travel bulletin 4th april 2014

April 4 2014 | ISSUE NO 1,866 | www.travelbulletin.co.uk

THE OMAN SHORT FILM SCREENING AND TOURISM SOUKROADSHOW– COMING TO A LUXURY VENUE NEAR YOU!

Timings 6.00pm - 9.30pm

Venue and Dates:Southampton - 28th April - Grand Harbour HotelDublin - 29th April - Brooks HotelBirmingham - 30th April - MAC Birmingham Arts CentreCardiff - 1st May - St David's Hotel & Spa

Reserve your place by email –[email protected] or call 020 8877 4524

Rewards and Training

Sign up for and complete the online training course atwww.omanacademy.com and not only will you gain usefulsales tips but you might win a snazzy Google Nexus 7tablet, Amazon Kindle or£10 Love2shop voucher! We alsoreward agents £10 shopping vouchers when they register abooking for seven nights or more atwww.omanbookingrewards.com

Join us for an evening of fun and discovery in our Omani Souk plus enjoy private viewings of a selection of short filmsand a delicious Omani buffet and drinks. WIN prizes both big and small and meet experts from Oman and the UK.

Omani experts will be on hand in the tourism souk to present their wares to you including hoteliers, DMC's. Oman Airand the Ministry of Tourism.

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LUTON LAUNCH...Atlasjet recently hosted agents and operators at Luton Airport to mark the launch of its flightsto Istanbul Atatürk from May 2 and showcase the passenger experience at Luton. The carrier will operate flightsfour times weekly from May and daily from June. Pictured marking the announcement are the airline's cabin crewwith Simon Harley (left) from Luton Airport and Mustafa Ebgü from Atlasjet. For details see www.atlasjet.com

This Week

3 newsa round-up of this week'slatest news, events &special offers

8 at home with eileenfind out what homeworkerEileen has been up to lately

9 agent bulletinRocky Mountaineer marksnew Coastal Passage routewith new booking incentive

11 puzzle bulletinplay Su Doku for yourchance to win a £50 M&Svoucher

12 bulletin briefingnews & views on industryheadlines from Elite TravelGroup

13 event bulletinour Birmingham &Manchester Showcaseevents in pictures

16 personality bulletinHoliday Extras' Carly Jamesis in the hot seat this week

17 southern africaSATOA highlights uniqueselling points to encouragebookings

21 activity holidayshow to offer clients exclusiveexperiences they won'tforget in Russia

25 south americaWTM Latin Americawelcomes more than 30new exhibitors for 2014

3www.travelbulletin.co.uk April 4 2014

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GTMC survey reveals demands of the millennialgeneration of business rail travellers STARK DIFFERENCES between the millennial demographic of18 to 29 year olds and their older peers have been revealed infindings from the Guild of Travel Management Companies'(GTMC) ‘The Voice of the Business Rail Traveller’ survey.

The GTMC analysed data from a survey of more than 1,000respondents who travelled by rail a minimum of six times ayear for UK business trips of 50-plus miles.

In contrast to the cost-conscious over-30s, nearly one inthree (28%) 18 to 29 year olds typically travel in First Classwhen using trains for business, compared to 16% of all surveyrespondents. In addition, nearly one in five (17%) of youngpeople believe that if more capacity were to be introduced,priority should be given to First Class seats as opposed toStandard Class, compared to 6% of older respondents.

Paul Wait, chief executive at the GTMC, said: “Whilst makingrail journeys more productive is something that businesstravellers of all ages agree on, the differences betweenbusiness travellers under 30, and those older, are importantconsiderations for the rail industry. In a couple of years theyounger travellers surveyed will be the mainstay of businesstravellers and it is essential that services evolve to meet theirdifferent needs. It is clear from the research findings that therail industry has changes to make in order to remain in touchwith its future big spenders.”

The survey also revealed that as well as liking the enhancedcomfort and service that goes with First Class train travel,younger business travellers are also prepared to pay more forthis option. A third of 18 to 29 year olds indicated support forabove-inflation ticket fare increases if it led to reduceddemand for rail travel and therefore less overcrowding. Just18% of all other travellers were willing to support this.

When looking at services provided by rail companies, asignificant 80% of under 30s wanted to see bike storage ontrains, compared to just over half of all other respondents.Other options requested were free Wi-Fi, more power points,better catering and business lounges both on board trains andin stations.

‘Frost’ and found AS THE snow begins tomelt on another winterholiday season, it couldprove to be an expensivetrip for many Brits as ithas been revealed thatthe average snowenthusiast loses as muchas £219 worth of items.

According to the latestresearch by the PostOffice Travel Insurance, atotal of 143,000 UKholidaymakers will havelost something on theslopes last winter, with32% – the top answer -losing their glasses,closely followed by mobilephones (25%) and money(15%).

Other items lost on theslopes include cameras(10%), keys (10%), skijackets (7%), boots (7%)and watches (6%). Slopesare the biggest black holefor valuables with 43%claiming their item waslost while hitting theruns.

For nearly a fifth (18%)après ski proved to be aslippery slope whentrying to hold onto theirbelongings, while 17%said they watched theirvaluables disappear fromview while on a ski lift.

27 denmarkinspire your clients toexplore by highlighting self-drive holidays

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BOURNE LEISURE isgetting behind theVisitEngland GREATcampaign offering anexclusive £20 discount, ontop of its existing offers,for customers bookingthrough their travel agentthroughout the duration ofthe campaign from nowuntil April 30.

Butlins is offeringcustomers term timebreaks for £45 per person,Just for Tots breaks from£55 per person and Mayhalf-term breaks from £90per person. It is alsooffering an additional £20off when booking througha travel agent on all 2014family breaks for alldurations across all typesof accommodation acrossits three seaside resortsand Bognor Regis hotels.

Customers can alsoreceive up to 25% off shortbreaks and up to 40% offseven-night holidays at allHaven holiday parks, withspring breaks from £69per family. Guests willalso save an exclusive £20

when booking their 2014break through a travelagent at all 35 parks onall grades ofaccommodation.

Meanwhile, a spring andsummer break at WarnerLeisure Hotels costs from£179 per person andcustomers will receive anadditional exclusive £20off per room whenbooking through an agenton bookings across its fullportfolio of 13 hotels forall durations for arrivalsbetween May 1 and August30.

Bourne Leisure is alsorunning its own ‘GetBooking with Bourne’incentive. Agents bookinga minimum three-nightButlins, Haven or WarnerLeisure Hotels breakbetween now and April 16for departures up to Junewill be entered into aweekly draw to win £50Love2Shop vouchers, aniPod shuffle or a Kindle.Five runner ups everyweek will also win theirown cuddly Gromit.

TRAVELPORT AND AirAsia haveannounced a new partnership whichwill see AirAsia distribute all of itsfares and ancillary services throughthe Travelport GDS (globaldistribution channel) for the firsttime.

As part of the agreement, AirAsiahas also signed up for Travelport’smerchandising technology includingits unique aggregated shoppingfunctionality which will enable travel

agents to shop, compare and bookAirAsia and AirAsia X flights alongsidethose offered by traditional carriers inexactly the same booking workflow.

The agreement means thatTravelport-connected agents will beable to search and book competitivefares and popular ancillaries such aschecked-in bags, advanced seatselection and in-flight meals offeredby all airlines under the AirAsiagroup.

WARNER LEISURE Hotels is launching new spring andsummer menus.

The main Come Dine and British Classics menus arechanging for the spring at various hotels within theportfolio whilst a Food from the Decades menu is availableuntil May followed by an Around the World themed menufrom May to July in the main restaurants at all 13 locations.

The menus offer something for everyone – guests canchoose from the traditional carvery options all served withseasonal vegetables and potatoes or they can trysomething more adventurous such as lobster, crayfish and

Champagne bavarois, asparagus and pea ravioli or a redwine-braised shin of beef.

Until May, guests will also have the opportunity tosample Food from The Decades – a nod to some favouritesfrom the past such as the 'Vesta' curry, a good oldfashioned prawn cocktail or coronation chicken.

For the summer themed menus, a selection ofinternational dishes are being created.

A three-night spring break at Corton Coastal Village,Suffolk costs from £199 per person, based on two adultssharing a Premier chalet arriving on May 30.

AirAsia & Travelport team up to offer new distribution agreement

Pictured marking the new announcement are,from the left: Derek Sharp, Travelport; RaynerTeo, AirAsia; and Damian Hickey, Travelport.

Exclusive trade discounts from Bourne Leisure

www.travelbulletin.co.ukApril 4 20144

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TIPTO(P) SHAPE...Pictured at the Dubai Tourism stand at a recentTIPTO roadshow in London is Sangita Makwana (left), trade salesmanager at Dubai Tourism. She is joined by Peter Kendal (centre)from Award International, who won a two-night stay in Dubai, andWendell Abraham from Gracetime Travel Incentives, who won a£50 Love2Shop voucher.

WLH launches new Food from The Decades and Around the World menus

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Newsbites● HF HOLIDAYS reports that bookings for European holidays

are up by 20% compared to last year, and that holidays toAustria and Croatia have performed particularly well, ashave guided walking weeks in Portugal and the CanaryIslands. Additional capacity on key 2014 dates is beingadded where possible, with further expansion planned fornext year. For details call 0845-470 7558 or visitwww.hfholidays.co.uk

● THE MULTICULTURAL Affairs Congress (MAC), a division ofthe Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB),has created a new video, 'Here for the Making: PHL & TheAfrican American Experience' as part of the PHLCVB’s newmarketing campaign. The video highlights the city’sAfrican-American landmarks, attractions andorganisations, with the purpose of attracting those lookingfor a multicultural experience. The video can be viewed at www.youtube.com/PHLdiversityor for more information seewww.discoverphl.com/phldiversity

● SIMON SHOPPING Destinations is offering free shoppingshuttles for IPW attendees to Chicago Premium Outletsand Woodfield Mall during the event, which takes placefrom April 5-9. Delegates will also receive a free $25 gift

card and Style Pass/VIP Coupon Book (whilst stocks last)on presentation of their IPW badge. Booking is requiredand should be done 24 hours in advance by calling (00) 1866-949-4639.

● THE COSTA Rican Tourist Board, ICT - Instituto de TurismoCostaricense has unveiled the country’s new brand,essential Costa Rica, to the European market. The newbrand will be utilised as a tool to support tourism andattract international investors and boost foreign trade. For details see www.visitcostarica.com

● THE SAINT Lucia Tourist Board has joined ABTA in order tobenefit from health and safety training in key frontlineareas. The island will play host to a number of workshopson topics such as accommodation and health and safety toeducate tourism partners.

● BRAND USA has launched an interactive social mediacampaign. The Great American Road Trip features ten roadtrips covering 39 states and countless destinations throughits Discover America channels, including Facebook, Twitterand the DiscoverAmerica.com website. The campaign isdesigned to inspire travellers to discover America from theopen road and highlight the well-known and less-discovered road trips by topic and geography. For details visit www.discoveramerica.com/usa/road-trips


MARKETING GREECE has welcomed thenews that the opening hours of 30 of thecountry’s most popular ancient sites andmuseums (www.culture.gr), whichaccount for 95% of total site andmuseum visits, will be substantiallyextended as of this month.

Aimed at enhancing the visitor

experience in Greece, opening hours willbe 08:00 to 20:00, which will proveespecially convenient for cruise shippassengers who follow a strict timeschedule when touring the country’ssites.

This is the first in a series of furtherinterventions that will follow this year,

which will include the installation of Wi-Fi network, the design of mobile virtualtour applications and the launch of an e-ticketing system for entrance to Greekmuseums and archaeological sites.

The 30 sites and museums are nowopen daily until October 31. For details see www.discovergreece.com

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VIVA LAS VEGAS...the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority(LVCVA) joined forces with Abercrombie & Kent’s Cheapside storeto raise awareness of the destination to consumers. The store wastransformed into a mini Vegas; map tables were swapped forblackjack and roulette tables and travel consultants were joinedby showgirls to host a night of glitz, glamour and special offers.Pictured launching the event, along with the showgirls, are, fromthe left: The LVCVA'S Fiona Clarke, Russell Meara, LeanneGosford and Tanja Warwick.

