Travel Bulletin 26th April 2013

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

preview issue It’s time to vote for the stars of 2013!

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

This Week news 3 a round-up of the latest industry offers & product announcements

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Cover Pictures: Main - The Landmark London Hotel

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notes from normanton find out why Sandy feels perturbed after reading a Sunday newspaper

agent bulletin updates on new booking incentives, fam trips & offers

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puzzle bulletin

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hotel bulletin

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event bulletin

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star awards preview

play Su Doku for your chance to win a £50 Hotel Chocolat voucher

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

images and thoughts on Travel Bulletin’s Caribbean showcase event

a special look at this year’s Travel Bulletin Star Awards

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

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

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

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

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

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newsbulletin Superbreak's new brochure coincides with government-backed £4m domestic tourism drive SUPERBREAK HAS launched its 2013/14 programme featuring new products and short break ideas for agents to promote.

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

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

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

TV, cinemas and online plus there will be posters on billboards and at transport sites. There is lots of activity planned with the trade and I hope they embrace the UK during this period especially and turn the interest being generated into bookings.”

Overall, prices for the new programme lead in at £29 per person, per night at the three-star Paragon Hotel in Birmingham on a bed-and-breakfast basis and £32.50 per person, per night in London at the three-star Hampstead Britannia Hotel on a room-only basis.

For more information or to book call 0871-221 4444 or visit www.superbreak.com/agents

America As You Like It marks Massachusetts’ attendance at Chelsea Flower Show AMERICA AS You Like It is offering two new holiday itineraries to celebrate Massachusetts’ appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show.

These include an eight-night ‘Highlights & Gardens of Massachusetts’ self-drive tour, taking in Boston, Cambridge, Sturbridge, Salem, the Berkshires and Cape Cod. Prices lead in at £1,215 per person including flights, accommodation and car hire.

Another new tour is an eight-night ‘Historic Gardens of America’s Northeast’ escorted coach tour in conjunction with Collette Worldwide, who have become the escorted tour company for the RHS. Prices lead in at £2,699 per person including flights, transfers, accommodation and the services of a guide.

To book or for details email sales@americaasyoulikeit.com, visit www.americaasyoulikeit.com or call 020-8742 8299.

Cosmos & Avro expand Glasgow departures for peak summer season COSMOS HOLIDAYS and Avro Flights have launched a range of holidays and flights from Glasgow to the Balearic island of Mallorca on peak season summer dates to meet demand for regional flying.

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

More than 100 hotels and

apartments are on offer in a choice of city and beach resorts with three- to five-diamond rated accommodation and different board bases to suit all.

Seven-night holiday packages are priced from £399 per person including flights and seven nights' self-catering accommodation at the two-diamond rated Arcos Playa Apartments, based on six sharing a two-bedroom apartment.

The Mallorca flights are in addition

to the Florida flights and holidays already available from Glasgow, again for peak summer departures for flight-only, fly/drives and packages are on June 27, July 4 and 11.

Flight-only leads in at £749 per person including taxes, based on a two-week duration, while 14-night package prices cost from £999 per adult and £799 per child including flights, seven nights' room-only accommodation and car hire.

Social media has killed the postcard, according to latest Skyscanner survey

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

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SOCIAL MEDIA is now the most popular way for travellers to communicate with friends and family back home, while only 6% now send a postcard when they go on holiday, according to Skyscanner's latest survey of 1,200 travellers.

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

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

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

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newsbulletin Tweets of the Week Who’s saying what on Twitter... @VisitBritain Take a London Theatreland Walking Tour and discover the history of the West End. Tours run April-Dec: http://bit.ly/ZgBPgx @ABTAtravel Registrations are now open for ABTA's Complaint Handling Workshop in June. http://bit.ly/12mBb2P @canadanim 30 Skiers Backflip Together in Canada At Same Time At Mont SaintSauveur...: youtu.be/i3RV5UUmrLA via @YouTube @traveltraining Agents! @BourneLeisure invites agents to experience Warner Leisure Hotels this Spring from £79 per room per night http://bit.ly/13jaqLE @UKHurtigruten Take a look at the video that is now winning awards! The whole Norwegian Coast in an hour on board Hurtigruten http://fb.me/Jis6PGEt @LegerHolidays We have a great collection of live events, but are there any others you'd like us to feature in the future? http://t.co/v0ezCCMUv2

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

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

'Easy Rider' film tour from EagleRider MOTORCYCLE RENTAL and tour company, EagleRider, has opened two new outposts in the US in Portland, Oregon and Cleveland BMW, Ohio.

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

New for May is an 'Easy Rider' tour, based on the Hollywood classic starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper.

The 15-day tour offers participants the chance to visit exact locations where the movie was filmed, and ride from the highways of Southern California to Death Valley, Monument Valley to Taos, New Mexico, then across the plains of Texas down to New Orleans to experience the jazz and blues music and to celebrate Billy and Wyatt style.

Riders will also get to see behind the scenes movie props, stand on locations the film was shot and ride the new Captain America bike that the company has commissioned. The tour is offered six times throughout this year, between May and October and is sold through multiple trade partners including TUI, Virgin Holidays, Black Tomato, Abercrombie & Kent and Bon Voyage. Prices lead in at £2,770 per person.

For more information or to book see www.eaglerider.com or email travel@eaglerider.com

Take off on a European May break with BA BRITISH AIRWAYS is offering three nights at the four-star Avicenna Hotel, Istanbul from £449 per person, based on selected travel next month. The price includes flights from Leeds Bradford to Istanbul, via Heathrow and breakfast accommodation.

A four-night stay at the four-star Novotel Athenes, Athens leads in at £519 per person based on selected travel next month. The price includes flights and accommodation.

For details visit ba.com/holidayfinder or call 0844-493 0758.

