton, expanding ontheir current operations to Aberdeen. Pictured marking theannouncement is the airport's aviation development andmarketing director, Tony Hallwood.
Mobility Centre at ExCeL London. Thecentre provides a range of servicesfor visitors to ExCeL including accessto car hire services, including achauffeur-drive service from Prestigeat Europcar, a valet service and busand coach services to and fromLondon City Airport.
● THE SOUTH West Coast PathAssociation has launched an initiativewith the aim of raising £250,000 forimprovements to the South WestCoast Path. The ‘Great South WestWalks’ 2014 will consist of 100 guidedcircular walks to take place betweenSeptember 20-28 to raise funds. See www.greatsouthwestwalks.co.uk
● VISITORS TO Turkey, travelling afterApril 10, will need to apply online fora visa. For details see www.evisa.gov.tr
● THE ST. REGIS Mauritius Resort isoffering complimentary Wi-Fi
internet connection in all itslimousine cars.
● BEACHCOMBER HOTELS hasannounced that Royal PalmMarrakech is now open for bookingsand, to mark the occasion, is offeringtwo special discounts with savings ofup to 50%. Guests travelling beforeFebruary 12 will receive 50% offaccommodation costs and those whobook before September 14 willreceive 30% off. Call 01483-445610 or seewww.beachcombertours.co.uk
● CIRQUE DU Soleil will present KOOZAat Spain's PortAventura in summer.Visit www.cirquedusoleil.com
● FRED.\ HAS introduced astandalone brochure for its newCanaries product – the Hotel JardinTecina which is located on theisland of La Gomera. The operatoris promoting the hotel and golfcomplex in the UK to travel agents
in addition to initial product offeredby Fred.\ which is focused aroundcentral European city breaks andtailor-made holidays to Germany,Austria, Switzerland, as well asbeer festivals and river cruiseoptions including the MS Mozart.Prices for a three-night stay at TheHotel Jardin Tecina, includingflights and transfers, lead in at£589 per person based on staysuntil February 4, while seven-nightpackages start from £654.
● THE KUONI Sale campaign, whichruns until February 17, has beendesigned to broaden the appeal ofthe brand and reach out to newcustomers who have not consideredKuoni in the past. All social mediaactivity will use the hashtag#WithinYourReach that features inall the marketing channels used inthe campaign, providing holidayinspiration and offers.
5www.travelbulletin.co.uk January 24 2014
COSMOS HOLIDAYS has launched itssecond edition Summer Holidays andGreece 2014 brochures as well as itsIndian Ocean brochure for 2014/15with a deposit of £49 per person forbookings made before March 31 withnothing to pay until ten weeks prior todeparture.
For both summer holidays andGreece brochures, the range of familyproduct has been reviewed and a newfamily holiday concept ‘UltimateFamily’ has been introduced tohighlight properties which provide anexceptional family holiday experience.
The newly branded propertiesfeature outstanding family facilitiesincluding family rooms,entertainment, playgrounds plus kids’menus with a choice of more than 40hotels across 14 destinations. Alsoavailable are a choice of ‘Family
Friendly’ branded properties that offera choice of facilities and value formoney.
Holidays to Tunisia are also nowavailable with the launch of Monarch’sscheduled flights to Enfidha fromGatwick and Manchester (Wednesdayand Sunday) offering shorter transfertimes to a range of resorts includingPort El Kantaoui and Sousse. A seven-night package price leads in at £299per person.
The operator has also developed itsCroatia programme for 2014 toinclude the region of Split with flightdepartures from Birminghamavailable three times weekly. As wellas the city of Split, resorts includePodstrana, Vodice, Sibenik, BaskaVoda, Tucepi, Makarska and the Islandof Brac.
The new Summer Holidays
programme offers flexibility across 19destinations featuring mini-summerbreaks of up to six nights, traditionalseven- and 14-night holidays as wellas long stays from 15 to more than100 nights. Mainland Spain, theBalearic and Canary Islands, Italy,Algarve, Madeira, Malta, Croatia,Montenegro, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus,Morocco and Tunisia are now on sale.
The company has also launched itsIndian Ocean brochure with moreluxury properties in the keydestinations of Goa, the Maldives,Mauritius, Kenya and Sri Lanka toinclude a newly featured East Coastregion with the resorts of Passikudahand Trincomale. Seven-nightpackages cost from £599 per personin Goa and £1,095 in Kenya.
All package prices include flights,accommodation and airport transfers.
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FUNWAY HOLIDAYS has issued a January saleshowcasing the destinations of New York, Las Vegas,Florida (including Orlando), St. Pete/Clearwater,California, Oahu in Hawaii, Mexico, Dominican Republicand Barbados.
Holidays lead in at £499 per person based on seven nights inOrlando, staying at the three-star Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista,which offers a saving of £158 per couple.
The £1,686 saving per couple applies to a seven-nightstay at Sandals Barbados, which currently leads in at£1,299 per person, for a summer departure.
Other deals offered include free upgrades, free nightsand free breakfast, all at selected hotels. Regionaldeparures are also available and the offers are availablefor bookings made up to January 31.For more information see www.funway4agents.co.uk
Up to £1,686 saving per couple in Funway Holidays’ January sale
Cosmos issues second edition brochures for 2014/15 with £49 per person deposit
POWDER WHITE is offeringfamilies a chance to hit theslopes for free during thecoming school breaks withfree ski passes at all itstop resorts. Families canenjoy potential savings ofup to £240 per person or£1,440 based on a family ofsix. The offer is availableon all fully catered chaletsin Verbier, Courchevel, Vald’lsere, St Anton andMeribel, for stays startingfrom February 8 for half-
term and April 5 for Easter.Fully catered
accommodation includesdaily hot cooked breakfast,afternoon tea, pre-dinnerChampagne and canapés,three-course dinner withdinner wines and unlimitedhouse wine (six out ofseven nights) plus a freelocal area, six-day, liftpass.
As an example of prices,a seven-night stay on afully catered basis at The
Verona in Verbier,departing on February 8,leads in at £699 per adult.Children under 12 receivea 10% discount, withprices from £629 and thechalet sleeps six andfeatures an open-planliving/dining room andbalcony, offering viewsacross Verbier and thevalley.To make a booking seewww.powderwhite.com orcall 020-8877 8888.
STARWOOD HOTELS & Resorts' Westin brand has openedits first property in the Dominican Republic.
Owned and developed by Grupo Puntacana, The WestinPuntacana Resort & Club – which is located in thegrounds of the Puntacana Resort & Club – offers 200rooms and suites with ocean views, direct beach access,two dining experiences and access to the resort’sfacilities.
Brian Povinelli, the company's global brand leader,said, “The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club is anoutstanding addition to our portfolio in the Caribbean,where we now offer five world-class Westin resorts. In thisspectacular beachfront location guests can enjoy all of the
Westin brand’s signature programmes and amenities,designed to inspire well-being and send them homefeeling better than when they arrived.”
The hotel is located in the Playa Blanca area and offersan outdoor pool, poolside grill, lobby bar, cigar bar,children’s club, meeting and wedding facilities pluswalking trails. Additional amenities include a spa, 24-hourbusiness centre and a gym.
Nearby amenities include a golf course, marina,selection of restaurants, horse-riding and an ecologicalreserve featuring 12 fresh water lagoons.For more information on the property see www.westin.comand for details on the resort visit www.puntacana.com
BELLEAIR HOLIDAYS is featuring aselection of winter sun offers to Malta fordepartures up to March 31 from 13regional airports.
The lead-in holiday for the deals is sevennights at the self-catering Sunseekerapartments departing from Gatwick onJanuary 28 from £275 per person.
Other offers include a half-term break forseven nights' self-catering accommodationat the Sunseeker Apartments from £1,540for a family of four. It includes flights from
Gatwick, transfers and complimentaryentrance to a selected Malta attraction,based on a February 15 departure.
Alternatively, a seven-night all-inclusivestay at the four-star Qawra Palace costsfrom £475 per person. It includes flightsfrom Gatwick, transfers and complimentaryentrance to a selected Malta attraction,based on a March 3 departure.For further information or to make abooking visit www.belleair.co.uk/agents orcall 0845-365 3412.
Debut Dom Rep property by Starwood Hotels’ Westin brand
Free ski passes at half-term & Easter from Powder White
@TravelodgeUK Kids stay and eatbreakfast for FREE!T&C's applyhttp://bit.ly/1dYCAV4
@MonarchIs this on your radar?'Touch base' with thisfunny article whichtakes a 'high altitudeview' of business jargonhttp://ow.ly/sDzUc
@VisitDublin Planning on visiting#Dublin but don’t wantto break the bank? Readour budget guide to thecity http://bit.ly/1i1udsZ
@LondonCityAirBritish Airways toincrease flights to Isleof Man from LondonCity Airport. Read morehttp://bit.ly/1j0h4OZ
Follow us on Twitter!http://twitter.com/
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Winter sun offers from £275 from Belleair Holidays
VOUCHER DEAL...Matthew Bottomboy from Inspire in Bramhall, Cheshire, was one of the first 70winners to be presented with £70 in Love2Shop vouchers following the launch of Hoseasons' bookingincentive, which offers agents the chance to win £70 every day until March 11. Matthew is picturedwith the operator's Zena Calderbank. For details see www.hoseasons.co.uk/agents or call 0844-847 1144.