MS Lafayette joins CroisiEurope fleetCROISIEUROPE HAS announced details of a new ship, the84-guest MS Lafayette, which joins the fleet this month andoperates on the Rhine between Amsterdam and Basel.

Each of the ship’s 43 cabins – including four singlecabins and one for guests with disabilities - is 15m² andfeatures either floor to ceiling or large picture windows, anen-suite bathroom, a flat screen TV, hairdryer, safe, radioand individually controlled air-conditioning and heating.

Guests can socialise in the stylish lounge bar or relax onthe sun deck, while a spacious restaurant serves buffetbreakfast as well as three-course lunches and dinners witha variety of French and regional dishes that complementthe region in which the ship travels.

Guests are welcome to complimentary beer and wine atlunch and dinner as well as an open bar throughout thevoyage, excluding Champagne, special wines or finebrandies. Operating between April and October, there willbe 11 departures from Amsterdam to Basel and 12departures from Basel to Amsterdam.

Prices start from €1,393 per person (approximately£1,174 per person) including accommodation in an outsidecabin with all onboard meals, complimentary beer andwine at lunch and dinner, an open bar, onboardentertainment and port taxes.

Extended opening hours until October 31 for Greece's ancient sites & museums

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China & Vietnam savings from China Links Travel

CHINA LINKS Travel is offering £300 off per couple on selectedtours to China and Vietnam when booked by April 30.

Departure dates are May 22 and June 12 for a 16-day Cruiseand Panda itinerary, which combines the Golden Route ofBeijing, Xian and Shanghai with a Yangtze Cruise and a visit theGiant Pandas; a 16-day Memories of China option, which takesin the Great Wall, a Li River cruise and Suzhou; and a 16-dayChina Highlights tour, which offers a cruise of the YangtzeRiver.

Alternatively, a 17-day Vietnam & Cambodia option departson November 5 and 19, while a 16-day Vietnam Highlights tourdeparts on November 7 and 21. To book or more information visit www.chinalinkstravel.co.uk,email [email protected] or call 0843-506 4028.

Riviera introducesnew 14-day South India tourfrom October RIVIERA TRAVEL is addinga new 14-day tour to itsportfolio from October 30.

The 14-day South India& The Backwaters OfKerala itinerary leads inat £1,499 per person andoffers a comprehensivetour of India’s southernstates, Tamil Nadu andKerala, and discovers theregion's sites and naturalwonders.

Highlights includevisits to the ancienttemples ofMahabalipuram andMadurai, a visit to PeriyarNational Park, exploringthe undiscoveredChettinad region stayingin an original traders’mansion and spendingthree nights amongst thebackwaters of Kerala,with a day on a typicalhouseboat cruisingpicturesque canals andwaterways.

Accommodation is inthree-, four-, and five-star properties withbreakfast and the priceincludes scheduledflights, five extra mealsand a tour manager. For more information or to book [email protected] or visitwww.rivieratravel.co.uk


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MORE THAN 100 top agents offering leisure, concierge services,corporate and MICE travel were treated to panoramic views of Londonat the Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) showcase, which tookplace in the iconic Gherkin in the City of London last month. TheGherkin’s penthouse Glass Dome provided an ideal setting to exhibitsome of the world’s finest boutique properties from the SLH portfolio.For more details see www.slh.com

Tweets of

the WeekWho’s saying what

on Twitter...

@LondonCityAir Check out WHSmithBookstore in departuresand see their latest bookreleases herehttp://bit.ly/KpMvVS

@UKAndyHarmer Cruise news: Virgin bossRichard Branson confirmsdetails of new cruise lineoperation:http://ow.ly/uWwf6

@Expedia We're proud to unveil ournew http://Expedia.com#homepage! Check it outfor yourself:http://expd.us/qMBjMX

@WaltDisneyWorld Learn more about WaltDisney’s adventure ofcreating “it’s a smallworld” for the 1964World’s Fair:http://bit.ly/1fXZwyY

@VisitBritain Museums aren’t just fordaytime – these Londonmuseums will keep youup late: http://bit.ly/1hWdhk8

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

TravelBulletin

THE RAILWAY TouringCompany’s 2014 heritagerail tour programmefeatures new destinations,with Berlin and Potsdam,the Swiss BerneseOberland, Austria and theCzech Republic, Denmark &Southern Sweden andAutumn in Alsace some ofthe tours on offer.

New for this year is aneight-day Swiss BerneseOberland tour whichdeparts on June 14, August6 and September 4 and

costs from £1,150 perperson. The BerneseOberland is renowned for itslakes and the Swiss Alps’tallest peaks, including theJungrau and the Eiger.Highlights include travel onmountain rack railways,such as the Brienz RothornRailway and JungfrauRailway to the ‘Top ofEurope’, boat cruises onLake Brienz and Lake Thun,visits to Bern to ride thesteam tram and a visit toLucerne.

A ten-day CaucasusMountains and RussianBlack Sea tour, whichdeparts on September 27,leads in at £3,600 perperson. The train will besteam hauled throughout,using six different classesof locomotives oftenworking in pairs to tacklesteep gradients. Thejourney crosses thesteppes, through Cossackcountry, to spa townsbeside the sea and overmountain routes.

European destinations inthe programme also includeTuscany, Berlin, Sardinia,Yugoslavia and Austria,while worldwide rail tourstake in Java, Sri Lanka andThe Viceroy Special, NewEngland and South America,which includes The OldPatagonian Express and therecently re-openedGuayaquil and QuitoRailway, all using steam.For more information call01553-661500 or visitwww.railwaytouring.net

Railway Touring Company launches new Heritage Rail Holidays brochure

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newsbulletinTHE RECENTLY launched Andaz Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica has unveiled a new ‘Witch’s RockPackage’. The experience includes an airport pickup, a welcome gift of board shorts or a bikini,complimentary upgrade to an Andaz View Room, daily surfer's breakfast for two and a full dayexcursion to nearby surfing hot spot, Witch’s Rock National Park. A surfs-up goodie bag is alsoprovided and includes a personalised Andaz Surfboard sock, sunscreen, board wax and a FahertyBrand cap, as well as a professional photographer on hand to document guests' wave riding skills. Abeach picnic with chilled wine and beer is also included. Prices for the three-night package lead in atUS$2,800, based on two sharing, and it is available to book until April 15 for travel until April 30.For details see www.papagayo.andaz.hyatt.com

THE CARNIVAL Legend has returned toservice from Tampa with a variety of newinnovations. These include a WaterWorks aquapark featuring the Green Thunder waterattraction, as well as a Twister slide and achildren’s spray park.

Also new is the tropics-inspired RedFrogPub, a full-service sushi restaurant calledBonsai Sushi, the Cherry on Top confectionsand novelty shop, and two new entertainmentoptions; Playlist Productions and Hasbro - TheGame Show, all of which were added during amulti-million-dollar makeover in Freeport,The Bahamas.

Gerry Cahill, the line's president and CEO,said: “With these enhancements we’ve madea terrific ship even better, adding anexhilarating water attraction, as well as avariety of fantastic new dining, bar andentertainment options. Carnival Legend offersan array of on-board choices and we’relooking forward to working with our travelagent partners in marketing this newlyenhanced ‘Fun Ship’ to consumers.”

The ship will continue its current scheduleof seven-day Caribbean cruises from Tampathrough to August 17, and will then embark ona 13-day Panama Canal transit that ends inLong Beach, California on August 30.

Meanwhile, the company has revamped itswedding programme, with upgrades ranging

from floral arrangements, decorations andphotography to new culinary selections and agreater variety of on-island ceremonies.

Couples can say “I do” during shipboardcelebrations which now include a range ofculinary options and upgraded beverageservice, along with new multi-tiered weddingcake choices like chocolate ganache, coconutcream, and red velvet, all baked on board.Enhanced amenities such as a decoratedwedding aisle and other traditional touches,along with upgraded Champagne flutes andother keepsake items, are also included.

For those who want to tie the knot on shore,the line offers a variety of beachsideceremonies with recently added choices suchas Grand Turk and Freeport complementingBarbados, Grand Cayman, St. Thomas and theprivate Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay.

A Just You & Me (maximum of eight people)costs from £851 and includes the ceremony,bouquet and boutonniere, tiered wedding cakewith keepsake wedding topper, Champagnetoast with keepsake flutes, photographyservices, decorated wedding aisle, pre-recorded music and an officiant.

Packages also include the services of apersonal wedding planner, as well as prioritycheck-in and boarding for all wedding guests. For details see www.carnival.com/wedding-cruises and www.carnival.co.uk

Carnival's Legend announces new on board features

PRESTIGE HOLIDAYS has launched a nine-day tour to Bosniaand Croatia departing on October 20 and escorted by MartinBell, OBE and Prestige’s Croatian-speaking tour manager.

The tour costs £2,285 per person and starts in Zagreb,before continuing by train to Osijek, a town on the riverDrava. It then takes in the Vukovar in Croatia, the site ofintense shelling and attacks in the early 90s and travelssouth to Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and visits SnipersAlley and The Sarajevo Tunnel.

Other highlights include travelling across Bosnia-Herzegovina to Mostar where the famous Ottoman bridgewas destroyed in 1993 and rebuilt in 2004 and a three-nightstay in Dubrovnik.

The price includes flights, four- and five-star breakfastaccommodation, most meals, a farewell dinner, entrances tomost attractions, local guiding and porterage. It is limited tojust 20 people and Martin will give three talks and will beavailable to talk with participants.

Nine-day escorted tour to Bosnia & Croatia for £2,285 from Prestige Holidays

YORKSHIRE'SMAGNIFICENT Attractionshas announced details ofevents taking place acrossYorkshire this Easter.

They include theopening of a newexhibition tomorrow (April5) at Yorkshire SculpturePark; Magic Shows andJousting Tournaments atthe Royal Armouries,Leeds; Felt Making andPrintmaking workshops atThe Hepworth Wakefield;Follow the Yellow BrickRoad at Eureka! TheNational Children’sMuseum, Halifax; The LordMayor's Easter Egg Huntat Jorvik Viking Centre,York; the reopening ofFlamingo Land ThemePark, Malton; and anEaster Egg Quiz Trailamong the lions, tigersand meerkats at YorkshireWildlife Park. All events run up to April27 and full listings can be found atwww.yorkshireattractions.org/events

FlamingoLand

Family fun inYorkshire this Easter

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with Eileen...At home

What has homeworker Eileen

been up to this month?

TRAVEL COUNSELLORS is celebrating its 20thanniversary this year and it’s unbelievable how muchhas changed. When I joined in 1999, the concept of

working from home was new and the company wasrelatively unknown. There were fewer than 50 TravelCounsellors back then and now we are a large well-known, successful multinational company. I thought I’dshare with you a few personal memories from my earlydays...

My first memory is of my interview at Atherton GreaterManchester, where the company was then based. I nearlydidn’t make it as my train from London came to a halt justoutside Stoke and I sat there for nearly four hours. Therewere no mobile phones in those days so I was unable tocall to let them know why I hadn’t turned up. The officewas just closing when I finally arrived and I was there forabout 20 minutes before rushing off to catch my last trainhome. Time enough though to persuade me to join as Iwas so impressed by the warm, enthusiastic and genuinebunch of people that I met that day (most of whom are stillworking for the company today) that I sensed this wouldbe a great company to work for - and I was proved right. A few weeks later I headed up to Atherton for my training.The day went well, apart from my lunchtime visit to thelocal bakers. Being a ”southerner” I was not prepared forthe generosity of the local people. When ordering a freshlymade roll, I was shocked to see the assistant actuallyweighing the cheese before sprinkling it thinly over thebread. I requested more cheese but she refused so Ichanged my mind and told her I didn’t want it. She said:“You can’t do that, I’ve just made it.” I smiled sweetly andleft saying “I just did.”

I’ll never forget the excitement of my first booking and Iremember my first conference held at a motel at EastMidlands Airport. It was a very low-key affair more akin toa small wedding reception - a far cry from the huge, glitzyevents we have now at International Conference Centres.

