Selling Travel February 2016

FEBRUARY 2016 • SELLINGTRAVEL.CO.UK

TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR

THE WORLD IN ONE MAGAZINE

THE REAL DEAL how to sell...

Dubai Tel Aviv Australia African Lodges Central America Cruise Inaugurals

Why the Indian Ocean and Caribbean are geared up for romance

and more...

Plus programmes, incentives, competitions and prizes from our online training partner

Win a 5-star City Break

to Barcelona

One lucky agent will win a two night city break to Barcelona for two, staying in a 5-star hotel with direct flights and transfers included. To be in with a chance of winning, just make any Osprey Holidays’ booking in January or February, then email the booking reference to marketing@ospreyholidays.com and we’ll enter you into our prize draw.

Choose from over 60 destinations and 300 hand picked hotels with the tailor-made city breaks specialists.

0131 243 8098 www.ospreyholidays.com For terms and conditions please visit our website.

contents

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this issue - we travel further to bring you more TENERIFE

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FEATURES 6 Weddings & Honeymoons: Caribbean vs Indian Ocean: Which is right for whom?

16 Tenerife: A look at the huge range of attractions on and off the beach

18 Tel Aviv Israel's leading beach destination oozes stylish city chic and culture aplenty

32 USA: Gulf States: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida

39 Flights to North East Asia: A round-up of flight options into the region

46 Australia: Adventure & Activities Excursions to recommend

56 African Lodges: Proven favourites and what's new in the african bush

62 Cruise Inaugurals: This year's ship lauches 65 Dubai: The vision for 2020 68 Indonesia: The country's government is ready to invest in tourim

QUICK READS 22 Six of the Best: Alberta for familes 38 Introducing: Charlotte, North Carolina 44 My Journey: Japan 72 Central America: The magnificent seven 74 The Final Word

DUBAI

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INDONESIA

68

TALKING SHOP 23 Events, Barbara Charlton, fams and fun THE REVIEW 49 News to use, ILTM report, Checking Out

Please note that Selling Travel, owned and published by BMI Publishing Ltd., is not connected in any way to Selling Travel e-magazine published by SMP Training Co. and based in British Columbia, Canada. The latter online publication focuses exclusively on sales skills and all aspects of professional selling within the travel and tourism sectors. To benefit from this travel industry sales training resource visit www.sellingtravel.net

Benjamin Coren Tested out his snow skills and sampled some apres ski in Courchevel, France.

Steven Thompson

Attended the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Manilla then did a stint on the beaches of Palawan

sellingtravel.co.uk

Steve Hartridge

Was whisked off to the white sands of tiny Anguilla to soak up the sun and taste some rum

Jo Austin

Sashayed down the slopes of Serre Chevalier and Vars in the Hautes Alpes region of France

welcome

Travel Trade Publication of the Year

Proudly published by BMI Publishing Ltd 2016 © 2016.

Suffolk House, George St, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1SR, UK T 020 8649 7233 | F 020 8649 7234 enquiries@bmipublishing.co.uk www.bmipublishing.co.uk www.sellingtravel.co.uk Publishers: Steve Thompson & Sally Parker Editorial Director: Steve Hartridge Group Editor: Jo Austin Contributing Editor: Alan Orbell Journalists: Andy Hoskins, Julie Baxter & Laura Gelder Junior Journalists: Ben Coren & Cameron Roberts Business Development Manager: Craig McQuinn Advertisement Manager: Lisa Merrigan Creative Director: Matt Bonner Art Director: Tina-Lee McDougall Designers: Louisa Horton & Ross Clifford Junior Designer: Zoë Tarrant Production Manager: Clare Hunter Circulation Manager: Cheryl Staniforth Managing Director: Martin Steady We are members of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Visit USA Association, LATA, PATA, MENATA, SATOA, the Foreign Airlines Association and the Institute of Travel & Tourism.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, BMI Publishing cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

ISSN: 2056-9319. Cover image: Caribbean © istockphoto.com

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! www.sellingtravel.co.uk/subscribe

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welcome

– dedicated to those who love selling travel –

C

ongratulations! You are now officially mid-way through peak booking season and those painful weeks of abstinence are behind you – thank goodness! That said, there’s nothing quite like a dry January to inspire the public to book their next holiday.

Travel, like many industries, relies a lot on timing. Booking early, for instance, can save your clients money or allow you to impress them by adding value to their big trip via early-bird offers. And the timing of when your clients travel can affect their overall experience too. Those choosing to jet off to the Caribbean later this year, for instance, will be considerably better off than visitors in previous years. Hard-hit by Air Passenger Duty in the past, the islands are expected to do better over the coming year, Steve Hartridge once changes to the tax come into force this spring.

EDITOR Changes in currency value can have a significant effect on booking trends too. The Post Office’s annual Holiday Money Report monitors the costs of eight tourist staples, including meals and drinks, and its latest shows resort prices have plunged a pleasing 24% in Mauritius - which makes our opening feature, focused on weddings and honeymoons both in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean particularly timely.

The start of each year is also a busy time for the team here at Selling Travel. After a Christmas lull, invitations to events, sales missions and launches begin to flood in and our calendars are fast filling up. Cruising, in particular, looks set for an exciting year ahead, so read our feature on cruise inaugurals starting on page 62 to discover the seven new ships taking to the water this year.

T Finally, we hope that once ls ra the crazy season is behind you gu au in ps for UK and the phone calls and email nd-new shi world’s Seven bra the including rs ing cruise – will be tak – sel ves t enquiries start to cool down larges spring en seas in to the sev Jeannine 16.

20 r and summe igates a little, you’ll take the time to on invest Williams invest in yourself and your own, very valuable knowledge. We look forward to bringing you some fun and informative training events this year, starting with a Botswana Destination Dialogue on February 25 in Newcastle. If you live in that region, it’ll be well worth your while joining us. cruising

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cruise

no signs industry shows he cruise nearly 24 down with ed to of slowing gers expect million passen to CLIA according this year,” r. take a cruise Andy Harme ’s Director including UK & Ireland lines, er cruise Caribbean, “CLIA memb a Line, Royal Holland Americ and Regent, are ia in Carnival, Ocean $6.5 billion more than ng said. investi he vessels alone,” ng to new ocean ually adapti are contin tions lines innova “Cruise cing new t by introdu s and firstthe marke ed cruiser rity of to season the familia to appeal They are using new cruise timers alike. appeal to brands to of this with high street examples have seen James guests. We Oliver and Jamie ing cks chefs includ like Starbu well as brands By creating Martin, as rd. onboa coming access to and Lego ences and new experi evolution, unique ships, world, the ues around the travel contin destinations ry. value of cruise of the indust appeal and overall growth also more to drive the r: “There are place in Added Harme ’ cruises taking to spend ‘voluntourism ymakers choose unity holida as comm g in 2016, re visits workin the birth their onsho witnessing are We with social projects. experience g of a new travel is a very excitin This year many great impact travel. agents have ers.” one and travel sell cruise to first-tim to will be opportunities on April 8 to launch passenger The first ship a Line’s 2,650rranean Holland Americ in the Medite the it will sail Heralding Koningsdam; ean. tions in the Caribb and winter food innova Pinnacle Class, Mer French line’s new Sel de e the new will includ immersive rie and an ence in the seafood brasse dinner experi centre stage farm-to-table Centre. Taking a Arts be ry will Culina ainment scene LED on the entert 270-degree two-storey op revolutionary e the backdr will provid . screen that main theatre tions in the part of the to produc nt is a huge sdam “Entertainme with Koning ence and whole cruise experi ence to a that experi never that have we’re taking things Orlando and trying new level before,” says Line. on our ships d America been seen ent of Hollan Ashford, Presid passengers at double Carrying 5,497 ground-breaking 6,410 – and a occupancy

The on July 20. an Monte Carlo will spend sail on from g ssenger vessel first the line’s all-suite 750-pa in Europe before headin on a ship, g first IMAX gers season the RedFro the world’s inaugural ts for passen slide and ean. Benefi water tube rst and rd brewery. raft-riding to the Caribb include fi first onboa tions top suite car Carnival’s a private Pub, with booking the of Guest Opera travel and ate President ss class air port. will celebr Senior Vice every Vista busine al in guide sail it in and says: “Carniv which we just make Mark Tamis with a driver oceans on Encore will ber tion to the pes around , Seabourn on Decem seasca g Finally the connec debuts when it that guests amazin every and give our time for 2016 ways to enjoy n winter season lia and more for a maide cruise.”

Austra every corner 4 in Athens during their East, Asia, sun and fun launched e the Middle it will Star which moment of will includ 300 cabins the to the Viking Zealand. With urn fleet. ocean ship, Sister ship and New the Seabo Cruises’ second Sea, sails from largest in Viking last year, Viking become the r all-balcony Baltic the ssenge in 930-pa itineraries tated April 3 for names ship, MS Spitsbergen, is the unders Athens on n. Replicating ’s river vessels, New latest rranea will sail and Medite Hurtigruten’s of Viking ishment and -style decor total refurb back of May 8. Built Scandinavian undergoing pool at the l cruises from an infinity chamber. y Explorer, gian coasta it will feature on Norwe with a snow called Norwa Nordic spa previously the line’s Caribbean the ship and in 2009 and ty – Royal ship to offer onboard um capaci is big the latest at maxim of the Seas ned it will beExpedition concept with an mme. t-ever s Harmony s are desig progra International’ Coastal one. The larges in rarie lecture than and itine ways n voyage “Viking in port, often expedition team s, Head of Sales, said: ry news in more her maide embarks on imum time , to allow 29, with a ny Daniel max owing indust Antho n on May cruise ship for fast-gr a rranea strong crew. n Medite night stays local city “Explorer tourism is ons the 2,394the wester big ambiti with over rience changer tender joining n ruten have expe additio Hurtig y to be a game robotic bar The and will enjo ing also cruisers tage of this. of the Seas Leven, Manag “Harmony Guests can services to take advanrgen is a very exciting says Stuart ty ean. nightlife. ymakers,” ry extra capaci for holida of MS Spitsbe , Royal Caribb plimenta for us, adding and Ireland holidays that the many com wifi and 24-hour Director UK development giving us looking for mme and today are family, and .”

“Travellers such as free service” friends and to the progra destinations about with of ways to to offer new ships is room they can brag flexibility for megaa multitude SALES, firsts the trend , give them HEAD OF S g Y, world will 35-day of ny buckin ing a Also CRUISE NEIL BARCLA Harmo an array s, and follow VIKING OCEAN have added line’s latest tion of Grease do that. We Oceania Cruise ay produc ishment, the ” Broadw sea. refurb at the including $40-million tallest slide guest te Abyss, the get a look born from and Ultima the first to Cruises was , be among enced new vessel Brits will “Viking Ocean with experi ean’s second introduced April 17 y, Head of debuts on at Royal Caribb demand and Neil Barcla which says ed the Seas, in mind,” are design cruises before Ovation of travellers itineraries European Viking sea , China. rst of two with late with the fi Sales. “The port in Tianjin port, often her home guests um time in ship is the heading for for maxim um Class stays, to allow for third Quant or overnight designed Guests also The line’s evenings nightlife. specifically local city to attract fleet to be s, such as expected first in the to experience ry service , t, but is still complimenta gers. dinner service an Asian marke enjoy many tional passen lunch and so of interna wine with for UK and service. With its fair share beer and r of Sales is an 24-hour room se in n, Directo and “China Bouldi WiFi an Ben free seen increa and ean, says: s ed, we have this is Royal Caribb ation and Ireland at much includ of these saving advantage popular destin who wish to is a trend taking This singly . increa guests cabins offers unity for those to higher-end still having in 2016, which ers, a great opport upgrading hand, while continue rst fi see it be to custom their experience we expect es that can upsell to chance to rt of the faciliti money.” cruise. value for the comfo agents the Caribbean above: omising on rd a Royal opulent , the se suite; to Europe market, the found onboa without compr new penthou entertainment al’s return Encore’s end of the line’s Koningsdam with an Seabourn second new Marking Carniv At the luxury Above left: America Line’s new an debuts its complete l Vista is the , in April e Caribbe ger Carniva the Seas Holland Regent Suite, piano – page: Royalvessel, Ovation of and will becom 3,954-passen 3,875 sq ft Steinway scene; over for four years retreat and when Europe from first new ship in-room spa Sailing in be unveiled at sea – will t in the fleet. g to new Explorer sets the larges both firsts take cruisin Seven Seas vessel will e SkyRide t Seven Seas’ includ May 1, the Regen that features experience), heights with ir cycling ded open-a (a suspen

INDUSTRY COMMENTS...