HOLIDAY DESTINATION(S) & DURATION DEPARTURE DATE SALE PRICE
Panama City Beach (4 nights)
Panama City Beach (4 nights) & Orlando
(4 nights)
To book visit funway4agents.co.uk or call our experienced travel advisors on 0844 557 0626
Panama City Beach is located in the Northwest region of Florida and spans 27 miles of glorious beachfront along the Gulf of Mexico. Mixing true Southern Hospitality with world-class amenities and attractions, Panama City Beach offers an unparalleled travel experience.
WIN A FLY DRIVE HOLIDAY TO THE FLORIDA BEACHES*
www.funway4agents.co.uk and complete our short survey. With 8 up for grabs, you have more chance than ever before! All completed surveys will be entered into a prize draw with the winners being chosen at random shortly after the closing date.
TABER HOLIDAYS has introduced a new family break to theLuleå archipelago, departing on February 17 and 24.
The three-night trip includes a range of excursions, such asa Nordic Adventure Skills session where guests will walk bysnowshoe into the nearby forest, learn how to make a fire inthe snow and both cook and eat outdoors sat on reindeer hides.
Other highlights include a two-hour dog sledding trip, afour-hour snowmobile excursion and a visit to Brändöskär, a
fishing village dating from the 17th century.Prices start from £1,650 per adult and £783 per child
including flights from Heathrow, transfers, accommodation atBrändön Lodge, breakfast and dinner.
The trip is based on two adults per booking and a child agedbetween six and 11.For more information call 01274-875199 or visitwww.taberhols.co.uk
WENDY WU Tours is offering a freeone-way Business Class upgrade tocustomers booking their holiday toChina from Gatwick departing during2014.
The deal, which is available on anyof the operator's tours to China andtailor-made holidays, applies tobookings made by January 31, fortravel between March 30 andOctober 24.
The company's managing director,Laurence Hicks, said: “We aredelighted to be joining forces with
Air China and Gatwick Airport tooffer this amazing and exclusive dealto our customers. As the UK’slargest specialist operator to China,our ability to negotiate suchspectacular offers for our customerscomes through strong relationshipswith other likeminded suppliers. Ourvery special relationship withairlines, built on the back of 16years successful commercialpartnerships, enables us tonegotiate such spectacular offersexclusively for our customers.”
Air China has a modern new fleetof aircraft and their Business Classprovides a fully flat-bed with an 80”seat pitch and a choice of Englishentertainment on large, privatescreens.
The free upgrade is offered for thereturn journey but customers canalso opt to upgrade to BusinessClass on both legs for £400 perperson. For more information visitwww.wendywutours.co.uk or call0844-310 9232.
Free Business Class upgrade with Wendy Wu Tours & Air China
Half-term family fun in Swedish Lapland from Taber Holidays
www.travelbulletin.co.ukJanuary 24 20148
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WEBSCLUSIVES
● View photos from Travel Bulletin’s first everOnline Training Showcase, held in Londonrecently, on www.travelbulletin.co.uk/events
● Up to £200 off School Summer Holidays withLodges & Parks from Hoseasons.Visit www.hoseasons.co.uk/agents
● Win a fly-drive holiday to the Florida Beacheswith Funway. Complete a simple survey andyou’re in the prize draw.Go to: www.travelbulletin.co.uk/funway
● BROCHURE OF THE WEEK: A2Btravelextras &resorthoppa. Low cost leisure and businessairport transfers in over 9,000 cities and resortsin over 90 countries worldwide.Go to www.travelbulletin.co.uk to view in digitalformat.
All this and more at:
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PETER SOMMER Travels has added a 'Walking and ExploringCappadocia and the Land of the Hittites' option, which combinesthe UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cappadocia with a selection ofwalks along the recently-opened Hittite Way. The trip is led byexpert archaeologist and historian Nota Karamaouna, who hasexcavated and surveyed at a number of sites in Cappadocia.Walking between three and fours hours daily, guests will learnabout the ancient Hittites and take in sites such as the YazilkayaSanctuary, where chief gods and goddesses are carved into therock; visit underground cities; take in a rock-cut monastery; visitPigeon Valley with its rock-cut dovecotes; and sample regionalfoods and wines. Departing on October 5, prices lead in at £2,450per person based on two sharing and includes nine nights' half-board accommodation, two other meals, transfers, all entrancefees and guiding. Flights are extra. For details call 01600-888220 or see www.petersommer.com
● FOR EVERY 2014 Butlins, Haven orWarner Leisure Hotels bookingmade by February 9 for a minimumthree-night break, Bourne Leisureis giving agents the chance to winone of 50 Winter Wonder GoodyBoxes featuring delights such as acuddly Brainz, hot chocolate andmarshmallows in a mug, magicgloves and a £5 Love2Shopvoucher. The operator is givingaway ten goody boxes weekly andone of the boxes will also contain aBonus Token providing an exclusivecode that will allow agents to claimtheir choice of either an iPodShuffle, Ticketmaster vouchers,£50 Love2Shop Vouchers or aKindle. To receive their bonus gift,the winning agent needs to becomefriends with Brainz on Facebookand post their exclusive code on hispage. Throughout the campaign,agents who complete any of theBourne online training courses canalso claim a free family day pass. For details seewww.bourneexpert.co.uk
● TO MARK its 70th birthday this yearHoseasons is offering travel agentsthe chance to win £70 worth ofLove2Shop vouchers every dayuntil March 11 when they make abooking.For full terms and conditions of theprize draw visitwww.hoseasons.co.uk/pdfs/seventy.pdf and to make a booking
see www.hoseasons.co.uk/agentsor call 0844-847 1144.
● A NEW Kuoni passport incentive fortravel agents has been launchedalongside the company’s 2014 turnof year sale. The promotion runsuntil February 17 with a selectionof new prizes - from Hunter welliesto a new iPad Air - to match thenumber of bookings made. Toreceive the prizes, agents need tolog the reference when making abooking and email the details orsend a hard copy of the passport tothe trade sales team. Agents canalso earn one booking when theyjoin Kuoni on social media: follow@kuonitrade on Twitter orfacebook.com/KuoniTradeRelations
● FUNWAY HOLIDAYS is offering arange of MoneyCard incentives foragents. Throughout this month,agents who book a Secrets,Dreams, Breathless, Now, Zoëtryor Sunscape property in Mexico orthe Dominican Republic, togetherwith flights, will earn up to £20 ontheir MoneyCard per booking whenthey make the booking atwww.funway4agents.co.uk or £15per booking via the reservationsteam. From now until the end ofMarch, agents who book aBarbados holiday including flightsand at least three nights'accommodation will earn double
on their MoneyCard (£20 per onlinebooking and £10 via thereservations team), while eachweek this month, one agent willearn £250 on their MoneyCard forany package booking made thatweek including seven nights ormore staying at a Walt DisneyWorld Resort on-site hotel. Thecompany is also offering onewinner the chance to earn £100 ontheir MoneyCard this month for anypackage booking made includingVirgin Atlantic flights.
See www.funway4agents.co.uk
● EMIRATES HAS announced a newagent incentive worth more than£60,000, offering two luxuryholidays to Dubai and Mauritiusand six daily prizes of £500Love2Shop vouchers. The firstincentive runs until the end of thismonth and comprises of two twin-centre holidays to Dubai andMauritius. The holidays, each fortwo people, include Business Classflights, chauffeur driven service,lounge access and eight nights'accommodation in Dubai andMauritius. The daily Love2Shopvouchers will be awarded to agentswho make bookings from each ofthe six airports serviced by theairline - Heathrow, Gatwick,Birmingham, Manchester,Newcastle and Glasgow.For details seewww.emiratesagents.com/uk
Booking incentives
9www.travelbulletin.co.uk January 24 2014
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Training updateA NEW training element incorporating the USA DiscoveryProgram has been added to Brand USA's 2014 Megafam signup process. Brand USA, together with British Airways andAmerican Airlines, has confirmed the destinations androutes for the Megafam, which takes place from May 15-22.Seven itineraries covering 21 states have been created inconjunction with the partner airlines, and agents can win aplace by entering flights sold to and within the US with BAand American Airlines at www.usamegafam.co.uk. Agentswill also be required to complete two Specialist modules onthe agent training site – www.usadiscoveryprogram.co.uk,with a Family module the latest addition to the site. (Training feature - page 14)
Fancy a fam?GOLD MEDAL has launched a mega famincentive in conjunction with Delta Air Lines,where four teams of independent agentswill be taken to secret locations on thecarrier's network before heading to LasVegas for a stay at MGM Grand. Places willbe split between the top selling agents andthe most improved year-on-year. Agents areautomatically entered to win a place on themega fam when they make a booking.League tables that track performances arepublished at www.goldmedal.co.uk eachweek, and highlight those that are currentlyin line to secure a seat, and those in therunning to swoop in and take a top spot.