Travel Counsellors has changed almost beyondrecognition over the years, yet the ethos of the companyremains the same and I think that’s the secret of itssuccess.

by EILEEN SAUNDERS of Travel Counsellors To respond to any of Eileen’s comments email

[email protected]

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COSTA CRUISES has marked the advent of ‘slow cruising’ withthe introduction of its Costa neoCollection Mediterraneancruises.

Available on the line's smaller ships bound for destinationsoff-the-beaten-track, the first of these cruises will becombined with the Festival of Mediterranean Cuisine, a specialprogramme devised in collaboration with Università di ScienzeGastronomiche di Pollenzo (Cuneo, Italy), as a tribute to theMediterranean gastronomic heritage.

The academic institution was set up by Carlo Petrini, thefounder of Slow Food, a global grassroots movement created tocounter the rise of fast food and to work towards goals ofsustainable foods and promotion of local small-scale producersthat safeguard local traditions and high quality products.

The Festival of Mediterranean Cuisine, which will be heldfrom April 11 to May 25 in conjunction with the 12-day Hiddentreasures of the Mediterranean cruises on Costa neoRiviera,offers a gastronomic journey in the places where theseculinary treats were first conceived including Liguria (Savona)to Provence (Toulon), Catalonia (Barcelona), Sicily (PortoEmpedocle), Malta (La Valletta) and Campania (Salerno).

The programme also offers guests different events linked tothe appreciation of typical local food and wine. There are foodand wine seminars and tasting of PDO (protected designationof origin) olive oil from five Italian regions, preserves madefrom local orchard produce, as well as wines and sweetstypical of the coastal areas and islands visited. In Salerno,pasta makers from the Amalfi Coast will give a practicaldemonstration of the traditional method of preparing fusilli.

Guests also have the chance to indulge in food and winetasting, dinners in typical local restaurants and exclusive neoexperience shoreside excursions for small groups of less than25 people, specially devised in line with the company's newslow cruising philosophy.For more information see www.costacruises.co.uk

Costa inaugurates its spring 'Slow Cruises' this month

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

WEBSCLUSIVES

● Last chance to win a Kindle Fire HD, courtesy ofCarnival. Enter now atwww.travelbulletin.co.uk/competitions

● Win a trip to Cologne with Viking River Cruisesat www.travelbulletin.co.uk/competitions

● Win a 2 nights city break to Salzburg, courtesy ofSalzburg Tourism atwww.travelbulletin.co.uk/competitions

All this and more at:

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

The home of the web savvy travel agent

Go

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TO CELEBRATE the launch of its 2014 schedule for its new Coastal Passage route,Rocky Mountaineer has introduced a new booking incentive. Until May 31, everyagent booking a qualifying Rocky Mountaineer holiday package, including theCoastal Passage route, will be entered into a monthly draw for a chance to win atrip for two on a three-day Coastal Passage journey in GoldLeaf Service. The prizewill also include one night's accommodation in Vancouver and Kamloops.Applicable bookings must include a land portion of six or more nights inclusive ofthe Coastal Passage route, and agents must have completed Module Seven ofTRACKS, the company's online training programme, to qualify for the draw. For details see agent.rockymountaineer.com

JOYCE'S JOY...Staff from Brunlea Travel pose with a beach hottie model following hersurprise visit to award local agent Paul Joyce (third from left) with a prize for a seven-night Cancun holiday for two as part of Travel 2’s “Caribbean vs. Indian Ocean - Who’sthe hottest?” campaign. Each month until April 30, Travel 2 and British Airways aregiving agents the chance to win a holiday for two when they make a qualifying bookingincluding BA flights to either the Caribbean or Indian Ocean with a minimum three-night stay. The top two agents who make the highest number of qualified bookings willwin one of two seven-night luxury holidays for two. Pictured with Paul are, from theleft: Susan Parr, Brunlea Travel; Gemma Pinder, Travel 2; Charlie the model; and ScottHarrison and Nicola Poole from Brunlea Travel.


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Fancy a fam?NINE AGENTS have thechance to win a place on afam trip to Vietnam aswell as earn commissionlevels of 20% as part ofTravel 2’s new ‘IndoChinaand Beyond Made Simple’campaign. The companyaims to showcase therange of attractions andexperiences available forcustomers visiting theIndoChina regionincluding elephanttrekking, night markets,exciting street food toursand relaxing beachresorts. To enter to win aplace on the fam and earn20% commission, agentsneed to make a holidaybooking with Indochinatouring product includingflights and five nights'ground arrangementswith the operator by April18. Prize winners will beselected at random afterthe incentive period hasended. For details seewww.travel2.com

FUNWAY HOLIDAYS hasteamed up with VirginAtlantic, United Airlinesand British Airways to hostmore travel agent famtrips this year includingvisits to Orlando,California, New York,Mexico and Barbados. Alltrips are hosted by one ofthe operator’s salesdevelopment managerswho lead a detaileditinerary, visiting hotelsand a variety of differentattractions within the area. Agents looking to getinvolved in one of the tripscan visitwww.funway4agents.co.ukfor further information.

Booking incentive

INDEPENDENT AGENTS can win a free night out - including dinner and cinematickets for two, courtesy of Tipto. To be in with a chance of winning, agents mustcomplete all 14 training modules including the two new supplier training modulesintroduced by Tipto member DFDS Seaways and its newest member Mark Warner byApril 30. By completing the modules agents will earn ‘5 Star Status’ which will putthem in the running to win one of the two nights. For details email [email protected] or visit: www.tipto.co.uk/home/training

Agent offer

S03 TB0404 2014 News 2_Layout 1 02/04/2014 09:49

FOR THE first time in the history of the company, MSCCruises has launched its Summer 2015 and Winter2015/16 brochures together.

To celebrate the launch of the new brochures, travelagent partners will be able to offer their earliest bookersa complimentary Experience upgrade during the launchperiod (up to June 30) from Bella to Fantastica and, inaddition, they can save from £200 per person off thebrochure price.

The cruise line is placing more focus on its fly/cruisecommitment, which will be supported by dedicated charterflights to both the Eastern and Western Mediterranean, as

well as year-round Caribbean sailings, winter Middle Eastand the popular Grand Voyages.

Giles Hawke, the company's executive director, said:“Our new pricing approach will bring integrity to our priceproposition throughout the year, starting with a series ofattractive and simple to communicate itineraries in 2015.”

The new brochures are available to download atwww.msconline.com and include an overview of thecompany, plus its onboard leisure facilities andexperiences across the fleet. For more information visit www.msconline.com or call 0844-561 1955.

HALKIDIKI HOTEL Association’s memberHotel Liotopi at Olympiada Village isorganising a five-day themed event fromMay 15-19, designed for guests todiscover the natural beauty and historyof Olympiada and its greater area.

A free schedule of activities for guestsincludes a walking excursion through theforests of the Aristotelian mountain; acooking workshop; a guided tour of theancient city of Stagira, followed by adiscussion about the life and work of

Aristotle by academic researcher IoannisMpoitsis; a Herbology workshop; and acycling tour of the mountains ofOlympiada.For more information visit www.hotel-liotopi.gr

No frills ferry service sets sail to France and SpainBRITTANY FERRIES has launched a new no frills car ferry service linking Portsmouth to LeHavre in Normandy and Santander in northern Spain. Branded Brittany Ferries économie, itis aimed at customers looking to travel to France or Spain at a reasonable fare without thecruise-style experience normally provided by the line.

One-way fares for a car plus two this spring start from £59 to France and £169 (includingreclining seats) to Spain.

The new service is operated by a recently acquired ship, Etretat, named after the coastalvillage in Normandy famous for its stunning sea cliffs and dramatic chalk arches – all easilyaccessible by car from the port of Le Havre. Facilities and space onboard are limitedcompared to the line's cruise ferry services, but still include a bar, small boutique andmovie lounge as well as free Wi-Fi internet access. There is also a self-service restaurantserving a selection of hot and cold dishes.

The new service comprises a daytime sailing from Portsmouth to Le Havre and anovernight sailing from Le Havre to Portsmouth each Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday andFriday. The crossing time is five hours 30 minutes during the day and around nine hoursovernight. At weekends there is a Saturday morning departure from Portsmouth toSantander and a Sunday afternoon sailing back to Portsmouth with a crossing time of 26hours each way.For more information or to book see www.brittanyferries.com/economie or call 0871-244 0603.

Halkidiki hotel organises five-day themed event with free activities for guests

MSC Cruises issues summer 2015 & winter 2015/16 brochures with early booking upgrade


newsbulletin

ON THE Go Tours haslaunched a new selection ofFestival Tours in Japan,timed to coincide with thefestivities of the cherryblossom season in spring,the changing of the leavesand the Takayama Festival inautumn. As an example, a14-day Cherry BlossomFestival departs this monthand leads in at £3,539 perperson excluding flights.Guests can take in thehighlights of the spring tour,when cherry blossom treescome out in full bloom, andvisit some of the country’sgardens and witness thefamous Spring GeishaDances in Kyoto. For details seewww.onthegotours.com

Amathus operatesnew franchiseagreementAMATHUS HAS announcedan agreement withYourholidaybooking.com tooperate Amathus Holidaysunder a new franchiseagreement, which came intoeffect on March 1.

The operator will maintainits brand identity and tradeas a part of MidCountiesCoop Travel with a new B2Bwebsite launching thismonth. The company will beled by managing director,Janette Bell, formerlycommercial director ofBedbank and Aphrodite HillsResort Holidays.

S03 TB0404 2014 News 2_Layout 1 01/04/2014 16:51

puzzlebulletin


Where Am I?

World Cup hosts in 2014.

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, April 3rd. Solution and new puzzle will

appear next week.

The winner for 21st March is Natasha Rose, Bath Travel in

Hampshire.

March 21 Solution: A=6 B=4 C=7 D=8

➠A

➠B

➠C

➠D

Number: 013

Travagrams

Across 1. Tour operator specialising in luxury holidays

(5)3. Nevada gambling city, in short (5)6. The Smoky Mountains are in this US state (9)7. Sarajevo is the capital (6)9. Tourist town and lake in Wales (4)11. Indonesian island (4)12. Capital of Rwanda (6)15. English comedian, recently seen in

Coronation Street (3,6)16. The centre of this Tuscany city is a World

Heritage Site (5)17. Airline with a Zurich hub (5)

Down 1. Singer whose album Little Red matches the

colour of her hair (4,1)2. The flag carrier of Spain (6)3. Travel permit (4)4. St. George's is the capital of this Caribbean

island (7)5. Leading ferry Line (5)8. Oranges are a favourite in this Spanish city (7)10. Myers and King, jointly known as the Hairy

___ (6)11. Voice judge, Sir Tom (5)13. Popular Corfu resort (5)14. Tailor-made travel by Wendy Wu Tours, ___

Inspirations (4)

Where Am I?

Fill in the crossword to reveal the mystery location highlighted by the green squares.

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

Crossword

Su Doku

Num

ber:

013

This French city is home to a famous palace

This airline serves a region which sounds like this sport

Laser Lives

Rag Flu I

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

S03 TB0404 2014 News 2_Layout 1 07/04/2014 11:35

SADLY THE news is currently dominated by themysterious disappearance of Malaysian Airlines’flight MH 370 from its original flight-path from

Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Many of us are totallybemused that with all the modern tracking technologynow available, it is still possible for a plane to justseemingly disappear with no trace! Although absolutelydevastating for the families and friends of thepassengers and crew, one has also to feel sympathy forboth Malaysian Airlines and the government authoritiesin Malaysia. No specific training was presumablyavailable to assist these airline staff and governmentofficials in the eventuality of them having to cope withsuch extreme circumstances and the relentlesspressure on them for answers (when unknown) musthave been unbearable. One can only hope that in timethe exact causes of the disappearance will beestablished and that lessons will be learnt.Undoubtedly Malaysian Airlines will eliminate this flightnumber permanently and I would imagine that manyother airlines will also be thinking hard about avoidingnumbering a flight 370.

