travel bulletin 26th april 2013

It’s time to vote for thestars of 2013!

April 26 2013 | ISSUE NO 1,823 | www.travelbulletin.co.uk

preview issue

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DATE WITH DENMARK...Visit Denmark recently hosted a workshop for tour operators at its offices in London. Pictured ready to network are, from theleft: Martin Andersen, Viking Invest; Morten Damgaard, VisitVejle; Terhi Millar, Best Served Scandinavia; Sanne Jakobsen, VisitEastdenmark; Vibeke(Becky) Oliver, VisitDenmark; and Chris Gascoine, Travel Bulletin.

This Week

3 newsa round-up of the latestindustry offers & productannouncements

8 notes from normantonfind out why Sandy feelsperturbed after reading aSunday newspaper

9agent bulletinupdates on new bookingincentives, fam trips & offers

11 puzzle bulletin play Su Doku for yourchance to win a £50 HotelChocolat voucher

13 hotel bulletinMarriott's new brand aimsfor 150 hotels in tencountries across Europe

14 event bulletinimages and thoughts onTravel Bulletin’s Caribbeanshowcase event

18 star awards previewa special look at this year’sTravel Bulletin Star Awards

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Research reveals majority of Brits would support ‘pay as you weigh’ flight ticketsFOLLOWING THE suggestion by an academic in Norway that overweight passengersshould be charged more money to travel on flights to enable the airline to get backthe extra fuel costs involved in carrying them, www.sunshine.co.uk conducted a pollof 2,472 Brits to see if the idea is something that would be supported.

After being told about the concept of ‘pay as you weigh’ flight charges and asked ifthey’d be in support of tickets where heavier people were ultimately required to paymore, 63% of respondents thought it was a good idea. Some 29% of those polleddisagreed, while the remaining 8% were unsure.

Those taking part were also asked to class what weight bracket they felt that theypersonally fell within, i.e. correct weight, underweight or overweight. When looking atthe decisions in relation to the weight of the various respondents, the poll revealedthat a fifth, 21%, of those in agreement with such a scheme were actually classed asoverweight, but would still think the charge would be a good idea. In contrast, theoverwhelming majority of those who were not in support of ‘pay as you weigh’ flighttickets, 72%, were also classed as overweight.

When those in support of ‘pay as you weigh’ flight tickets were asked what methodthey thought would be best to employ for airlines to get back the fuel costs involved incarrying heavier passengers, the top results were as follows: Priced per kilogram(passenger and luggage) – 47%; Fixed low fair, but heavier passengers pay surcharge– 23%; and Passengers split into light/average/heavy bands and charged more/lessaccordingly – 20%. Interestingly, 9% of respondents expressed concerns aboutcharging less for lighter passengers, due to the fact it ‘might irresponsibly promoteweight loss’.

The company's co-founder Chris Clarkson said: “Pay as you weigh flight tickets arecertainly an idea that’s been thrown around for some time and I think it’s only amatter of time before pricing structures linking to weight are introduced. It wasinteresting to see what kind of response such a scheme might receive and it wassurprising that the majority supported it – even though many of those people wereoverweight themselves."

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SUPERBREAK HAS launched its 2013/14 programme featuringnew products and short break ideas for agents to promote.

Alongside 182 new hotels there are 13 new attractions plusnew afternoon tea, poker and ballroom dancing options.

The brochure launches in time to capture the increase indemand expected from the £4million government-backeddomestic tourism drive led by VisitEngland, which aims toinspire customers to book through their local travel agent.

Graham Balmforth, the operator's national sales manager,said: "Our new programme, packed full of new product willhopefully help to generate even more UK short break salesfor the trade. The campaign lasts two months and will cover

TV, cinemas and online plus there will be posters onbillboards and at transport sites. There is lots of activityplanned with the trade and I hope they embrace the UKduring this period especially and turn the interest beinggenerated into bookings.”

Overall, prices for the new programme lead in at £29 perperson, per night at the three-star Paragon Hotel inBirmingham on a bed-and-breakfast basis and £32.50 perperson, per night in London at the three-star HampsteadBritannia Hotel on a room-only basis.For more information or to book call 0871-221 4444 or visit www.superbreak.com/agents

COSMOS HOLIDAYS and Avro Flightshave launched a range of holidays andflights from Glasgow to the Balearicisland of Mallorca on peak seasonsummer dates to meet demand forregional flying.

Operated with Flybe on Sundays,dates include June 30, July 7 & 14 andare available for seven-nightdurations. Flight-only prices lead in at£239 return including taxes.

More than 100 hotels and

apartments are on offer in a choice ofcity and beach resorts with three- tofive-diamond rated accommodationand different board bases to suit all.

Seven-night holiday packages arepriced from £399 per person includingflights and seven nights' self-cateringaccommodation at the two-diamondrated Arcos Playa Apartments, basedon six sharing a two-bedroomapartment.

The Mallorca flights are in addition

to the Florida flights and holidaysalready available from Glasgow, againfor peak summer departures forflight-only, fly/drives and packages areon June 27, July 4 and 11.

Flight-only leads in at £749 perperson including taxes, based on atwo-week duration, while 14-nightpackage prices cost from £999 peradult and £799 per child includingflights, seven nights' room-onlyaccommodation and car hire.

AMERICA AS You Like It is offering two new holidayitineraries to celebrate Massachusetts’ appearance at theChelsea Flower Show.

These include an eight-night ‘Highlights & Gardens of Massachusetts’ self-drive tour, taking in Boston,Cambridge, Sturbridge, Salem, the Berkshires and Cape Cod.

Prices lead in at £1,215 per person including flights,accommodation and car hire.

Another new tour is an eight-night ‘Historic Gardens ofAmerica’s Northeast’ escorted coach tour in conjunctionwith Collette Worldwide, who have become the escortedtour company for the RHS.

Prices lead in at £2,699 per person including flights,transfers, accommodation and the services of a guide.To book or for details [email protected], visitwww.americaasyoulikeit.com or call 020-8742 8299.

Cosmos & Avro expand Glasgow departures for peak summer season

Superbreak's new brochure coincides with government-backed £4m domestic tourism drive

www.travelbulletin.co.ukApril 26 20134

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DEBUT DEAL...Funway Holidays has announced details of its firstbooking to Sandals LaSource Grenada Resort & Spa, worth morethan £13,000. Travel agent, Hayley Holder (left) from Thomson inWaterlooville booked her clients for a 14-night Luxury Includedstay in the second highest room category available. Pictured withHayley, who received Champagne and chocolates as a thank you areher colleagues, Elise Scott (right) and Anna Fauset.

Social media has killed the postcard,according to latest Skyscanner surveySOCIAL MEDIA is now the most popular way fortravellers to communicate with friends and family backhome, while only 6% now send a postcard when they goon holiday, according to Skyscanner's latest survey of1,200 travellers.

The postcard has been replaced by social networks,with more than two-thirds (61%) of those surveyedsaying they log on from the sun and almost a third (30%)use it as their primary means of telling those backhome about their trip. With more than one billionmonthly active users, Facebook is now the most popularway to update those at home, accounting for more thana quarter (26%).

Whilst almost a quarter stay in touch by sending textmessages, one in five admit to not making any effort tocontact those at home, preferring to relax and unwind,taking a complete break from their everyday life.

Half of all holidaymakers admit to logging into theirsocial networks at least every few days, while 4% checktheir news feeds every couple of hours.

America As You Like It marks Massachusetts’ attendance at Chelsea Flower Show

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'Easy Rider' film tour from EagleRiderMOTORCYCLE RENTAL and tour company, EagleRider, hasopened two new outposts in the US in Portland, Oregonand Cleveland BMW, Ohio.

Both locations are ready to take reservationsimmediately and are in addition to the company's 63existing stateside shops, which span across 28 statesincluding California, Florida, Illinois, Utah and Wyoming.