New terminal location at Heathrow for Avis Car Rental AVIS CAR Rental has announced the launch of its new location at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, making it the first car rental company to operate in the new terminal.

As the exclusive car hire partner for British Airways and Iberia, the company has been chosen to be based at the terminal to offer car hire for the 80,000 passengers using T5 on a daily basis.

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By renting with the company, business and leisure travellers will not have to take a bus to their car rental facility and will therefore save an average of 20 minutes on travel time, reducing the overall transfer time from plane to car. Customers will also benefit from the car rental's partnership with both airlines, earning Avis points on rentals.

For more information visit www.avis.co.uk

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

Fred. Olsen expands 2014/15 cruises programme and adds to UK ports choice FRED. OLSEN Cruise Lines has launched its 2014/15 programme of sailings to a total of 246 destinations in 85 countries, using its fleet of four smaller ships, the largest of which is the Balmoral which carries 1,350 passengers.

A new departure for the company, in more ways than one, is its addition of Avonmouth and Tilbury to its UK departure ports. They join Southampton, Dover, Harwich, Liverpool, Newcastle, Rosyth, Greenock and Belfast. The other ships in the fleet are the 929-passenger Braemar, 880-passenger Boudicca and 804-passenger Black Watch, reflecting the increasing popularity of no-fly cruises.

The company's sales and marketing director Nathan Philpot said: "We're delighted to be extending the choice of convenient regional departure ports because we know that travel to and from the port is a key decision-maker when choosing a cruise."

New elements of the programme include more overnight stays in cities to give guests more time at the destination and a new series of two-night introductory cruises. At the other end of the duration scale is what the company describes as its most ambitious Grand Voyage ever - a 119-night Exploring the Far East itinerary on the Balmoral, which recently returned to Southampton after a 112-night World Cruise. Philpot said: "I guess my heart has always been in the Far East since I joined Kuoni over ten years ago, so our 2015 Asia Grand Voyage is very special and I'm personally delighted to have helped create a cruise that balances land and sea content with some really wonderful and iconic places such as Burma, Vietnam, China and the Maldives."

The new brochure is out this week. Details at www.fredolsencruises.com

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RIVIERA TRAVEL has become the latest company to sign up to the Association of Cruise Experts (ACE).

TRAVELPORT HAS announced a new agreement with On the Beach. Carrying more than 900,000 passengers every year, On the Beach creates tailored holiday itineraries to popular beach destinations around the world. The partnership will allow the online agent to offer new hotel and flight options.

THE TOURISM Council of Bhutan (TCB) has launched a new visitor’s website at www.tourism.gov.bt, offering travel information and advice to all travellers to the country. The site includes an interactive map, which breaks the country down into Eastern, Central and Western regions, providing information and locations of all available trekking routes, Dzongs, monasteries, hotels and attractions in each.

1ST CLASS Holidays is offering free transfers between the Rocky Mountaineer Railway station and selected hotels for new bookings made by the end of May and travelling between May and September this year. The offer, which is valid for bookings on Rocky Mountaineer’s First Passage to the West, Journey Through the Clouds and Coastal Passage routes offers free transport to guests between the station plus overnight hotel stays at the start and end of their rail journey. The offer applies to selected hotels in Vancouver, Banff, Jasper and Seattle.

For details see www.1stclassholidays.com BELLEAIR HOLIDAYS is offering a May sale with a £20 per person discount on all May holidays to Malta, Gozo and Comino plus holiday deals from £324 per person on a number of its leading properties on the islands. The offer is available for any duration and applies to departures between May 1-31 for bookings made by May 6.

For details see www.belleair.co.uk/agents or call 0845-365 3412.

COCKTAIL CLASS...Tourism KwaZulu-Natal hosted a group of UK tour operators on an educational last month. Pictured relaxing at the Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga are, from the left: Khanyisile Mcunu, Oyster Box; Melissa Pereira, Infinity Holidays; Natasha Chapman, Premier Holidays; and Hannah Courtman, Wanderforth.

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newsbulletin Explore Travel signs flight agreement with Monarch Airlines

Notes from . . . n o t n a m r o N

PLANS BY Explore Travel to double the number of holidays booked in 2013 from its inaugural 2012 sales have been boosted by the signing of a flight agreement with First Aviation for seats on the scheduled carrier, Monarch Airlines.

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

The agreement follows the launch of the operator's Croatia brand, Explore Croatia, for 2013 which offers a selection of handpicked villas, apartments and hotels along the Southern Dalmatian coastline.

TV & radio campaign from Irish Ferries AN’T BELIEVE what I read in the Sunday Mail (The Crafty Traveller by Fred Mawer) - whose side is he on? Certainly not the independent travel agent! At first I thought Fred was praising the independent travel agent with his headline ‘Off on a long-haul trip? Try starting in the High Street’. No such luck. He said ‘These days, most of us arrange our trips for ourselves on the internet’ and ‘If we need advice, we can phone a travel agent’ (Yes, because we all like wasting time on the phone giving out free advice!) and ‘Many of the best work from home through an organisation called Travel Counsellors’. I’m not doubting some Travel Counsellors are good but they aren’t the only homeworkers out there. He went on to say that other major holiday companies like Kuoni and Virgin now have shops and that he visited both in Cardiff: ‘Kuoni and Virgin were worth visiting if you are after packaged long-haul holidays and when forking out for expensive trips with perhaps complex itineraries, as is often the case with Kuoni and Virgin Holidays, a face-to-face chat can make all the difference in ending up with what you want’ although he did point out they only sell their own holidays & those from sister companies so clients won’t be offered a wide range of booking options. So Fred, why not go into a ‘proper’ travel agent who has the experience and knowledge of a wide range of operators? Also, there are quite a few ABTA bonded travel agents in Cardiff so it’s a pity you didn’t visit them. It’s also sad that you think most of us arrange our trips on the internet – there are a lot of people out there that still want to talk to someone properly and get an excellent personal service.