“With Qatar Airways launching its new route to Adelaide on May 2, we are expecting a huge rise in UK visitors. We are also looking forward to the launch of new tourist attractions, such as the Kangeroo Island Wilderness Trail."

“Last year was a fabulous year for Louisiana in the UK market. Visitor numbers in 2015, the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, exceeded pre-Katrina figures.Working closely with the UK trade is a priority for Louisiana."

Janice Kurrle, Marketing Manager UK, South Australian

Jody Hanson, Account Director UK and Ireland, Louisiana.

Tourism Commission. See feature, page 46

See feature, page 32

events & festivals

reasons for seasons – travel experiences that help shape a booking – STONEHENGE SUMMER SOLSTICE

NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL

Celebrating the shortest night of the year, this is the perfect time for clients to visit Stonehenge. With newage druids and hippies gathered around, it’s fascinating to hear tales about what Stonehenge's origins could be.

Comprising of dancing, rituals and spiritual experiences, there’s no better night to visit the famous stone circle.

The next summer solstice takes place June 20. visitengland.com

Kicking off April 22, this festival celebrates the musical history of the city of New Orleans. Over the last 40 years the festival has attracted some of the biggest names in jazz. It’s a great chance for clients to soak up some of the history and culture which makes the southern city what it is today. neworleanscvb.com

THE CAMEL CUP

BOI BUMBA

Australia is a hotbed of oddities and this event, which sees camels racing on a dried up river bed, is another classic. Visitors to Alice Springs can watch stubborn camels and their hapless riders compete against one another in a day of fun and hilarity.

The Camel Cup takes place July 9, 2016. australia.com

A great re-telling of a classic folk tale about a man, his wife and a bull, told in typical Brazilian fashion. Boi Bumba is a sight to behold. Expect giant 30-foot floats depicting the characters, flamboyant costumes and a man in drag. The event involves partying in the streets in traditional Brazilian get-up, and anyone can get involved. Check it out this June 25. visitbrazil.com

CALCIO STORICO FIORENTINO The sport of Calcio Storico is a brutal mix between football, rugby and wrestling and a massive tournament is held in Florence every year. For 50 minutes, locals in renaissance costumes watch teams punch, kick, throttle and bite each other in an attempt to win. The event is on June 24 this year and is combined with the feast of St. John the Baptist. visitflorence.com

sellingtravel.co.uk

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weddings & honeymoons

love actually

The Caribbean and the Indian Ocean are two classic romance destinations with similar selling points and individual quirks. Lisa James explores ways to choose between them for weddings and honeymoons

sellingtravel.co.uk

weddings & honeymoons

T

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hink overseas wedding and it’s a fair bet you will soon start thinking of the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.

They both offer white-sand beaches, tropical weather

and luxurious resorts, but how do you help couples choose the perfect destination for their big day or holiday of a lifetime?

It’s definitely a good time to be selling Mauritius, according to Iain Raeper, Product Manager at IfOnly…, as there are a number of new properties ideal for the weddings and honeymoons market, such as the four-star, all-suite Ravenala Attitude in Baie aux Tortues, which has an adult-only wing housing romantic couple suites and three adult-only restaurants.

“Mauritius, Sri Lanka and the Seychelles all regularly top the weddings list because getting married is simple and legally recognised in the UK – so there is no need for any additional paperwork once home,” he explains.

Deborah Wadhams, Indian Ocean Senior Product Manager at Travel 2, adds: “The Indian Ocean is the perfect place to celebrate a honeymoon as it has a range of destinations to suit all couples – whether they prefer to relax on a sandy beach in the Maldives or explore Sri Lanka on an action-packed tour.

“Mauritius particularly caters for honeymooners, with some hotels offering huge discounts of up to 50%, although all Indian Ocean hotels really push the boat out, with many offering extras such as special turn-down services, relaxing baths with candles, dinner on the beach and couples massages.”

Heritage Resorts, which started the trend for free weddings, offers couples the chance to marry at a colonial mansion, Le Chateau de Bel Ombre, or, with a supplement, in the Frederica Nature Reserve. Wilder wedding ideas for civil weddings include aboard a catamaran or underwater in a submarine.

Lynn Gray, Regional Sales Manager at Beachcomber Tours, married Philip Holley at Beachcomber’s Trou Aux Biches, Mauritius, in November last year – and gave the resort just five months’ notice. She said that despite the lack of planning time the day was smoothly organised and “a wonderful testament to the resort and its staff”.

“Our 16.00 wedding was perfectly timed, says Lynn.

“After a luxury breakfast, a member of staff came to move Philip’s suit to a separate room and the hair and make-up lady arrived before I was helped to get into my dress.

There are several places to get married at Trou Aux Biches but the couple opted to say their vows under the banyan tree where

Pictured: Stunning beaches come as standard at Atmosphere’s Indian Ocean resorts

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weddings & honeymoons

“One of the pluses of weddings in the Caribbean is that they can be done on a small budget as hotels often have deals and some resorts even offer a free wedding with a minimumnights’ stay”

it felt a little more discreet. Lynn said: “Apart from a couple at the bar, who Philip had a chat with while waiting for me to arrive, there were no other hotel guests about. But we didn’t feel lonely as several staff were on hand to pour champagne and slice the cake.

“I was amazed at how similar the ceremony was to a church wedding, and the beauty of getting married in late afternoon was that we didn’t have to wait too long for the Mauritius sunset, which provided the perfect backdrop to our first photo as newly-weds.”

It is not so easy to arrange a wedding in the Maldives but it is certainly still a high-performer when it comes to dream honeymoons, and many resorts also offer symbolic ceremonies and vow renewals. The stunning beaches and wide choice of secluded beach villas or over-the-water bungalows give it a strong edge for romance.

Thanks to packages such as Platinum Plus at Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives, a budget can also go a long way here. Its package includes food, drink and a wide array of activities and watersports. Hayes and Jarvis currently offers seven nights here from £1,949pp.

There are plenty of opportunities for memorable activities too. Taj Exotica Resort and Spa in the Maldives, for example, offers villas and suites with palm-thatched roofs just 15 minutes from Male and highlights private sunset cruises, sand bank dining and champagne breakfasts among its many romantic add-ons; while the new Loama Resort and Spa in the Raa atoll has a romantic Robinson Crusoe experience leaving couples alone on an

sellingtravel.co.uk

uninhabited island with a lush picnic as well as couples’ massage options in its Loama Spa. At JA Manafaru couples can celebrate with their family or friends by booking them into spacious multi-bedroom beach villas. The seven different restaurants here serve dishes created using locally-produced ingredients and showcase the gourmet dining options in the Indian Ocean too.

Unsurprisingly, Travel 2’s Caribbean Assistant Product Manager, Emily Underhill, sings her region’s praises for affordability and choice for weddings and honeymoons.

“One of the pluses of weddings in the Caribbean is that they can be done on a small budget as hotels often offer deals and some resorts offer a free wedding with a minimum-nights’ stay. Packages often include a cake, location decoration and a wedding co-ordinator,” she says.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization has declared 2016 The Year of Romance in the Caribbean, with promotions starting this month (February). As well as allowing regular favourites such as Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Barbados to showcase their romantic credentials, this means lesser-known destinations will also get some exposure.

Turks and Caicos, for example, is just a 90-minute flight from Miami, and therefore easier to get to than many people realise. Its stunning Grace Bay Beach regularly tops ‘world’s best’ lists.

However, lazing on the beach, cocktail in hand is not every newly-wed’s idea of a Caribbean

weddings & honeymoons

Pictured left: Couples San Souci, Jamaica; above: Beachcomber’s Lynn Gray and Philip Holley on their wedding day; right: Capella Marigot Bay, St Lucia

honeymoon, according to Funway Holidays.

The operator’s Senior Sales and Marketing Executive Laura Smith explains: “We have noticed a significant trend for adventuremoons. Demand has increased by 17% year-on-year, with more and more newlyweds choosing adventurous ways to start their married life as opposed to the more traditional fly-and-flop honeymoons.

“Grand Cayman is a good honeymoon destination for couples that are more ‘doers’ than ‘observers’ as there are plenty of adventures to be had there.”

Interest is also growing for weddings onboard ships, with several cruise operators in the Caribbean offering the opportunity for couples to get married or renew their vows either at sea or on a private beach within their cruise itineraries.

The list of ‘an officiate’ operators who allow their ship’s captains to marry the couple includes Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Princess and Cunard.

Several cruise lines also have private islands for weddings or

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“Grand Cayman is a good honeymoon destination for couples that are more doers than observers as there are plenty of adventures to be had there”

Beautiful

by Nature

www.turksandcaicostourism.com 020 7034 7845 T&C-SellingTravel-136mmx190mm-Ad1.indd 1

13/10/2015 13:53

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weddings & honeymoons

“Find out about the couple’s hobbies – keen divers would be perfectly suited to Grand Cayman. With some of the clearest waters in the Caribbean it’s a diving hot spot and perfect for adventurous honeymoon couples” vow renewals, such as Disney’s Castaway Island and Holland America’s Half Moon Cay. Royal Caribbean employs Royal Romance specialists to guide the couple through the ceremony, from pre-planning to the ceremony (including a choice of location), to the flowers, photography and the cake.

What’s new  Hotels: The five-star JA Eclipse Beach Resort will open soon in Sri Lanka, the first JA Resort and Hotel (jaresortshotels.com) property in the country. JA also offers the Enchanted Island Resort, located within a National Marine Park in the Seychelles, just 10 minutes by motorboat from Mahe. Its primary market is couples and honeymooners, who can stay in one of 10 private villas with their own plunge pool and butler-style service.

The four-star OBLU by Atmosphere (obluhelengeli.com) is a trendy and colourful addition to North Malé Atoll, Maldives, with villas and suites.

Eden Bleu Hotel (edenbleu.com) on Eden Island, Seychelles, has a new honeymoon package for 2016 including a gourmet dinner for two overlooking the marina, a chilled bottle of sparkling wine on arrival, spa treatments for couples and a two-night stay in a deluxe room. It is priced from $350 per night for two people.

Angsana Balaclava Mauritius (angsana.com/

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en/em-mauritius-balaclava) has a new, exclusive-use

wedding package so that friends and family can celebrate the happy occasion over three days in complete privacy. Banyan Tree Seychelles (banyantree.com) has launched a Spa Sanctuary Villa offer, which is perfect for honeymooners.

Loama Maamigili (loamahotelsandresorts.com) in the Maldives is currently offering a Valentines’ package including three nights in a beach villa with breakfasts, private island picnic, sandbank barbecue dinner for two, couples’ massage and private transfers.

The newly re-opened Capella Marigot Bay Resort and Marina (capellahotels.com/ saintlucia/) on Saint Lucia now has its own spa and retail outlets after a multi-million dollar refurbishment. It offers a honeymoon package that includes sunset horseback riding, private cruise and couple’s massage.

Zoëtry Montego Bay Jamaica (amresorts.com) will close on April 15 2016 for extensive renovations to incorporate the signature Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts facilities, including enhanced guest rooms and facilities supporting the Endless Privileges concept which sports no check-in or check-out times, a 24-hour concierge service and private in-suite dining.

A new spa and fitness centre, new pools, and a wedding gazebo will also be added.  Operators: Travel 2 (travel2.com) has introduced The Sands Barbados, located

Above: special turndown touches at Loama Resort, Maldives; Taj Exotica Resort’s spa, in the Maldives

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weddings & honeymoons

on the south coast of the island. The hotel offers wedding packages ranging from standard to the ultimate wedding package which includes a steel pan soloist and a 30-minute couples’ massage.

Funway (funway4agents.co.uk) has added five new Caribbean destinations: Grand Cayman, St. Kitts, Aruba, Tobago and Puerto Rico, with budgets to suit every customer, in two- to five-star properties.  Airlines: Thomas Cook (thomascookairlines. com) will launch a direct ManchesterTobago service in November, bringing an additional 13,000 seats to the destination.

Emirates (emirates.com) will begin operating the A380 on its lunchtime BirminghamMauritius service from March 27.

Air Mauritius has a new online trade training programme (airmauritiusacademy.com). The training course covers the Air Mauritius network, aircraft fleet and international services with an in-depth look at the product and added-value sales tools.

Tourism talk “Trinidad and Tobago is perfect for honeymooners looking for a destination which isn’t just about beaches. It shies away from all-inclusive, all-encompassing resorts, offering couples

“Don’t forget the renewal of vows market honeymooners can have a romantic blessing on the beach; and significant anniversaries are also a good opportunities to sell a special holiday too”

sellingtravel.co.uk

opportunities to get out and get active by experiencing the island’s natural beauty and easily accessible activities.