New for May is an 'Easy Rider' tour, based on theHollywood classic starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper.The 15-day tour offers participants the chance to visit exactlocations where the movie was filmed, and ride from thehighways of Southern California to Death Valley, MonumentValley to Taos, New Mexico, then across the plains of Texasdown to New Orleans to experience the jazz and bluesmusic and to celebrate Billy and Wyatt style.

Riders will also get to see behind the scenes movieprops, stand on locations the film was shot and ride thenew Captain America bike that the company hascommissioned. The tour is offered six times throughout thisyear, between May and October and is sold throughmultiple trade partners including TUI, Virgin Holidays,Black Tomato, Abercrombie & Kent and Bon Voyage. Priceslead in at £2,770 per person.For more information or to book see www.eaglerider.com oremail [email protected]

AVIS CAR Rental has announced the launch of its newlocation at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, making it the firstcar rental company to operate in the new terminal.

As the exclusive car hire partner for British Airways andIberia, the company has been chosen to be based at theterminal to offer car hire for the 80,000 passengers using T5on a daily basis.

By renting with the company, business and leisure travellerswill not have to take a bus to their car rental facility and willtherefore save an average of 20 minutes on travel time,reducing the overall transfer time from plane to car. Customerswill also benefit from the car rental's partnership with bothairlines, earning Avis points on rentals. For more information visit www.avis.co.uk

New terminal location at Heathrow for Avis Car Rental

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Tweets of

the WeekWho’s saying what

on Twitter...

@VisitBritainTake a London TheatrelandWalking Tour and discoverthe history of the WestEnd. Tours run April-Dec:http://bit.ly/ZgBPgx

@ABTAtravelRegistrations are nowopen for ABTA's ComplaintHandling Workshop inJune.http://bit.ly/12mBb2P

@canadanim30 Skiers BackflipTogether in Canada AtSame Time At Mont Saint-Sauveur...:youtu.be/i3RV5UUmrLAvia @YouTube

@traveltrainingAgents! @BourneLeisureinvites agents to experi-ence Warner LeisureHotels this Spring from£79 per room per nighthttp://bit.ly/13jaqLE

@UKHurtigrutenTake a look at the videothat is now winningawards! The wholeNorwegian Coast in anhour on board Hurtigrutenhttp://fb.me/Jis6PGEt

@LegerHolidaysWe have a great collectionof live events, but are thereany others you'd like us tofeature in the future?http://t.co/v0ezCCMUv2

Follow us on Twitter!http://twitter.com/

TravelBulletin

BRITISH AIRWAYS isoffering three nights atthe four-star AvicennaHotel, Istanbul from £449per person, based onselected travel nextmonth. The price includesflights from LeedsBradford to Istanbul, viaHeathrow and breakfastaccommodation.

A four-night stay at thefour-star Novotel Athenes,Athens leads in at £519per person based onselected travel nextmonth. The price includesflights andaccommodation. For details visitba.com/holidayfinder orcall 0844-493 0758.

Take off on aEuropean Maybreak with BA

EXIT FOR EXETER...The BRIGHT (Bringing Real Information & Guaranteed High Quality Training)event in Exeter saw 33 agents from 14 agencies joining the workshop and dinner. Pictured are,from the left: Samantha Rutherford and Phil Burch from Peter Goord Travel; BRIGHT chairman,Hisham Mahmoud; Andrea James and Anthony Goord from Peter Goord Travel; and BessyKafchitsa from Grace Hotels Greece.The next two agent events take place in Jersey on April 30and in Guernsey on May 1. For details or to book a place email [email protected]

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BANKING ON IT...The sales team at Superbreak have been busythis week visiting agents and giving out their new Bank Holidayflyer, which lists a range of fun short breaks that are stillavailable over the two long weekends. Pictured out on the roadare sales executives Scott James and newly recruited Kelly Giblin.

Newsbites● RIVIERA TRAVEL has become the latest company to sign

up to the Association of Cruise Experts (ACE). ● TRAVELPORT HAS announced a new agreement with On

the Beach. Carrying more than 900,000 passengers everyyear, On the Beach creates tailored holiday itineraries topopular beach destinations around the world. Thepartnership will allow the online agent to offer new hoteland flight options.

● THE TOURISM Council of Bhutan (TCB) has launched anew visitor’s website at www.tourism.gov.bt, offeringtravel information and advice to all travellers to thecountry. The site includes an interactive map, whichbreaks the country down into Eastern, Central andWestern regions, providing information and locations ofall available trekking routes, Dzongs, monasteries,hotels and attractions in each.

● 1ST CLASS Holidays is offering free transfers betweenthe Rocky Mountaineer Railway station and selectedhotels for new bookings made by the end of May andtravelling between May and September this year. Theoffer, which is valid for bookings on Rocky Mountaineer’sFirst Passage to the West, Journey Through the Cloudsand Coastal Passage routes offers free transport toguests between the station plus overnight hotel stays atthe start and end of their rail journey. The offer applies toselected hotels in Vancouver, Banff, Jasper and Seattle.For details see www.1stclassholidays.com

● BELLEAIR HOLIDAYS is offering a May sale with a £20 perperson discount on all May holidays to Malta, Gozo andComino plus holiday deals from £324 per person on anumber of its leading properties on the islands. The offeris available for any duration and applies to departuresbetween May 1-31 for bookings made by May 6.For details see www.belleair.co.uk/agents or call 0845-365 3412.

FRED. OLSEN Cruise Lines has launched its 2014/15programme of sailings to a total of 246 destinations in 85countries, using its fleet of four smaller ships, the largestof which is the Balmoral which carries 1,350 passengers.A new departure for the company, in more ways than one,is its addition of Avonmouth and Tilbury to its UKdeparture ports. They join Southampton, Dover, Harwich,Liverpool, Newcastle, Rosyth, Greenock and Belfast. Theother ships in the fleet are the 929-passenger Braemar,880-passenger Boudicca and 804-passenger Black Watch,reflecting the increasing popularity of no-fly cruises.

The company's sales and marketing director NathanPhilpot said: "We're delighted to be extending the choiceof convenient regional departure ports because we knowthat travel to and from the port is a key decision-makerwhen choosing a cruise."

New elements of the programme include moreovernight stays in cities to give guests more time at thedestination and a new series of two-night introductorycruises. At the other end of the duration scale is what thecompany describes as its most ambitious Grand Voyageever - a 119-night Exploring the Far East itinerary on theBalmoral, which recently returned to Southampton aftera 112-night World Cruise. Philpot said: "I guess my hearthas always been in the Far East since I joined Kuoni overten years ago, so our 2015 Asia Grand Voyage is veryspecial and I'm personally delighted to have helpedcreate a cruise that balances land and sea content withsome really wonderful and iconic places such as Burma,Vietnam, China and the Maldives."

The new brochure is out this week. Details atwww.fredolsencruises.com

Fred. Olsen expands 2014/15 cruisesprogramme and adds to UK ports choice

COCKTAIL CLASS...Tourism KwaZulu-Natal hosted a group of UKtour operators on an educational last month. Pictured relaxing atthe Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga are, from the left: KhanyisileMcunu, Oyster Box; Melissa Pereira, Infinity Holidays; NatashaChapman, Premier Holidays; and Hannah Courtman, Wanderforth.

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www.travelbulletin.co.uk

WEBSCLUSIVES

● Voting for the Travel Bulletin Star Awards 2013is open! To cast your votes, go towww.travelbulletin.co.uk/awards now!