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

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by SANDRA MURRAY in Normanton, Yorkshire

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WEBSCLUSIVES ●

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

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Travel Bulletin recently hosted our first-ever Caribbean Showcase event in London. For a full report, photo coverage and video highlights go to: www.travelbulletin.co.uk/events

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Missed our annual All About The Caribbean supplement? You can still view it online at www.travelbulletin.co.uk

All this and more at: To respond to any of Sandy’s comments email jill. sayles@travelbulletin.co.uk

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

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

Fares to Ireland start from £79 for a car and driver, one-way.

For more information see www.irishferries.com or call 0871-730 0400.

April 26 2013

www.travelbulletin.co.uk The home of the web savvy travel agent

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agentbulletin Booking incentives ●

1ST CLASS Holidays has teamed up with the Canadian Tourism Commission to give away a range of agent goodies, including a place on a fam to Western Canada, every week throughout this month and next. Every booking, regardless of duration or value, will be entered into a weekly prize draw that could see agents winning Flip HD video cameras, cuddly bears, rugby shirts, Kindles and the star fam prize.

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TRAVEL 2 has teamed up with the Namibia Tourism Board to give agents the chance to win one of four Kindles with a preloaded Namibia Lonely Planet guide book and limited edition cover. Agents must make a new holiday booking to Namibia with the operator by June 30 to be entered into the prize draw, where four agents will win the limited edition Kindles.

For details see www.travel2.com

Agent training

THE CANADIAN Tourism Commis sion and industry partners will be hosting travel age nts in Bournemouth and Bristol on Tuesday April 30 and Wednesday May 1 respectively. The evening networking eve nts will invite agents to meet representatives from the Canadian provinces; Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitob a, Ontario and Quebec; three airline partners - Air Can ada, British Airways and Westjet; luxury hotel chain, Fair mont Hotels and Resorts; rail company, Rocky Mountainee r; and operator partner, Prestige Holidays. The events will feature a fun quiz over dinner, with the chance to win priz es.

For details or to request an invite email visitcanada@dial.pipex.com ATTRACTION WORLD has relaunc hed its online training programme with additional mo dules and prizes to be won.

Seven modules are now feature d - the UK, Florida, Mainland Spain, Spanish Islands , Turkey, Mexico and The Far East. Each module covers the top attractions in the destination, along with facts and figures plus top tips about pre-booking excursions.

New additions include Mexico and the Far East due to the growing popularity of the two destinations. Prizes are also up for grabs for agents who complete the trainin g before May 10, including an iPod Shuffle, cinema tickets and cuddly toys.

For details see www.attractionwo rldtraining.com

CRUIS E CONTROL...Stephen Worsw ick from Highgate Travel won the star prize last year in The Private Travel Company & Four Seasons incentive, a week in the Maldi ves.

Stephen is pictured sunning himself on the Four Seasons Explorer.

Fancy a fam?

TRAVEL INDOCHINA, in conjunction with Vietnam Airlines, is running a mega fam to Vietnam. Valid over three dates in June, the ten-day itinerary includes all flights, seven nights’ luxury accommodation and touring for £895 per person, with companion fares leading in at £995. The discounted fam trips will depart on June 5, 12 and 26 and there will be 16 places per departure for agents and a travelling companion. The itinerary takes in Saigon, Danang and Hanoi, with fivestar accommodation provided in each location.

Sightseeing, entrance fees, breakfast and other meals are also included and places are valid for all agents who have a trading contract with the operator. An additional £200 per person is required for single supplements (agent only).

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DAVIES' DEAL...Nici Davies (righ t) from Travelwise won Travel 2's agen t of the month award. Along with overa ll UK winners for the month of Februa ry, Nici has won a place on a fam trip. Pictu red with Nici is the operator's Hollie Smith .

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

Serenity Holidays launches new trade site with agent holiday competition SERENITY HOLIDAYS has launched a new trade area on its website that incorporates all of its specialist brands into one site.

Agents can order brochures, posters and training tools, as well as keep up to date with latest concessions and news.

Access to the operator’s individual product sites also assists agents with availability checks and online bookings.

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

Kotu on a bed-and-breakfast basis, including flights from Gatwick, courtesy of its Gambia Experience brand www.gambia.co.uk To enter, agents are asked to spot random words which will be added to the website’s home page every week over six weeks. Agents should email three of the random words to trade@serenity.co.uk along with their details. All correct entries will be put into a hat, with the winner drawn on May 17.

For details see www.serenity.co.uk/trade and to register a log in and password email trade@serenity.co.uk

Cyprus Tourism Organisation offers advice in wake of banking developments THE CYPRUS Tourism Organisation (CTO) is offering advice to British travellers visiting the island this summer following recent banking developments.

The CTO's UK director Orestis Rossides said: “In the main, the situation for those looking to visit Cyprus remains unchanged; hotels and most restaurants continue to operate normally and ATM withdrawal limits have returned to standard levels.

"We would advise visitors looking to bring in more than €1,000 to declare the extra on arrival at customs as the limit for cash being taken out of the country remains at this amount."

As the island gears up for a busy season ahead, hoteliers, operators and agents have extended special offers and promotions for visitors who may have delayed booking a holiday until now.

Examples include a seven-night breakfast stay at the five-star boutique Annabelle Hotel from £958 per person throughout May, based on two sharing from Classic Collection Holidays, including flights and private transfers; a seven-night half-board stay at the five-star Atlantica Aeneas from £499 from Thomson next month, including flights and transfers; and seven nights' self-catering at the Redfield Cottage,

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

Rossides said: “In light of the recent domestic banking developments, we are keen to reassure travellers to Cyprus that its tourism offering remains strong. Not unexpectedly, during March, sales slowed, but operators and hoteliers have reported that bookings are still being made. The current promotions on offer represent a great opportunity for those looking for a last-minute sun-filled break.”