“We have launched a ‘Love & Action’ incentive for travel agents, offering them the chance to win flights for two to Tobago with British Airways, until April 30. Plus, due to launch late February, we’re currently working with Travel Uni on developing a new online training platform which will include dedicated ‘romance’ modules.”

Darrin de Vignes, Account Manager Trinidad and Tobago Tourist Office “The Maldives has been leading the wedding and honeymoon market in the Indian Ocean for years and is hugely popular with UK travellers. Our innovative and luxurious hotel openings and developments continue to define the premium honeymoon market available in the Maldives. For example, with Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru introducing an overwater wedding pavilion and hotels such as OZEN by Atmosphere, Finolhu Baa Atoll and St Regis Vommuli opening later this year. We are working on launching a global ‘Mega Wedding’ competition, which will see three finalists compete in the Maldives to celebrate their big day here.”

Mohamed Adam, Deputy Managing Director Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC)

Say “I do” in Mauritius

“This year Mauritius celebrates 40 years of luxury tourism and while it is keen to encourage families and cost-conscious travellers too, there is no question weddings and honeymoons remain a core part of the island’s business. Mauritius is regularly in the top five leading spots to marry abroad and was again voted the world’s leading honeymoon destination at the World Travel Awards in 2015. It remains a top choice for romance and we hope our new guide on Mauritius – distributed with Selling Travel’s March issue – will further help agents sell the destination and keep on top of its ever-evolving product range.”

Rhys Powell, Sales & Marketing Account Director Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority

Perfect ten Island life: The Caribbean is perfect for island-hopping.

For an upmarket experience, guests staying at Lx by The House at Elegant Hotels, Barbados, can combine with Grenadines, Mustique or Bequia as part of its honeymoon package.

Get early bookings in the bag: The ‘book early’ message is key, especially for the Caribbean as wedding venues get booked up quickly. Many hotels bring out their best offers at the beginning of the year.

Join the A-list: With one restaurant for every 150 locals and a thriving music scene, Anguilla is attracting A-list couples. Harry Styles and Kendall Jenner are among the latest.

One love: Feel the vibe that inspired Bob Marley on his home island of Jamaica.

Perfect timing: With British Airways operating three weekly flights it’s easy to get married or honeymoon in the Dominican Republic, especially with one of the flights departing on Sundays.

Facing page: Beachside loungers Atmosphere style; JA Manafaru in the Maldives; romantic dinner on the beach at Baros Maldives; this page: Secret Bay, Dominica

sellingtravel.co.uk

Price from £1,535pp Price includes: flights with Emirates, 7 nights All Inclusive, wedding package, private transfers and airport taxes.

Wedding package includes: romantic ceremony, chocolates and sparkling wine on arrival, candlelit dinner, romantic honeymoon breakfast, couples massage and all legalities.

Call our specialists on 0141 955 4000 or visit agents.ifonly.net T&Cs: Prices are per person for LGW or MAN departures and valid for departures from 30 April to 23 May 2016. Book by 29 February 2016. Subject to availability.

/groups/IfOnlyPartners @IfOnlyPartners

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Sell the dream: Quite simply, the allure of the Indian Ocean is every couple’s dream choice: exotic location, sun-kissed beaches, deserted islands, chic and timeless charm.

Bless you: While it is not possible to legally marry on the Maldives, many properties, including Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives, offer renewal of vows or blessings which are simpler to arrange.

Perfect match: Sri Lanka is fast transforming, with high-end spas, new international hotels and good domestic air links.

Its natural beauty, glorious beaches and havens such as Yala National Park make it a perfect honeymoon destination.

Two’s company: Sri Lanka is also ideally suited as a perfect twin-centre honeymoon destination and can easily be combined with Dubai or the Maldives.

Taste the difference: From Creole to French, Indian to Chinese and Italian, the food of the Seychelles matches that of any international city – but the setting is so much more romantic!

“Honeymoon couples can really do well out of added extras on offer from hotels competing for business, with sparkling wine, sunset cocktails, couples massages or candlelit dinners among popular offers”

Unlimited-Luxury® Exclusive Meets Inclusive:

COMPLIMENTARY WEDDING PLANNER

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Please contact your preferred tour operator for more information and to book.

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weddings & honeymoons

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Where to book it  IF ONLY…– 0141 955 4000 A wedding package at Preskil Beach Resort, Mauritius, costs from £1,535pp, comprising allinclusive accommodation in a Lagoon Room plus the wedding itself. Valid in April and May 2016. ifonly.net

 CARIBTOURS – 020 7751 0660 Stay for seven nights, pay for six – plus get an extra 10% saving on honeymoons for travel between May-September 2016 at the Baros Maldives. From £1,829pp in a deluxe villa, including breakfast, flights, speedboat transfers and use of UK airport lounge. caribtours.co.uk

 ITC LUXURY TRAVEL – 01244 355527 Exclusive hire of Paradise Beach inNevis is available April-June. The package includes a pre-wedding and first anniversary return visit for the couple. It is priced fom £1,939pp including flights to St Kitts and transfers. itcluxurytravel.co.uk 

Facing page: Time to dine - Attitude, Mauritius; this page: Ready to celebrate in the Caribbean with Sandals Resorts

O

N THE beautiful island of Saint Lucia there’s a place that’s perfect for celebration.

Known as Rendezvous, its verdant gardens set on

a two - mile stretch of white sand beach were the inspiration that created this relaxing and intimate

TI M E IS SO PREC IOU S, S MART COU PL ES S T EAL I T.

hideaway dedicated to the couple. Arranging a truly custom wedding for your clients, from the latest Ever After Collection at Rendezvous w i l l g ive t h e m a u n i q u e we d d i n g d ay that will live in memor y long af ter the t a n s h ave f a d e d . To l e a r n m o r e a b o u t t h e Customized Eve r A f t e r We d d i n g Collection, please contact your preferred agent or tour operator to book or visit www.theromanticholiday.com/selling-travel.

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tenerife

limits no

Tenerife is by far the most popular of the Canary Islands among British visitors, and this multi-faceted island’s popularity is not difficult to understand, says Anna Maria Espsäter.

A

fter a busy morning visiting La Cueva del Viento, the fifth-longest cave in the world and part of a 17-km cave system underneath Tenerife’s lush, mountainous northwest, I am settling in for a traditional lunch of epic proportions at La Quinta Roja, in Garachico.

On the northern coast, this small town with its quiet picturesque square feels light years away from the busy costas of the south.

Lunch is a spectacular affair of local dishes that include baked cheese in so-called mojo rojo, a garlicky, paprika-based red sauce, also often served with those yummy, wrinkly, salty potatoes, papas arrugadas.

There are hams and more cheeses before I move on to fresh fish and seafood dishes, as well as tender pork accompanied by said potato dish – all of it nicely washes down with local wines, both reds and whites.

There’s nothing like a small lunch to set you up for a spot of kayaking along the majestic Los Gigantes cliffs in the afternoon.

These impressive 'Giants' rise steeply from the sea, some of them reaching 800 metres in height and they’re best viewed from the water. It’s not a bad place for my first attempt at sea-kayaking and, after a quick land-based training session with instructor Iván, I am off.

Luckily, avoiding getting smashed against the rocks is proving quite easy and I stop right underneath Los Gigantes for a swim. The water is refreshingly cool, without being freezing; the current strong, but not overpowering. The real test, however, is getting onto the boat taking me back to shore, something I only manage with the help of several guides., A smaller lunch tomorrow, perhaps?

Strong appeal Tenerife receives over 1.6 million Brits a year, who are attracted by the year-round sunny climate and fantastic beaches. But recent years have seen the destination diversify. Now, roughly half of all British visitors organised an activity while on holiday in Tenerife in 2014. Most popular were visits to the island’s theme parks, followed by whale- and dolphin-watching.

With the trend towards more ‘experiential holidays’, the Tenerife Tourism Corporation launched the brand ‘Tenerife No Limits’ last year, in order to firmly establish the island as an adventure break destination with a focus on sports and activities such as diving, cycling, caving, seakayaking, hiking and windsurfing, to name a few.

A multi-faceted island, Tenerife has superb sandy beaches in the south, a mountainous, rugged centre, dominated by the volcanic peak of Mount Teide, as well as lush forests and vineyards to the north and east.

So-called ‘astro-tourism’, is putting Tenerife firmly on the star-gazers’ map as one of the world’s main hotspots for night sky viewing.

This page: Tenerife is now established as one of the planet's best places for star gazing; next page: dolphins and whales pass by the Canary Islands year round; sports such as cycling are being promoted by the Tenerife Tourism Corporation

sellingtravel.co.uk

tenerife

And then there’s the island’s cuisine – Tenerife has the only Michelin-starred restaurants in the Canaries. With increasing numbers of direct flights from throughout the UK this is a great time to be selling the destination.

What’s new

 Airlines: Thomson Airways (thomson.co.uk) will be launching a weekly Tenerife service from Humberside Airport in November.

Jet2 (jet2.com) will fly twice-weekly from Edinburgh to Tenerife from February.

Perfect ten The Iberia Express (iberiaexpress.com) route Go Carnival Crazy: The annual carnival linking Heathrow and Tenerife’s North Airport in the capital, Santa Cruz, each January/ operates three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays February is one of the biggest and best in the and Sundays). Norwegian Airlines (norwegian. com) introduced a new route from Edinburgh to world. Don’t miss the crowning of the Carnival Tenerife in November, Queen and the colourful parades.

“Don’t forget to recommend the with two weekly direct Whales and flights on Thursdays local wines to clients, such as and Saturdays. dolphins: the red tacoronte or the white  Hotels: Hard Tenerife is one of the world’s top destinations Rock Hotel Tenerife Listán Blanco. There are also for watching whales (hardrockhotels.com) is Canarian-made rums and and dolphins and, best liqueurs to sample, including the opening in the autumn in Playa Paraíso near of all, they can be honey-rum liqueur, Ron Miel” Adeje, featuring 624 viewed year-round. And rooms and suites 24 different species ANNA MARIA ESPSÄTER, FREELANCE WRITER spread over two pass through Canarian towers and divided waters.

Take a hike: Hiking and hill-walking are into family-friendly and adults-only. big on this little island, with a variety of Chiripa Resort Hotel in Puerto de la Cruz, is landscapes and levels of difficulty. The second currently undergoing renovations. It will open as running of the Tenerife walking festival starts part of the 7Pines brand and feature 116 rooms, March 29.

45 serviced apartments and a villa with 12 suites.

Master Mount Teide: Volcanic Mount Victoria Suite Hotel (gfhoteles.com), on the Teide, Spain’s highest peak at over 12,000 Costa Adeje, is a new five-star hotel from GF ft and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, Hoteles exclusively dedicated to families. It is a Tenerife must-see. Hike to the top ortake the should be open by the end of the year. cable car.  Attractions: Anaga Rural Park, covering Take to the water: The waters around almost 15,000 hectares, was declared a Tenerife provide adrenaline-pumping fun: UNESCO Biosphere Reserve last June. jet-skiing, parascending, sea-kayaking, boat  Marketing and events: Tenerife Tourism excursions, stand-up paddling and much more.

Corporation (webtenerife.co.uk) is promoting a Life’s a beach: Tenerife is known for its number of key events on the island, including beaches – golden sandy playas in the the second Walking Festival (tenerifewalkingfestival. com), March 29-April 2 and science, art and music south and more rugged volcanic black sand festival Starmus (starmus.com), June 27-July 2. beaches in the north and west.

Cultural heritage: Despite its small size,  Tour operators: Mainstream tour Tenerife packs in plenty of culture and operators including Tenerife for the first history. The town of La Laguna is a UNESCO World time in their portfolio include previous Heritage Site, with sixteenth-eighteenth century Malta specialis, Belleair (belleair.co.uk).

Exodus (exodus.co.uk) has added Tenerife buildings . The island has numerous museums.

Wining and dining: Away from the as a new destination for 2016 with international fare of the costas, Tenerife’s a seven-night trekking holiday. very own cuisine is well-worth sampling and a Ramblers Holidays (ramblersholidays.co.uk) has introduced a 10-night walking tour, designated wine route takes in parts of the combining Tenerife and Lanzarote. island’s five main wine regions.

Gaze at the stars: Tenerife offers Mollydoo.com, a new online travel agency spectacular views of the star-filled night specialised in cycling holidays, is offering sky and was recently designated an official Tenerife as one of its first destinations. stargazing tourism hotspot. Mount Teide is a Perfect Weddings and Honeymoons Abroad particularly good viewpoint. (perfectweddingsabroad.co.uk) has wedding packages On your bike: Cycling is one of the best in several luxury hotels on the island. ways of seeing the island at a gentler Titan (titantravel.co.uk) is launching a new Best of the Canary Islands islandpace. Choose from challenging rides up steep hopping itinerary from September. slopes to easier terrain along the flat.

sellingtravel.co.uk

17

Tourism talk “The UK market is extremely important to Tenerife and represents over 32% of all visitor arrivals to the island. Our key focus is on our new ‘Tenerife 100% Life’ brand. Unveiled last year, it combines all the elements which make Tenerife a unique and differentiated destination.