On a happier note, I was fortunate to have beeninvited by Peter Truman and Dino Toouli from OmegaHolidays to travel on the last of their current season offlights to see the Northern Lights. Having seen manywondrous sights during my long career in this industry,this was one of the most amazing spectacles that Ihave ever seen. After the initial briefing about stars, theAurora Borealis and the flight itself at East MidlandsAirport from the two excellent on-board astronomers(Pete Lawrence and Nigel Bradbury), we then headednorthwards for what turned out to be one of the topfour sightings that the astronomers had everencountered in more than 260 such flights! When notcommenting about the Lights themselves, they gavedetailed explanations of the visible stars and planetsand we eventually landed back at 01:00! Mars, Venus,Saturn…we saw them all: fortunately Uranus wasconspicuous by her absence but that may not havebeen a bad thing! When the new season of flights startsin November, I would encourage you to go on one ofthese flights and also urge your clients to book on oneof the flights. We are often asked by clients forsuggestions for Christmas and birthday presents and

these would make perfect gifts as the flights go fromso many regional airports. We were lucky to havewitnessed such a display as the previous night it hadnot been visible at all!

There is a saying: what goes around comes around!Ryanair’s decision to load their flights onto the Galileoand Worldspan GDS systems could be seen as theiradmission that the travel industry is not that bad afterall. Having had years of insults and unfair allegationsfrom Michael O’Leary, will travel agents, tour operatorsand travel management companies be keen to helpRyanair achieve their aims of growing their business to110 million passengers by 2019 and to help them filltheir 175 new aircraft on order? Most travel industrycolleagues who I know will do their utmost to avoidbooking their clients on Ryanair with many evenrefusing to do so! It is all very good for them to re-launch themselves as ‘Always Getting Better’, but thetravel industry will decide for itself whether it wishes tohelp them achieve their goal. Conferences,conferences! We are an industry that is responsible forarranging many UK and overseas conferences. We arein the process of devising the programme for our ownconference to be held in beautiful Seville, Andalucia atthe end of September. It is always a challenge toproduce a sufficiently varied array of speakers on awide range of relevant topics. All the other consortiaface similar challenges! One has to have sympathy forour supplier partners as they attend all conferencesand will invariably hear the same topics anddiscussions at each. I still maintain that conversationsheld over coffee and at meal times offer the mostimportant benefits from any conference. In Sevilletherefore, I will ensure that superb food in stunninglocations will be provided: as a general rule, what’sgood for the body is good for the brain too!

bulletinbriefing

"We are in the process of devising the

programme for our own conference to

be held in beautiful Seville, Andalucia

at the end of September"


Industry Insight by...

Neil W Basnett, chief executive of Elite Travel Group, offers his thoughts on industry news hitting the headlines...

S03 TB0404 2014 News 2_Layout 1 01/04/2014 16:51


eventbulletinTRAVEL BULLETIN played host to two North America Showcase events recently - inBirmingham at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and in Manchester at the Radisson Blu EdwardianHotel. The Showcase events gave agents the opportunity to learn more about this part ofthe world and, at the same time, win a range of fantastic prizes. Judging by the pictures, agood time was had by all...

"I just wanted to saythank you for lastnight, it was anexcellent event thatran very smoothlyand I was very happywith the quality ofagents that attended.They were all veryenthusiastic andinterested in learningabout thedestination. You alldid a great job and Ilook forward to thenext one."Laura Goldie, Cellet TravelServices Limited

Above: TITAN TREAT...Kate Copland (left) from The Camping andCaravanning Club collects a £50 shopping voucher from SharonTait of Titan.

Above: WOOTTON'SWIN...Picking up his goodiebag from Julie Greenhill ofMassachusetts is DavidWootton from Telford Travel.

Above: CARRY ONCAMPING...Enjoying thereception drinks inBirmingham are, from theleft: Kirsty Mclaughland,The Camping andCaravanning Club; JaneFraser, Destination BritishColumbia; and JackieAkehurst, Nigel Harrisonand Kate Copland from TheCamping and CaravanningClub.

Below: SUE SAILS...Rachel Lewis (left) from Carnival Cruise Linespresents Sue Koumides from Journey the World with her prize of aCaribbean hamper.

S03 TB0404 2014 News 2_Layout 1 01/04/2014 16:51

eventbulletinAbove: ROUND-TABLEDISCUSSION...Learning theropes from Expedia TAAP's RobGrover are, from the left: JulieNewman, Kellys Travel; SueTodd, Designer Travel; KellyStanley, Kellys Travel; andSharon Keaveney and KateHarris from Inspired Travel.

Left: GOODIE GROUP...Holdingtheir Kansas & OklahomaGoodie bags are, from the left:Scott Martin, Thomas Cook,Sale; Matt Bates, Kansas &Oklahoma Travel & Tourism;Mellanie Kerford, Aspen Travel;and Paula Reynolds, Co-operative Travel, Hazel Grove.

Above: DISNEY DREAM...Heather Winters fromHolidaysplease collects herDisney goodie bag from RussellMears, Walt Disney World.

"Thank you and therest of your team fororganising anothergreat evening. Wethoroughly enjoyedthe presentations (somuch, I now havemore places I want tovisit!) and it was reallywell organised andexecuted."Sonia Dixon, Holidaysplease


BULLETIN BUDDIES...Mike Atkinson (left) from Co-operative Travel,Old Swan, won a £30 shopping voucher courtesy of DuncanMcCubbin from North Carolina Tourism.

S03 TB0404 2014 News 2_Layout 1 01/04/2014 16:51


eventbulletin

Above: BRUMMIE FUN...Getting ready to meet the suppliers are, from the left: Laura Bogojevic, JessNixon, Yvonne Taylor and Kellie West from Thomas Cook Birmingham.

Below: COLLIER'S COUP...Natalie Collier from Co-operative Travel,Sale received an Alaskan goodie bag from Robert Bailey fromAlaska Tourism.

Above: READY TO HIT THE SHOPS....Is Kevin Pugh (left) from Holiday Getaway, who picked up a £50Love2Shop voucher courtesy of Mark Cornock from Avis.

"Thank you for thebrilliant night onMonday - brilliantlyarranged as usualand the food wasfantastic!"Carol Kirkham, KirkhamTravel Limited

JULIE'S JOY...Julie Newman (left)from Kellys Travel collects herprize of a two-night stay atCaesars Entertainment Resorts inLas Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno,Tahoe or Tunica from HenikaPatel from CaesarsEntertainment.

Left: HAMPER HEAVEN...CBT’s Lisa Mousley collects her prize of anIllinois hamper from Illinois' marketing & PR manager Laura Goldie.

S03 TB0404 2014 News 2_Layout 1 02/04/2014 12:59

personalitybulletin


Partnerships development manager, Holiday Extras

What's your favourite household gadget?My new fancy wine bottle opener, althoughas most have screw tops these days so I don’tget the opportunity to try it!

What are your favourite TV programmes?Law & Order, Don’t Tell The Bride,Eastenders and any soaps really.

Who does the cooking?My mum every Sunday ;)

What's a typical weekend for you like?Go to an exercise class early Saturdaymorning to kickstart the day, then maybesome retail therapy and most importantly,a long walk with my dog Bob andspending as much time as possible withfamily and friends.

What's your guilty pleasure?Maltesers - once I open the pack or box theyare gone. They are just too light so they feelhealthy, almost like one of your five a day.

What music do you listen to?I pretty much like all forms of music. Myfamily has a slight obsession with Elvisand I must admit that has continued to metoo.

What's your favourite movie?The Sweetest Thing - it is one of thosefilms you can watch over and over againbut you still chuckle and cringe at thesame points in the film.

What other companies/organisationshave you previously worked for?I have mainly worked in travel and havepreviously worked for Going Places/ThomasCook, First Choice and Thomson. Mostrecently I worked at BP Travel Marketing asa business development manager.

What personal item do you have on your desk at work?We use a hot desk system so I don’t have aset desk, although every time I switch mylaptop on, there is a lovely picture of mydog to greet me.

What's the best thing about your job?The company - it is such a fun and dynamicplace to work and the people are fantastic.The emphasis is on building awesomerelationships with our partners andeveryone works very hard to achieve this.

What's a typical day like?I arrive in the office, look at my partner’sfigures from the day before, then look atwhat is driving this business so that I amfully prepared to catch up with my contactslater in the day. Once I have investigatedthese, I pick up the phone and catch upwith partners to find out how trading isgoing and feedback on bookings our end.After lunch I start to prepare slides for ameeting that I am attending and looking atpossible incentives/marketing ideas that Ican suggest at the meeting to help drive

bookings. Then it’s a look over my emailsand answer any general queries and offhome I go!

What's your favourite travel app?TripAdvisor.

Who has been your inspiration? A previous manager at BP TravelMarketing, Steve Martin. He is very wellconnected and has such a passion for theindustry, which is infectious.

What skill are you most proud of?My ability to build great relationships withmy accounts. I believe that you should notonly be an account manager but anextension of that person’s business.

What do you love about the travelindustry?The fun atmosphere that comes with it andthe fact that everyone works hard andplays hard too.

Carly James

Where would you most like to visit and why?Australia - mainly because I have family thereand I keep being nagged to go over and spendsome time with them. Also, because there is somuch to see and do.

What are your hobbies?Gym (well, exercise classes), shopping,travelling, walking and socialising with friends.

What's your favourite (non-work related) website?ASOS.com - there are some bargains to behad!

What trait do you dislike in other people?Over confidence.

What is your best quality?My happiness. I am always happy and chatty...however, people do sometimes struggle to geta word in!

What's your most embarrassing moment?Mounting the roundabout on my driving testand almost rolling the car. The instructor went alovely shade of white.

If you could invent a new law, what would it be?Everyone gets at least one free holiday abroada year - it is good for people’s happiness andwellbeing.

At home

At workAt play

S03 TB0404 2014 News 2_Layout 1 01/04/2014 16:51

WHEN A client walks intoyour shop and heads yourway, what country are you

secretly hoping they will ask for?How confident are you in selling acountry you have never been toyourself - and do you try to swaythem to more familiar destinationsor perhaps personal favouritesinstead?

SATOA (Southern African TravelOrganisers Association) is here tohelp you increase your knowledge ofAfrica and the Indian Ocean Islands- and in doing so, boost yourconfidence in selling Africanproducts until hopefully you get theopportunity to visit what isundoubtedly one of the mostbeautiful destinations in the world.

SATOA hosts regular travel agenttraining events and dinners acrossthe UK (and we hope to meet you atone of them soon) but in the interim,here are a few tips on how to sellSouthern Africa effectively:

The unique selling points of Southern Africa● Overnight flights with most major

airlines into the major hubs ofJohannesburg, Cape Town andDurban, with regular connectionsfrom Johannesburg to Livingstone,Victoria Falls, Maun, Gaberone andWindhoek. Think of it as a dinner,movie and a night's sleep thenwaking up in the southernhemisphere.

● No jetlag or any significant timechanges - plus outbound flightsland early in the morning and thereturn flights leave in the eveningso you have two ‘extra’ days onflight days to explore and enjoyyourself.

● Driving on the same side of theroad - fantastic for those travellerswho like to self-drive - plus theroad signage is in English. Theroad network in South Africa is verygood and easy to navigate.

● Wildlife - Botswana has thewaterways of the Okavango Delta,bringing the game in droves to thearea. South Africa has more than20 national parks teeming withprolific species of game includingthe Big Five.

● Scenery - you can highlight areassuch as Gods Window, Blyde RiverCanyon and Table Mountain inSouth Africa to the Skeleton Coast,Namib Desert and Fish RiverCanyon in Namibia, Victoria Fallsin Zimbabwe and Zambia and theglorious Okavango Delta andChobe in Botswana.

● Culture - South Africa has a richdiversity of culture with 11 officiallanguages, while Namibia has theoriginal SAN Bushmen still livingoff the land.

● History - the history is young incomparison to Europe but it is rich.

● Adventure - for the hard and softadventure seekers, Southern Africahas it all, from diving with theGreat White Shark, to navigatingthe waterways of the OkavangoDelta in a mokoro following a herd

of elephant, to white water-raftingat the Victoria Falls.

● Responsible Tourism - SouthAfrica is a leader in this sector andevery tourist visiting offers abenefit to the local community.Africa is one of the key destinationsfor volunteering both incommunities and with wildlife.