● Travel Bulletin recently hosted our first-everCaribbean Showcase event in London. For a fullreport, photo coverage and video highlights goto: www.travelbulletin.co.uk/events

● Missed our annual All About The Caribbeansupplement? You can still view it online atwww.travelbulletin.co.uk

All this and more at:

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

The home of the web savvy travel agent

Go

CAN’T BELIEVE what I read in the Sunday Mail(The Crafty Traveller by Fred Mawer) - whoseside is he on? Certainly not the independent

travel agent! At first I thought Fred was praising theindependent travel agent with his headline ‘Off on along-haul trip? Try starting in the High Street’. Nosuch luck. He said ‘These days, most of us arrangeour trips for ourselves on the internet’ and ‘If weneed advice, we can phone a travel agent’ (Yes,because we all like wasting time on the phone givingout free advice!) and ‘Many of the best work fromhome through an organisation called TravelCounsellors’. I’m not doubting some TravelCounsellors are good but they aren’t the onlyhomeworkers out there. He went on to say thatother major holiday companies like Kuoni and Virginnow have shops and that he visited both in Cardiff:‘Kuoni and Virgin were worth visiting if you are afterpackaged long-haul holidays and when forking outfor expensive trips with perhaps complexitineraries, as is often the case with Kuoni andVirgin Holidays, a face-to-face chat can make all thedifference in ending up with what you want’ -although he did point out they only sell their ownholidays & those from sister companies so clientswon’t be offered a wide range of booking options. SoFred, why not go into a ‘proper’ travel agent who hasthe experience and knowledge of a wide range ofoperators? Also, there are quite a few ABTA bondedtravel agents in Cardiff so it’s a pity you didn’t visitthem. It’s also sad that you think most of us arrangeour trips on the internet – there are a lot of peopleout there that still want to talk to someone properlyand get an excellent personal service.

‘A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity,an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty’and ‘Don’t judge those who try and fail, judge thosewho fail to try’.

by SANDRA MURRAYin Normanton, Yorkshire

Notes from

Normanton...

To respond to any of Sandy’s comments email

jill. [email protected]

Explore Travel signs flightagreement with Monarch AirlinesPLANS BY Explore Travel to double the number of holidaysbooked in 2013 from its inaugural 2012 sales have beenboosted by the signing of a flight agreement with First Aviationfor seats on the scheduled carrier, Monarch Airlines.

The agreement will provide flights on the carrier's Gatwick –Dubrovnik route for the summer season starting early Mayuntil October, which will be used to offer travellers access toCroatia and Montenegro.

The agreement follows the launch of the operator's Croatiabrand, Explore Croatia, for 2013 which offers a selection ofhandpicked villas, apartments and hotels along the SouthernDalmatian coastline.

IRISH FERRIES has launched its largest advertisingcampaign to date, led by prime-time TV commercials –including Coronation Street – supported by radio, print andonline messages.

The TV advertisement features the varied markets –families, couples and groups of friends, the old and theyoung, business and leisure travellers – for whom taking theferry to Ireland is the ideal choice and features the operator’snew strap-line ‘Irish Ferries: the Irish for Ferries’.

Fares to Ireland start from £79 for a car and driver, one-way.For more information see www.irishferries.com or call 0871-730 0400.

TV & radio campaign from Irish Ferries

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● 1ST CLASS Holidays has teamed up with theCanadian Tourism Commission to give away arange of agent goodies, including a place on afam to Western Canada, every weekthroughout this month and next. Everybooking, regardless of duration or value, willbe entered into a weekly prize draw that couldsee agents winning Flip HD video cameras,cuddly bears, rugby shirts, Kindles and the starfam prize.

● TRAVEL 2 has teamed up with the NamibiaTourism Board to give agents the chance to winone of four Kindles with a preloaded NamibiaLonely Planet guide book and limited editioncover. Agents must make a new holidaybooking to Namibia with the operator by June30 to be entered into the prize draw, wherefour agents will win the limited edition Kindles. For details see www.travel2.com

CRUISE CONTROL...Stephen Worswick fromHighgate Travel won the star prize lastyear in The Private Travel Company & FourSeasons incentive , a week in the Maldives.Stephen is pictured sunning himself on theFour Seasons Explorer.

Booking incentives


agentbulletin

DAVIES' DEAL...Nici Davies (right) fromTravelwise won Travel 2's agent of themonth award. Along with overall UKwinners for the month of February, Nici haswon a place on a fam trip. Pictured withNici is the operator's Hollie Smith.

Agent training THE CANADIAN Tourism Commission and industrypartners will be hosting travel agents in Bournemouth andBristol on Tuesday April 30 and Wednesday May 1 respec-tively. The evening networking events will invite agents tomeet representatives from the Canadian provinces; Yukon,British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec;three airline partners - Air Canada, British Airways andWestjet; luxury hotel chain, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts;rail company, Rocky Mountaineer; and operator partner,Prestige Holidays. The events will feature a fun quiz overdinner, with the chance to win prizes.For details or to request an invite [email protected]

ATTRACTION WORLD has relaunched its online trainingprogramme with additional modules and prizes to be won.Seven modules are now featured - the UK, Florida,Mainland Spain, Spanish Islands, Turkey, Mexico and TheFar East. Each module covers the top attractions in thedestination, along with facts and figures plus top tipsabout pre-booking excursions. New additions includeMexico and the Far East due to the growing popularity ofthe two destinations. Prizes are also up for grabs foragents who complete the training before May 10, includingan iPod Shuffle, cinema tickets and cuddly toys.For details see www.attractionworldtraining.com

TRAVEL INDOCHINA, in conjunction with VietnamAirlines, is running a mega fam to Vietnam. Valid overthree dates in June, the ten-day itinerary includes allflights, seven nights’ luxury accommodation andtouring for £895 per person, with companion faresleading in at £995. The discounted fam trips will departon June 5, 12 and 26 and there will be 16 places perdeparture for agents and a travelling companion. Theitinerary takes in Saigon, Danang and Hanoi, with five-star accommodation provided in each location.Sightseeing, entrance fees, breakfast and other mealsare also included and places are valid for all agentswho have a trading contract with the operator. Anadditional £200 per person is required for singlesupplements (agent only).

Fancy a fam?

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THE CYPRUS Tourism Organisation(CTO) is offering advice to Britishtravellers visiting the island thissummer following recent bankingdevelopments.

The CTO's UK director OrestisRossides said: “In the main, thesituation for those looking to visitCyprus remains unchanged; hotels andmost restaurants continue to operatenormally and ATM withdrawal limitshave returned to standard levels.

"We would advise visitors looking tobring in more than €1,000 to declarethe extra on arrival at customs as thelimit for cash being taken out of thecountry remains at this amount."

As the island gears up for a busyseason ahead, hoteliers, operatorsand agents have extended specialoffers and promotions for visitorswho may have delayed booking aholiday until now.

Examples include a seven-nightbreakfast stay at the five-star boutiqueAnnabelle Hotel from £958 per personthroughout May, based on two sharingfrom Classic Collection Holidays,including flights and private transfers;a seven-night half-board stay at thefive-star Atlantica Aeneas from £499from Thomson next month, includingflights and transfers; and seven nights'self-catering at the Redfield Cottage,

set within a secluded orchard and inclose proximity to Coral Bay for £599from Sunvil, including flights fromGatwick and car hire.

Rossides said: “In light of the recentdomestic banking developments, weare keen to reassure travellers toCyprus that its tourism offeringremains strong. Not unexpectedly,during March, sales slowed, butoperators and hoteliers have reportedthat bookings are still being made. Thecurrent promotions on offer representa great opportunity for those lookingfor a last-minute sun-filled break.” For more information seewww.visitcyprus.com

FRED. OLSEN Travel has launched a new tour operatorbrand called Fred.\

The operator will initially feature city break and tailor-made holidays to Germany, Austria, Switzerland andcentral Europe, and is being headed up by ex Dertourhead of sales, Lawrence Peachey.

Fred.\ has launched its first brochure for summer 2013featuring a selection of European city breaks; lakes,

rivers and mountain holidays; beer festivals; railholidays; river cruises; and tailor-made options.