“We will continue to work very closely with our trade partners to promote both the niche and more mainstream products, including promotions via our new online Tenerife Training Programme, which was launched in November 2015 to help agents learn about Tenerife’s diverse landscapes, excellent range of attractions and unique holiday experiences that visitors can enjoy on the island.”

Richard Hume, UK Representative, Tenerife Tourism Corporation.

Where to book it  TITAN – 0808 115 5547 A new 11-day Best of the Canary Islands itinerary, featuring Tenerife and Gran Canaria starts from £1099pp and includes direct flights with Iberia, 10 hotel nights, 20 meals and several excursions. titantravel.co.uk

 TRAVEL 2 – 0800 0224 182 A seven-night deal at the Ritz-Carlton, Abama, starts from £769pp and includes flights from Gatwick, five-star accommodation, transfers and breakfast. For a May 7 departure. travel2.com 

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tel aviv

the

white hot city Mediterranean Tel Aviv offers culture and seaside charms in tandem but not everyone is aware of its broad appeal or year-round availability, says Andrew Sanger

sellingtravel.co.uk

tel aviv

S

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weaters and shawls were taken off sites in Jerusalem and Galilee, the activity again as the audience poured out from focus in the Negev desert and archaeological an air-conditioned concert hall into sightseeing around the country, Tel Aviv’s appeal the exquisite warmth of a Tel Aviv night. is more hedonistic, celebrating the sheer joy Inside, we’d heard brilliant Scottish of life (although those other attractions are violinist Nicola Benedetti with the Israel within easy reach for one-day excursions).

Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the The city is packed with things to do and acclaimed Indian musician Zubin Mehta. see, shopping, galleries and museums. RoundOutside – at nearly midnight in late October the-clock entertainment ranges from world– the streets were crowded with couples class classical music and modern dance to and families strolling in summer clothes. late-night clubs and a renowned gay scene.

An enterprising pavement vendor was It’s big on food, too. All over town are doing a roaring trade selling freshly-baked delicious street snacks, pastry-shops and bagels for two shekels each – just 35p. We ate ice cream parlours and scores of highsome as we walked under the trees of a wide quality restaurants. The service is always boulevard down to the beach, where even at friendly, relaxed and informal, but the this hour bathers were swimming in the dark cooking is impeccable and skilful. among silvery waves.

Just over a century I had to smile, old, Tel Aviv grew thinking of a colleague rapidly in the early 20th “Tel Aviv is arguably the best century. The sleek white saying he presumed I’d beach city on the Med, with chosen to visit Israel modernist architecture because it had some miles of clean sea, fine sand, of the period gives a “special significance” watersports and beach cafes, distinctive, elegant for me. Certainly style, and caused the just minutes from city centre whole pre-war central that’s the way it’s shops and attractions” been sold for years area of the city to be – a destination ideal declared a UNESCO for a variety of niche World Heritage Site. markets: pilgrims, birdwatchers, gay travellers, Its official name is Tel Aviv–Yafo, archaeology buffs, even vegetarians. because it now includes picturesque It doesn’t seem to have occurred to anyone, old Jaffa on its southern edge, popular until now, that Tel Aviv is quite simply an all-year for nightlife and waterside dining. city break destination that’s as good as it gets.

But the tree-shaded Rothschild Boulevard, Maybe it’s true, though, that it does also lined with cafes, chic hotels and restored have “special significance” because it’s a rare Bauhaus mansions, has become the city break that so perfectly combines culture, attractive main focus of Tel Aviv at leisure. sightseeing and world-class entertainment Saunter along it from the national theatre with Mediterranean sun, sea and sand, and auditorium to the quirky, bohemian plus weather that from autumn to spring historical neighbourhood Neve Tzedek. feels better than an English summer.

Several 1920s and 1930s buildings have become luxury hotels, notably The Norman All-rounder (thenorman.com). With opulent pre-war elegance, Tel Aviv, on the Eastern Mediterranean this newly-opened five-star is a member of shore, is Israel’s cosmopolitan, stylish Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Its outstanding social hub, a global centre of high-tech main restaurant is one of the best in Israel. development and the country’s largest city.

Perfect ten This season’s new three-times-weekly Top nosh: Cuisine at Tel Aviv top tables, departures with Monarch mean there are such as The Norman, reaches gastronomic now four airlines flying direct to Tel Aviv heights as accomplished chefs from around the from the UK. At a time when so much of world work with Israel’s amazing local ingredients. the Med has safety fears, one reason for its Pedal power: Pick up a bike under Tel growing popularity could be Israel’s capable Aviv’s Tel-O-Fun scheme (like London’s security measures and effective border Boris Bikes) at scores of street locations, and ride controls, which offer welcome reassurance. the cycle lanes which run right across the city.

As well as its all-important sun, sea and Picture perfect: Among a plethora of sand, and spectacular waterside promenade museums, Tel Aviv Museum of Art displays (or tayelet, in Hebrew), there’s a non-stop café a major collection of rarely seen Impressionist culture and colourful, anything-goes street scene. For sheer laid-back atmosphere, Tel Aviv has justly been called ‘San Francisco on the Med’.

Unlike Israel’s traditional tourism to Biblical Tel Aviv is one of Israel’s premier beach-holiday destinations

sellingtravel.co.uk

iv v A l e T f o e ib V Ride the

Few cities in the world possess the vibrancy and diversity of Tel Aviv.

From ancient Jaffa with its cobbled alleyways, to its Mediterranean coastline fringed with golden sandy beaches and lively promenades, to the Port with its fine dining and shopping, Tel Aviv is a city that has it all.

From its hidden gems to its visible jewels, Israel is indisputably the land of creation.

For our best deals visit uk.thinkisrael.com

Visit Israel

tel aviv

and postImpressionist paintings by the greatest names.

Good mornings: Tuck into a huge but healthy Israeli breakfast including lavish salads, fresh pastries and sumptuous egg dishes like the spicy classic “Shakshuka”.

Water table: A blue sea and blue sky provide a dreamy backdrop for leisurely lunches or dinners at restaurant and cafe tables on the beachfront. Best is Manta Ray, on Alma Beach in south Tel Aviv.

Sundowner: Tel Aviv faces west across the Med, ideal for visitors and residents alike to enjoy a stroll on the Tayelet or a drink at a beach bar while watching the glorious sunsets.

Neighbourhood watch: Tel Aviv is a mosaic of neighbourhoods worth exploring – don’t miss the alleys of the Yemenite Quarter and historic lanes of hip Neve Tzedek.

Heritage sights: Tel Aviv’s thousands of Art Deco and Bauhaus buildings have World Heritage status with outstanding examples around Bialik Street and Rothschild Boulevard.

Sweet Jaffa: The Tayelet (seafront promenade) continues to atmospheric Old Jaffa with its ancient steps and winding alleys, Orthodox churches and picturesque harbour dating back to Biblical times.

To market: The vast, hectic Carmel Market evokes times gone by, with densely crowded lanes and hundreds of stalls piled high with colourful produce and merchandise.

What’s new  Hotels: Chic boutique hotels are opening in the restored heart of Tel Aviv, away from the traditional beachside strip, among them Leonardo

Rothschild 22, part of Fattal Hotels (fattal-hotels.

“It’s likely we’ll do a trade event early in com) and independent Lily and Bloom Hotel at the year and we’re confident it will be the gateway of Neve Tzedek (lilyandbloom.com). enjoyable and educational. Israel is a  Airlines: With the start of Monarch (monarch. fascinating, safe country for either short breaks or co.uk) flights from Luton (Sundays, Monday extended tours and with quality operators and and Thursdays), four scheduled carriers agents promoting the destination, we look forward now fly direct from the UK to Tel Aviv’s Ben to increasing arrivals in 2016.”

Gurion International Airport. The Monarch Michelle Roberts service continues until at least April 2016.

Business Development Manager, IGTO  Attractions: Sarona (saronatlv.co.il) is a new Where to book it ‘shopping and lifestyle’ complex in a converted historic site in central Tel Aviv. It’s the third � MONARCH - 0333 777 4744 Monarch features Israel packages inclusive of these interesting indoor and outdoor of accommodation at commercial complexes, Tel Aviv beach and city the others being hotels. Three nights of Namal (the Old Port, “Tel Aviv enjoys gorgeous off- B&B, departing in March in north Tel Aviv)) peak weather, with March 2016 at the Arcadia and HaTachana (the and November temperature Tower (rated fourOld Railway Station, in the south) averages in the mid- to late- Diamond by the operator) (saronatlv.co.il). costs from £375pp, based 20s. From December to The Institute of on two adults sharing February, they reach the late a standard double/ Travel and Tourism teens” (itt.co.uk) will hold its twin room and includes 2016 conference in flights with Monarch. monarch.co.uk/holidays Tel Aviv, June 6-8.

Tourism talk

Clockwise: local specialty, Shakshuka; stylish dining out in Tel Aviv; famously fresh market stall produce

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“IGTO has developed an online training programme (israelforagents.co.uk) to aid agents in familiarising themselves with Tel Aviv. We also have modules on Israel’s capital Jerusalem and the Dead Sea – both just a short hop from Tel Aviv.

“To promote Tel Aviv in 2016 we are working with tour operators through joint marketing opportunities to promote our destination via traditional and online media.”

Naama Oryan-Kaplan, Director Israel Government Tourist Office (IGTO), London

sellingtravel.co.uk

� COX & KINGS – 020 7873 5000 A four-day/three-night short break to Tel Aviv is priced from from £650pp, twin share. the deal includes international flights from London, five-star accommodation with breakfast daily and return airport transfers. coxandkings.co.uk

� KIRKER HOLIDAYS – 020 7593 1899 Three nights B&B in Tel Aviv, staying at the five-star Shalom, Sheraton or Norman hotels, is priced from £935pp.

The deal is for for two people sharing and includes flights and transfers. kirkerholidays.com 

22

six of the best

ALBERTA

for families

Family-friendly resorts and activities abound across Alberta, whether your client seeks fun in the sun on a summer holiday or unique experiences among the winter white stuff!

DINOSAUR DELIGHTS All children love dinosaurs and few destinations beat Alberta for insights into those prehistoric times. Head to Drumheller and the Canadian Badlands with Andersen Vacations and families can view ancient dinosaur fossils at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Or they can check out the active excavationsites at the Dinosaur Provincial Park and join a dig. Alberta’s newest dinosaur museum – the Philip J Currie Dinosaur Museum – includes a hands-on fossil lab.

1

SNOW BUSINESS Few wintersports destinations are as well set up for families as Alberta, where friendly instructors and familyfriendly facilities are available at all ski resorts. Lessons are available for those aged from three – for those who want to start their love affair with the mountains early. There’s also the added family fun of dog-sledding, ice skating, sleigh rides and snow tubing for all abilities, which kids will love too.

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary in Alberta offers visitors a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with wild wolves, observing and learning about their behaviour first hand. The animal sanctuary is dedicated to providing educational programmes and highlighting the importance of preserving wild wolves in their natural environment.

LEARN MORE: banffnorquay.com; skilouise.com

LEARN MORE: yamnuskawolfdogsanctuary.com

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LEARN MORE: dinomuseum.ca; albertaparks.ca/ dinosaur; canadtravelsolution.com; tyrrellmuseum.com

RANCH STAYS Alberta is renowned the world over as cowboy country and ranch stays are a great way to get all the family involved in the Western lifestyle. Check out Homeplace Ranch, for example, where a horse awareness programme teaches riders how to communicate with their horse. Rides take place through wildflower meadows and rolling foothills and can include a Wine & Beer Ride with appropriate refreshments! Other ranch experiences are offered by Banff Trail Riders with Cowboy for a Day tours.

2

DANCES WITH WOLVES

CASUAL CAMPING Camping is a quintessential Canadian tradition and whether they hire a motorhome or a tent, families can camp almost anywhere in Alberta. They can opt to stay in a tipi or a trapper’s tent too, or check out the Parks Canada “oTENTik” sites where visitors get canvas walls, a wood floor, basic furnishings, heat, lights and their own private deck, complete with barbecue. Snowtips-Bactraxs offers a custom camp gear rentals service.