Regent Holidays promotes AlternativeAsia programme REGENT HOLIDAYS has launchedits 2014 Alternative Asia brochurewith new offerings in destinationsincluding North Korea, theCaucasus, Kazakhstan, China,Burma and Indo-China.
As examples, a 15-dayOdyssey Along the Silk Roadcovers one of the most remotesections of the Silk Road,through Kazakhstan into China,beginning in the capital cityAstana and travelling throughthe Kyrgyz highlands. The tourincludes an overnight stay in ayurt camp near a 15th century caravanseraibefore venturing over the 12,000ft Torugart Pass into WesternChina. The tour departs on September 2 and costs from£3,045 per person, based on two sharing and includingflights, accommodation in three- and four-star hotels, mostmeals, transfers and transport.
Alternatively, a 13-day Highlights of Sichuan & YunnanGroup Tour begins in Chengdu, the capital of SichuanProvince, and takes in Zhongdian Province, renamedShangri-La in 2001 after the 1933 James Hilton novel LostHorizon. Highlights include a visit to the 17th-centurySumtseling Monastery, also known as Little Potala Palace,plus a visit to the remote and mysterious Yunnan province –home to 25 different minority tribes, many descended fromTibetans with their unique dialects, colourful traditional dressand history. The tour departs on June 14 and prices lead in at£2,645 per person including flights, accommodation in three-and four-star hotels, most meals, all transfers and transport,plus the services of a guide/driver.The new brochure can be downloaded from www.regent-holidays.co.uk/brochure. For details call 020-7666 1244.
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www.travelbulletin.co.ukJanuary 24 201410
Ted Wake, deputy chairman ofAITO Agents and joint MD atKirker Holidays, offers an
insight into the recent AITOAgents' domestic conference...WHEN THE poet & pop impresario Ian Dury wrote the song‘Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3’ in 1979, he could not possiblyhave imagined that his song title would have been adopted byAITO Specialist Agents for their 2014 January Conference. Itproved an excellent and very relevant theme and, as allpresent would testify, it was a great conference – just the rightblend of networking, inspiration and direct communicationbetween the cream of the UK’s independent travel agents andthe best specialist tour operators.
The mood amongst delegates was certainly optimistic aboutbookings for 2014, with more confidence about margins.Although a competitive market, customers have learnt that,while expert advice might make a holiday a little moreexpensive than DIY, it is worth every penny. Paul Chapman’skeynote address was a timely reminder that “20% of clientswant to pay a premium – make sure you always make theupgrade available.” It certainly struck a chord with everyonepresent.
Those AITO devotees who have attended the past ten yearsor more enjoy the event because it is – a bit like Ian Drury washimself – short and sweet. Arriving on Saturday afternoon,there was an optional speed-dating session, a glamorous GalaAwards dinner and networking in the convivial bar after dinner.Sunday morning started with a short two-hour conferencesession, followed by the invaluable marketplace, where agentsand operators talked business from 11.30-14.00, includinglunch. It’s a simple but very effective formula that makes the24-hour conference the AITO Agents’ most popular annualevent. Drayton Manor Hotel, just north of Birmingham, proveda great venue. I loved my one-night stay, and was impressedwith the adrenalin park tour (not to mention the Thomas theTank Engine paraphernalia!). What was most memorable,however, was the excellent service. Every employee at thisfamily-owned business was polite, well-trained and passionateabout delivering great service – all qualities to which AITOoperators and agents aspire.
If you are a member of AITO agents but have not (yet)attended, you will probably be wondering why on earth anyonewould want to leave their office at the busiest time of year. Iurge you to try it next year, and to speak to those who’vepreviously made the commitment. During peak sales, even thebest sales people need to be energised to convert just a couplemore sales each week; there is no better or more relevanttime of year to inspire all members of your sales team togreater heights.
I am optimistic about what lies ahead, and the recent AITOconference is top of my list of Reasons to be Cheerful aboutbookings for 2014. I hope to see you in Prague for AITO’soverseas conference in June, and perhaps at next January’sUK conference too. There is no better way to ensure that theyear gets off to a flying start.
Dedicated Disney Cruise Line section onDisneyStars.com training tool DISNEY DESTINATIONS International has launched anew version of DisneyStars.com, which now includes adedicated section for Disney Cruise Line.
The online training tool is being distributed acrossthe UK, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands as well astwo new destinations - France and Italy.
Agents now have access to detailed itineraries andentertainment options on board for families, kids andadults, as well as dining information such as therotational dining concept.
Sections have been re-organised and are now morefocused on instructing agents on unique selling pointsand factors that differentiate the company from othercruise lines.
Agents can put their knowledge to the test withinteractive content such as online quizzes and eachmonth someone from each country will be selected asthe winner of their region and will be featured on thewebsite, along with receiving a prize.For more information and to register visitwww.disneystars.com
David Moon, head of business development at Advantage, outlines the new consultancy approach for members
bulletinbriefing
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SPEAKING FROM an Advantage TravelPartnership perspective, we are delighted thatso many of our member partners are enjoying
such a strong period of trading at the moment. Whatis particularly encouraging is the renaissance thatindependent agents are enjoying in the eyes of theconsumer who are re-acquainting themselves withthe benefits and services that they can offer them.
However, no organisation can afford the luxury ofresting on their laurels - agents need to constantly finetune their business proposition to ensure that peakperformance is maintained.
In 2014, we will continue with what we started lastyear by getting closer to our individual memberpartners - understanding their individual needs andworking with them on the refinements that they needto make to their businesses.
This level of effective engagement can only really beachieved if we are able to offer a truly bespoke serviceand we are currently recruiting more businessdevelopment consultants to our central team to boostour capability to deliver a range of business planningtools to our member partners including:● Full business reviews: Setting clear business
objectives with key performance indicators andregular reviews
● Business coaching/mentoring● Business and marketing plan writing● Profit and loss, and cashflow forecasting
Although it is likely that our member partners willalready prepare and implement business plans, our
approach will not only provide valuable objectivity butwill also allow us to tailor and refine the AdvantageTravel Partnership portfolio to meet the individualneeds identified as part of the business planningprocess.
As part of our partnership portfolio, we will also beextending the range and reach of our consultancyservices - offering individual expertise to our memberpartners in areas such as HR, IT, legal compliance,accountancy and staff development. Experts at ourdisposal will come from both within the centralAdvantage organisation and also from externalconsultants who will provide added value services tomember partners.
And working on the basis that all activity needs to beeffectively measured in order to be able to properlycalculate return, we also intend to provide everymember partner with an annual benefits statementwhich will specify the overall financial benefit eachmember partner has had from the organisation overthe year.
Ultimately, each member partner has control overthe direction, focus and operating profile of their ownbusiness but we believe that with the right level ofengagement and intervention, we can assist ourmember partners in fashioning a business strategythat drives maximum business efficiency and aconsistent level of profitability.
I hope to update you regularly on what this newapproach is managing to achieve.
Make a booking to Oman and earn rewards!Register your booking for 7 nights or more at www.omanbookingrewards.com and you will receive a £10 shopping voucher once your clients have travelled as a thank you for your support.
Sign up today for rewards, prizes and a chance to win a place on a fam trip to Oman in 2014.
Beauty has an addressFor more information on Oman please contact:Oman Ministry of Tourism UK & Ireland Representative Offi ceTel: 0208 877 4524 | Email: [email protected] | Visit: www.omantourism.gov.omStudy: www.omanacadamy.com
to Oman amore at www.omanbooki
s have travelled as a thank
chance to win a place on a
Beauty has an addressFor more information on Oman please contact:Oman Ministry of Tourism UK & Ireland RepreTel: 0208 877 4524 | Email: oman@represeStudy: www.omanacadamy.com
arn rewards!rewards.com and you will receive aou for your support.
THE BVI Tourist Board isoffering agents the chanceto win a place on its fam tripwhich departs in March.
To enter, agents shouldregister on ‘Nature’s LittleSecret Agents’ onlinetraining programme, passall eight modules and logtwo bookings by March 7. For details seehttp://uk.bvisecretagent.com
CLIA UK & Ireland has launched a seriesof nationwide workshops aimedspecifically at agents who are new tocruise, or who have little cruiseexperience.
The five workshops will provide acombination of selling techniques forocean and river cruise holidays, togetherwith product knowledge and networkingopportunities with cruise lines.
The workshops are entitled ‘Kick StartYour Cruise Sales’ and take place inBelfast, Birmingham, Glasgow,Manchester and Norwich. They will beaccompanied by an online trainingmodule exclusively for those attendingthe workshops with both elementsforming part of the association’saccreditation process.
Andy Harmer, director of the
association, said: “Cruise holidayscontinue to grow in popularity so there’shuge potential for travel agents toincrease their sales. These workshopsare designed for those who haven’tpreviously sold cruise holidays, providingrelevant information, techniques andideas which can be taken back to theworkplace and put into practiceimmediately.