Overall brochure prices lead in at £259 per person fora two-night break to Berlin staying at the three-star Alt-Berlin Hotel on a bed-and-breakfast basis, includingflights.

Agents looking to work with the new operator shouldcall 0808-159 5256 or e-mail [email protected]

SERENITY HOLIDAYS has launched a new trade area onits website that incorporates all of its specialist brandsinto one site.

Agents can order brochures, posters and training tools, aswell as keep up to date with latest concessions and news.Access to the operator’s individual product sites also assistsagents with availability checks and online bookings.

To celebrate the launch of the new site, the company isgiving agents the chance to win a week’s holiday for two inThe Gambia, staying at beachfront hotel - Kombo Beach in

Kotu on a bed-and-breakfast basis, including flights fromGatwick, courtesy of its Gambia Experience brandwww.gambia.co.uk

To enter, agents are asked to spot random words which willbe added to the website’s home page every week over sixweeks. Agents should email three of the random words [email protected] along with their details. All correct entrieswill be put into a hat, with the winner drawn on May 17.

For details see www.serenity.co.uk/trade and to register alog in and password email [email protected]

Fred. Olsen launches new tour operator brand

Cyprus Tourism Organisation offers advice in wake of banking developments


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REGAL ROUND-UP...Regal Hotels International hosted a VIP Tour Operators dinner last month at Michelin star restaurant, Hakkasan Mayfair. Theformat of the event consisted of a Champagne reception followed by dinner, and attendees were updated with the latest news and developmentsfrom the hotel group, which included expansion plans in China. Pictured are, from the left: Martha Grady, Hong Kong Tourist Board; Ian Wilkinson,Cathay Pacific; Douglas Vice, Omega Travel; John Girard, Regal Hotels; travel journalist Maeve Hosea; and Luisa Uruena, Axis Travel Marketing.

Serenity Holidays launches new trade site with agent holiday competition

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puzzlebulletin


Where Am I?

Liquorice cakes are found here.

Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the

3 x 3 squares contains the digits 1-9.Once you have completed the puzzle, simply identify the numbers that relate

to the letters, A, B, C and D then e-mail the solution, with your name,

company name, and full postal address plus phone and ABTA number if

applicable to:

[email protected]

Closing date for entries is Thursday, May 2nd. Solution and new puzzle will

appear next week.

The winner for 12th April is Jane Savage, The Co-operative

Travel in Peterborough.

April 12 Solution: A=2 B=8 C=3 D=6

➠A

➠B

➠C

➠D

Number: 109

Travagrams

Where Am I?

Su Doku

This operator could be classed as magnetic – but does it repel or….?

Birthplace of the Italian Renaissance eclipsed by band with same name

Dictator Tarn Owl

Clone Ref

Can you solve the following anagrams to decipher the destination & tour operator?Win a £50 Hotel Chocolat voucher in the travelbulletin Su Doku prize puzzle

Crossword

Num

ber:

109

Across 1. International hotel chain (6)3. Desert resort city in California, ___ Springs (4)7. Rotorua airport code (3)8. Place of pilgrimage in the foothills of the

Pyrenees (7)9. Antipodean city (9)11. Mountain range, known as The Roof of the

World (9)15. Bucharest is the capital (7)16. Famous stand, part of Liverpool's Anfield

Stadium (3)17. City home of the National Railway Museum (4)18. Country on the island of Borneo (6)

Down 1. Northern Irish golf champion (4,7)2. Roadside accommodation (5)4. Pop musician and reality TV star, Peter (5)5. Jackson is the state capital (11)6. German region and river (4)8. Star sign (3)10. American actress, Ms Thurman (3)11. Cartoon character, sounds like an ancient

Greek (5)12. Chinese dynasty (4)13. Larnaca International airport code (3)14. Canada's smallest territory (5)

Congratulations to Sam Grayson, Departure Lounge Travel who won the 12th Aprilcrossword prize of £50 Love2Shop vouchers

For the solution to the Crossword, Where Am I? and Travagrams, please see page 30

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WITH 2014 marking the 100thanniversary of the start of the FirstWorld War, Leger Holidays is launchingthree special battlefield tours tocommemorate some of the key datesand locations.

One of the new tours, the ‘Great WarCentenary Tour: The Western Frontfrom End to End’ is unique to themarket. The Western Front dominatedthe soldiers’ experience and also ourmodern understanding of World WarOne, and this tour will, for the firsttime, allow travellers to take in the full450-miles of the front, from thebeaches of Belgium to the Swiss

border. In addition to the well-knownbattlefields, it also takes in sites lesscommonly explored – from huge trenchsystems tucked away in the woods tothe still blood-stained floors in a churchwhich was used as a dressing station.

Two further anniversary tours are‘First Shots and the Battle of Mons 100years’, visiting the battlefields whereBritish troops first went to war, and the‘First Battle of Ypres Centenary’, thelongest and most costly British battle in1914, with 56,000 casualties.

Other available WWI and WWIIbattlefield tours include trips toGermany, Belgium, Italy, Jersey and

France. For clients looking to find outmore about conflicts further afield orfrom different periods in history, thecompany also offers tours to sitesinvolved in the American Civil War,Vietnam, the Boer and Zulu wars andthe battle of Waterloo.

Prices lead in at £579 per person forseven days including breakfastaccommodation, a specialist battlefieldsguide, a series of related excursions,travel by luxury Silver Service coach andfree local joining points.For more information seehttp://battlefields.leger.co.uk/ or call0844-324 9256.

Leger Holidays announces new First World War anniversary tours for 2014


newsbulletin

Keeping an

i on AppsEURAIL GROUP GIE has launched

the Rail Planner app, designed to

assist Eurail and InterRail Pass

holders. The app is free and offers

everything pass holders need to

successfully plan and execute their

rail journey by providing offline

timetable information for

international European trains and

connections. As an offline app, an

internet connection is no longer

necessary once it’s been

downloaded. The app is available

from the App Store or Google Play.

For details see

www.eurailgroup.org

VISITORS TO Jerusalem’s Old

City can now download a free

app that offers 16 self-guided

audio walking tours, complete

with maps, videos, photos and

further information to enhance

their experience. The app takes

visitors on a stroll through the

Old City’s historic, religious and

cultural sites, as well as down

its lesser known alleyways.

There are also five accessible

tours that are available for

visitors with disabilities to

download.

The app can be downloaded

from www.jerusalem-

oldcity.org.il

TRAVEL APP, Australia: Whereto Go has been revised to offernew content and images.Features of the revamped appinclude original text that givescontext, nuance and practicaltips; entries filtered by usefulcriteria like outback, beaches,family, luxury, urban and eco-friendly; regional entries thatfunction like mini apps; one-click website and phoneinterface to get moreinformation; search option andoff-line maps; and top tensummer and winter trips. For details seewww.sutromedia.com/apps/AUSTRALIA_Where_to_Go

FLANDERS FRIENDS...Visit Flanders hosted an operator GreatWar Travel Forum last month, which took place in Ypres.

Pictured at the St Bernardus brewery in Watou near Ypres are,from the left: Tony Cancelliere, Shortbreaks; Kirstie Boon,

Cresta; Lisa Thomas and Andrew Daines, Visit Flanders;Patricia Parry, Shearings; and Jon Taylor, Serenity Holidays.

S03 TB2604 News 2_Layout 1 24/04/2013 17:11


MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL has announced the launch ofits new brand, MOXY HOTELS, its first entry into theeconomy tier, three-star hospitality segment in Europe.

The new brand combines contemporary stylish design,approachable service and an affordable price, and willdebut in Italy, with the first MOXY property expected toopen in Milan early next year.

To grow the brand rapidly, the company is workingclosely with Inter Hospitality who will be the initialdeveloper and owner of the first MOXY HOTELS properties.Marriott has selected Nordic Hospitality to be its firstfranchisee to operate the brand, which currently managesseveral Marriott brand hotels in Scandinavia.