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LEARN MORE: homeplaceranch.com; horseback.com LEARN MORE: blackfootcrossing.ca; banfflakelouise.com; campingbanff.com

sellingtravel.co.uk

5

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BEAR FACTS All tourists long to see a bear when visiting Canada, and for a guaranteed sighting of bears and other amazing creatures the Discovery Wildlife Park is a sure bet. Located an hour north of Calgary this a rescue centre for bears, tigers, wolves and even an alligator. Kids will love watching the animals and learning more about them from their keepers. They can also go behind the scenes with big cats, walk with the worlves and have their photo taken with the bears.

LEARN MORE: discoverywildlifepark.com

TAL K I N G S H O P

talking shop

23

- INSPIRED BY YOU The stuff that happens when agents get involved...

Feel rewarded with Travel 2 SPOTLIGHT ON...

To celebrate the release of its 2016 Simply Specials mini-brochure, Travel 2 is giving agents the chance to earn up to £100 worth of T2 Rewards points for bookings from its Simply Luxury by Travel 2 Short Haul programme.

Qualifying bookings need to be made before February 29 and rewards are tiered, based on the value of the booking, from £10 for bookings of up to £2,500 to £100 for bookings over £10,000. Agents can use their T2 Rewards cards in over 50 high street shops including Marks & Spencer, Argos, Debenhams, House of Fraser and many more. travel2.com

prizes G Adventures trips and FOLLOWING the success of its 2015 campaign, G Adventures is repeating its

Cruising excursions CRUISINGEXCURSIONS. COM has appointed former travel trade sales executive Michelle Burg to take on the role of dedicated Travel Trade Training Manager. Michelle will be developing and implementing agent-training programmes and raising awareness of the company's cruising products, incentives and bookings initiatives. cruisingexcursions.com

Über Massive Incentive (UMI), giving agents the chance to win more than £50,000 worth of prizes.

Running until March 31, the campaign gives agents the chance to win trips for themselves and up to three friends by booking any G Adventures trip. For each

Contents 24 Wise Counsel 25 On Location 26 Talking Shop 27 Out & About 28 Travel Uni

Canada event INCREASE CANADA BOOKINGS

DESTINATION Canada is inviting agents to join them in London on March 2 for an evening at Canada House. To secure your place email destinationcanadatrade@ gmail.com with the subject line: Canada Shared March 2nd Invite Request. Photo ID will be required on the night. en.destinationcanada.com

Fam trip prize traveller booked, agents will receive one entry into the draw.

Each month, the top seller will win the prize.

Additionally, a random prize winner will be drawn each month and will win a trip.

There are also hundred of weekly spot prizes. January’s top seller won a Mekong River Cruise. gadventures.com/umi

WIN A TRIP WITH INSIDER JOURNEYS

AGENTS booking an escorted small-group journey, Asian river cruise or tailor-made itinerary by February 29 will be in with the chance to win a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. The more bookings you make the better your chances. insiderjourneys.co.uk

Keep in mind...

23-25

February The Luxury Hotels Roadshow will include events in Glasgow (Feb 23), Manchester (Feb 24) and Leeds (Feb 25).

Agents can meet a selection of hoteliers from Tenerife, Lanzarote, Madeira, La Gomera and Fuerteventura. To reserve a place: bookings@eventsfortravel.com. eventsfortravel.com

COMING UP

25

February Destination Dialogue Botswana will be held in Newcastle. Hosted by Botswana Tourism in association with Selling Travel the open forum will help agents better sell this fabulous safari destination. There will be food, drinks and prizes on offer.

Reserve your place by emailing: shani.kunar@bmipublishing.co.uk

More online at sellingtravel.co.uk/events

WISE COUNSEL 24

talking shop

Barbara Charlton

 Barbara.Charlton@travelcounsellors.com  01293 737290

It's February and I've been around the world!

By the middle of January I had already travelled around the world and back with bookings to Paris, Sardinia, South Africa, Australia, New England and Sweden – to name just a few!

It's too early yet to say which destinations will be the winners in the booking stakes for 2016, but I personally think that it will be the more long haul places, as people try to avoid what they perceive to be 'volatile areas' within five hours of the UK. Us agents are more than used to managing the ever-changing holiday hotspots and being able to offer alternatives but sometimes we must go out of our own comfort zones to suggest different locations to less adventurous clients.

If you haven't been to many places yourself, you need to be armed with a strong network of contacts who do have that knowledge to help you secure the business.

Alternatively, you can attend more training events to meet valuable partner contacts, or join industry social media pages. Find out where your colleagues and friends have travelled, so that you can get first-hand experience and tips to pass on to clients needing reassurance on new destinations. Here at Travel Counsellors we have a 24/7 global duty office that provides around-the-clock support for agents, but the FCO is always available for the latest travel advice and information too.

WHATEVER THE WEATHER With another great start to the year for sales, I feel sure that the public will still want to travel regardless of worldwide events. In fact, a recent Travel Counsellors survey completed by 335 UK consumers in January revealed that 93% are planning to holiday in 2016.

Even if some don't want to head overseas, there are plenty of opportunities within the UK, with or without flights. We just need to let customers know that early-bird booking is just as important for domestic travel as it is for overseas. Your care and expertise has no limits and is what makes you special, so be sure to remind customers of that too.

I already have a number of trips booked for myself, including a fourth visit to Kefalonia, staying in three boutique hotels rather than our usual villa.

“Agents are used to managing ever-changing holiday hotspots and offering alternatives, but sometimes we must go out of our comfort zone” In September I'll be embarking on a three-island Greek trip, visiting Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonyssos. These are all first-time visits for me, and I’m looking forward to all of them. Throw in trips to western Ireland and the Cotswolds in February and this year is shaping up lovely!

Hopefully there will also be an educational trip to somewhere new later in the year. The previously-mentioned survey results also confirmed that first-hand knowledge is the most important source of information for 71% of our customer, and no doubt the basis for personal referrals.

Weekly updates straight to your inbox!

Subscribe to Selling Travel Digital today and receive your weekly quick read articles, news round-up, incentives and more!

A JOB FOR LIFE I will be 53 this month, and as you get older you can't help but wonder what it will be like to retire. But whilst I would love to spend more time travelling and less time working, I know that I’m unlikely to suddenly want to stop doing what I do. As long as my mind holds out, I see no reason to stop doing something I love!

Us agents are so lucky that we get to do what only a small percentage of the population can – a job that we truly love.

Happy selling!

sellingtravel.co.uk /subscribe

O N L O C AT I O N

talking shop

Agents hit the piste in Whistler and Sun Peaks THE DETAILS WHAT: SEVEN-DAY SKIING FAM TRIP TO WHISTLER, CANADA WHEN: DECEMBER 12-18, 2015 WHO: DESTINATION CANADA, BRITISH AIRWAYS, DESTINATION BC, TOURISM SUN PEAKS AND TOURISM WHISTLER WHY: TO SHOWCASE CANADA'S LONG SKI SEASON AND PRECHRISTMAS CONDITIONS.

What they said...

“Arriving in Whistler I was greeted by an array of luxury accommodations, bars, restaurants, and retail options – and all this

THE HOSTS Tourism Whistler’s (tourismwhistler.com) Afton Edington and Sun Peak Tourism’s (sunpeaktourism.com) Sales Director Colin Brost hosted eight agents in Whistler and Sun Peaks for some fun in the snow.

THE TRIP The first part of the trip was spent in Sun Peaks where the group checked into the Coast Sundance Lodge and Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Lodge. Both properties enjoy a 'ski-in, ski-out' location and are equipped with various amenities.

The group undertook several

hotel inspections and went on a hosted ski and a guided backcountry ski tour. Sun Peaks is a four-season resort located in British Columbia and ranks as the second-largest ski area in Canada.

On the fourth day the agents transferred to Whistler where they stayed at the Fairmont Chateau for two nights, at the base of Blackcomb Mountain.

After several more hotel inspections, at properties including the Four Seasons Resort and Residence, there was two more days of skiing on Whistler’s extensive network of slopes.

THE VERDICT

with a backdrop of two imposing mountains

“The trip was a great success. We had excellent early snow conditions and the agents got to see how well Sun Peaks combines with Whistler for a twin-centre ski break. Sun Peaks offers a compact resort with quiet pistes and the second-largest ski area in Canada. This was complemented by Whistler, with its fabulous hotels (such as the Fairmont), restaurants, nightlife and awesome ski conditions. The agents came back with a real confidence as to how to sell both resorts.”

Adam Hanmer, Trade Manager Destination Canada

to ski on. Quite simply, Whistler has a wow factor that makes selling it easy.”

Nick Edwards, Managing Director Snow Finders “I have been a Canada Specialist for many years and am a very keen skier, so to visit both Sun Peaks and Whistler allowed me to compare two of the best, but very different ski resorts. Sun Peaks is very understated in my opinion, and although the quieter of the two resorts, and with a more subdued feel, it touched my heart.”

Paula Boyd, Manager Travelplanners

Top-selling agents Travel 2 South Africa THE HOSTS Follow me 2 Africa’s Deidre Michaels hosted a group of nine of Travel 2’s top-selling agents on a two-city trip to Cape Town and Johannesburg. The agents enjoyed some fabulous sights, sounds and tastes of South Africa on this fam trip.

THE TRIP The group flew from Heathrow to Johannesburg, where they transferred to Cape Town and kicked off the trip with a site inspection of Winchester Mansions in Sea Point and African Pride 15 on Orange in the city centre, in the foothills of Table Mountain.

The following day included a full day touring Cape Town, with sights such as the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Boulders Penguin Colony, Cape Point and Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden.

Further trip highlights over the week included a tour and wine tasting at two wine estates, a hosted dinner at Spier Hotel's restaurant, and a visit to and overnight stay in Hermanus.

Finally, the group enjoyed a tour of Johannesburg which included the inner city, Newtown Precint, Museum Africa and a view from the ‘top of Africa' at the Carlton Centre.

THE VERDICT Helen Matthews from Nicholl World Travel said: “Travel 2's fam trip was informative and educational and the product is much easier to sell now that I have experienced the destination myself. I loved the visit to the vineyard and the spectacular surrounding scenery.

"I found the destination to be much safer than I had anticipated and I can now personally recommend South Africa to my customers with total confidence."

sellingtravel.co.uk

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talking shop

THE OFFICE special report

Benchmark rises above Boxing Day floods

BENCHMARK TRAVEL in Mytholmroyd, near Hebden Bridge, was one of several businesses devastated by the Boxing Day floods in Yorkshire.

But nothing could dampen the spirits of Managing Director Roger Benn and his team: just three days after being under seven foot of water, the business was back up and taking calls.

It was the early hours of Boxing Day when Roger received an alert via his Environment Agency app that the Calder River’s levels were rising fast. He immediately headed to the shop, ready to salvage the business’s belongings if necessary.

Having experienced a similar flood three years ago he set about moving computers, equipment and files onto desks, expecting about a foot of water.

DEFENCES ARE BREACHED But as the rain fell the water levels continued to rise and the river burst its banks.

It soon became apparent that 'desk height' wouldn’t be enough to protect everything and Roger began to transfer as much as he could to the first floor.

Roger, a long-time supporter of Selling Travel who has joined several

of our agent fam trips, said: “I was waist-deep in water and muck trying to save as much as I could but quickly had to retreat to the landing. After an anxious wait on the first floor in semi-darkness there was a loud crack as the front window caved in under the pressure outside and a wall of water flooded in, reaching over seven feet in height.

“This was the most frightening time. I watched the water reach eight steps below the landing, then seven, then six, thinking: ‘when will it stop?’”

Three of the desks were swept away, right out of the window. Trapped inside the building and powerless to do anything, Roger climbed onto the roof to survey the scene of devastation.

By around 19.00 the water had receded – but the shop had been decimated.

“I went downstairs to find piles of brochures covered in slimy sewage. I was exhausted but we had lost our front window and I had to stay all night to protect what was left from the looters.”

The situation could have been worse.

Three years previously Roger was offered the premises of another travel business, Whitesands Travel, down the road. The singlestorey building sits directly on the riverbank.

“It flooded three years ago just when we were thinking about moving into the

building,” said Roger. “I got waist-deep in water inside and saw the back wall bulging and thought “no way are we moving here!”

It turned out to be a wise decision because Whitesands Travel was ruined by the Boxing Day floods. The back wall collapsed under pressure from the river and when the water receded what was left of the building was demolished.

“THERE WAS A LOUD CRACK AS THE FRONT WINDOW CAVED IN AND A WALL OF WATER FLOODED IN"

sellingtravel.co.uk

THE CLEAN-UP Incredibly, after waiting just a day for the electricity sockets to dry out the business was back to work, albeit the staff upstairs and working next to dehumidifiers. The quick clean-up was thanks to the staff and local community who mucked in to clear up the mess.