We could go on forever withfantastic reasons to sell SouthernAfrica - but hopefully that gives youa taster. We would stronglyencourage you to attend any SATOAevents that may be held in your areaespecially our dinners where manyof our members present theirwonderful products - a fantastic wayto get to know more on the area andask any burning questions you mayhave.

Cape Town is the mother city, theicon of South Africa and also theWorld Design Capital 2014. SouthAfrica has so much diversity and,within that, so much art fromvarious different backgrounds andfor 2014 has recently hosted theDesign Indaba.

SATOA has quite a fewpresentation dinners planned for2014, so check out our website tosee where they are being held andregister your interest in attending onwww.satoa.com/events

To see a list of our members andstay up to date with our newsremember to visit our websiteregularly (www.satoa.com) and wedo hope we will see you at one ofour events soon! ✦

Entice your clients to book bygetting to grips with thedestination's unique selling points


southernafrica

by TOLENE VAN DER MERWE, SATOA board member

S04 TB0404 2014 Southern Africa_Layout 1 02/04/2014 14:25

GOLD MEDAL has added a new South Africa brochure to itsportfolio.

The programme includes destinations such as Cape Town,the Winelands, Hermanus, the Garden Route, Eastern Cape,Durban, Kwazulu Natal, Johannesburg, Pretoria and KrugerNational Park, and features hotel partners such asOne&Only, Protea Hotels, Sun International and Tsogo Sun.

The brochure complements the operator’s other brochureswhich include Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific;Caribbean & Mexico; Dubai & Indian Ocean; Far East; Florida;Las Vegas and USA & Canada.

Ruth Hilton, the company's head of sales and businessdevelopment, said: “There has been a demand from both ourvalued agents and our ground suppliers to produce this title.We’re really pleased to be able to have a South Africabrochure in our portfolio, taking our number of individualbrochure titles to eight.

“As we’ve stuck with the interesting and fun ‘look and feel’carried by the rest of our brochures, we’re expecting this titleto stand out in store just as much as our other titles.”

The 32-page brochure can be ordered via Trade Gate or byemailing [email protected]. It is also accessible onthe company’s website.For more information visit www.goldmedal.co.uk

TRAVEL WILD is offering agents the chance to join its Northern Botswana fam trip from May 13-21.Properties visited include Moremi Crossings, Mapula Lodge, Machaba Camp, Motswiri Camp,

SGS Mobile Safari, Chobe Elephant Camp and Chobe Game Lodge.For more information or to request a detailed itinerary email [email protected]

Wilderness Safaris to open Iconic Camp in NamibiaWILDERNESS SAFARIS has announced the addition ofHoanib Skeleton Coast Camp to its suite of camps inNamibia’s remote Kaokoveld for summer.

Located in the private Palmwag Concession, the camp isset in a land of stark mountains, vast plains and dryriverbeds inhabited by wildlife. Despite the arid environs,one of the greatest concentrations of desert-adaptedelephant can be found within the area, along with sightingsof gemsbok, giraffe, springbok, and possibly lion and blackrhino.

Guests can explore the territory on foot, by vehicle and byair in small groups led by the company's guides, followingelephant herds and other wildlife.

For the first time, forays into the Hoanib floodplains(previously restricted inside the Skeleton Coast NationalPark) can also be undertaken and, on itineraries of three ormore nights, scenic flights will explore the shores of theSkeleton Coast.

An exclusive Classic Camp comprising of eight tents(including one family unit) is expected to be ready inAugust, featuring a low-impact design that is sensitive tothe fragile desert environment.For further information see www.wilderness-safaris.com

Northern Botswana fam trip offer from Travel Wild

Gold Medal launches South Africa brochure


southernafrica

THE RECENTLY refurbished Tongole Wilderness Lodge in the NkhotakotaWildlife Reserve, Malawi saw the launch of its new family cottage

this month. The new addition means that Tongole is now morechild-friendly and the minimum age of guests has been

lowered to eight years accordingly. The property'sfive luxury suites still offer complete privacy for

those looking to escape from it all. For details see www.tongole.com

Agent fam trip to Namibia AFRICA & Beyond hasannounced that it is hosting atravel agent educational toNamibia from November 2-12.

The trip will be for a groupof seven agents and will visitSossusvlei, Swakopmund,Damaraland, Etosha andOngava, and will also take ascenic flight along theSkeleton Coast.

For details on securing aplace or for more [email protected] or call 0161-789 8838.

Meanwhile, the operatorhas announced that it issupporting the Street Childcharity, where £10 of everybooking until June 14 will bedonated to the charity. For details see www.street-child.co.uk

SOUTH AFRICAN Airways has launched a brand new tradewebsite aimed at providing trade partners with up-to-dateinformation on the airline.

The site has been designed as a one-stop-shop for the tradeto use and includes details of routes and fleet, as well ascontact information, FAQs and the latest news. It also servesas a platform for trade to download the latest aircraft imagesand features a Live Chat function.

The carrier's country manager UK, Gary Kershaw, said: "We

said that SAA needed to improve its relationships with the UKtravel trade. So alongside the new SAA team, the new tradewebsite brings real time, digital news, information and supportto our trade partners."

The airline, a Star Alliance member, operates double dailyflights from Heathrow Terminal 1 to Johannesburg connectingto more than 30 destinations within Southern Africa.For more information visit www.flysaa.com or call 0844-375 9680.

New travel trade website launch from South African Airways


Johannesburg

Visit flysaatrade.com or call us on 020 8576 5555, option 2


BOTSWANATOURS.COM, ANonline travel portal, offers aone-stop-shop forBotswana safari products.

The website providesadvice on a range of tourand safari packages,accommodation options anddifferent tour possibilities,with a particular emphasison wildlife, nature, eco-tourism, cultural heritageand activity-baseditineraries.

The range of packageoptions – sourced from aselection of tour and safarioperators in Botswana –vary from budget safaris tofly and lodge safaris.

EXPLORE HAS launched a Cape Town Walking andWinelands tour, which combines easy walks with samplingwines and traditional food.

Passing through the fynbos vegetation, travellers canexplore the South African countryside, which offers 9,000different floral species. Highlights include Cape Town andTable Mountain, walks along the coast, a night on ahouseboat and visits to wine estates.

Departing between September and November, the nine-day holiday costs from £1,991 per person including flights,breakfast accommodation (including one night at a hotel,four nights in a guesthouse, one night on a houseboat anda two-night farmstay), five additional meals, transport andthe services of a driver and tour leader.For more information or to book call 0844-499 0901 or visitwww.explore.co.uk

Tailor-made safarioptions fromBotswanaTours.com


LOCATED THREE-and-a-half hours from Johannesburg in the Mpumalanga Province, Nkomazi Game Reserve –part of the Shamwari Group – has found a new leopard to reintroduce to the reserve. A holding boma (livestockenclosure) was constructed to accommodate Storm, a three-year-old leopardess who was transported to thereserve from a holding facility in Hoedspruit and is now settled into the boma, which will be her home until she isready for release. Guests will not be permitted to view Storm up close for the next fewmonths, but glimpses of her can be seen from a vantage point onthe other side of the river from where herboma is situated.

southernafrica

EXODUS IS offering a new 14-day Northern Namibia And Angola tour from £3,699 per person. Thetour, through West and southern Africa, journeys overland through remote northern Namibia intoAngola. Flying into Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, travellers head north to visit an ancient Himba villagein Opuwo, before crossing the border to Angola. Here, travellers will experience a safari through IonaNational Park, the Skeleton Coast and the Tunda Vala escarpment, before heading back to Namibia’sEtosha National Park for game drives. The price includes flights from London, accommodation andmeals and the next departures dates are June 8 and 29. To book call 0845-863 9601 or visit www.exodus.co.uk

Cape Town Walking & Winelands tour launch from Explore



THE RECENT flood of mediaattention towards Sochi hasalready brought public

awareness towards the fact thatRussia has more to offer than the twoamazing cities of Moscow and StPetersburg, some fascinating culturalriver cruising and the world famoustrans Siberian rail journeys (as if thatwasn’t enough!).

As the Winter Olympics have drawnto a close, stunning images of Sochihave given people a glimpse of a farless explored area of Russia. Beyondthe multi-billion pound metropolis ofmodern buildings and Olympicstadiums lies a breathtakinglandscape – a world of peaks andslopes, opportunities to trek gorges byfoot and hike mountains on horseback.

A natural habitat Venture further east and uncover awhole other dimension of the largestcountry on earth – an unspoiltparadise for the adventure traveller.Pass by fresh flowing volcanic lava andhardened lava sculptures inPetropavlovsk; watch bears in theirnatural habitat amongst the mountainsof Kamchatka; and view walruses andgrey whales in the Far Eastern Seas ofRussia. The wonder of Lake Baikal inSiberia as the deepest freshwatersource in the world is recognised bymany, but fewer realise that the 1,800rivers in Kamchatka are also teemingwith wildlife, amid a splendid display ofjagged mountains, glaciers andforested slopes in one of the mostpicturesque locations in the world.

While our city breaks and rivercruises to Moscow and St Petersburgremain extremely popular, and thetrans Siberian railway will alwaysattract a wide range of travellers frombackpacker to luxury, this newdemand for adventure and activitytravel to Russia cannot go unnoticed.We have now further widened ourportfolio, as keen explorers are excitedby the prospect of these unspoilt andlesser known lands. Hiking tours tomount Elbrus in southern Russia; bearwatching and volcano viewingadventures in Kamchatka; andthermal pool bathing in Paratunka arejust some of the experiences on offerfor tailor-made clients and groupsalike.

The alternative experienceThere are some particular things tobear in mind when offering a trip tothe lesser known areas of Russia.Firstly, as always, a Russian touristvisa is required. The only realrestriction this provides is that the tripcan last no longer than 30 days. Withrecommended trip duration rangingfrom as little as five days this isusually not a problem, however thebackpacking client looking to stay for‘as long as they feel’ will have to plansomething more structured. Secondly,a little flexibility on dates is alwayshelpful, particularly when dealing withfar Eastern Russia. Flight schedulesfrom Petropavlovsk to Anadyr, forexample, are often not released untilthree months prior to travel. This doesnot mean that your client should wait

that long to book however – any flightschedule changes can beaccommodated for with a simple extranight of accommodation or change inarrival/departure transfer time,usually at no extra cost.

Finally, unless they are travelling ona luxury private rail journey, it is worthbearing in mind that the word ‘luxury’in these rural parts is not as we knowit here in the west. Bookings are highvalue and great quality, but those notwilling to sacrifice their home comfortfive-star spa experience shouldconsider a luxury rail journey fromMoscow to Vladivostok or Beijinginstead.

The opening up of these lesserknown areas throughout Russia is yetanother sign of the growing trend oftravellers seeking a new and differentexperience, and this is where the roleof the travel agent comes into its own.Have the confidence to offer analternative experience, and soon yourclients will thank you for sending themon a trip of a lifetime! ✦

activityholidays

by KRISTI RORISON, director ofoutgoing business, IntoRussia

Offer clients exclusiveexperiences with unexploredadventure tourism in Russia

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THE MACAU Government Tourist Office (MGTO) has unveiledfour new walking tours designed to take visitors off thebeaten tourist trail and help them discover lesser knowncommunities, savour local cuisines and discover the city'sculture.

Available for free from MGTO tourist information centresand available for download from MGTO's website's TripPlanner, the four walking tours, titled ' Step Out, ExperienceMacau's Communities', are each themed to take in a

different aspect of Macau - 'A Tour of Historical Trails', 'ATour of Nature and Creativity', 'A Tour of East meets West'and 'A Tour of Arts and Culture'.

Intended to be leisurely strolls, the shortest of the fourwalks takes approximately 90 minutes to complete while thelongest takes approximately 130 minutes.

The website also features videos of the four routes toallow visitors to virtually experience the walking tours priorto setting off.

Macau Government Tourist Office unveils four new walking tours in Macau


activityholidays

THE FOUR-STARStapleford Park countryhouse in Leicestershire ispromoting golfmembership deals at itschampionship golf coursefor guests this year.