The company's president and CEO Arne Sorenson said:“MOXY HOTELS is the essence of the next generation traveller,not only Gen X and Y but people with a younger sensibility, for

whom contemporary style isparamount.

"We are thrilled to be ableto launch the brand withInter Hospitality as an ownerand Nordic as our franchisee.With a dedicated real estatepartner and an experiencedoperator, we expect a faststart and the exceptionalcustomer service that isassociated with all ofMarriott’s brands.”

The company plans to add 150 franchised MOXY HOTELS inEurope over the next ten years, aiming for locations inGermany, Austria, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, TheNetherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Thenew brand will fuel the hotel group's companywide growth inthe region, which is expected to reach 80,000 rooms by 2015.For more information visit www.marriott.com

Adagio announcesEuropean expansion APARTHOTELS ADAGIO,part of a joint venturebetween Pierre &Vacances Center ParcsGroup and Accor, hasannounced an aggressiveEuropean expansion planto add 60 aparthotels inthe next three years,bringing the total to 150properties worldwidewith more than 19,000individual apartments.

According to thecompany, the UK hasbeen key to that growth.Following the opening ofits first UK property inLiverpool recently,representing a key partof the £26milliondevelopment of theformer Lewis’sdepartment store, thecompany plans to openBirmingham in 2014 andhas major projects in thepipeline in London,Edinburgh, Manchester,Glasgow for both, Adagioand Adagio access.

The company’s directorCentral & NorthernEurope Vangelis Porikissaid: “We had a fantasticopportunity to launch ourchain of aparthotels inLiverpool. There is hugedemand foraccommodation here andwe believe we can bringsomething very differentinto the mix.”

hotelbulletin

InBrief● CONSTANCE HOTELS has rebranded itself from Constance Hotels Experience to Constance Hotels &

Resorts and has grouped its properties in to Ultimate Hotels and Unique Resorts. The Ultimate hotelsare boutique properties, intimate and exclusive while the Unique resorts tend to be larger and moreinformal while still offering a five-star experience.

● ABAMA GOLF & Spa Resort in Tenerife has announced the launch of its complimentary Botanic Tour– an opportunity for guests to take in the botanical garden and grounds that make up part of thehotel’s 160 hectare private estate. The tour takes place weekly on Tuesday at 10:00. For details visitwww.abamahotelresort.com

● IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed a franchise multiple development agreement (MDA)with Regional Hotel Chain, a portfolio company of VIY Management (VIYM) to develop 15 new hotelsin Russia by 2019, which, when open, will double the size of IHG’s estate there and will introduce theHoliday Inn Express brand to the region for the first time.

● COUPLES RESORTS is to boost MICE business to Barbados by opening up its newly leased property onthe island to meetings and incentive groups this season. The company took over the lease of theCasuarina Beach Club earlier this year and, following a $3million upgrade programme, will re-brandit as Couples Barbados from this summer, making it the island’s first all-inclusive resort for adultcouples. MICE groups will have all the inclusive benefits the company offers its individual clients, froma 24-hour food service, gourmet dining options, free sports and unlimited premium brand drinks.

● MACDONALD HOTELS & Resorts has announced that 11 of its 45 hotels are to join ‘The MacdonaldHotels’ Signature Collection’.

● THE REZIDOR Hotel Group has announced a two-year partnership with Variety, the Children’s Charity. ● THE GREAT Northern Hotel, London’s first railway hotel, has re-opened this month for the first time

after 12 years following a comprehensive £40million renovation programme. Occupying a primeposition between King’s Cross Station and St Pancras International, the privately owned Grade IIlisted building forms an integral part of King’s Cross station, with the signature dome of the newWestern Concourse designed to fit the crescent shape of the hotel itself.

● CENTARA WATERGATE Pavillion Hotel Bangkok, located in Bangkok's Pratunam fashion and garmentdistrict, opened earlier this month. The four-star hotel is the fourth to be opened in Bangkok by thehotel group and offers 281 rooms and suites, designed for both business and leisure travellers.

Marriott's new brand aims for 150 hotels in ten countries across Europe

MOXY guestroom

S03 TB2604 News 2_Layout 1 24/04/2013 17:11


eventbulletinTRAVEL BULLETIN hosted a Caribbean showcase evening at the Intercontinental Hotel inLondon's Westminster last week, in association with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation. Theevent brought together 70 travel agents and 13 leading industry suppliers for networking andtraining opportunities. The photo coverage was sponsored by the Grenada Tourism Board andguests enjoyed a traditional Caribbean hot buffet, a prize draw and traditional entertainment...

"Thank you toeveryone involved inthe event at thewonderfulIntercontinentalHotel. I thoroughlyenjoyed meeting allthe tour operatorsrepresenting theCaribbean and Ilearned a lot moreabout this greatdestination. See you again at the next one!"Carol Smith, Co OperativePersonal Travel Advisor

Below: SEEING CLEARLY…Andrew Hillier from ClearMarketing chats with LesleyClements (left) from TravelCounsellors; Rachel Harrisfrom Kuoni; and Gillian Davis(right) from Travel Counsellors.

Above: TRAVELPACKTREASURE….Lisa Everson(left) from AMResortspresented Mala Ramchurn ofTravelpack with her prize ofthree nights at a Dreams/NowResort of her choice in Mexicoor The Dominican Republic.

Right: BAHAMASBULLETIN...pictured showcasingthe latest Bahamas information isAmelie Ruther (left) and MariaGrazia Marino (right) from theBahamas Tourist Office with NicolaBlair from Cantebury Travel.

Below: AGENT AGENDA…Looking forward to some traditionalCaribbean entertainment are, from the left: K. Anil, MaldenTravel; Katherine Beach, Virgin Limited Edition; JacquelineBrady, Ian Allan Travel; and Garinder Dill, Thomas Cook.

Below: LIFT OFF…JuanitaCollins (centre) fromCaribbean Airlines catches upwith Darren Seward and JennyGil’ciro from Thomas Cook.

Above: BROCHURE SHOW…Anthony Williams from VirginHolidays and NormaGoldsmith (second from left)from Polarbus Travel learn theropes from Vivienne Williams(second from right) and TracyKnight from Turks & Caicos.

Photo Coverage Sponsored By

S03 TB2604 News 2_Layout 1 24/04/2013 17:11


eventbulletin

WILLIAMS’ WIN…Anthony Williams (left) from Virgin Holidays wona seven-night all-inclusive stay for two adults at The ClubBarbados Resort & Spa, courtesy of Elite Island Resorts. Picturedpresenting Anthony with his prize is the operator’s Colin Pegler.

Right: CARIBBEAN CALLING…Getting ready to welcome agentsare, from the left: Don McDougall,Cayman Islands; Lorraine Grant,Caribbean Tourism Organisation;Jeanette Ratcliffe, TravelBulletin; and Anne McGonigle,Caribbean Tourism Organisation.

Above: SIRENIS SISTERS…Sonia Lopez (right) fromSirenis Hotels offers thelatest news and developmentsto, from the left: Nadia Morris,Roz Arnold and Marlyn Kellyfrom Travel Professionals.

Right: GRENADAGATHERING….SolaThomson (left) andSharon Bernstein(second from left)from Grenada Boardof Tourism chat toJodie Burton andBen Lewis fromFlight Centre.