"We will be joined by a variety of cruiselines ensuring delegates are familiarisedwith the many different holiday choicesavailable when taking an ocean or rivercruise.”
The workshops will take place inSeptember, October and November andplaces are limited.For further information visitwww.cruiseexperts.org
● Educate your customersthat social media is aservice channel. Sendout regular and simpletweets to let peopleknow you are online andready to help.
● Listen! When yourcustomers are unhappythey are likely to sharetheir experience and thiscan be extremelydamaging to a business.Make sure you have aplan ready for a socialcrisis and everyone isfully briefed on it.
● A speedy reaction isessential. Your customerwill use social mediabecause it is thequickest way to get theirvoice heard so ensureyou respond with thesame speed; theoptimum responsespeed should be nolonger than 15 minutes.
● Update your customerswith the latest deals andinformation. Not onlydoes this make you anessential knowledgestream it also meansthat your social contentis current and notrepetitive.
● Share your newdiscoveries with yourcustomers - the mostpopular destinations andalso the hidden gems.This will encourageloyalty and engagementwith your customers andyou will be seen as a keytravel ‘influencer’.
Five tips on how tosucceed at socialcustomer service
by CAROLYN BLUNT,co-author of
‘Delivering EffectiveSocial Customer
Service’
CLIA UK & Ireland offers workshops to ‘new to cruise’ agents
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trainingbulletin
THE GLOBAL Travel Group recently ran a training day for agents near Milton Keynes, includingsessions on social media and supplier speed dating. The day also included a prize draw with AlanWebber (centre) from Sun, Sea & Ski Holidays winning the first prize of a three-night stay at theAphrodite Hills Resort, Cyprus. Pictured with Alan are Joanne Briggs from The Global Travel Groupand Darren Eade, Aphrodite Hills Resort.
Visit Portugal announces February workshopsTURISMO DE Portugal (Visit Portugal) is hosting twoworkshops for agents next month in partnership withThe Network.
Taking place in London on February 11 and inManchester on February 12, the events will be attendedby around 35 Portuguese partners.
Registration commences at 17:30 and is followed bypresentations and workshops before a buffet dinner andquiz.
A prize draw will also be announced before the eventconcludes at 22:00. For more information or to register your interest inattending email [email protected]
WITH EUROCAMP holidaysnow available through thetrade for the first time, theoperator is giving agentsthe chance to win a luxuryday trip when theycomplete its online
modules at OTT byFebruary 28.
The prize includes a dayexperiencing Paris’ sightsand sounds, as well as aChampagne lunch up theEiffel Tower.
This year sees theunification of the operatorwith its sister company,Keycamp.For details call 0844-8440000 or see ott.travel andwww.eurocamp4agents.co.uk
TOURICO HOLIDAYS has launched a TravelAcademy, offering training for graduatesinterested in entering the industry.
A total of 30 applicants will be acceptedfor each of the four quarterly ten-weeksessions throughout the year.
Those interested in participating mustfirst apply online and pass a series ofinterviews and assessments before beingselected for the programme. Upon
completion, graduates can interview forpositions primarily in product developmentbut potentially in sales, marketing andoperations. Successful students will beplaced in positions best suited to their skillsand personality, with every qualified andsuccessful student receiving a job offerfrom the company.For more information visitwww.thetravelacademy.com
VISIT KENT has launched a new trade website specifically designed to help operators and grouptravel organisers plan trips to the Garden of England. The multi-platform website providesinformation about group-friendly places to visit and stay, refreshment options, new itinerariesand coach parking. For the first time, the organisation is offering a bank of bookable wholesalepackages for tour and group travel organisers. The site is divided into four key user-friendlysections – About Kent, Itineraries, Plan Trips to Kent and Useful Information. See www.visitkent.co.uk/trade
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15www.travelbulletin.co.uk January 24 2014
Tourico Holidays launches Travel Academy for graduates
Win a luxury day trip with Eurocamp’s new OTT module
March launch forAmericas workshopTHE ANNUAL AmericasWorkshop, dedicated toLatin America, takes placeat the Royal GeographicalSociety London fromMarch 11-13, and bringstogether UK touroperators and groundhandlers in Latin America.
This year around 60suppliers will be exhibitingat the workshop includingsmall lodges, haciendas,boutique hotels, rainforestlodges, expedition cruisesand the DMC'srepresented by Americas. For more information call020-7223 4330, [email protected] seewww.americas.co.uk
LESS TIME BOOKING. MORE TIME ENJOYING.Wouldn’t it be nice to have up-to-the-minute Vegas travel news all in one location?
At CaesarsTravelAgents.com, you can view current and upcoming promotions and events, book reservations for your clients, explore things to do throughout our eight iconic Las Vegas resorts, study our selling tips and more!
Visit CaesarsTravelAgents.com today to get the most Las Vegas for your clients. Caesars Entertainment, making life easy for travel agents who do the same for us.
CaesarsTravelAgents.com
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RIVIERA TRAVEL ishighlighting its 15-dayCalifornia & The GoldenWest itinerary which leadsin at £1,599 per person.
The tour exploreswestern USA’s national
parks, native Indianhistory, desertlandscapes, forests andthe peaks of the SierraNevada. Guests will takein the Grand Canyon,Bryce Canyon, Zion
National Park andYosemite plus a stay in LasVegas, along with guidedtours of Los Angeles, SanDiego and San Francisco.For more information seewww.rivieratravel.co.uk
THIS YEAR sees the launch ofnew direct flight routes to theUS, leading to destinationsbecoming more accessible toUK visitors.
British Airways is set tobecome the first carrier toprovide a non-stop flightbetween London and Austin.The five times weekly service
commences on March 3before moving to daily flightsfrom May 5. Prices for areturn flight in World Travellerstart from £511. In addition toits existing A380 route to LosAngeles, the carrier will alsobegin A380 services toPhiladelphia from June 5 andto Washington, D.C.
commencing September 1. Meanwhile, Norwegian is
set to launch flights to LosAngeles, New York and FortLauderdale from Gatwick.Taking off on July 2, theairline's twice-weekly LosAngeles route costs from£199 one-way, while a daylater sees the launch of its
New York route, runningthree times weekly, at anintroductory offer of £149.
Twice-weekly flights to FortLauderdale commence onJuly 4, with a lead-in price of£179 one-way.For details see www.ba.com,www.norwegian.com andwww.discoveramerica.com
Atlantic City &Texas additionsfrom Travel 2
TRAVEL 2 has addedAtlantic City and Texas toits 2014 brochures.
The company's productmanager, Jonathan Couch,said: "We have a greatoffering of Caesars hotelsin Atlantic City and thiswill form part of multi-centre trips with New Yorkand Philadelphia.
“The US continues tosell very well for us andforward bookings arelooking very encouraging.Areas such as New York,Las Vegas and Florida areshowing continued growthwith customers takingadvantage of early bookingoffers to Las Vegas andFlorida where theycontinue to offer freenights and added valueincluding complimentarybreakfast.”For further details seewww.travel2.com
MORGAN FREEMAN, Michael Douglas,Robert De Niro and Kevin Kline haveconvened on the big screen for new film‘Last Vegas’, which recently hit UKcinemas.
In the film, the foursome head to theland of casinos and cabarets for a stag dofor Michael Douglas' character, and as theyare determined not to act their age, theantics unfold.
Much of the movie was filmed at the AriaHotel and Hayes & Jarvis has launched anew offer at the five-star property, locatedon the Las Vegas Strip.
Departing on February 27, a four-nightstay costs from £699 per person, withsavings of £131 per person, includingflights from Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic.
The company is also offering a four-night break at the four-star GoldenNugget from £599, offering a saving of£249 per person. It includes direct flightsfrom Gatwick to Las Vegas with VirginAtlantic, based on a February 27departure.For more information or to book call01293-735831 or seewww.hayesandjarvis.co.uk
Las Vegas savings of up to £249 per person from Hayes & Jarvis
usa
AGENTS WITH clients heading to New York this winter now have a choice of three additional shows.After Midnight, The Bridges of Madison County and Cabaret have joined The Broadway Collection, agroup of top Broadway shows, each selected for their popularity with international audiences. Themove now brings the total number of shows to 23, with After Midnight now running and The Bridges ofMadison County and Cabaret scheduled to launch on February 20 and April 24 respectively. Operatorsselling packages include Attraction world, Encore Tickets, Lastminute.com, Virgin Holidays, TUITravel, Titan Travel and Superbreak. For details visit www.broadwaycollection.com and www.spotlightonbroadway.com
Everett Bradly & The Cast of ‘After Midnight’
British Airways and Norwegian offer direct routes to wider US destinations
Riviera Travel highlights 15-day California tour
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TWO NEW Worldwide Journeys tours havebeen added to Virgin Holidays' secondedition Florida 2014 brochure - thefly/drive Southern Heritage Tour andRhythms of the South – Atlanta toOrlando, both of which take in thePanhandle and parts of the Deep South.For details seewww.virginholidaysjourneys.co.uk
As an example of packages, a seven-night stay in Orlando, including scheduled
flights with Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick,accommodation at the Cabana Bay BeachResort Universal Orlando and car hire,costs from £1,219 per person, based ontwo adults travelling and sharing aCourtyard Family Suite. The price is basedon a May 12 departure and includes allapplicable taxes and fuel surcharges. To book or for details seewww.virginholidays.co.uk or call 0844-557 3859.