Designed by DonaldSteel, the course wrapsaround the heart of theestate in two extendedloops and was selected bythe PGA European SeniorsTour to host its golftournament in May 2010.

After 18 holes hotel

guests can unwind withlunch and a drink, or meetfriends and family at theHouse for an eveningmeal.

Golf Membershipincludes unlimited use ofthe golf course, a one-hourfree lesson, access to allgolf competitions, EGU andL&RGU subscriptions, 10%discount on food andbeverages in The PavilionRestaurant and amember’s guest rate of£25 for 18 holes, or £15 for

nine holes. The one-offjoining fee for adults is£200 with an annualsubscription of £750.

Accommodation leads inat £180 per night includingbreakfast, based on twosharing.

New golfing academy at TurnberryTURNBERRY, WHICH is situated on the south-westerncoastline of Scotland in Ayrshire, has recently opened theTurnberry Performance Academy - a new golfing academywith an holistic approach to coaching the game of golf.

Launched over the summer, the TPA offers tuition thatcaters to all abilities, including ladies, juniors and family golf,incorporating the principles of the Titleist PerformanceInstitute (TPI), recognised as the world leaders in studying thephysical elements of golf coaching.

A ‘Back to Front’ golf package starts from £300 per personand residential packages, including a stay at a Lands ofTurnberry self-catering lodge, are also available, with pricesfrom £250 for a two-night stay. For more information or to book visitwww.turnberryresort.co.uk/performance-academy

Membership deal from Leicestershire's Stapleford Park country house

Stapleford Park country house

Golfers to benefit from new Your Golf Travel partnership

MORE THAN 400,000 club golfers are now able to playmore, pay less and travel further, after Your Golf Travelwas appointed official travel partner to HowDidiDo,Europe's largest golfing community.

The company hopes to book holidays for more than10,000 HowDidiDo users in 2014, as the social media sitecontinues to increase benefits and offers for its 400,000-plus members.

Each month, unique travel offers, from Your GolfTravel's programme of more than 3,500 global golfingdestinations, will be created for the community'smembership base and communicated via HowDidiDo'semail and website channels.



Fred./ launches golf packages at Hotel Jardin Tecina FRED./ HAS launched two golf packages based on three and seven nights at its HotelJardin Tecina in La Gomera.

As an example, a three-night package includes half-board accommodation in astandard room with a garden view, unlimited golf, transfers, one piece of hold luggageper person up to 20kg and one golf bag up to 20kg per person. Prices lead in at £789 forgolfers and £679 per non golfer and there is a single supplement of £80.

Jakes Jamaica gets set for 19th triathlonJAMAICAN HIDEAWAY Jakes is gearing up for its 19th triathlonon April 12 with a dedicated package to ensure triathletes andsupporters can sample the best of what the bohemian boltholeand its surrounding community has to offer.

Those seeking a fully integrated healthy holiday or whosimply prefer to compete with themselves can also opt toembark on ‘A Fitness Trip in Rebel Terrain’ from April 10-14with New York fitness guru Ross Anti from the celebratedEquinox gym franchise.

The triathlon will comprise a 500m swim, 25k bike ride and7k run, while a ‘Likkle Jakes’ Kids Triathlon’ will also beavailable for kids. All proceeds raised will benefit local non-profit organisation BREDS. Founded by Jakes’ owner JasonHenzell, BREDS’ main mission is to promote education, sports,cultural heritage and emergency healthcare in the areathrough various initiatives such as the foundation of pioneeringsports community facility Treasure Beach Sports Park and theTreasure Beach Sports Academy, Black Galleon FishSanctuary and the Greater Treasure Beach SustainableDevelopment Plan.

The Triathlon Package includes five nights' single occupancyin a garden view room, one Swedish massage, two yogaclasses, one warm up bicycle ride and registration to triathlonand costs from US$795 (approximately £476) per person plustaxes. For further information or to book visit www.jakeshotel.com

St Moritz's KulmHotel offers newbridge & golf deal

THE KULM Hotel St.Moritz has added newbridge and golf packagesfor summer which runfrom July 27 to August10.

The package includesseven nights' half-boardaccommodation; bridgeinstruction andtournaments; spatreatments worth CHF 80(approximately £55);unlimited access to theKulm Spa, Fit & Funsports programme(changes daily);unlimited use of thenine-hole Kulm golfcourse, driving range andtennis courts; andunlimited use of all openmountain railways in theEngadin/St. Moritz regionand public transport inthe valley (bus andRhaetian railway).

Prices lead in atapproximately £1,200)per person.For details or to book seewww.kulm.com.

FOR CLIENTS seeking a last-minute Easter escape, Exploreis offering availability on a selection of discounteddepartures including Turkey, Morocco, Sri Lanka andBurma.

As an example, for a short-haul break, Walking TheTurquoise Coast is based in the harbour town of Kas andtakes guests on gentle walks along the Turquoise Coast,discovering ruins and hiking to ancient Phellos.

Highlights of the trip include exploring the relics ofPatara, spotting signs of loggerhead turtles and visiting theancient city of Xanthos. The eight-day walking tour departson April 19 and costs from £674 per person. The priceoffers a saving of £50 and includes flights, seven nights'breakfast accommodation, transport and the service of adriver and tour leader.

Meanwhile, guests looking to escape the continentwithout a long-haul flight can opt for Imperial Cities andDesert, which travels through the imperial cities of Rabat,Meknes, Fes and Marrakech.

Departing on April 9, the 15-day holiday costs from £920and offers a saving of £75. Flights and 13 nights' hotel andone night riad accommodation with breakfast is included,along with transport and the service of a driver and tourleader. For further information or to book visit www.explore.co.ukor call 0844-499 0901.

Easter escape deals from Explore

activityholidays

ROCCO FORTE’S Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily has announced the return of its JuventusSummer Training Session which takes place during half-term from May 26-30 and from June 16 toSeptember 5. Coaches from the Juventus football club will be taking up residence at Verdura for aseries of masterclasses, inviting the resort’s young guests (aged five-16) to improve their footballskills in daily two-and-a-half-hour sessions, followed by a 30-minute match. A five-dayprogramme costs €350 per child excluding VAT. For details see www.roccofortehotels.com


PEBBLE BEACH Resorts in California has opened a new Golf Academy and Practice Facility whichfeatures a 350-yard, double-ended driving range and can accommodate up to 85 golfers. Thefacility, which mimics the look and feel of shots found throughout the company’s Golf Links, isalso home to the new 3,000-ft² Golf Academy which features three instruction studios.

Guests can experience a menu of personalised tools including a robotic swing trainer, 3Dmotion capture system, HD video analysis, computerised putting stroke evaluation and an indoorgolf simulator.For details see www.pebblebeach.com and www.discoveramerica.com

HERITAGE RESORTS' Heritage Golf Club in Mauritius has installed state of the art GPS systemson all of its golf carts, which now feature high resolution colour images of each hole withyardages to the flag and points of interest, 3D flyovers of every hole, an electronic scorecard thatcan be sent to golfers’ e-mail at the end of the round, real time leader board for tournaments,food and beverage ordering and messaging to the clubhouse or marshal in case of emergencies.

A new ‘Golf Passport’ scheme has also been introduced, allowing guests to play on three of theisland’s premier courses.

A Basic Pass offers golf rounds at partner golf clubs, Tamarina and Paradis and includestransfers, unlimited golf, priority tee off, discounts on equipment hire at HGC, HGC restaurant,golf lessons and golf massage at the Seven Colours Spa. Prices lead in at £240 per person.

A Golf Bliss Pass offers golf rounds at partner golf clubs, Tamarina and Paradis and includestransfers, unlimited golf, priority tee off, whole stay tee off times booking discounts onequipment hire at HGC, HGC restaurant, golf lessons, a golf massage at the Seven Colours Spa,upgraded next available room category, hole in one insurance and free helicopter landing fee atthe three courses. Prices lead in at £360 per person.

All guests also benefit from free green fees throughout their stay.

New GPS golf cart systems from Heritage Resorts Golf Club Mauritius

Pebble Beach Resorts opens golf range


activtyholidays

Heritage Golf Club Mauritius

MOUNT CINNAMON Resort and Beach Club in Grenadahas introduced new yoga and meditation excursionswhich take guests on a tour of some of Grenada's moststunning landmarks.

After morning yoga on top of the island at FortFrederick, guests are taken into the rainforest to GrandEtang Crater Lake - an extinct volcano which is 1,800ftabove sea level - for meditation. The morning's classesare rounded off with a light organic picnic.

The experience includes seven nights for the price offive in a hacienda suite including breakfast, a yoga andmeditation excursion to Fort Frederick and Grand EtangCrater Lake in the Rain Forest, a complimentarytreatment from the Cinnamon Spa Menu, a daily yogaclass and a daily fruit bowl.

Prices start from US$2,850 (approximately £1,705) percouple including taxes and service.For further information visitwww.mountcinnamongrenadahotel.com or [email protected]

Grenada's Mount Cinnamon resortadds yoga excursion experience

POWDER WHITE’S ski andbike package offersguests the chance tocombine the best of thesnow with the chance toexplore beyond theslopes on two wheelsaround the Austrianresort of St Anton.

Renowned as ‘thecradle of Alpine skiing’,St Anton has a vast skiarea that covers the localmountains alongside theneighbouring resorts ofSt Christoph, Lech andZurs.

Guests can ski morethan 500km of terrain bymorning and then, astemperatures rise, taketo the saddle to explore200 miles of tracks andtrails around the resortthrough areas like StJakob, Pettnau, Flirshand Ferwall.

A seven-night ‘Ski andBike’ trip arriving onApril 13 costs from £475per person includingaccommodation at ChaletFritz on a fully cateredbasis, bike hire and trailmaps for self-guidedrides. For details seewww.powderwhite.com orcall 020-8877 8888.

Ski & bike packagefrom Powder White

TABER HOLIDAYS is offering The Viking Challenge (Family Package)from £2,070 per adult and £680 per child (aged six-11) this summer.Based in Reykjavik, the seven-night trip features horse-ridingthrough the lava fields, a whale-watching cruise and cycling to thelighthouse on the Seltjarnarnes Peninsula. Free time is built in toexplore Iceland’s capital and entrance to the Blue Lagoon is alsoincluded. Prices include flights from Heathrow, transfers, sevennights' breakfast accommodation, all tours and activities asmentioned and a Reykjavik Card, and are based on four sharing. Dailydepartures are available from June 1 until August 31 and regionaldepartures from Manchester andGlasgow are also available. For details call 01274-875199 or seewww.taberhols.co.uk



Launch of new 'Brazil Home' site TO GIVE future visitors a taste of what the country has to offer,Embratur has launched a new digital platform entitled 'BrazilHome'. The site takes visitors around a virtual house, wherethey can discover the rich history and culture of Brazil throughclicking on photos, videos and music links.

As examples, a tour of the living room takes users on ajourney through the works of important Brazilian painters andphotographers in history. For food enthusiasts, the kitchenfeatures traditional Brazilian recipes, while the study providesaccess to playlists with music by renowned Brazilian artistswhich can be downloaded. For details see www.visitbrasil.com/brasilhome

WTM LATIN America 2014, which takes place from April 23-25at the Transamerica Expo Centre in São Paulo, Brazil, willwelcome more than 30 new exhibitors.

The event, which will play host to the 41st Braztoa BusinessMeeting, saw more than 1,250 exhibitors from 60 countriestake part last year.

Tourist boards such as Atout France, Greek NationalTourism Organisation, Tourism Australia and Korea TourismOrganisation will be on the exhibition floor for the first time thisyear.

Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil will alsobe in attendance.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), a new exhibitor, will joinThe Trump Hotels, which was present at the inaugural event,along with other hotel chains including Accor (one of the eventsponsors), Meliá and Hilton Worldwide.

Retail stores will also be well represented, with Americanstores Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, as well as the Chic OutletShopping chain.

New for this year is the Travel Tech area on the exhibitionfloor, which will host names in the travel technology industryincluding Google and TripAdvisor.

Lawrence Reinisch, exhibition director of the show, said:“WTM Latin America 2014 is set to be even bigger and betterthan last year with exhibitors from Brazil, Latin America andthe rest of the world already confirming their presence.