Putting you in the picture...Images of Travel Bulletin's Caribbean showcase eventwere provided by Fotoseeker.com. The company's clientsinclude national tourist offices, hotels, resorts and cruiselines, who use the company's photo library software todistribute and promote their images to the world's mediaand travel professionals. The site now has users in morethan 150 countries worldwide. Partner of Fotoseeker.com Colin Antill said: "We have aparticularly strong presence in the Caribbean supplyingservices to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, sevennational tourist offices and numerous hotels and resorts."Our main website is the world's only 'one-stop-shop' forhigh resolution travel images delivered free of charge tothe world's media and travel professionals. Our bespokeservice offers customised image libraries integrated intoour clients' websites."For more information see www.fotoseeker.com or [email protected]

IT’S IN THE BAG…Jane Bolton (left) from Couples Resorts presentsEsther Jordan from Virgin Holidays with her prize of a goodie bag.

LUCKY LEWIS…Ben Lewis(left) from Flight Centre wasthe winner of a three-nightstay at Rosewood Little DixBay in the British VirginIslands (BVI). Picturedpresenting Ben with his prizeis the BVI’s Ginny Hawksley.

Photo Coverage Sponsored By

Above: LUCKY LAM...Lam Simfrom Reliance Tours won athree-night stay at Half MoonResort. Pictured with Lam isthe resort’s Sharon Logan.

S03 TB2604 News 2_Layout 1 24/04/2013 17:11

S03 TB2604 News 2_Layout 1 24/04/2013 17:11

17

IN A little over five months, the 17th annual Travel BulletinStar Awards ceremony will take place and, as the mostrespected event in the travel industry, the time has now

come to decide who is worthy of your vote. In this special Awards Preview you can “read all about it”

and see how you can play a crucial role in choosing who thewinners are across 34 supplier categories, which have beendivided into five industry sectors - Smooth Operators, LandLords, High Fliers, Sea Captains and Best Supporting Acts.

In response to feedback from operators and agents, theaward categories have been revised this year and newawards include Star Tour Operator For Incentives & FamTrips and Star Tour Operator For Online Training, Roadshows& Workshops, both of which are in the Smooth Operatorscategory. In addition, there are two UK Airports categoriesthis year - Star Major UK Airport and Star Regional UKAirport,and we’ve also tweaked the Tourist Office Awards toinclude Star Tourist Office (Overall); Star Tourist Office ForIncentives & Fam Trips; and Star Tourist Office For OnlineTraining, Roadshows & Workshops.

The whole voting process will culminate in a glitteringawards presentation evening on Monday October 7 at theprestigious five-star Landmark London Hotel. Tickets are now

on sale - visit www.travelbulletin.co.uk/awards to book yourseats or to find out more about the many excitingsponsorship opportunities available.

The Star Awards evening will begin with a drinksreception and be followed by dinner and the awardspresentation itself, concluding with entertainment anddancing late into the evening.

You can check out the categories on page 29 and use thevoting form. You can also submit your votes online atwww.travelbulletin.co.uk/awards. In addition, you’ll find avoting form included with each issue of Travel Bulletin nextmonth – but bear in mind the closing date is Friday May 31st.

In submitting your vote, apart from helping to reward thebest in the industry, you also stand a real chance of winninga great prize. Every completed voting form will go into a freeprize draw to win first prize of a Virgin Experience dayvoucher plus runner up prizes of mixed cases of fine wines,courtesy of Jetset.

In the following pages we outline the importance of yourinvolvement and explain some of the factors that you maylike to consider when deciding on which suppliers deserve towin one of our coveted awards.

Let the voting commence!

Let the countdown begin…

S04 TB2604 2013 Awards Intro_Layout 1 24/04/2013 17:34

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Vote of confidenceAS LOUIS L’Amour once said:

“One who does not vote hasno right to complain”. And he’s

right. If you don’t have your say onwhich suppliers you believe aredeserving of an award, you haveless justification to complain whenthings don’t go the way youenvisaged.

You have probably heard theexpression ‘What goes aroundcomes around’, and we can probablyall recall real-life examples of whenthis has happened to us.

Here’s a tale to mull over: One daya man saw an old lady, stranded onthe side of the road needing help. Sohe pulled up in front of herMercedes and got out. His Pontiacwas still sputtering when heapproached her.

Even with the smile on his face,she was worried. No one hadstopped to help for the last hour orso. Was he going to hurt her? Hedidn’t look safe; he looked poor andhungry. He could see that she wasfrightened, standing out there in thecold. He knew how she felt. It wasthose chills which only fear can putin you. He said, “I’m here to helpyou, ma’am. Why don’t you wait inthe car where it’s warm? By the way,my name is Bryan Anderson.”

Well, all she had was a flat tyre,but for an old lady, that was badenough. Bryan crawled under thecar looking for a place to put thejack, skinning his knuckles a time ortwo. Soon he was able to change thetyre. But he had to get dirty and hishands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lugnuts, she rolled down the windowand began to talk to him. She toldhim that she was from St. Louis andwas only just passing through. Shecouldn’t thank him enough forcoming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed hertrunk. The lady asked how much she

owed him. Any amount would havebeen all right with her. She alreadyimagined all the awful things thatcould have happened had he notstopped.

Bryan never thought twice aboutbeing paid. This was not a job tohim. This was helping someone inneed; he had lived his whole life thatway, and it never occurred to him toact any other way. He told her that ifshe really wanted to pay him back,the next time she saw someone whoneeded help, she could give thatperson the assistance they needed,and Bryan added, “And think of me.”

He waited until she started her carand drove off. It had been a cold anddepressing day, but he felt good ashe headed for home.

A few miles down the road thelady saw a small cafe. She went into grab a bite to eat, and take thechill off before she made the last legof her trip home. The waitress cameover and brought a clean towel towipe her wet hair. She had a sweetsmile, one that even being on herfeet for the whole day couldn’t erase.

The lady noticed the waitress wasnearly eight months pregnant, butshe never let the strain and acheschange her attitude. The old ladywondered how someone who had solittle could be so giving to a stranger.Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal,she paid with a hundred dollar bill.The waitress quickly went to getchange for her hundred dollar bill,but the old lady had slipped right outthe door. She was gone by the timethe waitress came back.

The waitress wondered where thelady could be. Then she noticedsomething written on the napkin.There were tears in her eyes whenshe read what the lady wrote: “Youdon’t owe me anything. I have beenthere too. Somebody once helpedme out, the way I’m helping you. Ifyou really want to pay me back, hereis what you do: Do not let this chainof love end with you.” Under thenapkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear,sugar bowls to fill, and people toserve, but the waitress made it


19

through another day. That night when she got home fromwork and climbed into bed, she was thinking about themoney and what the lady had written. How could thelady have known how much she and her husbandneeded it? With the baby due next month, it was goingto be hard….

She knew how worried her husband was, and as helay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss andwhispered soft and low, “Everything’s going to be allright. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”

And the moral of the story? Just as you rely onsuppliers to provide the best service for your clients by

giving you support, offering a flexible service and greatcustomer service, they too rely on you for feedback onhow well they are performing, what their clients arereally looking for and how they can improve theirproducts and services. This is your chance to paysomething back through voicing your opinion.

By voting, you have the power to decide whichsuppliers have helped support you in your day-to-dayworking life. We’ll go into the details of this later (andwhat types of factors you need to consider when castingyour votes), but for now, the message is a simple one:whichever way you vote, make sure you do.

I don’t apologise for the repetition of this message. It’simportant for agents to acknowledge and reward thosesuppliers whom they deem the most worthy of their vote.It’s about ‘give and take’ and suppliers are counting onyou to show your appreciation for their efforts.


Making adifference

“One person can make a differenceand every person should try”John F Kennedy, 35th President of the United States

Think your one action won’t make a difference? Think again….

While walking along a beach, an old man sawsomeone in the distance leaning down, pickingsomething up and throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was ayoung boy, picking up starfish one by one and tossingeach one gently back into the water.

He came closer still and called out, “Good morning!May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwingstarfish into the ocean.”

The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, whyare you throwing starfish into the ocean?”

To this, the boy replied, “The sun is up and the tide isgoing out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented,“But do you not realise that there are miles and miles ofbeach and there are starfish all along every mile? Youcan’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely. Then he bent down,picked up another starfish, threw it into the ocean pastthe breaking waves and said, “It made a difference forthat one.”