“People have flocked from all over the country to help, for which we will be eternally grateful,” said Roger.

“After running on adrenalin for so long the reality set in and so did exhaustion. It was grim having to work in such damp conditions but three days later, with borrowed computers, picnic tables and cracking good staff, we were up and running!

There was no question of moving during our busiest season. We were not going to be beaten!"

Above, from top left: Roger's view from the roof; the water level rising; the aftermath; back to business

Agents in focus

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22/01/2016 15:58

Inspiration. Incentives. Bookings.

February 2016

THIS MONTH'S TOP STORIES

Spicy show-time for Pure Grenada ROADSHOW

Quick Quiz Are you a Las Vegas expert?

1. Tiger Woods earned his first PGA tour victory at the Las Vegas Invitational TRUE / FALSE

On your marks, get set, train!

TRAVEL UNI is taking the new year new me ethos seriously. First it launched its new website and welcomed several updated programmes, and now comes a refreshed and revitalised page.The hub of all things Travel Uni, agents will find news, competitions and top graduates featured here.

Multiple ways to win prizes and earn graduate points will also be highlighted in each issue, so keep a keen eye out for the best ways to get ahead of the game.

For even more on Travel Uni visit: traveluni.com; training.tourismthailand.co.uk COURSES Anguilla Antigua & Barbuda Aruba Barbados Belmond Botswana

www.traveluni.com

puregrenada.com; grenadaambassador.co.uk

Stay in style with Trinidad and Tobago

TRUE / FALSE

Travel Uni update

Boucan Caribbean Travel Guru Cayman islands Chile England Gambia Grenada

Guadeloupe Hotel Extras Jamaica Jewel Resorts Kenya Las Vegas Macao

BOOKINGS

AGENTS who log bookings to Trinidad and Tobago that include the Blue Waters Inn, Speyside, Tobago, could be in for a treat this month. For the Trinidad and Tobago Tourist Board is giving away a half-board stay for two at the Inn. The challenge is to log as many bookings as possible that include Blue Waters Inn. The agent who logs the largest number via the My Booking Rewards website wins the prize.

The competition closes March 31, so agents should get booking for their chance to enjoy the resort.

Answers: 1: True 2: False

Hot News

2. Las Vegas' bristleconepine groves are 200 years old

GRENADA Tourism Authority has announced that it will be running its second-annual Pure Grenada Spice Island Road Show in June.

The show will take place between June 20 – 24 and will aim to inform agents on all that Grenada can offer them in terms of sales potential.

The venues are yet to be announced but stay tuned to the Travel Uni newsletter and the Pure Grenada website for updates in the near future.

Malaysia Miami Namibia Nassau Norway Norwegian Cruise Line Poland

gotrinidadandtobago.com; mybookingrewards.com

Qatar Samoa Selling Cruising Seychelles St Kitts Tenerife Thailand

The Crane Trinidad & Tobago Tunisia www.traveluni.com

Destinations • Cruise • Tour Operators • Hotels & Resorts • Rail

Training courses to help travel agents and advisers sell more!

Aruba sets up shop in the UK Graduate Reward Scheme

News

ARUBA has seen an influx of tour operators adding the Caribbean island it to their programmes.

Virgin Holidays is the latest to include the Dutch-influenced island: it features in its Caribbean and Mexico brochure with packages based on KLM flights from London via Amsterdam.

The destination has also become more accessible, via the new weekly charter flight by TUI. The service, which will launch April 26 from Gatwick and May 2 from Manchester, will utilise a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

How the system works for you!

RECOGNITION Recognising agents for their training and bookings.

Your incentive

aruba.com; arubaacademy.com

Graduate with Macao's quizzes

Guaranteed win with St Kitts

St Kitts Specialist I Modules: 4

QUIZZES

WIN! Every new agent who complete the St Kitts training programme this month will automatically receive one of the following prizes: a canvas bag, a coffee mug or a water bottle.

The challenge: Agents must sign-up and complete the St Kitts Specialist Programme with Travel Uni. The four-module programme will teach agents about the amazing attractions St Kitts has to offer, such as the scenic railway and Mount Liamuiga.

Closing date: March 31 2016 Where to enter: stkittsspecialist.com

MACAO has launched its revamped training programme on Travel Uni. Four quizzes are available that offer agents 'graduate points'. These are as follows: Culture and Heritage, Macao by Day, Macao by Night and Macao Flavours. Agents earn a point towards becoming a Travel Uni Graduate by completing each quiz. Read through the Macao articles now and start learning. sellingtravel.co.uk/articles; macaospecialist.co.uk

PRIZES Learn to be in with the chance to win great prizes.

POINTS Earn by completing quizzes, attending events and more...

REWARDS Log bookings for a chance to win even more prizes!

GRADUATE Register, recommend a friend, pass 10 programmes, pass five quizzes, upload 10 bookings and attend one event to become a graduate.

WIN: HOTEL CHOCOLAT CHOCOLATES FIND OUT MORE: NORWAYKNOWLEDGE.CO.UK

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The prize courtesy of Hotel Chocolat. Learn all about the company's beautiful St Lucian cocoa plantation hotel, Boucan by Hotel Chocolat, at: boucantraining.com

Courses • Articles • Quick Quizzes • Rewards • Prizes

www.traveluni.com

VISIT USA NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

T H I S M O N T H ' S T O P S T O R I E S F R O M V I S I T U S A ' S M E M B E R S • V I S I T U S A .O R G .U K HOTELS

Fairmont's new SF take



Events

USA in demand at Destinations VISIT USA members such as Capital Region USA and United Airlines were out in force at Destinations Manchester last month.

Pamela Newman, Operations & Development Manager at Visit USA said: “The Visit USA Pavilion at Destinations Manchester was vibrant and wellattended." This year, in addition to the annual Visit USA Travel Planner, a standalone map has been produced by Visit USA and this was wellreceived by visitors to the exhibition, added Newman.

"This same Visit USA map will be landing on the doorsteps of travel agents in February and will serve as a useful tool to aid discussion of a multi-destination USA holiday face to face with clients,” she said.

The Visit USA Pavilion will feature at Destinations London at Olympia (February 4-7) where more Visit USA members including Vermont, Hawaii and Deep South USA will be on hand to spread the word regarding the many attractions the USA has to offer holidaymakers.

“Visit USA has produced a new standalone map for agents. This was well received at Destinations and will be landing on the doorsteps of agents in February” Pamela Newman Operations and Development Manager, Visit USA

FAIRMONT Hotels & Resorts has added the iconic Claremont Club and Spa in San Francisco to its U.S. portfolio. Built in 1915, the castle-like property underwent an extensive restoration project prior to its reopening under Fairmont's management and now offers 276 restored guestrooms and suites. A spa and club facility includes a kids’ pool, tennis and fitness centre. fairmont.com AIRLINES

Delta off to America's west DELTA Airlines will begin a daily direct flight from Heathrow to Salt Lake City on May 2. The new service will make Delta the only carrier to operate a nonstop connection between the UK and America’s ‘Mountain West’.

Operating in conjunction with partner Virgin Atlantic Airways, the route will depart the UK at 14.15 and arrive in Utah at 18.07, while the return flight to Heathrow will depart Salt Lake City at 20.10 and arrive in London at 13.10 the following day. Additionally, all passengers will have access to on-demand in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi connectivity on-board. delta.com; visitutah.com

THE USA in brief...

HOTELS THE 107-room Hotel Indigo is scheduled for a spring opening in Traverse City, in northern Michigan.

The hotel fronts the Grandview Parkway, with sweeping views of West Grand Traverse Bay. Its 100 standard rooms and seven suites are decorated in a style that pays homage to the city’s lumbering past. It stands among lumberyards, sawmills and canneries in Traverse City’s regenerated waterfront Warehouse District. ihg.com/hotelindigo



AIRLINES EVENT AMERICAN Airlines is to introduce a new Premium Economy class on its international wide-body fleet which will be phased in throughout the year. The product will offer a new type of seat with benefits that include more legroom, wider seats, personal on-demand entertainment, noise-reducing headphones, priority check-in and boarding, amenity kits, enhanced meal service, spirits, beer and wine. aa.com/premiumeconomy

DESTINATION EVENT LAS VEGAS set another new visitor arrivals record in 2015 by surpassing 42 million visitors for the first time.

Rossi Ralenkotter, president/CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) said the city’s rising popularity was down to the city's luxury resort experiences, world-class dining and exciting entertainment and had been boosted by new non-stop flights, new shows, more fine dining options and increased convention attendance. visitlasvegas.co.uk

Look out for our Visit USA Association online Travel Update for the pick of members' news



MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

introducing...

THE 2016 Visit USA Travel Planner is now available to help you plan your clients' perfect USA vacation in 2016.

The guide contains the information and inspiration to make sure the USA's many travel opportunities – from big cities to hidden treasures to national parks to coastlines and beaches to pulse-racing theme parks – can be combined to create a bespoke USA holiday that satisfies all tastes and preferences.

If you don’t have your copy already, it is available free in digital at visitusa.org.uk/ TravelPlanner

Attractions4us SAVY GRANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

CITIES

Rocky's new steps in Philly ROCKY Balbao is once again putting locations across Philadelphia in the spotlight after returning to the UK’s big screens in January.

The new Rocky film – Creed – sees Balboa, the former world heavyweight champion, train Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed. Philadelphia appeared in the first Rocky movie, most famously when Sylvester Stallone ran up the 72 steps outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Philadelphia CVB is encouraging all fans of the film series to follow in Rocky's footsteps with a trip to the movies' locations by taking a half-day, self-guided tour of the city. Once at the top of the 'Rocky Steps' visitors are rewarded with fabulous views of the city. They can then have their photo taken by the Rocky Statue, at the bottom of the Rocky Steps and also drop into the Italian Market, America's oldest outdoor market in South Philadelphia. Rocky ran through the market cheered on by stall holders.

America As You Like has a four-night room-only package to Philadelphia, priced from £727pp. The deal includes accommodation at the Sonesta Hotel and flights from Heathrow on March 7 2016. discoverPHL.com; sales@americaasyoulikeit.com



TITAN'S second-edition 2016 Worldwide brochure includes a tour that follows the route taken by intrepid nineteenth-century explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their westward journey in 1803. The tour includes a sevenday cruise along the Snake and Colombia rivers – and takes in Seattle, Portland and Mount Hood, exploring national parks, wineries and charming towns.

Departing on September 27 2016, May 4 or June 1 2017, prices start from £3,999pp. titantravel.co.uk



MAVERICK'S STAY IN VEGAS IS TERMINAL

ATTRACTIONS

Tucson's big savings ONE of the newest malls to tempt international visitors with its discounted bargains is the Tucson Premium Outlets.

Part of the Simon property group, the centre is located less than 30-minutes from Tucson International Airport.

Savings of 25% to 65% are on offer at 90 popular designer and name brands stores including Calvin Klein, Michael Kors and Nike Factory Store. premiumoutlest.com

MAVERICK Helicopters has unveiled a new $5 million (£3.4 million) terminal in Las Vegas.

The facility features floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook McCarran International Airport’s runways, a private room for VIPs and group events, a café with expanded food and beverage selections and an expanded gift shop.

Flight-seeing experiences range from night flights over ‘Sin City’ to sightseeing over the Hoover Dam. Maverickhelicopter.com

Tell us about Attractions4us We began a few years ago as an 'outcropping' of a previous success story that brought double-decker buses into New York. I launched Attractions4us as an online and traditional B2B and B2C operation.

What are you hoping to gain from your Visit USA membership? Visit USA's activities enable Attractions4us to seek new avenues of commerce for its broad range of consumer and trade products and packages.

We operate packages into New York City for the day from Miami, Philadelphia, Provincetown, RI, Washington DC, and Boston. We also offer day trips from New York to all above cities, west coast trips, and the most popular of all, Niagara Falls by rail and air.

Will you participate in Visit USA's trade activities?

Despite the explosion of electronic media, ‘pressing the flesh’ is still the key ingredient in starting and extending business relationships. To that end we will certainly look to see how Visit USA's missions and programmes can help create a business bridge between us and global buyers.

Do you have one ‘Inside Secret' to pass on to our readers? I do but if I let on it wouldn’t be a secret! However, the one thing I would emphasise which has been so significant for us is service, service, service. Someone in our company is accessible day or night. We don’t send clients to answering services. email: savy@attractions4us.com

Subscribe to the Visit USA Association online Travel Update at visitusa.org.uk

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usa: the gulf states

Texas

hitting the

right notes They share a common coastline and the same love of music and food but the U.S. ‘Gulf States’ each have enough ‘personality’ to include all five on a driving tour, says Peter Ellegard

The sun sets over the Florida Everglades

sellingtravel.co.uk

MISSISSIPPI

usa: the gulf states

ALABAMA

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FLORIDA LOUISIANA

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s we take our positions on the sleek silver craft, we are welcomed aboard and briefed by Captain Kirk. Our mission: to venture into space and seek out other life forms.

