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WATER BABES...Attraction World recently hosted an attraction-packed day in London for 20 Thomas Cook managers from the South division, who were the operator's best sellers during March and April. Pictured enjoying a trip on a Thames Jet Boat are, from the left: (back row): Stephanie Tregunno, Edward Jennings, Andy Watmough and Kathleen Booth, with (front row): Abigail Skinner, Natalie King, Elaine Stephens and Bianca Whaley.
This Week news 3
Inset - Cyplon Holidays
the latest industry news, product launches & developments
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notes from normanton
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agent bulletin
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puzzle bulletin
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conference update
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bulletin briefing
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Cover Pictures: Main - Piers Golden, TNTO
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Sandy chats to Carrier's new business development manager, Raj Mistry a round-up of new agent offers & booking incentives play Su Doku for a chance to win a £50 Love2Shop voucher from Voyages-sncf
Jill Sayles reports from AITO Agents' overseas conference in Prague updates from Advantage's annual conference in Dubai
training new training opportunities plus the night in pictures from our Mediterranean Islands Showcase
personality bulletin the business development manager of the Israel Government Tourist Office takes this week's hot seat
all-inclusives as the trend for all-inclusive breaks heats up, tempt your clients with some sizzling offers
north africa we find out what's new for Tunisia from the tourist office's head of promotions
www.travelbulletin.co.uk
Survey reveals Brits spend four days planning the right holiday BRITISH HOLIDAYMAKERS now browse at least eight different websites, talk to four different friends and read three travel articles ahead of committing to their holiday, according to research undertaken by Club Med. The average holiday abroad now involves more than 30 hours of preparation – a whole four working days, as Brits rely on social media and the internet to pick the best holiday spot. The survey found that more than a quarter of respondents admit to instantly researching a hotel or destination after seeing it on social media. The study of 2,000 holidaymakers also found that Brits rack up a total of four-and-a-half-hours scouring the web for feedback and recommendations from social media ahead of
committing to a holiday. Other four-and-a-half hours are spent looking for the right hotel and room price, while similar time is invested in working out airport logistics and checking for the best flight deals. The change in holiday preparation has changed massively since the start of the digital age, with more than a quarter of people in the study admitting they used to book a holiday just by looking at a brochure, and pinning all their hopes on it being nice. Many remember the days of booking a resort and hoping it would turn out successful, with concerns over the quality of the resort meaning many holidaymakers were on edge until arriving at their holiday destination. The biggest fears behind
booking holidays include low quality of facilities (63%) and low quality food (47%). Concerns of being let down on holiday mean people are now turning to online recommendations to ensure they make the right decision. The operator's managing director, Eric Chauvet, said “Our expectations of a holiday are now a lot higher as people arm themselves with far more information before committing to going away. Finding out about other people’s experiences at the same hotel or resort is now deemed essential before progressing with the holiday. People want to know everything they can to make sure the enjoyment of their holiday isn’t jeopardised and the extent to which they’ll prepare is clearly shown in our survey results."
Avalon Waterways launches latest suite ship on the Danube AVALON WATERWAYS has launched its newest ‘Panorama Suite Ship’, the 83stateroom Avalon Illumination, in a ceremony in Vienna hosted by the Vienna Tourist Board. With the same state-of-the art design as its sister ships, Avalon Illumination is the third addition to the company's fleet this year offering two full decks of suites, each with wall-to-wall panoramic windows which open up to create open-air balconies, designed with comfort in mind. Next year the company plans to
introduce another two Suite Ships – Avalon Tapestry II and Avalon Tranquility II – giving it a total of ten Suite Ships in an overall European fleet of 15 vessels.
Pictured at the christening ceremony of Avalon Illumination are, from the left: Captain Anton van den Boom with Stewart Williams, Deborah Hutton and Patrick Clark from Avalon Waterways.
June 20 2014
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