Whatever your thoughts on inspirational stories,there's no denying that there's a 'feel-good' factor whenyou hear about people who genuinely care. Andbecause they care, they act. But if inspirational storiesaren’t your cup of tea, then here’s some hard facts thatrelied on a single vote...

● In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control ofEngland.

● In 1649, one vote literally cost King Charles I ofEngland his head. The vote to behead him was 67against and 68 for — the axe fell thanks to one vote.

● In 1714, one vote placed King George I on the throneof England and restored the monarchy.

● In 1776, one vote gave America the English languageinstead of German (at least according to folk lore.)

● In 1845, Texas was admitted to the union as a state byone vote.

● In 1875, a one vote margin changed France from amonarchy to a republic.

● On November 8, 1923, members of the then recently-formed revolutionary political party met to elect a leaderin a Munich, Germany beer hall. By a majority of onevote, they chose an ex-soldier named Adolph Hitler tobecome the NAZI Party leader.

● In 1940, the vote taken by the French parliament tomaintain its status as a republic failed by a margin ofone vote.


Travel Bulletin’s 17th annual TravelBulletin Star Awards gives travelagents the opportunity to select theirown winners; there’s no shortlistdevised prior to the awards ceremonyand there’s no external influenceputting pressure on who to vote for. Assuch, the Star Awards are synonymouswith being fully representative of thebest in the industry.

This sentiment is echoed byagents who have voted in the pastand continue to vote today. GordonLawrence from Gazelle TravelDurham said: “I think the reason wevote is of course to thank the supplierfor exceptional work, such as if a touroperator has gone the extra mile forthe clients or helped us if we havehad a problem or even helped us toget a sale. I have voted for Emiratesbefore, not just because of theirexceptional onboard service (which alot of carriers have) but also forhelping clients out. Early on this yearI had two examples of this. Firstly, I

had a guy who was in a taxi on theway to the airport and was involvedin an accident. He missed his flightbut Emirates managed to get himrebooked on a later flight that day.The client was happy and will use usand Emirates again. In a differentexample, one of my clients wastravelling with another carrier (I'llmention no names) and due tosevere flooding, roads were closedand he just missed check-in. Theairline’s response was that it was a

non-changeable ticket so tough, payagain! These two different attitudesmake you want to thank/reward thetravel companies who valueclients/agents and ignore thecompanies who don’t want to help.”

And Tammy Le Noury fromWayfarers Travel in Guernsey said: “Ilove voting in the Travel Bulletin StarAwards as I believe that it gives you achance to show your appreciationand your support to the operatorsthat you work closely with. It is also abonus when they win their categoryand you know you’ve helped themachieve this.”

So all potential first time-voters,take note! If you truly value theservice and support that you receivefrom principals then they should getyour vote. Not only does casting avote get your preferred supplierscloser to receiving an award, it alsoclarifies in their mind that they aredoing something right in helping you.A win-win situation!


22

"It's really good to have won and it's thesecond year in a row so we're really happy.We didn't have any expectations of winningso it's a nice surprise. We're investing heavilyin the trade - they are a huge part of oursuccess - so a huge thanks to them."Andrew Schweitze, Viking River Cruises

"It feels absolutely fantastic to have won.Thank you to everyone that voted for us.We're really chuffed to have got the awardand hope that agents continue to support usin future! Supporting agents is a major part ofour business and we will continue to do somoving forward."James Lewis, Holiday Extras

Below: Winner of the Star UK Airport Award isManchester Airport and Anita Kane, the airport'saviation marketing manager, collects the award

Below: TravelCube was the winner of the Star Accommodation-OnlyProvider Award. Pictured is the company's regional accountmanager, Laura Smith, with Simon Eddolls from Travel Bulletin

Right: Collecting the Star Family CruiseCompany Award is Lizzie Willis, senior 121marketing executive of Royal CaribbeanInternational, with Travel Bulletin's Nick Boocock


WITH 34 supplier categories toconsider, choosing who tovote for will most likely

require some serious consideration.They’ll be companies at the forefrontof your mind who you would like tosee win an award for certaincategories, and they’ll be categorieswhere you might struggle to decide onwho should win from two, three, orperhaps even four companies. So, inno particular order, here are somefactors to consider in making thevoting process that little bit easier…

What type of help/support isoffered? When you have a query, are youpassed from pillar to post or is your

call answered quickly, politely anddealt with efficiently? Is thecompany helpful at suggestingalternatives or coming up with newideas for your clients? Does thecompany have on-the-road reps whovisit agents to offer updates on newproducts and services?

Think about the quality of theproduct and value for money.Do you regularly receive positivefeedback from clients following theirholiday? What do clients say aboutthe quality of the product and thevalue for money it offers? From yourexperience with booking with thecompany, does it offer good valuefor money? Remember, when we

talk about good value, we’re nottalking about how cheap the holidayis, but what exactly is offered inreturn for how much was paid forthe holiday.

How easy is it for you to book?Is the phone answered promptly andpolitely? Are you charged formaking calls? Do you get to speakto a real person or do you have togo through a series of push buttonoptions? How easy is the onlinebooking process? Is there anyconfusion when booking or is itstraight-forward? What happenswhen you are booking something alittle more complex – is it easy tobook or does it become a hassle?

Food for thought

S05 TB2604 2013 Awards Preview_Layout 1 24/04/2013 17:30

24

Below: Bond, John Bond (right) chairman of Jetset Flights, collectshis award for Star Scheduled Seat-Only Company from PaulScudamore of Travel Bulletin

Below: Bulletin buddies…it’s thumbs up from the TravelBulletin team – from the left (top row): Paul Scudamore,Genaro Santos, Chris Gascoigne and Nick Boocock, with(middle row) Jill Sayles and Lauretta Wright and (bottom row)Bill Coad and Simon Eddolls

"Thank you very much for selecting Jetset.We work very hard for our independent travelagents. We're glad to work with TravelBulletin in delivering it to the independenttravel agents who are independent-mindedpeople and we're absolutely delighted tohave won this evening. We'll continue todeliver the best service that we can." John Bond, Jetset Flight

Above: Jeanette Ratcliffe, publisher ofTravel Bulletin, celebrates with MikeRussell, CEO of the Vertical Group, forwinning the Star Technology Supplier Award


25

2012 Awards WinnersSmooth Operators

Star Specialist Operator To Asia– Wendy Wu Tours

Star Specialist Operator To Africa– African Pride

Star Specialist Operator To TheAmericas - Funway Holidays

Star Specialist Operator To Europe– Classic Collection Holidays

Star Specialist Operator To The UK– Hoseasons

Star Specialist Operator To TheMediterranean – Cyplon Holidays

Star Escorted Tours Specialist– Titan Travel

Star Holiday Parks Operator – Haven

Star Adventure/Activity HolidaysSpecialist – Explore!