For more information see www.visitcyprus.com

Fred. Olsen launches new tour operator brand FRED. OLSEN Travel has launched a new tour operator brand called Fred.\ The operator will initially feature city break and tailormade holidays to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and central Europe, and is being headed up by ex Dertour head of sales, Lawrence Peachey.

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

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

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

Agents looking to work with the new operator should call 0808-159 5256 or e-mail lawrence@fred.travel

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puzzlebulletin Travagrams

Su Doku Win a £50 Hotel Chocolat voucher in the travelbulletin Su Doku prize puzzle Number: 109

Can you solve the following anagrams to decipher the destination & tour operator?

Dictator Tarn Owl

A➠

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

C➠

Clone Ref

D➠ 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: competition@travelbulletin.co.uk Closing date for entries is Thursday, May 2nd. Solution and new puzzle will appear next week.

The winner for 12th April is Jane Savage, The Co-operative Travel in Peterborough.

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

Birthplace of the Italian Renaissance eclipsed by band with same name

Where Am I?

Liquorice cakes are found here.

Crossword Across 1. International hotel chain (6) 3. Desert resort city in California, ___ Springs (4) 7. Rotorua airport code (3) 8. Place of pilgrimage in the foothills of the Pyrenees (7) 9. Antipodean city (9) 11. Mountain range, known as The Roof of the World (9) 15. Bucharest is the capital (7) 16. Famous stand, part of Liverpool's Anfield Stadium (3) 17. City home of the National Railway Museum (4) 18. Country on the island of Borneo (6)

Down 1. Northern Irish golf champion (4,7) 2. Roadside accommodation (5) 4. Pop musician and reality TV star, Peter (5) 5. Jackson is the state capital (11) 6. German region and river (4) 8. Star sign (3) 10. American actress, Ms Thurman (3) 11. Cartoon character, sounds like an ancient Greek (5) 12. Chinese dynasty (4) 13. Larnaca International airport code (3) 14. Canada's smallest territory (5)

Number: 109

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

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

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

Pictured at the St Bernardus brewery in Watou near Ypres are, from the left: Tony Cancelliere, Shortbreaks; Kirstie Boon, Cresta; Lisa Thomas and Andrew Daines, Visit Flanders; Patricia Parry, Shearings; and Jon Taylor, Serenity Holidays.

Leger Holidays announces new First World War anniversary tours for 2014 WITH 2014 marking the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, Leger Holidays is launching three special battlefield tours to commemorate some of the key dates and locations.

One of the new tours, the ‘Great War Centenary Tour: The Western Front from End to End’ is unique to the market. The Western Front dominated the soldiers’ experience and also our modern understanding of World War One, and this tour will, for the first time, allow travellers to take in the full 450-miles of the front, from the beaches of Belgium to the Swiss

Keeping an i on Apps

launched UP GIE has EURAIL GRO gned to er app, desi the Rail Plann InterRail Pass l and assist Eurai d offers app is free an e holders. Th ed to ss holders ne their e everything pa ut ec plan and ex e successfully in fl of g by providin rail journey r fo n io format timetable in ains and l European tr na io at intern app, an e As an offlin connections. nger lo no ection is internet conn en be ce it’s necessary on ailable The app is av d. de oa downl gle Play. oo Store or G pp A e th from e For details se up.org ro lg ai www.eur

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April 26 2013

border. In addition to the well-known battlefields, it also takes in sites less commonly explored – from huge trench systems tucked away in the woods to the still blood-stained floors in a church which was used as a dressing station.

Two further anniversary tours are ‘First Shots and the Battle of Mons 100 years’, visiting the battlefields where British troops first went to war, and the ‘First Battle of Ypres Centenary’, the longest and most costly British battle in 1914, with 56,000 casualties.

Other available WWI and WWII battlefield tours include trips to Germany, Belgium, Italy, Jersey and

TRAVEL AP P, Australi a: Where to Go has b een revised to offer new conten t and imag es.

Features o f the revam ped app include ori ginal text th at gives context, nu ance and p ractical tips; entrie s filtered b y useful criteria lik e outback, beaches, family, luxu ry, urban a nd ecofriendly; re gional entr ies that function lik e mini app s; oneclick websi te and pho ne interface to get more informatio n; search o ption and off-line ma ps; and top ten summer an d winter tr ips.

For details see www.sutro media.com /apps/AUS TRALIA_Wh ere_to_Go

France. For clients looking to find out more about conflicts further afield or from different periods in history, the company also offers tours to sites involved in the American Civil War, Vietnam, the Boer and Zulu wars and the battle of Waterloo.

Prices lead in at £579 per person for seven days including breakfast accommodation, a specialist battlefields guide, a series of related excursions, travel by luxury Silver Service coach and free local joining points.

For more information see http://battlefields.leger.co.uk/ or call 0844-324 9256.

m’s Old O Jerusale VISITORS T a free d a lo w d ow n City can no -guided ers 16 self app that off mplete ing tours, co audio walk s and to o h videos, p with maps, hance n e to n rmatio further info p p takes ence. The a their experi ugh the a stroll thro visitors on ious and g li istoric, re h s y’ it C ld O s d ow n s, as well a cultural site ays. nown alleyw its lesser k ssible e lso five acc There are a for le b a are avail tours that to s ie it il b h disa visitors wit download. aded n be downlo The app ca m erusale from www.j l .i rg oldcity.o

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

S03 TB2604 News 2_Layout 1 24/04/2013 17:11 Page 13

hotelbulletin Marriott's new brand aims for 150 hotels in ten countries across Europe MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL has announced the launch of its new brand, MOXY HOTELS, its first entry into the economy tier, three-star hospitality segment in Europe.