“This high level of acceptance and demand from exhibitorsreflects WTM Latin America’s importance for the region’stourism sector and is developing by leaps and bounds,overcoming the global financial crisis, which has affected theeconomic development in many countries around the world.

“Latin American countries have seen the number of visitorarrivals increase by almost 50% in the last ten years, risingfrom 54million in 2003 to a forecast figure of 80million for thecurrent year. And Brazil is the main star in this picture. It is nocoincidence that the eyes of the global travel industry arefirmly focused on the country, which will play host to twoglobal events over the course of the next three years.”

Meanwhile, Google Glass will be displayed at the event byfirst-time exhibitor MooveTeam in the Innovation Zone PlayArea. The gaming company will showcase its software onGoogle Glass where visitors will be able to experience first-hand the company’s new TeamBuilding app, which enablesusers to read messages, get directions, take videos andpictures and send and share information with other teammembers. Regarding the Innovation Zone Play Area, theevent’s project manager David Benitez said: “It will be an areawhere the Latin American and the international travel industrycan come and learn about these new amazing technologiesand innovative concepts."To see the full list of current exhibitors for the event visitwww.wtmlatinamerica.com/exhibitor-directory

Silversea promotes South American VoyageSILVERSEA’S SILVER Shadow will depart for a 15-day voyagealong the South American coast on November 20, departingfrom Valparaiso, Chile for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Highlightsinclude watching the South American sea lions, marine ottersand bottlenose dolphins, exploring the different cultures ofSouth America and taking in the region’s beaches.Voyage 3433 will call at Valparaiso, Puerto Montt, PuertoChacabuco, Punta Arenas, Ushuaia, Stanley, Punta Del Este,Montevideo and Buenos Aires.

Prices start from £3,950 per person based on doubleoccupancy of a Vista suite.For further information visit www.silversea.com

GREAT RAIL Journeys has introduced a new Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands tour. The itinerary uses the Tren Crucero (cruise train),which launched in June last year and has been restored to offer luxury rail travel through Ecuador’s mountain and coastal scenery.The train has four vintage carriages, including one offering traditional Ecuadorian coffees and one an open-air terrace at the rear. Onthe tour, guests will have three days on the train (evenings are in hotels) as they travel from Quito to Cuenca and then on to theGalapagos Islands. The 17-day tour costs from £4,995 per person. For details visit www.greatrail.com

southamerica

WTM Latin America welcomes more than 30 new exhibitors for 2014

S06 TB0404 2014 Southern America_Layout 1 01/04/2014 17:16

RAINBOW TOURS Latin America is offering an eight-nightEaster itinerary in Peru in association with ecotourismcompany Inkaterra.

The trip includes three nights at Inkaterra HaciendaConcepcion, three nights at Inkaterra Reserva Amazonicaand two nights at Casa Andina Private Collection in Lima.

Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción, in the Amazon rainforestof Southern Peru, near Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata, isoffering a cocoa experience, where guests will hike throughthe plantation’s cocoa groves. In Casa Grande, guests willdiscover how cocoa seeds are fermented, sun-dried,toasted and ground to release the natural, aromatic oilsthat give chocolate its distinctive flavour, before makingtreats.

The second leg of the journey takes guests to theInkaterra Reserva Amazonica eco-lodge in the Amazonrainforest to spot wildlife. The lodge can be reached bymotorboat along the Madre De Dios River, about an hour’sriver ride from the nearest town, Puerto Maldonado.

The tour leads in at £2,445 per person and is based ontwo adults sharing and departs on April 15, flying with LANAirlines from Heathrow via Madrid.

Included in the price are flights, transfers,accommodation on a bed-and-breakfast-basis in Lima anda full board basis in the Amazon, plus excursions in theAmazon.For more information call 020-7666 1260 or visitwww.rainbowtours.co.uk

TRAFALGAR OFFERS a variety of SouthAmerican tours leading in at £1,525 perperson.

An eight-day Panama the Canal andBeyond tour travels to the Panama Canal,with highlights including a cruise along the100-year-old canal; a wander around thestreets of Casco Antiguo - a UNESCO Site -in Panama’s Historical District; a visit to therainforest; river motorboat rides through thejungle; learning about the Embera Indians’culture in Embera Puru; travelling up themountain slopes of Chiriqui Province toexperience a Be My Guest lunch; a coffeeplantation visit; and trips to Santiago,Aguadulce, Nata and Playa Bonita.

Prices start from £1,525 per person land-only and include seven nights’ breakfastaccommodation, sightseeing and theservices of a travel director.

Alternatively, clients can opt to follow Inthe Footsteps of the Incas with a ten-dayPeruvian tour. Highlights include a Be MyGuest lunch in Lima; a visit to the SacredValley in Cusco; a climb towards MachuPicchu to see ruins such as the Temple ofthe Sun, the House of the Priest and theSacred Plaza; a trip to the Temple ofKorikancha; a cruise along Lake Titicaca;

and a tour of Taquile Island to meet the localQuechua-speaking villagers.

Prices lead in at £2,776 per person land-only, including nine nights’ breakfastaccommodation, sightseeing and theservices of a travel director.

Alternatively, for £4,769, travellers canembark on a 16-day Cultures and Contrastsof South America tour which travels throughBrazil, Argentina and Chile.

Highlights include sightseeing in Rio deJaneiro; learning about some Brazilianspecialities, including precious gemstonesand how to make the perfect Caipirinha;Samba dancing; a visit to Iguassu NationalPark; a sightseeing tour of Buenos Aires; aBe My Guest meal in Palermo Soho; visits tothe UNESCO site of Colonia del Sacramentoand the resort town of San Carlos deBariloche on the edge of the Andes; and ajourney by land and water across the LakeDistrict straddling Argentina and Chile to seethe Southern Hemisphere’s landscapes.

Prices start from £4,769 land-only,including 15 nights’ breakfastaccommodation, sightseeing and theservices of a travel director.For more information visitwww.trafalgar.com

Explore the LatinWonders of theWorld withTravelsphere TRAVELSPHERE ISintroducing a new 17-dayLatin Wonders of theWorld tour that willencompass the Andeancommunities of Peru andBolivia to thecosmopolitan cities ofBuenos Aires and Rio.

The trip will exploreMachu Picchu, LakeTiticaca and Iguazu Fallswith highlights includingdoing the tango in BuenosAires and a visit to Christthe Redeemer in Rio deJaneiro.

There is also an optionto extend the trip in Riode Janeiro.

The tour runs untilNovember 2015 andprices start from £3,699per person.

southernamerica


South American tours from £1,525 per person with Trafalgar

Celebrate Easter in Peru with Rainbow Tours & Inkaterra

S06 TB0404 2014 Southern America_Layout 1 01/04/2014 17:16


W ITH ITS timeless countryside, quiet roads and frequent ferry crossings direct from the

UK, Denmark is the perfect choice forthose seeking the convenience andfreedom of a self-drive holiday. Thecountry is blessed with a picturesque,rolling scenery of unspoiled farmland,forests and heaths, not to mention mileupon mile of pristine coastline. Welcome to Denmark!

DFDS Seaways – Sail to DenmarkTravelling by sea to Denmark means youcan take your own vehicle and explore atyour own pace. You can also take asmuch luggage as you like and enjoy theonboard facilities and entertainment asyou sail. DFDS Seaways operates theonly ferry route from the UK toScandinavia, offering a year-round ferryservice from Harwich to Esbjerg, WestJutland.

Small Danish Hotels - Your shortcut toDanish happinessSmall Danish Hotels are 100 beautifulhistoric inns, modern city hotels, fairytale castles and romantic manors, whichare full of charm, intimacy and warmth.What they all have in common is theattention to personal service and beinggood hosts. We call it "Moments ofHappiness”. Small Danish Hotels have itall – all over Denmark; by the coast, inthe city and in the country – and alwaysnear all the main Danish attractions.

Aarhus – Denmark's second biggest cityA vibrant mix of youthful energy andblasts from the past makes Aarhus a citywith an energetic beat of the pulse. Fromhere, beaches, harbours and forests areall within a 15-minute bike ride. The artmuseum, ARoS, delivers ground-breaking works from some of the world’smost progressive artists and has been

crowned by ‘Your rainbow panorama’, aglass skywalk by Danish-Icelandic artistOlafur Eliasson which lets visitors soak inthe cityscape while bathed in the hues ofthe spectrum.

Among the city’s classic attractions isthe Old Town Museum, one of the world’soldest and largest open-air museums.Travellers can walk through Danishhistory in the museum which featuresmore than 75 townhouses - from 16thcentury to the 1970's. Denmark’s secondbiggest city inspires guests as theydiscover art, architecture, history,shopping and fantastic food.

North Zealand – love on a bikeRoyal North Zealand welcomes a newkind of cycling holiday, an active yetcomfortable experience for those wholove to explore on their own. Why notsuggest that you clients cycle from theLouisiana Museum of Modern Art toHamlets Castle, Kronborg and TheDanish Maritime Museum, designed byarchitecture company BIG (Bjarke IngelsGroup) or enjoy the countryside. H. C.Andersen said of Gurre town: “I think thisplace is the most beautiful in Denmark”.Gorgeous villages, sandy beaches,delicious seafood, sumptuous castlesand charming hotels combine to make awonderful holiday. Guests can enjoy afew leisurely days in the Danish Rivieradiscovering pretty villages, grand castlesand sandy beaches, just 30 minutes fromCopenhagen.

North Denmark – the land of lightNorth Jutland in Denmark is a greatplace for getting fresh sea air and still beable to enjoy gourmet restaurants and acity break feel. Denmark’s northernmostcity, Aalborg lets you combinecontemporary urban experiences withclassic seaside escapes, including theromantic fishing town of Skagen and the

beachscapes and drifting sand dunes ofNorth Jutland.

The windswept beachscapes of thenorthernmost tip of Denmark haveattracted artists and travellers to theseaside town of Skagen since the 1870s.Today, the old portside seafoodrestaurants and classic seaside hotelsoffer a laidback sense of land’s end.

Fly directly to Aalborg and with a shorteight minute drive to the city, you canstart your holiday immediately.

River Gudenaaen – yours to exploreThe winding river called "Gudenåen" inDanish is a great starting point fortravelling in Denmark. Gudenaaen is thelongest river in Denmark, in the heart ofJutland, and offers varied scenery,exciting towns, inspiring culture andunique history, right in the centre ofeverything. Ideas include a relaxing day ofcanoeing, jumping on one of the tourboats or experiencing the local cuisine incosy inns and restaurants in thesurrounding towns of the river.

Vejle – Fjordland and VikingsVisit Vejle and let yourself go in beautifulgreen nature and on the sandy beachesof the fjord. Go cycling over rolling hills orspend a day shopping on the pedestrianstreet "Strøget" in the heart of the city.Get closer to the Vikings at the UNESCOworld heritage site in the town of Jellingpresenting the Jelling Monuments – tworune stones erected by the kings Gormthe Old and Harald Bluetooth in the 10thcentury. At the Royal Jelling visitorscentre you can learn more about thisexciting chapter of Denmark's history.For more information on Denmark, famtrips and agent offers go to “Travel Trade”on www.visitdenmark.co.uk or emailBecky at [email protected] ✦

denmark

Inspire clients to take a self- driveholiday to experience uniquescenery and landmarksby VIBEKE (Becky) OLIVER, marketing manager- leisure tourism at VisitDenmark

S07 TB0404 2014 Denmark_Layout 1 02/04/2014 10:42

Self-drive dealsfrom operators A NUMBER of operators arepromoting self-drive dealsto Denmark.

Agents booking withDFDS Seaways by April 30will be able to save theirclients 20% on regularprices, which means that acar and four people cantravel from £98 per personeach way. Seewww.dfdsseaways.co.uk/lovedenmark for details.

Wexas Travel offers an11-day 'Best of Denmark'self-drive holiday, whichtakes in the country's mainhighlights, with prices from£1,085. Call 020-7590 0610for details.