Star Trade Sales Team – Attraction World

Star Operator For Incentives – Travel 2

Landlords

Star Rail Operator – Great Rail Journeys

Star Accommodation-Only Provider– TravelCube

Star Worldwide Hotel Group– RIU Hotels & Resorts

Star Car Rental Company– Holiday Autos

Star Worldwide Theme Park– Universal Orlando Resort

Star European Theme Park– Disneyland Resort Paris

Sea Captains

Star Family Cruise Company– Royal Caribbean International

Star Specialist Cruise Company– Hurtigruten

Star Luxury Cruise Company– Silversea Cruises

Star River Cruise Company– Viking River Cruises

High Fliers

Star Business Airline – Emirates

Star Charter Seat-Only Operator - Avro

Star Scheduled Seat-Only Company– Jetset Flights

Star UK Airport – Manchester

Best Supporting Acts

Star Holiday Add-Ons Provider– Holiday Extras

Star Travel Insurance Company– Journeys Travel Insurance

Star Technology Supplier– Vertical Group

Star Trade Facing Website– onlinetraveltraining.co.uk

Star Tourist Office For Roadshows & Events – South African Tourism

Star Tourist Office Online TrainingProgramme – California Expert Program

Star Tourist Office For Incentives– Canadian Tourism Commission


Left: Super hopper…Allan Lambert (left) from Bourne Leisureand Simon Eddolls (right) from Travel Bulletin lend a helpinghand to ‘Superman’ Mark Hopper from getabed.co.uk

Above: The luck's in for James Lewis of Holiday Extras as he collects the StarHoliday Add-Ons Provider Award

"I'd really like to thank all the agentsfor voting for us, putting their faith inus and giving us the award for theninth year running. We're reallyproud to still represent what is bestin the trade, to innovate and to givethe agents what they want to sell totheir clients."Paul Bunce, RIU Hotels & Resorts

26


We would love you to vote for us as ‘Star Car Rental Company’ in the 2013 Travel Bulletin Star Awards, and here’s why…

UK based Sales Support Team to help you – FREE to phone

Sales Managers on the road to listen and support you

More than 25 years of award-winning Trade experience

Simple and user-friendly Trade website - including a 4 click booking service

www.travelbulletin.co.uk/awards

To book: Reservation Teamwww.trade.holidayautos.co.uk

0800 093 3210

For help: Sales [email protected]

0800 093 3222

Food for thoughtcontinued...Give consideration to the reliability and reputationof the supplier.When the company says it will come back to you – dothey? And if so, how quickly? What’s the general feelingabout the company – are they keen to help andaccommodate you and your clients? How flexible is thesupplier in accommodating your clients’ needs?

What’s the earning potential?What type of commission/bonuses does the supplieroffer? How easy is the commission scheme to follow?Do they reward best-selling agents?

What type of training is provided?Is the company keen to get you (and keep you) up tospeed on their latest news/developments? Do they offeronline training? Do they run regular roadshows orattend training events? Are fam trips offered?

Does the supplier offer a good product range andchoice?Do they cater for a broad range of clients? Are plenty ofoptions available? Are suggestions made to help makethe selling process easier?

Dealing with issuesWhen problems arise or when a special request needsto be met, how efficient is the company at respondingand accommodating any requests?

S06 TB2604 2013 Awards Voting_Layout 1 24/04/2013 17:24

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2 Runner Up Prizes - Mixed Case of Fine Wines

TOURS, FLIGHTS & TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAYS

TRAVEL AGENTS’ VOTING FORMNow is the time for you to decide which companies deserve to win our highlycoveted awards by naming your favourite industry suppliers! (see overleaf)

All completed voting forms will be placed into a free prize draw and you willhave the chance of winning one of the following prizes donated by

1 Prize:stVirgin Experience Day suchas Hot Air Balloon or drivinga racing car


SEA CAPTAINSStar Family Cruise Company

Star Luxury Cruise Company

Star Specialist Cruise Company

Star River Cruise Company

HIGH FLIERSStar Business Airline

Star Charter Seat-Only Operator

Star Scheduled Flight Consolidator

Star Major UK Airport

Star Regional UK Airport

LANDLORDSStar Rail Operator

Star Car Rental Company

Star Accommodation-Only Provider

Star Worldwide Hotel Group

Star Worldwide Theme Park

Star European Theme Park

SMOOTH OPERATORSStar Specialist Operator To Asia

Star Specialist Operator To Africa

Star Specialist Operator To TheAmericas

Star Specialist Operator To Europe

Star Specialist Operator To TheMediterranean

Star Specialist Operator To The UK

Star Escorted Tours Specialist

Star Holiday Parks Operator

Star Adventure/Activity HolidaysSpecialist

Star Tour Operator For Incentives &Fam Trips

Star Tour Operator For Online Training,Roadshows & Workshops

BEST SUPPORTING ACTSStar Holiday Add-Ons Provider

Star Travel Insurance Provider

Star Technology Supplier

Star Trade Facing Website

Star Trade Sales Team

Star Tourist Office (Overall)

Star Tourist Office For Incentives &Fam Trips

Star Tourist Office For Online Training,Roadshows & Workshops

2013 Voting FormName the supplier you consider to be the

BEST in the following Star Awardscategories:-

Please post or scan and email this form to us by May 31st 2013.Post to Travel Bulletin, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London SW1W 0EX or

email to [email protected]. You can also vote online at www.travelbulletin.co.uk/awards.

Name: ..............................................................................Company: ..........................................................................Address: ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Job Title: ..........................................................................Email: ..............................................................................Tel:....................................................................................ABTA No:..........................................................................Number ............................................................................

29


30

We asked our staff thefollowing question this week:

If you were to win an award, what would

it be for?Publisher: Jeanette [email protected] 4 homework

Editor: Lauretta [email protected] off when people are talking

Assistant Editor: Jill [email protected]

Contributing Editor: Paul [email protected] puns

Sales Director: Simon [email protected]?

Advertisement Manager: Tim [email protected] knees

Online Sales Manager: Nick [email protected] guessing the weight of stuff (luggage, foodand...people too!)

Account Manager: Bill [email protected] Oscar for best actor

Sales Executive: Chris [email protected] Bulletin's best dressed male

Sales Executive: Matt [email protected] tanned guy in the team :)

Senior Designer: Genaro [email protected] shiniest shoes in the office

Assistant Designer: Nicky [email protected] best table tennis player there ever was!!

Production: Nick Salt [email protected] most amount of coffee consumed in one day

Circulation Manager: Jim [email protected]

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 £105 p.a. £155 overseasISSN: 0956-2419

Follow us on Twitter!@TravelBulletin

Accommodating agentsIn terms of point of sale material, are things like posters, banners,brochures etc. readily available and easy to get hold of? What’s yourgeneral working relationship like with the company and do you feel valued?

“When it comes to voting for touroperators/hotels etc prices are roughly similar, soI always vote for customer service. We have wonawards before and it is nice when you arerecognised by your peers. Also, we would votefor people who are agent-friendly as some tourcompanies are determined to undercut the agentand block them out.”

Gordon Lawrence, Gazelle Travel Durham

"Being able to vote for a supplier is a goodthing because it helps you thank the operatorsthat have assisted your agency during the year.We always appreciate the effort made bysuppliers to visit us as we are miles away fromany large city and we always make the effort totry and work with them. Being able to vote forthem is our way of thanking them for theirsupport to us."

Ian Bates, Worldchoice Travel, Shropshire

So now you see why it’s important to give careful consideration towhich companies get your vote. Remember also that all companiesoffer something different, or have a different way of operating – it’swhat works best for you and your clients that counts.

Going back to what was said earlier – you can’t blame anyone butyourself if your favourite companies are not announced as awardwinners if you didn’t vote – make it your mission to try and complete allthe categories that you can on page 29.

So all that’s left to say is, get your thinking caps on and vote for theindustry’s finest – they’re counting on you!

Food for thoughtcontinued...

Crossword:Across: 1. RAMADA, 3. PALM, 7. ROT, 8. LOURDES, 9. MELBOURNE, 11. HIMALAYAS, 15. ROMANIA, 16. KOP, 17. YORK, 18. BRUNEI. Down: 1. RORY MCILROY, 2. MOTEL, 4. ANDRE, 5. MISSISSIPPI, 6. RUHR, 8. LEO, 10. UMA, 11. HOMER, 12. MING,13. LCA, 14. YUKON.

Highlighted Word: ROME

Travagrams: (top) Attraction World (bottom) Florence

Where Am I?: Pontefract

puzzlesolutions


travel bulletin 26th april 2013

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support of tickets

good idea

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lighter passengers

flight charges

flight ticketsfollowing

idea thats

heavier people