ATTRACTION WORLD is giving one agent the chance to get their hands on a 16GB iPadAir, worth £400.
To be in with the chance of winning, agents should make as many bookings as theycan for the following Grand Canyon tours by the end of February: any Helicopter GoldenEagle Tour; any Grand Celebration Tour; any Eldorado Canyon Tour by bus orhelicopter; any Grand Canyon Explorer Tour; and the North Canyon Helicopter Tour. Alltours offer live booking availability and immediate confirmation.
Agents should email booking references to [email protected] to enter.The agent who has made the most bookings will win the prize.
For details call 0871-700 8888.
Loews NashvilleHotel pilots
text messageconcierge service
THE LOEWS VanderbiltHotel in Nashville is pilotinga new text concierge systemwhich allows guests tomake requests via textmessage.
Upon checking in, guestscan opt to register theirmobile telephone number atreception which will allowthem to make text requestsfor the entirety of their stay.Using a personal textservice programme calledZingle, guests can also textthe hotel requests whileaway from the property.
Located in Nashville’sMidtown, the propertyfeatures 340 roomsincluding 14 suites. For more information visitwww.loewshotels.com
usa
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Four Points bySheraton openssecond hotel in
Jacksonville STARWOOD HOTELS &Resorts Worldwide hasannounced that its FourPoints brand has opened itssecond hotel inJacksonville, Florida.
Four Points by SheratonJacksonville Beachfrontoffers 72 oceanfront suitesand the hotel recentlycompleted a $2millionrenovation.
Facilities include anoutdoor pool and whirlpool,24-hour fitness centre, full-service dining and 1,800sq.ftof meeting space. For details seewww.fourpoints.com
ELTON JOHN will return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace to perform his chart-topping hits for 'TheMillion Dollar Piano' show. At the centre of the performance is the show’s namesake piano, anengineering marvel featuring more than 68 LED video screens. Tickets are now available for variousdates in March and April, with prices starting from $55. For details see www.thecolosseum.com
ST. PETE/CLEARWATER'S Dalí Museumis host to a new exhibit showcasing theworks of Andy Warhol until April 27.
Entitled 'Warhol: Art. Fame. Mortality.',the exhibit includes approximately 35paintings, 20 drawings, 50 photographs
and a selection of films by the Americanartist, on loan from The Warhol Museumin Pennsylvania. Photos of and by Warholare also displayed, as well as portraits ofartists and celebrities that he workedwith. Entry to the exhibit is included in
the admission price for the Dali Museumwhich costs £12.80 per adult.Concessions are available for students,children and seniors.For details see www.thedali.org andwww.visitstpeteclearwater.com
New Andy Warhol exhibition at St. Pete/Clearwater’s Dali Museum
Win an iPad Air with Attraction World’s booking incentive
Virgin Holidays adds tours to second edition Florida brochure
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www.travelbulletin.co.uk
Come get a taste of all Louisiana has to offer, from our unique cuisine to our vibrant music scene. It’s where the music never stops—and most of it started.
TRAFALGAR HAS issued its 2014 brochure featuring a numberof Insider experiences which offer guests unique insights,hidden treasures and Be My Guest experiences.
The operator reports that sampling local food and delicacieshas always been popular with its guests and, off the back ofthis popularity, it launched the new Taste of North Americaprogramme. The new itineraries give guests the chance toengage in cookery classes using locally sourced ingredientsand visit farms and producers to get a better understanding ofthe transition from vineyard to vino or dairy to dessert.
The brochure also features new tours including a 15-dayBest of the West adventure and a ten-day Family Experiencestrip, Florida Fun ‘n’ Sun, with up to 7.5% savings off all NorthAmerican tours booked and paid for by January 31.
The operator's director of sales, Paul Melinis, said: “Aguided holiday with Trafalgar is the perfect way to cover thebig distances in the US in comfort and style, while gettingunder the skin of the country with the help of our trusty traveldirectors and local guides who know their destinations betterthan anyone.”
As an example of prices, a new 11-day New York Zest &New England’s Best itinerary, which journeys through NewYork and New England, costs from £2,950 per person, basedon two sharing. It includes flights, private transfers, coachtransport, ten breakfasts, seven additional meals, includedsightseeing and activities such as city and museum tours,tastings and cookery classes.For more information visit www.trafalgar.com
THE PALM Beaches, a collection of luxury resorts, boutique andtrusted-brand hotels across 15 dining and entertainment districts,is encouraging visitors to discover unique experiences, aside fromits 47 miles of beaches. Examples include full-moon bike ridesalong some of Riverbend Park’s 15 miles of trails, up-closeanimal encounters at Lion Country Safari, spring training for twoteams – St. Louis Cardinals and the Florida Marlins, a dive withthe private S.C.U.B.A. Country Club, plus interaction with theturtles at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s specialrehabilitation facility.
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HUDDLED UP...Pictured at this year's Florida Huddle are, from theleft: Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO, Discover Palm BeachCounty; Will Seccombe, president and CEO, Visit Florida; EileenForrow, Visit Florida Huddle; and Christopher L. Thompson,president and CEO, Brand USA.
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THE 38TH annual Florida Huddle, Florida’s travel tradeevent, took place from January 14-16 in Palm Beach County.Huddle, which is now owned and operated by Visit Florida,welcomed travel suppliers from across the state to meetdirectly with domestic and international buyers. This yearsaw a 12% increase in buyer delegates compared with lastyear, with total registered attendees amounting to 345companies with 595 delegates and buyers from more than20 countries.
Will Seccombe, president and CEO of Visit Florida, saidthat the state had welcomed record numbers of visitors overthe last two years, of which a significant portion has beenoverseas visitors from 184 countries.
In total, Florida welcomed 89.3 million visitors in 2012,an increase of 2.3% over the previous year. Visitor numbersfor the first three quarters of last year have also beenrecorded as very positive and large numbers are expectedfor this year.
Meanwhile, Visit Florida unveiled its winter brandcampaign, Summer this Winter, which is part of its existingMust Be the Sunshine campaign. It focuses on attractingvisitors to the typically warm winters of the Sunshine Stateand invites guests to head to 'the warmer side of winter'.
The event's host, Palm Beach County, revealed that thereare 1,000 new hotel rooms in the pipeline including a new
Hilton hotel which will be connected to the Palm BeachCounty Convention Center - the only convention centre in thestate to have an adjoining hotel. A new Palm Beaches Outletshopping mall will also open next month.
In other news, Fort Lauderdale has been named officialhost of Visit Florida Huddle 2015. The destination saw atotal of 13 million visitors last year and is set to welcomeadditional numbers following new flights anddevelopments. These include new flight from Gatwick toFort Lauderdale with Norwegian Airlines from July 2014and the destination will boost hotel capacity with theintroduction of the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort;a La Costa Hollywood; and the Conrad Fort LauderdaleResort and Residences.
Meanwhile, plans were unveiled by All Aboard Florida fora new high-speed passenger rail service that will linkdowntown Miami and Orlando Airport in just under threehours, with stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.The service is expected to be operational by 2015.
Orlando theme parks returned to Florida Huddle this yearwhere Universal Orlando Resort revealed the line-up for its2014 Mardi Gras celebration with an extended concertseries featuring a line-up of artists including Robin Thicke,Nelly and The Wanted. The celebration offers 20 nights ofconcerts coupled with the legendary Bayou bash.
Disney Magic Deals launch from Funway FUNWAY HOLIDAYS has launched its ‘Disney MagicDeals 2014’ brochure, which is valid until March 3.
The 16-page brochure offers savings of up to 30%with holiday prices leading in at £679 per person forseven nights at the Disney’s All-Star Resorts, based ontwo adults sharing and including flights.
Other offers include savings of up to 30% on hotels,£75 off Disney Tickets when booked in conjunction withflights and a Disney hotel for a minimum of threenights, kids (17 years and under) stay free when sharinga room with at least one paying adult at Disney resorthotels, kids eat free (under 11 years), free loungepasses and a free VIP coupon book at the OrlandoPremium Outlets.For details visit www.funway4agents.co.uk
A round-up of news from the 38th annual Visit Florida Huddle
VISITORS TO the US'largest state, Alaska, grewby 7% in summer last yearto 1,693,800 compared tosummer 2012, withnumbers expected to riseagain this year.
Visitors can experienceAlaska by sea this year,with a total of 30 largecruise ships scheduled tocall into the state. IcyStrait Point, a small-shipcruise port located 30miles west of Juneau, willact as a port of call forCelebrity Cruises’ Solstice(www.celebritycruises.co.uk) and NCL’s NorwegianPearl (www.ncl.co.uk).