Not outer space, but 100,000 acres of pristine wilderness on Lake Cypress in the Florida Everglades headwaters.

The craft? A gleaming airboat piloted by our knowledgeable captain – yes, he is called Kirk – who takes us on a fascinating hour’s tour of the lake’s swampy and marshy fringes, highlighting the incredible wildlife to be found right on Orlando’s doorstep.

Just 45 minutes from Disney World and half an hour from Kissimmee, Wild Florida (wildfloridairboats.com) was set up in 2010 by Orlando attorney Ranier Munns to help preserve this untouched tract of Central Florida and show how the whole area once looked. Run by the Munns family it opened to visitors in 2014.

During our exhilarating airboat ride we see alligators, eagles and hawks, and while stopped amidst swamp grass our captain points out a snake and a well-camouflaged alligator nest complete with baby gators.

sellingtravel.co.uk

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usa: the gulf states

Besides its airboat tours Wild Florida has a wildlife park with over 200 animals on display, including zebras, sloths, lemurs, bobcats and birds of prey, a petting zoo and a walk-in aviary.

Live animal shows let you get handson with a baby gator. There’s also gator feeding, buggy tours through a working cattle ranch and a boardwalk allowing you to trek through a cypress swamp.

But for me, the star of this enterprise is Captain Kirk. Exploring the Everglades ecosystem with him is simply out of this world.

On a mission They may share the same coastline, but the five U.S. states bordering the Gulf of Mexico – Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas – all offer something different to visitors, from beaches and theme parks to history, civil rights heritage, natural beauty and vibrant cities.

The region works closely with the trade, with every state having UK representation.

Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are also members of the Deep South USA alliance (deep-south-usa.com) – along with Tennessee and Kentucky – which actively promotes its members to consumers and the trade.

Music is a key driving force for tourism to the region. There are music festivals throughout the calendar and tour operators offer music-themed tours, often combining states or following music trails.

This page, from top: New Orleans, Louisiana, one of the USA’s most vibrant cities at night; getting to grips with the wildlife at the Wild Florida wildlife park; next page: Gulf Shores, Alabama; Peter Ellegard with baby ‘gator’; rodeo time in Texas

MANTA RAY INN

New Orleans was the birthplace of jazz US travel industry’s annual IPW trade but in venues here and across Louisiana convention, underlining its recovery you can also find indigenous Cajun and since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. zydeco music as well other styles.

Visit Florida undertook a month-long Moments The blues was born in Mississippi so trace of Sunshine campaign with state partners across its story by following the Mississippi Blues London in January. The state is continuing with Trail – featuring over 120 interpretive markers its Natural Florida theme, highlighting nature. at historic sites – as Texas is developing and well as driving the consolidating multi-city Blues Highway, Highway product from the UK and “Although Mardis Gras is a is promoting themes 61, from Vicksburg specific day – Fat Tuesday – including food and drink, up to Memphis.

Elvis Presley was sport, music, shopping, there are over 400 other born and grew up in a festivals throughout the year outdoor adventure, small ‘shotgun house’ and arts and culture. A in Louisiana that visitors in Tupelo. Many artists London sales mission can enjoy” recorded in the studios is being undertaken by at Alabama’s Muscle Texas Tourism in March.

Shoals, while Birmingham Deep South USA is a hotbed of jazz. Mobile is the hometown of will conduct a UK sales mission in May. Jimmy Buffett and Montgomery is the centre And Birmingham is stepping up its UK of the Hank Williams Trail, celebrating the and Irish marketing efforts this year. country music legend. Meanwhile, Austin in What’s new Texas styles itself as the ‘Live Music Capital of  Attractions: Alabama’s iconic Muscle Shoals the World’, with more than 250 live venues.

Sound Studio (msmusicfoundation.org), used by artists UK arrivals to the region continue to including the Rolling Stones and Cher, reopens grow – 2015 was a record year for Deep early this year for tours after renovation.

South USA – helped by new flights and There’s a new Mega Zipwire experience increased air capacity, new product and at Red Mountain Park, near Birmingham, better trade and consumer awareness.

Alabama. (redmountainpark.org).

This June, New Orleans hosts the

The MANTA RAY INN is a home away from home! With one- and two-bedroom oceanfront apartments, this charming inn offers panoramic views of South Florida's best sandy beach Recommended by Fodor’s - winner of the acclaimed White Glove Award and Number one on TripAdvisor

www.mantarayinn.com

1715 S. SURF RD, HOLLYWOOD, FL 33019

T: 001 954 921 9666 | F: 001 954 929 8220 | E: INFO@MANTARAYINN.COM

usa: the gulf states

SeaWorld Orlando (seaworldparks.co.uk) opens its new Mako ‘hypercoaster’ ride in the summer.

GRAMMY Museum Mississippi (grammymuseum. org), the first GRAMMY Museum outside Los Angeles, opens in Cleveland on March 5.

Natchez, Mississippi, is staging a year of events to mark its Tricentenary (natchezms300.com), including a day-long 300th birthday party on August 3.

Following renovations, the TABASCO factory on Louisiana’s Avery Island has a new visitor centre and museum and an expanded behind-the-scenes factory tour (tabasco.com).

A new 350-room Four Seasons Hotel is part of the $360 million redevelopment project of New Orleans’ historic World Trade Centre building.

Opening in May, Discovery Point is SeaWorld Antonio’s largest-ever investment and will allow visitors to get up-close with dolphins, belugas and sea lions (seaworlddiscoverypoint.com).

Space Centre Houston’s new eight-storey Independence Plaza features exhibits including a space shuttle replica mounted on top of the first shuttle carrier aircraft, the converted jumbo jet NASA 905 (spacecenter.org).

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 Hotels: In Florida, bookings for A 144-room boutique hotel, the Hotel Universal Orlando’s newest on-site hotel, Emma (thehotelemma.com) has opened in San the 1,000-room Caribbean-themed Loews Antonio, Texas. It is located in the city’s Sapphire Falls Resort, are being accepted historic Pearl Brewery brewhouse so perfect from July 14 (universalorlando.com). for those who want to try some tastings.  Cruising: Carnival The historic Art DecoCruise Line returns to style Streamline Hotel (streamlinehotel.com), where Mobile in November “Quiet escape…For those who when Carnival Fantasy NASCAR racing was founded in 1947, reopens begins cruises to want to experience the as a boutique hotel early razzmatazz of New Orleans Cozumel (carnival.co.uk).  Trade campaigns: this year after renovation. but stay somewhere more Mississippi launched The Marco Island peaceful, Mississippi’s Gulf a social media Marriott Beach Resort, Coast is just an hour away” campaign last month, Golf Club and Spa will in conjunction reopen as the JW Marriott with Universal Marco Island Beach Music and HMV, to select a ‘UK Mississippi Resort, the first JW Marriott Beach Resort in the Blues Trail Marker’. The winner will be continental US, in August after a $250 million unveiled during 2016 (msbluestrail.org). transformation (jwmarco.com).

New openings in Birmingham, Alabama,  Tour operators: U.S. specialist USAirtours (usairtours.co.uk/agent-home) has introduced a new include the luxury Grand Bohemian 15-day Alabama Attraction fly/drive tour which Hotel (grandbohemianmountainbrook.com), with its own cooking school. starts in New Orleans and ends in Memphis.

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usa: the gulf states

Perfect ten Tee it up: Great-value golf coupled with stylish spa resorts and hotels is offered on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which features 26 courses designed by the great Robert Trent Jones Sr (rtjgolf.com).

Mobile fun: Alabama city Mobile lets its hair down and parties for its annual Mardi Gras Festival, said to the original Mardi Gras celebration in the US (mobilemardigras.com).

Go wild: The Creole Nature Trail, one of 31 designated All American Roads, is a driving experience through a wilderness area known as the ‘Louisiana Outback’ (visitlakecharles. org/creole-nature-trail).

Step back in time: Experience what village life was like 200 years ago for Acadians and Creoles in the Attakapas region of the then-new Louisiana Territory in Lafayette’s 23-acre Vermilionville living history museum (vermilionville.org).

Tourism talk

“Last year was a fabulous year for “When the final visitor figures come in, Louisiana in the UK market. Visitor the UK is expected to have shown a numbers have continued to grow over small increase the last decade and in over 2014 to Florida of 2015, the 10th around three to six per “The sugar-white sands of the anniversary of Hurricane cent. With a strong Florida Panhandle are so pure Katrina, they exceeded dollar and the pre-Katrina figures. It and fine they squeak when you also marked another weakening Euro, popular walk on them. Foremost expert successful year for the European destinations will continue to be more Dr Beach has named several as cruising business from competitive than New Orleans and the city America’s Best Beach” destinations in North has been recognised as America, so keen hotel the fastest-growing US pricing and cheaper air fares which we are cruise port. Working closely with the UK trade is a seeing due to lower oil prices will help keep priority for Louisiana and essential to its continued Florida competitive and help maintain its growth. With IPW in New Orleans, it can only make position as the number one long-haul 2016 better.” destination for Brits in 2016.”

Jody Hanson, Account Director UK and Colin Brodie, UK Director, Visit Florida Ireland, Louisiana Office of Tourism

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usa: the gulf states

Ride ‘em, cowboy: Whilst Texas is the home of the professional rodeo, you can also saddle up and go trail riding deep in the heart of Mississippi at the Broken T Ranch. (horserentals.com/brokentranch.html)

South park: Reached by ferry or seaplane, Florida’s remote Dry Tortugas National Park is America’s southernmost national park, 70 miles off Key West, with Civil War-era Fort Jefferson, shipwrecks and coral reefs it main draws.

Petrolhead heaven: Motor racing fans can join 100,000 fellow enthusiasts to cheer on their favourite drivers at the all-new Daytona Rising complex, a $400-million revamp of the Daytona International Speedway. (daytonainternationalspeedway.com)

This page: Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi; this page: fabulous live music is a feature across the USA’s Gulf Shore states

Follow the herd: Nothing captures the Old West spirit more than watching one of the twice-daily cattle drives through Fort Worth’s historic Stockyards. Then retire for a beer and some lve music at the downtown Blue Elephant bar (fortworthstockyards.org) Steak out: Stop by the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo on Route 66 and try its famous 72oz steak – it is free if you can eat it in 60 minutes. (bigtexan.com)

37

Where to book it  TRAVEL 2 – 0800 0224 182 A 15-day Deep South and Carolina’s Explorer fly/drive starts and ends in Atlanta and takes in Mississippi’s Natchez, New Orleans and Alabama’s Montgomery. Prices start at £1,469pp, including flights, accommodation and car hire. travel2.com

 USAIRTOURS – 08000 350 149 A 10-night, three-centre holiday in Texas and Louisiana, staying in Dallas, New Orleans and Fort Worth, costs £1,339pp including flights, in September or October. usairtours.co.uk/agent-home

 1ST CLASS HOLIDAYS – 0161 877 0432 The 15-day Southern Discover self-drive tour visits Mississippi’s Natchez, Lafayette and New Orleans in Louisiana, Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle and Montgomery, Alabama. Prices start at £1,038pp.

1stclassholidays.com  WHO FLIES THERE Direct: aa.com; ba.com; delta.com; norwegian.com; united. com; virgin-atlantic.com Indirect: icelandair.com

38

introducing

Charlotte, North Carolina – Sports, movie backdrops, fine food and micro-brews –

W

hen the Carolina Panthers American Football team made it to the Superbowl, for a February 7 matchup with the Denver Broncos, it guaranteed global attention for North Carolina’s largest city, says Steve Hartridge.

Fans of the National Football League (NFL) visiting Charlotte can take a tour of the Bank of America stadium where the Panthers play. They will view the hospitality areas, stand down by the pitch, smell the Deep Heat and count the discarded isotonic drink bottles in the dressing rooms and, if they are lucky, get to have their picture taken with the oversized team mascot, 'Sir Purr'.

Indeed, sport features in many of Charlotte’s most popular visitor attractions. Another resident professional team is the basketballing Charlotte Hornets. Tours of the Time Warner Cable Arena stadium are available and guests even get to flex their arm by taking a shot at a hoop from the court's free throw line.