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

To grow the brand rapidly, the company is working closely with Inter Hospitality who will be the initial developer and owner of the first MOXY HOTELS properties.

Marriott has selected Nordic Hospitality to be its first franchisee to operate the brand, which currently manages several Marriott brand hotels in Scandinavia.

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

"We are thrilled to be able Adagio announces to launch the brand with European expansion Inter Hospitality as an owner MOXY guestroom and Nordic as our franchisee.

APARTHOTELS ADAGIO, The company plans to add 150 franchised MOXY HOTELS in With a dedicated real estate part of a joint venture Europe over the next ten years, aiming for locations in partner and an experienced between Pierre & Germany, Austria, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, The operator, we expect a fast Vacances Center Parcs Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The start and the exceptional Group and Accor, has new brand will fuel the hotel group's companywide growth in customer service that is announced an aggressive the region, which is expected to reach 80,000 rooms by 2015. associated with all of European expansion plan Marriott’s brands.” to add 60 aparthotels in For more information visit www.marriott.com the next three years, bringing the total to 150 properties worldwide with more than 19,000 individual apartments.

According to the company, the UK has ● CONSTANCE HOTELS has rebranded itself from Constance Hotels Experience to Constance Hotels & been key to that growth.

Resorts and has grouped its properties in to Ultimate Hotels and Unique Resorts. The Ultimate hotels Following the opening of are boutique properties, intimate and exclusive while the Unique resorts tend to be larger and more its first UK property in informal while still offering a five-star experience.

Liverpool recently, ● ABAMA GOLF & Spa Resort in Tenerife has announced the launch of its complimentary Botanic Tour representing a key part – an opportunity for guests to take in the botanical garden and grounds that make up part of the of the £26million hotel’s 160 hectare private estate. The tour takes place weekly on Tuesday at 10:00. For details visit development of the www.abamahotelresort.com former Lewis’s ● IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed a franchise multiple development agreement (MDA) department store, the with Regional Hotel Chain, a portfolio company of VIY Management (VIYM) to develop 15 new hotels company plans to open in Russia by 2019, which, when open, will double the size of IHG’s estate there and will introduce the Birmingham in 2014 and Holiday Inn Express brand to the region for the first time. has major projects in the ● COUPLES RESORTS is to boost MICE business to Barbados by opening up its newly leased property on pipeline in London, the island to meetings and incentive groups this season. The company took over the lease of the Edinburgh, Manchester, Casuarina Beach Club earlier this year and, following a $3million upgrade programme, will re-brand Glasgow for both, Adagio it as Couples Barbados from this summer, making it the island’s first all-inclusive resort for adult and Adagio access. couples. MICE groups will have all the inclusive benefits the company offers its individual clients, from The company’s director a 24-hour food service, gourmet dining options, free sports and unlimited premium brand drinks.

Central & Northern ● MACDONALD HOTELS & Resorts has announced that 11 of its 45 hotels are to join ‘The Macdonald Europe Vangelis Porikis Hotels’ Signature Collection’. said: “We had a fantastic ● THE REZIDOR Hotel Group has announced a two-year partnership with Variety, the Children’s Charity. opportunity to launch our ● THE GREAT Northern Hotel, London’s first railway hotel, has re-opened this month for the first time chain of aparthotels in after 12 years following a comprehensive £40million renovation programme. Occupying a prime Liverpool. There is huge position between King’s Cross Station and St Pancras International, the privately owned Grade II demand for listed building forms an integral part of King’s Cross station, with the signature dome of the new accommodation here and Western Concourse designed to fit the crescent shape of the hotel itself. we believe we can bring ● CENTARA WATERGATE Pavillion Hotel Bangkok, located in Bangkok's Pratunam fashion and garment something very different district, opened earlier this month. The four-star hotel is the fourth to be opened in Bangkok by the into the mix.” hotel group and offers 281 rooms and suites, designed for both business and leisure travellers.

InBrief

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

April 26 2013

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Photo Coverage Sponsored By

eventbulletin

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

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

Above: BROCHURE SHOW… Anthony Williams from Virgin Holidays and Norma Goldsmith (second from left) from Polarbus Travel learn the ropes from Vivienne Williams (second from right) and Tracy Knight from Turks & Caicos.

Below: SEEING CLEARLY… Andrew Hillier from Clear Marketing chats with Lesley Clements (left) from Travel Counsellors; Rachel Harris from Kuoni; and Gillian Davis (right) from Travel Counsellors.

Right: BAHAMAS BULLETIN...pictured showcasing the latest Bahamas information is Amelie Ruther (left) and Maria Grazia Marino (right) from the Bahamas Tourist Office with Nicola Blair from Cantebury Travel.

"Thank you to everyone involved in the event at the wonderful Intercontinental Hotel. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the tour operators representing the Caribbean and I learned a lot more about this great destination. See you again at the next one!"

Below: LIFT OFF…Juanita Collins (centre) from Caribbean Airlines catches up with Darren Seward and Jenny Gil’ciro from Thomas Cook.

Carol Smith, Co Operative Personal Travel Advisor

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April 26 2013

Above: TRAVELPACK TREASURE….Lisa Everson (left) from AMResorts presented Mala Ramchurn of Travelpack with her prize of three nights at a Dreams/Now Resort of her choice in Mexico or The Dominican Republic.

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

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Photo Coverage Sponsored By

eventbulletin Putting you in the picture...

Right: GRENADA GATHERING….Sola Thomson (left) and Sharon Bernstein (second from left) from Grenada Board of Tourism chat to Jodie Burton and Ben Lewis from Flight Centre.