For adventure-seekers,Winterlake Lodge(www.withinthewild.com),which is located 198 trailmiles northwest ofAnchorage, is launchingthree new outdoorexcursions this winter,featuring helicopter rides,
cross-country skiing andsnowmobile excursions.All training and meals areprovided for the trips.
Visitors looking forcultural experiences thisyear can attendCelebration(www.sealaskaheritage.org/celebration), a biennialAlaska Native festivalfeaturing processions,dance performances, artsand crafts, workshops andlectures. The festivitiesrun from June 11-14 atseveral venues in Juneau.
Meanwhile, access toAlaska is being boostedwith the launch of ninedirect flights weekly withAir North(www.flyairnorth.com) inthe summer betweenFairbanks and DawsonCity in Yukon, Canada. Theflights will be utilised byHolland America Line forits land/sea journeys to
reduce travel timebetween Dawson City andFairbanks.
Delta Airlines(www.delta.com) has alsoannounced seasonal
flights between Seattleand Juneau beginning onMay 29 and has added anadditional flight to itsseasonal Seattle toAnchorage route.
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usaAlaska predicts rise in numbers for 2014 following last summer's boost
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DEDICATION – our trade support team is here to help
CHOICE – 45 destinations from 10 UK airports†
PROTECTION – our flights are ATOL protected
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Special Aruba fare from MAN with KLMTRAVELLERS SEEKING a great value winter getaway can take advantage of a specialfare being offered by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
The carrier has launched a £680 return fare (including taxes) from Manchester toAruba, available for flights departing until February 28.
The carrier operates five times a week to the island, via its international hub atAmsterdam Airport Schiphol.To book or for details see www.klm.com or call 0871-231 0000 and for more informationon Aruba visit www.aruba.com
United Airlinesunveils newinvestments at San Francisco UNITED AIRLINES and itspartners at San FranciscoInternational Airport arepreparing to open the newlyrenovated Boarding Area E inTerminal 3, which will providethe airline's customers withmodern, flyer-friendlyconveniences.
Scheduled to re-open onTuesday, the 68,800sq.ftboarding area will offer tengates for the carrier'scustomers and will be able toaccommodate more than 50departures daily.
Boarding Area E will offeran up-close view of theairfield and the Bay Areafrom a 23ft-high window wall.Customers will also benefitfrom several other amenitiesincluding an interactiveinformation andentertainment area;comfortable seating optionsthat include Fritz Hansen“egg” chairs and swivellounge chairs; dining andconcession options from BayArea vendors, such as Klein’sDeli; free Wi-Fi; nine workstations and access to morethan 375 power outlets; ayoga room; and an interactivekids’ play area.
The airline is making otherinvestments in Terminal 3,including a new receptionarea for the airline’s GlobalServices customers and anew check-in area forMileagePlus Premiercustomers, both scheduled toopen in September.For more information visitwww.united.com
TAP PORTUGAL operates flights from the UK to12 destinations in Brazil via Lisbon, ideal forclients looking to attend the FIFA 2014 BrazilWorld Cup.
England will play their first match on June14 against Italy in the group stage of thetournament, with Manaus – one of the newestdestinations to be added to the airline’sBrazilian network – taking centre stage as thebackdrop.
The city will play host to four World Cupgames to be played in Arena Da Amazonia, aspecially built stadium.
Alongside Belém, Manaus will be added tothe airline’s schedule in June. The newservices signal its first destinations in northern
Brazil, widening its existing network in theSouth American country.
Other World Cup stadium destinationsserved by the carrier include Rio de Janeiro,Salvador, Brasilia, Porto Alegre, Curitiba,Recife, plus Belo Horizonte and São Paulo, thelatter two of which will be the destinations forEngland’s remaining group stage matchesagainst Costa Rica and Uruguay, respectively.
The new route will further expand theairline’s existing global connections, via Lisbon,to 79 destinations in 34 countries worldwide.
Flights from the UK to Manaus cost from£735 per person including taxes and charges.For further information or to book visitwww.flytap.com
AIR EUROPA has announced the launch of a new route toSantiago, Chile, via Salvador, Brazil.
From March 31, the airline will fly three times weekly tothe city and will also increase operations to Salvador, Brazil,from four to five flights weekly from March 27.
Outbound flights will be on Mondays, Wednesdays andFridays, departing Gatwick at 17:20 and arriving in Madrid at20:35 for the 21:50 flight to Santiago. Passengers can thentake the 21:50 flight from Salvador to arrive in Santiago at07:00+1.
Inbound flights are also on Mondays, Wednesdays andFridays and travel from Santiago to Salvador from 20:35-10:45, Salvador to Madrid from 15:00-16:20 and Madrid toGatwick from 15:00-16:20.
Colin Stewart, UK general manager for the airline, said:“This year is all about growth. With our new routes,increased frequencies and focus on continuing to provide thehighest levels of service to our customers, I am confident wewill further consolidate our place as the airline of choice toLatin America.”
Air Europa launches three times weekly Santiago service from March
Experience the FIFA 2014 Brazil World Cup with TAP Portugal
IN RESPONSE to demand for shoulder and off-peak holidays, Air Malta will start summer early this year byserving a range of UK regional airports from April in time for the spring and Easter period. Flights to andfrom Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Exeter and Norwich will be begin on April 8 until October 28.The regional services are offered in addition to the regular scheduled services to/from Heathrow, Gatwickand Manchester. The carrier offers a free allowance of 20kg for baggage and 10kg hand-luggage per person.Flights can be booked at www.airmalta.com
ALL NIPPON Airways(ANA) has announced anew service betweenLondon and TokyoHaneda in response togrowing demand for theroute.
The expansion,effective from March 30,will make the companythe largest airline atHaneda, offering the mostinternational flights toand from the airport.
International travellersare increasingly lookingto Haneda as a hub, dueto its accessibility forcentral Tokyo (13 minutesby Monorail) and itsrange of domestic flights,allowing for easy accessto destinations such asHiroshima, Matsuyamaand Okayama.
The airline operates adual-airport strategy inthe Tokyo area,capitalising on therespective strengths ofHaneda and Naritaairports.
Osamu Shinobe,president and CEO of theairline, said: “With thenew slots being added toHaneda Airport, we areseeking to utilise thestrengths of both Hanedaand Narita airports tooffer an increased level ofconvenience for domesticand international routes,gaining new internationalcustomers travellingbetween Japan, NorthAmerica, Europe andAsia. Also in line with theHaneda expansion, weare planning to offer anenhanced lounge andservices to deliver a five-star airline experienceboth in the air and on theground, allowingcustomers to experienceJapan quality at alltimes.”For more informationvisit www.ana.co.jp
CITYJET HAS announceddetails of its new summernetwork and schedule thatcommence on March 30.
The carrier is focusing onstrengthening its coreroutes from London CityAirport, with increasedfrequencies on keydestinations, while openinga number of new routesfrom Cardiff Airport. Theincreased capacity toexisting destinations willstrengthen the airline'scurrent network, and willprovide additionalconnections to passengersflying on partner networkhubs.
Last week, the carrierlaunched four new routesfrom Cardiff by introducing
services from Cardiff toGlasgow and Paris-Orly.This will be followed byflights to Jersey andEdinburgh for the summerschedule.
Other developmentsinclude capacity on LondonCity-Dublin flightsincreasing by 38%;increased capacity of 100%to Florence from LondonCity; and an 18% capacityincrease in flights fromLondon City to Paris.
With the newreconfiguration of thenetwork, the airline willwithdraw loss-makingroutes, mainly in Germanyand Luxembourg. For more information visitwww.cityjet.com
CityJet puts focus on core routes from LCY in new summer schedule
All Nippon Airwayslaunches new route
between Londonand Tokyo
www.travelbulletin.co.ukJanuary 24 201424
seatonlyCarpatair off to a flying startat LutonROMANIAN AIRLINECarpatair has launchedservices from Luton toChisinau, capital of theRepublic of Moldova.Services operate twice-weekly on Thursdays andSundays, with faresstarting from £103,including taxes.
The route will beoperated by a 148-seatBoeing 737-300.
Simon Harley, airlinedevelopment manager atthe airport, said: “It isfantastic that Carpatairare now operating fromLuton. This is our firstservice to the Republic ofMoldova and to be able tolaunch a new destinationwith yet another newcarrier choosing to cometo Luton is testament tothe airport’s convenientlocation and efficientoperations.
“With Carpatair’s qualityon board service andcompetitive fares, we aresure the Chisinau flightswill be a great success.” For more information seewww.carpatair.com
InBrief● ESTONIAN AIR has launched a seasonal air link between Tallinn and Munich. The airline offers the
route once weekly on Saturdays until March 29. One-way fares from Tallinn cost from €120.53including all fees and taxes, subject to availability.
For details see www.estonian-air.com● LUFTHANSA HAS announced a 7% increase in capacity on services between Heathrow and Frankfurt
from the start of the summer timetable. From March 30, all flights between Heathrow and Frankfurtwill be operated by the larger Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft resulting in almost 1,000 additionalseats every week.
