FOUR-SIGHT
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Our columnists
Sporting events and TV have a huge influence on customers' holiday choices OUR FINANCIAL year ended in October so we had a good team catch up to discuss trends, figures and opportunities for 2020. Japan was a popular destination this year, with many holidays sold for rugby fans, all of whom came back loving the country. International sporting events and TV have a huge influence on customers' holiday choices, whether it’s a cruise documentary or a specific destination. The Silk Road and iconic rail journeys have been in demand following popular TV programmes. We are lucky to work with specialist tour operators who can help package some amazing itineraries. Recently we were asked to arrange a holiday to Chernobyl, another destination that's been on our screens, and found a great itinerary for them. It's been a busy November, and feedback from clients showed they had delayed booking to see what happened with Brexit. With snow already falling in some European mountain resorts, we’ve seen quite a few ski bookings and some amazing cruise deals for Summer 2020. Cruising is a very competitive market, with so many new ships and itineraries, so it’s a great time for first-time cruisers to get a good deal. We have a number of training events coming up before Christmas, an opportunity to refresh knowledge, make new contacts and find out what's happening in 2020. Last, but not least, I'm finalising plans for our Holiday Show in January. More about that, next time!
I CERTAINLY hope the travel industry doesn't suffer from as many natural and financial disasters as it did this year. In terms of trends, I think TV will continue to influence where people holiday in 2020. We as consumers seem to be inundated by programmes involving travel. Rail journeys and river cruising seem to be featuring more and, of course, David Attenborough is back on our screens with his new series Seven Worlds – One Planet. I'm sure a lot of people would like a taste of the places covered in these programmes. I certainly think Borneo will be a rising star. I was very lucky to go to Borneo many years ago, to visit the orangutans, and didn’t want to leave. These programmes certainly seem to inspire people to think differently about travel and do something a bit different to a fly and flop - although they are still very much in demand. Thank you to Tasmin Bishop, the new Business Development Manager for Sandals, who hosted a dinner to introduce herself and tell us more about the wonderful properties that Sandals have. I also attended the Yorkshire ABTA meeting in Leeds and was lucky to win a bottle of Champagne donated by Travelpack in the ABTA Lifeline raffle. I would encourage tour operators to show the love by getting (or sharing) a table at the Love Travel Party on February 13, 2020 at the Village Hotel, Leeds. Alongside raising money for animal charities, we also aim to raise £1000 for ABTA Lifeline, who do so much for the trade. Email: s.murray922@btinternet.com
Borneo will be a rising star, thanks to David Attenborough
THE HIGH STREET AGENCY
THE HOME WORKER
The Travel Team, Brampton, Cumbria
Sandy's Travel Escapes
Liz Beaty
Sandy Murray
Liz and Sandy agree that TV, including nature documentaries will influence bookings
Sandy won Champagne from Travelpack Next month our columnists talk about... How to get through the 2020 peak bookings season in style
sellingtravel.co.uk
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11/27/19 07:37 PM