Images of Travel Bulletin's Caribbean showcase event were provided by Fotoseeker.com. The company's clients include national tourist offices, hotels, resorts and cruise lines, who use the company's photo library software to distribute and promote their images to the world's media and travel professionals. The site now has users in more than 150 countries worldwide.

Partner of Fotoseeker.com Colin Antill said: "We have a particularly strong presence in the Caribbean supplying services to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, seven national tourist offices and numerous hotels and resorts.

"Our main website is the world's only 'one-stop-shop' for high resolution travel images delivered free of charge to the world's media and travel professionals. Our bespoke service offers customised image libraries integrated into our clients' websites."

For more information see www.fotoseeker.com or email colin@fotoseeker.com

Above: SIRENIS SISTERS… Sonia Lopez (right) from Sirenis Hotels offers the latest news and developments to, from the left: Nadia Morris, Roz Arnold and Marlyn Kelly from Travel Professionals.

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

LUCKY LEWIS…Ben Lewis (left) from Flight Centre was the winner of a three-night stay at Rosewood Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Pictured presenting Ben with his prize is the BVI’s Ginny Hawksley.

Above: LUCKY LAM...Lam Sim from Reliance Tours won a three-night stay at Half Moon Resort. Pictured with Lam is the resort’s Sharon Logan.

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

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

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

April 26 2013

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Let the countdown begin…

N A little over five months, the 17th annual Travel Bulletin Star Awards ceremony will take place and, as the most respected event in the travel industry, the time has now come to decide who is worthy of your vote.

In this special Awards Preview you can “read all about it” and see how you can play a crucial role in choosing who the winners are across 34 supplier categories, which have been divided into five industry sectors - Smooth Operators, Land Lords, High Fliers, Sea Captains and Best Supporting Acts.

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

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

I

on sale - visit www.travelbulletin.co.uk/awards to book your seats or to find out more about the many exciting sponsorship opportunities available.

The Star Awards evening will begin with a drinks reception and be followed by dinner and the awards presentation itself, concluding with entertainment and dancing late into the evening.

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

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

In the following pages we outline the importance of your involvement and explain some of the factors that you may like to consider when deciding on which suppliers deserve to win one of our coveted awards.

Let the voting commence!

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Vote of confidence S LOUIS L’Amour once said: “One who does not vote has no right to complain”. And he’s right. If you don’t have your say on which suppliers you believe are deserving of an award, you have less justification to complain when things don’t go the way you envisaged.

A

You have probably heard the expression ‘What goes around comes around’, and we can probably all recall real-life examples of when this has happened to us.

Here’s a tale to mull over: One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road needing help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”

owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need; he had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase.

Well, all she had was a flat tyre, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tyre. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.

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

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The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.

Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill.

The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back.

The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.” Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

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

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giving you support, offering a flexible service and great customer service, they too rely on you for feedback on how well they are performing, what their clients are really looking for and how they can improve their products and services. This is your chance to pay something back through voicing your opinion.

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

I don’t apologise for the repetition of this message. It’s important for agents to acknowledge and reward those suppliers whom they deem the most worthy of their vote.

It’s about ‘give and take’ and suppliers are counting on you to show your appreciation for their efforts.

through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard….

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

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

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

Think your one action won’t make a difference?

Think again….

While walking along a beach, an old man saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was a young boy, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.

He came closer still and called out, “Good morning!

May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

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

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

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

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

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

Whatever your thoughts on inspirational stories, there's no denying that there's a 'feel-good' factor when you hear about people who genuinely care. And because they care, they act. But if inspirational stories aren’t your cup of tea, then here’s some hard facts that relied on a single vote... ● ●

● ● ● ● ●

●

In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England.

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

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

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

In 1845, Texas was admitted to the union as a state by one vote.

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

On November 8, 1923, members of the then recentlyformed revolutionary political party met to elect a leader in a Munich, Germany beer hall. By a majority of one vote, they chose an ex-soldier named Adolph Hitler to become the NAZI Party leader.

In 1940, the vote taken by the French parliament to maintain its status as a republic failed by a margin of one vote.

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Travel Bulletin’s 17th annual Travel Bulletin Star Awards gives travel agents the opportunity to select their own winners; there’s no shortlist devised prior to the awards ceremony and there’s no external influence putting pressure on who to vote for. As such, the Star Awards are synonymous with being fully representative of the best in the industry.

This sentiment is echoed by agents who have voted in the past and continue to vote today. Gordon Lawrence from Gazelle Travel Durham said: “I think the reason we vote is of course to thank the supplier for exceptional work, such as if a tour operator has gone the extra mile for the clients or helped us if we have had a problem or even helped us to get a sale. I have voted for Emirates before, not just because of their exceptional onboard service (which a lot of carriers have) but also for helping clients out. Early on this year I had two examples of this. Firstly, I

had a guy who was in a taxi on the way to the airport and was involved in an accident. He missed his flight but Emirates managed to get him rebooked on a later flight that day.

The client was happy and will use us and Emirates again. In a different example, one of my clients was travelling with another carrier (I'll mention no names) and due to severe flooding, roads were closed and he just missed check-in. The airline’s response was that it was a

non-changeable ticket so tough, pay again! These two different attitudes make you want to thank/reward the travel companies who value clients/agents and ignore the companies who don’t want to help.”

And Tammy Le Noury from Wayfarers Travel in Guernsey said: “I love voting in the Travel Bulletin Star Awards as I believe that it gives you a chance to show your appreciation and your support to the operators that you work closely with. It is also a bonus when they win their category and you know you’ve helped them achieve this.”

So all potential first time-voters, take note! If you truly value the service and support that you receive from principals then they should get your vote. Not only does casting a vote get your preferred suppliers closer to receiving an award, it also clarifies in their mind that they are doing something right in helping you.