● 'FRESHLY COOKED Eggs' is the latest First Class breakfast menu option to be hatched by MalaysiaAirlines. Cooked from scratch on board by cabin crew, passengers can tuck in to scrambled eggs,sunny side up, soft-boiled or poached eggs. First and Business Class passengers can also enjoy theairline’s ‘Chef on Call’ service with the option to pre-book in advance a range of gourmet dishes, fromMalaysian favourites and chef’s recommendations to light healthy choices. The carrier has recentlyannounced its partnership with Chef Richard Corrigan to create and launch a limited edition in-flight menu from February, drawing inspiration from his two flagship London restaurants, Corrigan’sMayfair and Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill.
● AIR NEW Zealand has signed a licensing agreement with China Airlines for its Economy Skycouchseat. Under the agreement, China Airlines will commence the introduction of the Skycouch to itsfleet of new 777-300ERs from September. The locally designed Skycouch is a row of three Economyseats that together adapt to create a flat flexible space to stretch out and relax in. It was developedas part of a three-year innovation process to re-invent the long-haul flying experience.
MSC Cruises launches two-year ‘renaissance programme’ for Lirica ships
MSC CRUISES has announced a €200m programme that will involve all four of its Liricaclass ships over the next two years.
The ‘renaissance programme’ has been commissioned by shipbuilding companyFincantieri in Italy and will be completed by 2015.
The renovation of the line's Armonia, Lirica, Sinfonia and Opera will add newentertainment options, technological advances, extended shops and up to almost 200new cabins per ship.
The ships will feature a new spray park with a pathway of water features and watercannons. Boutiques will also be enhanced with new interiors, additional space and anew perfumery.
Gianni Onorato, the line's CEO, said: “When our four Lirica class ships return to theseas after a total of 38 weeks in dry dock, they will be entirely new ships withadditional amenities and comfort for our travellers.
"The extensive ‘renaissance programme’ represents a huge investment, andreaffirms, once again, our company’s dedication to high standards, cutting-edgetechnology and continuous product innovation.”
Following renovations, the ships will offer an additional 193 cabins (plus 59 newcabins for crew members).For further information visit www.msccruises.co.uk
CARNIVAL CRUISE Lines has unveiled an exclusive partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterpriseswhich will bring the children’s brand and its characters to the line’s fleet of 24 Fun Ships.
The Carnival Seuss at Sea programme offers a variety of youth, family, dining andentertainment experiences featuring the world and words of Dr. Seuss.
Highlights include The Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with the Cat in the Hat and Friendsin the main dining room, available for $5 per guest.
Each ship in the fleet will also have a selection of books as well as toys and themed activities.Special showings of movies such as ‘The Cat in the Hat’ and ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’will be shown outdoors on the giant screen as part of the line’s Dive-In Movies programme.
On Carnival Freedom, which is undergoing a major refurbishment in May, and CarnivalVista, which debuts in early 2016, there will be a Dr. Seuss Bookville play space.
Also featured will be Seuss-a-palooza Story Time, A Rhyming Good Time - an interactivereading event that brings to life the world of Dr. Seuss.
At other times during the voyage, families will have the chance to meet and interact with characters, participate in photo opportunities and experience events and activitiessuch as the Seuss-a-palooza Character Parade. A variety of themed retail items will alsobe available.
The programme commences on the line's Splendor next month, with implementationacross the full fleet by 2015.
Carnival Cruise Lines welcomes Dr. Seuss characters on board
cruising
AMERICAN CRUISE Lines is building four new riverboats for American river cruising which will enter service between 2015and 2017. Construction has commenced on the first two ships, with the first to begin cruising in spring 2015. The new vesselswill include larger staterooms, private balconies plus dining and lounge venues. At least one of the four new ships willoperate cruises along the Columbia and Snake Rivers from the Pacific Coast to the Idaho border, more than 500 miles inland.For details see www.americancruiselines.com
Exclusive themedmini-cruises fromSuperbreakSUPERBREAK IS offeringagents the chance to bookpackages for two new andexclusive themed mini-cruisebreaks with some of the UK’smost popular tribute acts.Customers can sail from Hullto Amsterdam with P&OFerries, with the chance tospend a day in Amsterdam.
A Madonna and MichaelJackson Ultimate PartyCruise costs from £79 perperson and departs on March8 travelling overnight toarrive in Rotterdam thefollowing morning, where atransfer to Amsterdam isarranged. A full day can thenbe spent in the city with theoption to join an afternoonparty in a city centre barbefore the ship departs homeagain that evening, arriving inHull on March 10.
A Take That, RobbieWilliams, Michael Buble andWestlife Themed PartyCruise departs on November8 and costs from £89. Twoacts perform on theoutbound journey and two onthe return.
Both mini-cruise breakscan be found in theoperator’s new 2014 MiniCruise Breaks brochurewhich has recently launched. For more information seewww.superbreak.com/agentsor call 0871-221 4444.
ADRIATIC AND AEGEAN SEA: THE ULTIMATE YACHTING EXPERIENCETaking a cruise with Compagnie du Ponant in the Mediterranean offers you a perfect combination of relaxation, exclusivity and cultural discoveries across a range of locations such as Venice, Kotor and Athens.The 132-cabin, 5-star yacht LE SOLÉAL reaches some of the Mediterranean’s best kept secrets whilst treating guests to unrivalled passenger service, the finest cuisine and a bilingual crew ready to tend to your every need. Discover the treasures of the World by sea.
Start your journey on ponant.com
Summer 2014 - 13 departures from € 1250(1)
0800 980 40 27Contact your travel agency or call our UK call centre
Discounts of up to £1,000 per couplewith Avalon WaterwaysAVALON WATERWAYS has launched its second edition 2014river cruise programme with discounts of up to £1,000 percouple as well as a prize draw offering agents the chance towin a place on a seven-night Avalon river cruise fam trip. To beentered into the draw, agents should email the bookingreference to [email protected] with subject line‘Avalon Fam’ before February 28.
The £1,000 saving per couple applies on bookings madebefore January 31 on selected river cruises with springdepartures on the Danube, Rhine, Moselle and DutchWaterways, as well as up to £800 per couple discount on alldepartures of the company's 16-day Fascinating Vietnam,Cambodia & Mekong cruise (from £3,595).
The choice of European river cruises includes the eight-dayTulip Time (from £1,295), eight-day Tulips of Northern Holland(£1,420), 13-day Rhine & Moselle (£2,635), 13-day Blue DanubeDiscovery (£2,369), ten-day Balkan Discovery (£2,210), 11-dayBurgundy & Provence (£2,130), 12-day Capitals of CentralEurope (£1,935), ten-day Legendary Danube (£2,140), 13-dayEuropean Splendour (£2,869) and 12-day Upper Rhine to theCity of Music (£2,525).
Agents who book any river cruise before February 28 will beentered into a prize draw to win one of ten places on a seven-night luxury river cruise Tulip Time departing the UK on April 9,including flights, cabin excursions, transfers and most meals.
The company's 2014 European River Cruise brochurefeatures three new Suite Ships (the Avalon Poetry II,Illumination and Impression) due for delivery in spring, as wella choice of new themed cruises.
To meet demand for those wanting to combine theirinterests with a holiday, a new choice of themed cruises areavailable this year - from beer tasting or golfing on theAustrian Highlights & Bavaria cruise (July 7 and October 13),Wellness Cruise for yoga and healthy dining options on BlueDanube Discovery (July 14) and the history of World War I tocoincide with the centenary of its start in 2014 on the Paris toNormandy Landing Beaches (April 1) and Grand France(March 24). These are in addition to the existing choice of Wine,Music, Art & Impressionist, Culinary, European History &Politics, Jewish Heritage and Festive cruises.
Meanwhile, the company's range of worldwide cruises for2014 includes a new Amazon cruise on Aria, which is inaddition to the existing choice available on the Mississippi,Mekong, Yangtze plus coastal cruising around the GalapagosIslands on a new ship, the Isabela II.To book or for more information call 0800-668 1801 or visitwww.avaloncruises.co.uk
CRUISE AND Maritime Voyages (CMV) has introduced a rivercruise programme for 2014.
The line's head of retail sales, Lisa Jacobs, said: “Ourleisurely and friendly style is ideal for river cruising and theformula of travelling in a floating hotel through some ofEurope’s most interesting places is bound to appeal to ourcustomers who enjoy scenic cruising.”
The first departure, Magical Rhine, begins with a flight toMunich on May 19 to join the Vienna 1 in Nuremburg for aseven-night cruise. The cruise takes guests through the RhineValley and includes visits to Würzburg, Koblenz and Colognethrough to Amsterdam.
On May 26, the ship will sail from Amsterdam on a GrandEuropean Discovery cruise for 14 nights, sailing along theRhine and Danube to Budapest. The cruise journeys throughHolland and includes stops in Cologne, Rüdesheim,Nuremberg, Vienna, and Bratislava.