Baltic Travel Companyoffers an eight-day self-drive holiday from £965(call 020-8233 2875), whileTaber Holidays ishighlighting a nine-night,self-drive 'March of theVikings' tour from £1,386.Call 01274-875199.For more information onself-drive breaks seewww.visitdenmark.co.uk/selfdrive

CLIENTS LOOKING for afairytale adventure inDenmark are beinginvited to visit the islandof Fyn, the birthplace ofHans Christian Andersen.

At the author’s house,located in Odense, guestswill have the opportunityto see the tale of‘Fyrtøjet’ (‘TheTinderbox’) beingperformed on stage.Following theperformance, visitors willbe able to continue theadventure on an OdenseÅfart river boat ride, withcharacters from thefairytales coming to lifealong the route. Visitorscan also see how villagelife was in the days ofHans Christian Andersenand board one of thetrains at Denmark’sRailway Museum inOdense.

Alternatively, clientscan experience a knight’stournament at NyborgCastle, one of Denmark’smost importantmonuments from theMiddle Ages andLadbyskibet, or seeDenmark’s onlypreserved Viking shipburial.

The island’s mildclimate offers optimalconditions for a variety ofproduce and seasonalspecialties, with manycafés, gourmetrestaurants, inns andfood festivals.

Those who enjoy theactive side of life can alsoexperience more than1,000km of cycling routeson the island, alongsidehiking and water-basedactivities. Fyn has alsorecently welcomed itsfirst fishing lodge, whichis situated in the seatrout preserve on Helnæsby Assens.For more informationvisit www.visitfyn.com

LOCATED IN the heart of Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter and designed by Danish architect Erik Møllers, DesignHotels’ new SKT. PETRI has been renovated from a former department store. Rates at the 268-room hotel,which offers minimalist Scandinavian design, start from €137 (approximately £115) per night. For travelagents booking through the hotel group’s GDS, a commission of 10% is offered, while a small number are at8%. The company is currently offering a Nordic Delights package, details of which can be found atwww.designhotels.com/nordic-delights

Fairytaleadventures on

Fyn island


denmark

Copenhagen gears up for summer eventsCOPENHAGEN IS preparing for a schedule of high-profileevents in the upcoming months.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2014, which will take placefrom May 6-10, is expected to bring 190,000 participants andfans to the city, while a further 170million around the worldwill watch on TV.

Copenhagen’s pedestrianised shopping street, Strøget, willbe transformed into the first-ever Eurovision Fan Mile - amile-long party route with representation from, among others,Beijing, Hamburg and Malmö. Moreover, the city has providedCopenhagen Pride with the necessary funds to ensure aEurovision Pride Square in central Copenhagen. TheMunicipality of Copenhagen is also providing an opportunityfor couples looking to tie the knot at Copenhagen Opera Houseor on a sightseeing boat during the celebrations.

Meanwhile, for the tenth time in a row, the CopenhagenCooking Festival will take place in August, offering visitors arange of culinary experiences.

Also in August is the HamletScenen(www.hamletscenen.dk/uk), a festival dedicated to the worksof Shakespeare with plays acted out on the stage in thecourtyard of Hamlet’s Castle. This year, celebratingShakespeare’s 450th birthday, Shakespeare’s Globe actorsfrom London will be performing their production of ‘Much AdoAbout Nothing’ on August 1, 2, 3 and 4. An open-air screeningof British director Peter Brooke’s ‘King Lear’ from 1971 willalso be shown on August 9 at 21:00. As a new initiative,Shakespeare in Concert will conclude the festival on August10. Every day throughout July, HamletScenen will also presentthe annual Shakespeare Puppets, a theatrical productionusing puppets, music, mimicry and sound to tell the story of,this year, ‘King Lear’.For more information visit www.visitcopenhagen.com


WE DID YOUR HOMEWORKNorth Sealand is only 30 min. from Copenhagen and offers attrac tions ranging from world-class cultural sites and gastronomy to small fishing villages and beachfront hotels. Let us inspire you with our 5 new holiday concepts or our unique venues for special meetings. You can easily create custom itineraries and holiday packages. See for yourself at visitnorthsealand.com

Unique Meeting & Holiday Concepts: Love on a bike Dessert Weekend Along the Danish Riviera KINGS CHALLENGE Go hiking

For further information please

contact Project Manager

Birgitte Bergman

[email protected]

denmark

FRED. OLSEN Cruise Lines has beenawarded the inaugural ‘Aalborg Hotdogof Honour’ for its services to the Danishdestination.

The line, which operates a fleet offour smaller, more intimate ships -Balmoral, Braemar, Boudicca andBlack Watch - is offering a number ofcruises from the UK to Aalborg, a portin Northern Jutland, Denmark, thisyear.

To celebrate and brand Aalborg asthe ‘Happy Hotdog Port’, the localbronze artist, Lene Steffensen, hasproduced a number of limited-editionhotdogs out of the metal. The ‘AalborgHotdogs of Honour’ will be presented tokey representatives of the cruisecompanies which visit Aalborg.

The line's itinerary planningmanager, Martin Lister, said: “It is veryspecial for us to be awarded the veryfirst ‘Aalborg Hotdog of Honour’. We areproud to be able to offer our guestsunique and different experiences in thehundreds of ports around the world thatthat we visit, and we are delighted thatour colleagues at Aalborg Harbour have

decided to recognise our commitmentto them in this outstanding andhumorous way."

Pictured with the award at theLondon launch of the line’s new 2015/16programme last month are, from theleft: Lars Bech, cruise manager at the

Port of Aalborg; Martin Lister, itineraryplanning manager at the cruise line; the‘Viking chef’, Jesper Lynge; and HelgeSøgaard from VisitAalborg. For further information visitwww.fredolsencruises.com andwww.aalborghavn.dk

Fred. Olsen awarded inaugural ‘Aalborg Hotdog of Honour’


BEST SERVED Scandinavia has launched a new luxury tailor-made Danish self-driveitinerary, Royal Denmark, which includes the chance to stay at some of Denmark'sfinest boutique hotels, all of which are part of the Small Danish Hotels Group. Theholiday begins in the capital Copenhagen, before taking guests through ruralcountryside to picturesque towns and villages, castles and ancient Viking ruins.Prices start from £1,140 per person including flights, car hire for six days and sevennights' breakfast accommodation.

SAS reduces fares for SAS Plus service SAS HAS reduced lead-in fares for its SAS Plus service from Heathrow toDenmark, with prices now starting from £205 return and £127 one-way toCopenhagen. The price includes seats at the front of the plane, lounges,FastTrack, two checked bags, complimentary food and drink and fullyflexible tickets. Flights from Heathrow to Copenhagen in SAS Go start areavailable from £132 return and £78 one-way. The airline has also launcheda new direct Leeds Bradford to Copenhagen route with fares from £92 one-way. All prices include taxes and charges. For details call 0871-226 7760 or visit www.flysas.co.uk

We asked our staff thefollowing question this week:

What would you do with£1million?

Publisher: Jeanette [email protected] car, side extension on the house and investwhatever was left!

Editor: Lauretta [email protected] new car, a family holiday & save the rest!

Assistant Editor: Jill [email protected]’d treat myself and give the rest to family and charity

Contributing Editor: Paul [email protected] it all (wisely)

Sales Director: Simon [email protected] it to charity

Advertisement Manager: Tim [email protected] AC Cobra and plastic surgery for the wife

Online Sales Manager: Nick [email protected] a bigger house, cash outright with one half. Investthe rest in my own projects

Account Manager: Bill [email protected] Travel Bulletin

Sales Executive: Chris [email protected] it

Sales Executive: Matt [email protected] yacht filled up to the brim with fine food & drink,setting off into the sunset!

Senior Designer: Genaro [email protected] Veyron

Assistant Designer: Nicky [email protected]£1 million worth of loo roll (extra soft, triple ply)

Production: Erica Sesay [email protected] a house in the UK and Africa

Circulation Manager: Jim [email protected]

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Crossword:Across: 1. KUONI, 3. VEGAS, 6. TENNESSEE, 7. BOSNIA, 9. BALA, 11. JAVA, 12. KIGALI, 15. LES DENNIS, 16. SIENA,17. SWISS. Down: 1. KATY B, 2. IBERIA, 3. VISA, 4. GRENADA, 5. STENA, 8. SEVILLE, 10. BIKERS, 11. JONES, 13. IPSOS, 14. ASIA.

Highlighted Word: VERONA

Travagrams: (top) Versailles (bottom) Gulf Air

Where Am I?: Brazil

puzzlesolutions


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TABER HOLIDAYS has launched a new seven-day tour, The World of Hans ChristianAndersen. The tour starts in Odense, the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, withguests being greeted by a landscape of cobbled stone streets, remote castles and a Gothiccathedral. Guests will also get the chance to visit a museum dedicated to the author.Meanwhile, Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world, awaits inCopenhagen, where several of the rides are themed around Hans Christian Andersen’sfairytales. The capital is also home to the Little Mermaid statue. Prices start from £1,036per person and include seven nights’ breakfast accommodation, flights from Heathrow toCopenhagen and a rail journey from Copenhagen to Odense. The price is based on twosharing and daily departures are from May 1-September 30. For more information call 01274-875199 or visit www.taberhols.co.uk


Aarhus Denmark's Second Biggest CityAlong the route you will find Denmark's second biggest city, Aarhus. The city offersnumerous attractions including the Museum "Den Gamle By (The Old Town), wherevisitors can see what it would have been like to live and work in a 19th centuryDanish town.

North Denmark The Land of LightThe route passes through North Jutland and allows visitors a chance to get close tonature in this extensive area full of contrasts with endless white beaches, sanddunes, cliffs, heathland and forests. You can also pay a visit to the romantic fishingtown of Skagen, offering seafood restaurants and classic seaside hotels.

North Zealand Home of HamletThe route covers Denmark's largest Island Zealand, and if you follow the route northyou can discover grand castles and pretty villages in Royal North Zealand.Experience the historic Kronborg Castle, known as Hamlet's Castle, as it wasinspiration for Shakespeare's play about the tragic Danish prince.

River Gudenaaen Yours to exploreThe Marguerite Route passes by the picturesque River Gudenaa, the longest river inDenmark. A trip along Gudenaaen offers a relaxing atmosphere, with fantastic andvaried scenery. Enjoy a relaxing day of canoeing on the river or ride a bike throughthe fantastic landscape.

Vejle The Vikings in JelllingFollowing the route south, you reach the town of Vejle. Here you find the historictown of Jelling where two tenth century runic stones hold special significance forDanes, as the one erected in AD983 by Viking King Harald Bluetooth is known as the’birth certificate of Denmark’.

Come and discover DenmarkDiscover Denmark's Marguerite Route on a self-drive holiday. The country isblessed with a picturesque, rolling scenery of unspoiled farmland, forestsand heaths, not to mention mile upon mile of pristine coastline - much ofwhich can be encountered by following the 3,600km Marguerite Route.

Recommended Denmark Specialists

DFDS Seaways dfds.co.uk call 0871 522 9955

Wexas Travel wexas.com/scandinavia call 0207 590 0610

Taber Holidays taberhols.co.uk call 01274 875199

Baltic Travel Company baltictravelcompany.com call 0208 233 2875

Inntravel inntravel.co.uk call 01653 617000

For more information, offers and inspiration go to visitdenmark.co.uk

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Come to DenmarkStunning nature and vibrant cities

Explore Denmark's mostpicturesque self drive route,The Marguerite Route

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DFDS Seaways Sail to DenmarkDFDS Seaways operates the only ferry route from the UK to Scandinavia, fromHarwich to Esbjerg. Travelling by sea to Denmark means your can take your ownvehicle and explore at your own pace. You can also take as much luggage as youlike and enjoy the on-board facilities and entertainment as you sail.

Small Danish Hotels Your Shortcut to Danish HappinessSmall Danish Hotels are 100 beautiful, historic inns, modern, city hotels, fairytale castles and romantic manors, which are full of charm, intimacy and warmth.You will find them by the coast, in the city and in the country – always near allthe main Danish attractions.


EUROPE | RUSSIANow ALL INCLUSIVE on every European itinerary | Including door-to-door holiday transfers

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travel bulletin 4th april 2014

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