A win-win situation!

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Right: Collecting the Star Family Cruise Company Award is Lizzie Willis, senior 121 marketing executive of Royal Caribbean International, with Travel Bulletin's Nick Boocock Below: Winner of the Star UK Airport Award is Manchester Airport and Anita Kane, the airport's aviation marketing manager, collects the award

"It feels absolutely fantastic to have won.

Thank you to everyone that voted for us.

We're really chuffed to have got the award and hope that agents continue to support us in future! Supporting agents is a major part of our business and we will continue to do so moving forward."

James Lewis, Holiday Extras

"It's really good to have won and it's the second year in a row so we're really happy.

We didn't have any expectations of winning so it's a nice surprise. We're investing heavily in the trade - they are a huge part of our success - so a huge thanks to them."

Andrew Schweitze, Viking River Cruises

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

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Food for thought ITH 34 supplier categories to consider, choosing who to vote for will most likely require some serious consideration.

They’ll be companies at the forefront of your mind who you would like to see win an award for certain categories, and they’ll be categories where you might struggle to decide on who should win from two, three, or perhaps even four companies. So, in no particular order, here are some factors to consider in making the voting process that little bit easier…

W

What type of help/support is offered?

When you have a query, are you passed from pillar to post or is your

call answered quickly, politely and dealt with efficiently? Is the company helpful at suggesting alternatives or coming up with new ideas for your clients? Does the company have on-the-road reps who visit agents to offer updates on new products and services?

Think about the quality of the product and value for money.

Do you regularly receive positive feedback from clients following their holiday? What do clients say about the quality of the product and the value for money it offers? From your experience with booking with the company, does it offer good value for money? Remember, when we

talk about good value, we’re not talking about how cheap the holiday is, but what exactly is offered in return for how much was paid for the holiday.

How easy is it for you to book?

Is the phone answered promptly and politely? Are you charged for making calls? Do you get to speak to a real person or do you have to go through a series of push button options? How easy is the online booking process? Is there any confusion when booking or is it straight-forward? What happens when you are booking something a little more complex – is it easy to book or does it become a hassle?

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Below: Bond, John Bond (right) chairman of Jetset Flights, collects his award for Star Scheduled Seat-Only Company from Paul Scudamore of Travel Bulletin

Above: Jeanette Ratcliffe, publisher of Travel Bulletin, celebrates with Mike Russell, CEO of the Vertical Group, for winning the Star Technology Supplier Award

"Thank you very much for selecting Jetset.

We work very hard for our independent travel agents. We're glad to work with Travel Bulletin in delivering it to the independent travel agents who are independent-minded people and we're absolutely delighted to have won this evening. We'll continue to deliver the best service that we can."

John Bond, Jetset Flight

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

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2012 Awards Winners Smooth Operators

Sea Captains

Star Specialist Operator To Asia – Wendy Wu Tours

Star Family Cruise Company – Royal Caribbean International

Star Specialist Operator To Africa – African Pride

Star Specialist Cruise Company – Hurtigruten

Star Specialist Operator To The Americas - Funway Holidays

Star Luxury Cruise Company – Silversea Cruises

Star Specialist Operator To Europe – Classic Collection Holidays

Star River Cruise Company – Viking River Cruises

Star Specialist Operator To The UK – Hoseasons

High Fliers Star Business Airline – Emirates

Star Specialist Operator To The Mediterranean – Cyplon Holidays

Star Charter Seat-Only Operator - Avro

Star Escorted Tours Specialist – Titan Travel

Star Scheduled Seat-Only Company – Jetset Flights

Star Holiday Parks Operator – Haven

Star UK Airport – Manchester

Star Adventure/Activity Holidays Specialist – Explore!

Best Supporting Acts

Star Trade Sales Team – Attraction World

Star Holiday Add-Ons Provider – Holiday Extras

Star Operator For Incentives – Travel 2

Landlords Star Rail Operator – Great Rail Journeys Star Accommodation-Only Provider – TravelCube Star Worldwide Hotel Group – RIU Hotels & Resorts Star Car Rental Company – Holiday Autos Star Worldwide Theme Park – Universal Orlando Resort

Star Travel Insurance Company – Journeys Travel Insurance Star Technology Supplier – Vertical Group Star Trade Facing Website – onlinetraveltraining.co.uk Star Tourist Office For Roadshows & Events – South African Tourism Star Tourist Office Online Training Programme – California Expert Program Star Tourist Office For Incentives – Canadian Tourism Commission

Star European Theme Park – Disneyland Resort Paris 25

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Left: Super hopper‌Allan Lambert (left) from Bourne Leisure and Simon Eddolls (right) from Travel Bulletin lend a helping hand to ‘Superman’ Mark Hopper from getabed.co.uk

"I'd really like to thank all the agents for voting for us, putting their faith in us and giving us the award for the ninth year running. We're really proud to still represent what is best in the trade, to innovate and to give the agents what they want to sell to their clients."

Paul Bunce, RIU Hotels & Resorts

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

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Food for thought continued...

Give consideration to the reliability and reputation of the supplier.

When the company says it will come back to you – do they? And if so, how quickly? What’s the general feeling about the company – are they keen to help and accommodate you and your clients? How flexible is the supplier in accommodating your clients’ needs?

What’s the earning potential?

What type of commission/bonuses does the supplier offer? How easy is the commission scheme to follow?

Do they reward best-selling agents?

What type of training is provided?

Is the company keen to get you (and keep you) up to speed on their latest news/developments? Do they offer online training? Do they run regular roadshows or attend training events? Are fam trips offered?

Does the supplier offer a good product range and choice?

Do they cater for a broad range of clients? Are plenty of options available? Are suggestions made to help make the selling process easier?