On June 9, a similar 14-night itinerary, but in reverse, willoperate between Budapest and Amsterdam. The itinerariesare also available as seven-night sectors to/from Nuremberg,while optional pre- and post-cruise city stays are available inAmsterdam and Budapest. Prices for seven nights includingflights and transfers, full board cuisine, house wine/beer withlunch and dinner and selected half-day excursions lead in at£1,199 per person and £1,999 for 14 nights. For more information or to book seewww.cruiseandmaritime.com or call 0844-414 6185.
CMV's Magical Rhine itinerary marks line'sdebut river cruise programme
rivercruising
RIVIERA TRAVEL is offering ten river cruise itineraries onseven different four-star superior and five-star ships, all withfull board accommodation and tours included. As an example,an eight-day Blue Danube River Cruise on the five-star MSLord Byron costs from £999 per person.For details see www.rivieratravel.co.uk
Hurtigruten issues 2015/16 preview brochureHURTIGRUTEN HAS introduced a new preview brochureincluding more flight options and new itineraries for 2015/16.
The brochure showcases Norwegian and Explorer voyagesand includes more direct flight charters as well as a newcoastal itinerary and an ex-UK Fjord Highlights ExplorerVoyage.
Discounts of up to 25% are available on selected CoastalVoyage bookings made by September 30 and Explorer Voyagesmade by June 30.
Coastal Voyages cost from £819 per person for a six-dayClassic Voyage South for departures from January-March 2015on full-board.
A number of new regional flying options have been added tothe programme with direct charters to Norway now offeredfrom five new regional airports – East Midlands, Cardiff,Newcastle, Dublin and Jersey. Additional charters have alsobeen included from existing regional departure airports, with69 planned in total for 2015.
Inclusive packages with flights start from £999 per personfor a five-day Arctic Highlights trip departing from Gatwick onMarch 16, 2015. The itinerary, which offers a half-board basis,departs from Tromso and sails north to Kirkenes beforereturning to Tromso.
A one-off Fjords Highlights has also been added to theprogramme, departing from Dover on May 1, 2015. The ten-day trip, on MS Fram, sails to Norway visiting fjords includingLysefjord, Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord before returning toDover. Prices start from £1,949 per person based on a full-board basis and two sharing.For more information call 020-8846 2666 or visitwww.hurtigruten.co.uk/agents
Antarctic launch from CompagnieCOMPAGNIE DU Ponant has launched its new brochure offive-star expeditions in Antarctica for the 2014/15 season.
From this November through to January 2015, the lineoffers three itineraries - Emblematic Antarctic, whichdiscovers icebergs and the drifting ice pack where sealsand colonies of penguins live, and leads in at €4,300 perperson for ten nights; Historic Antarctic, which takes in theAntarctic Peninsula and the grassy moorlands of theFalkland Islands and costs from €4,530 for 15 nights; andThe Great Southern Loop, which highlights three regions -Falklands, South Georgia and the northern side of theAntarctic Peninsula, with prices from €6,150 for 15 nights.For more information or to book visit www.ponant.com
cruising
www.travelbulletin.co.ukJanuary 24 201428
THE CRUISE sector never fails to surprise. The years ofinvestment and innovation on-board and ashore, thegreat working relationship between cruise lines and
travel agents, and the willingness of scores of land-basedholiday customers to try something new and take a cruiseholiday for the first time has led us to significant growth in thenumbers cruising over the past decades.
In 2001 there were just 776,000 cruises taken by UKpassengers; by 2004 it had exceeded the one million mark forthe first time in our history; and by 2008 we reached almostone and a half million.
Despite the tough economic years from 2008 we havesucceeded each year to set a new record, and between 2008and 2013 cruise numbers grew by 21% taking us to 1.79million last year.
All great news of course – but for me the significant growthhas been the growth against other package holidays. In 2001we represented just 3.8% of all package holidays sold. By 2012we were up to almost 12% - or one in eight of all holidays sold.
As more and more people take to the rivers and oceans wecan foresee much more word of mouth marketing, as those whohave taken their first cruise return to talk about exceptionallevels of service, great choice, and amazing destinations. Theseare truly extraordinary holiday experiences that have left hotelsand land-based resorts struggling to compete.
It is little wonder that there has been this tremendousgrowth when you consider the levels of investment being madeto create memorable customer holiday experiences – and thisis true on rivers as much as it is on the ocean.
Each new ship brings a new level of opportunity – fromalternative dining on river ships, to ocean ships which haveupwards of 25 different dining options available. From rivercruising on the Mississippi and Mekong, to cruising to Antarcticaand Borneo, there is a cruise experience for everyone.
And how wonderful to have been given the opportunity toexplore the newest cruise ship in the world – the NorwegianGetaway – at the start of this year. There is nothing quite likeseeing a brand new cruise ship to remind you of why cruisingcontinues to grow.
I was impressed with the whole ship, the great diningchoices, the water-park and the evening entertainment beingmade available, as well as all public spaces and cabins.
It is the fact that cruising now offers these kinds ofexperiences that will really impress even the most ardentland-based holiday-maker. They will surely appreciate that thechoice and variety of experience now available in cruise issecond to none.
by ANDY HARMER, director, CLIA UK & Ireland Director
Our holidays offer not only outstanding value for the money, but most importantly, tons of fun. With exciting new bars and lounges, tantalizing new dining offerings, expanded deck and pool facilities and much more – your clients are in for a real treat when they cruise with Carnival. Book between 1st Feb – 28th Feb 2014 and take advantage of our amazing February campaign ‘Beat the Winter Blues’.
Travel Bulletin is published by Alain Charles Publishing (Travel) Ltd - University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London,SW1W 0EX, Tel: 020-7834 6661 Printed by: Wyndeham Grange LimitedSubscriptions are £125 p.a. £195 overseasISSN: 0956-2419
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Fred. Olsen releases Balmoral itineraries for 2015FRED. OLSEN Cruise Lines has unveiled a selection of new 2015 itinerarieson Balmoral, which are now available to book.
Guests who book the new itineraries can also upgrade to the line’s all-inclusive drinks package from £10 per person per night.
Nathan Philpot, sales and marketing director at the cruise line, said: “Withevery cruise season, we are looking to create new itineraries and attractionsthat will excite our guests, and we are working closer than ever with thedestinations to give our guests the best experience when ashore.
“We are proud of our Norwegian heritage and, because of the smaller sizeof our ships, we are able to offer the very best scenic fjords cruisingavailable. This is why we have included four identical Norwegian fjordscruises on Balmoral for 2015, which will give our guests plenty of opportunityto get right to the heart of this stunning and unique part of the world.”
Highlights from the new itineraries include a seven-night Half Term CityBreaks cruise departing from Southampton on May 24, 2015. The cruise isideal for families planning breaks around the school holidays, visitingEuropean cities including Hamburg, with a cruise along the River Elbe andthe North Sea Canal; Amsterdam, with an overnight stay; and Antwerp for asecond overnight stay and a cruise along the Western Scheldt River. Pricesstart from £539 per person.
Alternatively, an eight-night Norwegian Fjords cruise departs fromSouthampton on May 3, July 3 and 25 and August 21, 2015 and calls atStavanger, Bergen and Flåm (Aurlandsfjord), where guests can take in one ofthe world’s steepest railways. The ship will then take guests on a fjord cruisepassing the UNESCO site of Nærøyfjord, with stops in Olden, Nordfjord – oneof Norway’s longest fjords – Maurangerfjord, Furebergfossen andHardangerfjord. Prices start from £629 per person based on a May departureand two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin. All meals, on boardentertainment and port taxes are included.
Guests who book more than one cruise at the same time can also benefitfrom savings of up to 30%, while members of the Oceans loyalty scheme willalso qualify for an extra 5% off the cost of cruises when booked in advance.For further information call 0800-035 5242 or visit www.fredolsencruises.com
Asia getaways from Crystal CruisesCRYSTAL CRUISES has created 19 new 'Crystal Getaways' in Asia and thesurrounding region for 2014.
Time-strapped travellers now have almost twice as many options toexperience a luxury, all-inclusive cruise in Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia,Thailand, Mauritius, Africa and Australia this year, with a range of five- to ten-night trips available.
Philip Ordever, the line's vice president of international sales andmarketing, said: “Whether craving a warm weather escape in winter, planninga family holiday during school holidays or some inspiration and pampering in aregion that does both so well, we have a plethora of choices for travellers.”
Five-day cruises start from £1,070 per person, including departures onFebruary 17 visiting Shanghai and Hong Kong; February 23, calling at Darwin,Komodo Island, Lombok and Bali; and March 5, travelling to Bangkok,Sihanoukville and Singapore.
Meanwhile, a ten-night cruise to Singapore, Jakarta and Mauritius costsfrom £2,861 per person, based on a March 10 departure. Six-, seven-, eight-and nine-night cruises are also available.For further information or to book call 020-7399 7601 or visitwww.crystalcruises.co.uk
Our award-winning holidays to Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada and Makadi Bay start from as little as £399 pp, all inclusive, with direct flights from 12 UK airports. Guaranteed sunshine comes as standard, but book any summer holiday now and you are guaranteed to save money, too.
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