Dealing with issues When problems arise or when a special request needs to be met, how efficient is the company at responding and accommodating any requests?

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

UK based Sales Support Team to help you – FREE to phone Sales Managers on the road to listen and support you More than 25 years of award-winning Trade experience Simple and user-friendly Trade website including a 4 click booking service

www.travelbulletin.co.uk/awards

To book: Reservation Team www.trade.holidayautos.co.uk 0800 093 3210 For help: Sales Support salessupport@holidayautos.co.uk 0800 093 3222

S06 TB2604 2013 Awards Voting_Layout 1 24/04/2013 17:24 Page 28

TRAVEL AGENTS’ VOTING FORM Now is the time for you to decide which companies deserve to win our highly coveted awards by naming your favourite industry suppliers! (see overleaf) All completed voting forms will be placed into a free prize draw and you will have the chance of winning one of the following prizes donated by

TOURS, FLIGHTS & TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAYS

1

st

Prize:

Virgin Experience Day such as Hot Air Balloon or driving a racing car

2 Runner Up Prizes - Mixed Case of Fine Wines 28

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2013 Voting Form Name the supplier you consider to be the BEST in the following Star Awards categories:-

SEA CAPTAINS

Star Accommodation-Only Provider

Star Adventure/Activity Holidays Specialist

Star Family Cruise Company Star Worldwide Hotel Group Star Luxury Cruise Company

Star Tour Operator For Incentives & Fam Trips

Star Worldwide Theme Park Star Specialist Cruise Company Star European Theme Park

Star Tour Operator For Online Training, Roadshows & Workshops

Star River Cruise Company

SMOOTH OPERATORS HIGH FLIERS

Star Specialist Operator To Asia

Star Business Airline Star Specialist Operator To Africa Star Charter Seat-Only Operator Star Specialist Operator To The Americas Star Scheduled Flight Consolidator

BEST SUPPORTING ACTS Star Holiday Add-Ons Provider

Star Travel Insurance Provider

Star Technology Supplier

Star Trade Facing Website Star Specialist Operator To Europe

Star Major UK Airport

Star Regional UK Airport

Star Trade Sales Team Star Specialist Operator To The Mediterranean

Star Specialist Operator To The UK

LANDLORDS Star Rail Operator

Star Car Rental Company

Star Tourist Office (Overall)

Star Tourist Office For Incentives & Fam Trips

Star Escorted Tours Specialist

Star Holiday Parks Operator

Star Tourist Office For Online Training, Roadshows & Workshops

Please post or scan and email this form to us by May 31st 2013.

Post to Travel Bulletin, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London SW1W 0EX or email to jeanette@travelbulletin.co.uk. You can also vote online at www.travelbulletin.co.uk/awards.

Name: ..............................................................................

Company: ..........................................................................

Address: .......................................................................... ........................................................................................ ........................................................................................

Job Title: ..........................................................................

Email: ..............................................................................

Tel:....................................................................................

ABTA No:..........................................................................

Number ............................................................................

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Food for thought continued...

We asked our staff the following question this week: If you were to win an award, what would it be for?

Publisher: Jeanette Ratcliffe jeanette.ratcliffe@travelbulletin.co.uk Year 4 homework

Editor: Lauretta Wright lauretta.wright@travelbulletin.co.uk Switching off when people are talking

Assistant Editor: Jill Sayles jill.sayles@travelbulletin.co.uk Contributing Editor: Paul Scudamore post@travelbulletin.co.uk Awful puns

Sales Director: Simon Eddolls simon.eddolls@travelbulletin.co.uk

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

“When it comes to voting for tour operators/hotels etc prices are roughly similar, so I always vote for customer service. We have won awards before and it is nice when you are recognised by your peers. Also, we would vote for people who are agent-friendly as some tour companies are determined to undercut the agent and block them out.”

Gordon Lawrence, Gazelle Travel Durham

Diplomacy?

Advertisement Manager: Tim Podger tim.podger@travelbulletin.co.uk Knobbly knees

Online Sales Manager: Nick Boocock nick.boocock@travelbulletin.co.uk Accurately guessing the weight of stuff (luggage, food and...people too!)

Account Manager: Bill Coad bill.coad@travelbulletin.co.uk An Oscar for best actor

Sales Executive: Chris Gascoine chris.gascoine@travelbulletin.co.uk Travel Bulletin's best dressed male

Sales Executive: Matt Gill matt.gill@travelbulletin.co.uk Most tanned guy in the team :)

Senior Designer: Genaro Santos genaro.santos@travelbulletin.co.uk The shiniest shoes in the office

Assistant Designer: Nicky Valsamakis nicky.valsamakis@travelbulletin.co.uk The best table tennis player there ever was!!

Production: Nick Salt production@travelbulletin.co.uk

"Being able to vote for a supplier is a good thing because it helps you thank the operators that have assisted your agency during the year.

We always appreciate the effort made by suppliers to visit us as we are miles away from any large city and we always make the effort to try and work with them. Being able to vote for them is our way of thanking them for their support to us."

Ian Bates, Worldchoice Travel, Shropshire So now you see why it’s important to give careful consideration to which companies get your vote. Remember also that all companies offer something different, or have a different way of operating – it’s what works best for you and your clients that counts.

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

The most amount of coffee consumed in one day

Circulation Manager: Jim Merchant post@travelbulletin.co.uk Travel Bulletin is published by Alain Charles Publishing (Travel) Ltd University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London, SW1W 0EX, Tel: 020-7834 6661 Printed by: Wyndeham Grange Limited Subscriptions are £105 p.a. £155 overseas ISSN: 0956-2419

Follow us on Twitter! @TravelBulletin

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

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

Highlighted Word: ROME Travagrams: (top) Attraction World Where Am I?: Pontefract

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(bottom) Florence

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