NASCAR Hall of fame NASCAR racing, a form of stock-car or ‘banger racing’, is a big deal in the U.S. Southern states and Charlotte’s NASCAR Hall of Fame has plenty to appeal to more than mere petrolheads. You can stand alongside 18 historic race cars, see how fast you can help change a tyre in the 'pits', and race against other drivers in a simulator.

Premier Holidays 08444 937 531 The tailormade specialist offers the fourstar omni Charlotte hotel, in the financial district of the city, a short walk from the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and the science museum, from £76ppPN. premierholidays.co.uk BOOK

IT

Just outside of Charlotte is the U.S. National Whitewater Center, which features the largest man-made ‘recirculating river’ in the world. As well as bouncing on the 'waves' in a raft, visitors can sign up for kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding, negotiate a rope course and zip lines and cycle on a mountain bike trail.

on location Although expanding fast – only two U.S. states are growing more rapidly –Charlotte’s downtown area is still easily explored on foot. If first-time visitors get a sense of déjà vu, this could be down to the generous tax breaks North Carolina offers film production companies. For Charlotte has featured in several movies and TV series –the first three seasons of Homeland were filmed in the city, including the dramatic final episode of the second series which ended with a bombing in a town square that doubled for Langley, Washington DC. Other notable productions that used locations around the city include the first Hunger Games film, Shallow Hal, Banshee and Paper Towns.

Charlotte’s moniker, 'Queen City', hints at former Colonial links with Britain: it is named in honour of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of King George III who had become Queen Consort of Great Britain and Ireland a few years before the city's founding in 1768.

And the aforementioned Hornets basketball team takes its name not from the summer arrival of buzzing insects but because during the American Revolutionary War British commander General Cornwallis was driven out of the city by hostile residents, prompting him to write that Charlotte was "a hornets nest of rebellion".

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home brews Charlotte’s wave of fine-dining establishments showcase ‘new Southern food' by putting modern creative twists on regional favourites such as chicken, corn bread and sweet potatoes.

There’s also a burgeoning micro-brewery scene, with several pubs offering craft beer from brewers in Charlotte and the nearby region. For example, the NoDa Brewery Company is famous for its award-winning Hop, Drop and ‘N Roll IPA while The Cellar at Duckworth’s has modelled itself on a Prohibition-style 'speakeasy'.

NoDa (short for ‘North Davidson’) is a popular arts district known for its coffee shops, bars and live music. Local brews and bands come together at the Evening Muse, a small live music joint that is open seven days a week.

And bargain hunters have a new mall to check out after the opening last summer of Carolina Premium Outlets, close to the city’s airport.

For more information see visitnc.com 

flying to north east asia

39

flying

high

Benjamin Coren takes a look at the growing number of flights to North East Asia

T

he number of flights in and out of North East Asia from the UK is immense and, wherever your clients are travelling, they will not be short of options for both getting there and travelling around the region.

Plenty of flight capacity already exists to destinations such as Japan, China and South Korea, and recent announcements by several carriers point to a further increase in capacity.

Reaching North East Asia has never been easier and, with increased choice, brings more options to sell the region’s destinations.

Cathay Pacific will add new services from London Gatwick to Hong Kong later this year, for example, and in May Emirates is planning to increase its services to Taiwan (via Dubai) with 44 per cent more capacity.

The network throughout North East Asia is equally as huge as the international

sellingtravel.co.uk

40

flying to north east asia

Views of Hong Kong are best seen from The Peak, or take a journey up to the Po Lin Monastery to see the giant Tian Tan Buddha statue. Exploring the city, visitors will witness the convergence of colonial and Chinese culture in the city's architecture and cuisine.

Families will enjoy a day at Hong Kong Disneyland or Ocean Park Hong Kong.

Macao

network. Flag carriers and regional airlines provide numerous services, making multi-centre trips easy to plan.

A number of destinations in North East Asia are reporting increased visitor figures from the UK and are continuing to work on further growing these numbers with improved visa regulations, tax-free shopping and increased marketing presence.

Growing flight capacity to this part of the world is making travel more accessible than ever. Moreover, agents can really apply their expertise in helping clients plan multi-centre itineraries.

North East Asia is absolutely brimming with culture and history and, with so many ‘bucket list’ locations such as China’s Great Wall or Japan’s Mount Fuji, there is plenty to see and travellers will want to return time and time again.

China China makes up a large part of North East Asia.

It is home to a number of major destinations all served with direct flights from the UK. British Airways operates a daily service to Beijing (PEK) from London Heathrow (LHR). Hainan Airlines flies four times a week from Manchester (MAN), and Air China operates a twice-daily service to the Chinese capital from Heathrow.

China Eastern Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways operate daily services to Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) from Heathrow and British Airways operates ten flights a week.

Flying into Beijing, travellers can visit the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China,

There are currently no direct services from the UK to Macao International Airport (MFM).

Most visitors fly into Hong Kong and take the fast ferry either directly from the airport or from downtown Hong Kong.

Macao is located 40 miles south west of Hong Kong and the ferry takes around one hour.

Passengers taking the ferry from the airport can transit to Macao without needing to go through Hong Kong customs and immigration, and their luggage can be transferred.

Macao does have its own international airport. Air Asia connects Macao with a number the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, of south Asian destinations, while South Korean Tiananmen Square and the Hutong all within low-cost carrier T’Way Airlines introduced the Beijing municipality. a new Seoul-Macao route last November.

Hong Kong The world’s highest ‘figure-eight’ wheel There is a huge number of direct flights to opened last October in Macao’s new Studio Hong Kong. Cathay City resort, and Macao Pacific makes five trips is due to welcome a “Korea is an ideal stopover a day from London number of new hotel Heathrow and four a openings this year destination to rival any other week from Manchester. including the Wynn Asian capital. It’s ideal for Virgin operates a Palace, MGM Cotai and travellers looking for something The Parisian Macao. daily service to Hong different and second or third Kong from Heathrow time travellers who have not Japan and British Airways There are a large operates a twice-daily considered North East Asia” number of daily service. In September MR CHANGHO CHA, DIRECTOR OF KOREA TOURISM ORGANISATION, UK flights from London this year Cathay Heathrow to Japan. will launch a new British Airways four-times-weekly operates two daily services to Tokyo Haneda service from London Gatwick, making it the (HND) and Tokyo Narita (NRT) while Japan only carrier flying non-stop to HKG from LGW. Airlines and ANA All Nippon Airways fly This bustling destination has plenty of daily services to HND from LHR. attractions and offers something for everyone.

Previous page: Mount Fuji, Japan; This page, from top left: Temple of Heaven, China; Hong Kong Skyline; Studio City, Macau

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7 Day Treasures of South Korea

14 Day Korea and Essential China • Return flights with British Airways • 3 nights at 4★ Manu Hotel Seoul • 3 nights 4★ Guangxi Hotel Beijing • 2 nights 4★ Grand New World Xian • 3 nights 4★ Sunrise on the Bund Shanghai • Breakfast, lunch and dinner • Transfers and transport • English speaking guides • Daily Excursions • Entrance fees to sites

• 4 nights at 4★ Hamilton Hotel Seoul • 1 night at 4★ Commodore Hotel Gyeongju • 1 night at 4★ Commodore Hotel Buscan • Breakfast and lunch • Transfers and transport • English speaking guides • Daily Excursions • Entrance fees to sites

From £1,198 pp land only

From £2,478 pp

Highlights of South Korea Seoul: With over 600 years if history, Seoul is the heart of South Korea’s culture and economics.

DMZ: The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is about 1 hour journey north of Seoul. Visit the Dora Observatory and see North Korea as well as learning about the history of the division of Korea.

Gyeongju: Often referred to as a “museum without walls”, Gyeongju is rich in history, offering ancient landmarks, UNESCO Historic Sites and folk craft village.

Busan: Busan is the country’s largest port city and boasts an abundance of coastal tourist attractions, historical and cultural sites, and trendy shopping areas.

Korean Folk Village: Set in a natural environment occupying approximately 243 acres, customs and lifestyles of the past generations have been carefully preserved.

Jeju island: South Korea’s largest island, attractions include Hallasan Mountain, piedmont area, Jeju Olle Trails, beaches, museums, galleries, scenic coastal drives and Jungmun Resort.

For more tours and tailor-made holidays call your Korea specialist China Links Travel

020 8543 8133 ABTA Y5295 ABTA No. No.88888

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flying to north east asia

43

feeds long haul growth too, particularly as affluence increases, so you see more people coming from the region to elsewhere in the world, meaning more flights, and thus more options for us to travel over there as well.

"We run PATA Exchange every March, just after ITB, to allow the UK trade to meet hotels and other ground agents while they’re in Europe.

We also run one of the biggest travel agent events with Taste of PATA in September. We also go around the country running Quiz Evenings and inviting industry staff along to them. " Christ Crampton, Chairman, PATA

Where to book it

Japan Airlines also codeshares on British Airways operated flights from LHR to NRT and HND offering the choice of morning, noon or evening flights.

A number of new hotels are opening in the capital this year, including its first luxury ryokan, Hoshinoya Tokyo, in July.

The new Hokkaido bullet train goes into operation this March, giving visitors flying to Tokyo faster access across Japan.

Universal Studios Japan is celebrating 15 years and is opening a new roller coaster with the world’s longest track and deepest drop for a flying coaster.

South Korea Korean Air operates a daily service to Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) from London Heathrow with connecting services throughout North East Asia. The carrier is increasing capacity on the route with the introduction of its flagship A380 this winter.

British Airways currently serves ICN with B787 Dreamliners and Asiana Airlines operates a daily service from LHR to ICN. Preparations are already underway for the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in 2018.

First time visitors to South Korea should take in Seoul, Busan and Gyeongju. The highspeed Korea Train Express (KTX) traverses the country in two hours and 20 minutes.

South Korea is an ideal stopover destination and a good alternative to other Asian destinations for those who have visited much of North East Asia previously.

Taiwan Taiwanese carrier EVA Air has direct daily flights from London Heathrow to Taipei Taoyuan

“Macao is located only 40 miles from Hong Kong and flight connections around Asia make it a perfect two or three night addition to an Asian itinerary” SUE WHITEHEAD, UK REPRESENTATIVE, MACAO GOVERNMENT TOURISM OFFICE

International Airport (TPE) departing in the evening and arriving the following evening.

UK visitors can also fly on indirect services with airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Singapore Airlines.

TPE recently completed enhancements that enable it to handle Airbus A380 aircraft.

Flying into TPE, visitors can head out into the country and enjoy one of Taiwan’s many hiking and cycling routes, one of the most popular being a trip around Sun Moon Lake.

The niche destination has a deep cultural heritage and great food, winning many awards for its street food.

Must-see sights include the Yushan Mountain Range – home to North East Asia’s highest peak – the Taipei 101 tower, Longshan Temple and the National Palace Museum.

 WENDY WU TOURS – 0800 9888209 The ten-night group tour, ‘A China Experience’, offers a glimpse of China’s fascinating past, present and future with visits to the contrasting cities of Xian, Beijing and Shanghai. Tour highlights include the Terracotta Warriors, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. Prices start from £1,790pp and include flights, transfers, accommodation, meals, entry fees and tour guides. wendywutours.co.uk

 INSIDER JOURNEYS – 01865 268 941 A ten-day 'Highlights of Japan' tour starts from £2,940pp. Experience Tokyo, Kyoto, Mount Fuji, Hiroshima and the bullet train. The price includes eight nights hotel accommodation and one night in a traditional ryokan. It also includes flights, transfers, entrance fees and some meals. insiderjourneys.co.uk

 CHINA LINKS TRAVEL – 020 8543 8133 The 'Wonders of South Korea' 11-day tour includes visits to Seoul, Gyeongji, Busan, Daegu, Chungju and Mount Seorak. Prices start from £1,999pp and include four-star accommodation, guides, transfers and meals.

International flights are available on request. chinalinkstravel.co.uk 

Tourism talk "Over the last decade there’s been a focus on South East Asia in terms of aviation growth, especially in the low-cost carrier segment, and so north east Asia is considered the next area of major expansion.

Add to that the liberalising of the air markets and it’s ripe for substantial growth.

"Low-cost carrier regional increases directly

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From left: Cheongpung, South Korea; Korean Air's Celestial Bar

44

my journey

My Japan journey...

an he’d expected, th n pa Ja in t en al a lot more prev e of the country st ta al re a Whilst English is t ge to tour suggests a guided l il st l el rb O n la A

A

fter a lifetime of travel the prospect of visiting a country with an unfathomable language and, I imagine, little English signage or spoken (both wrong, as it turned out) still seems a trifle daunting. So to be greeted at the airport with a welcome sign bearing my name is, well, welcome. Very!

The private airport transfer is all part of Inside Japan’s 14-night Japan Enchantment inclusive small-group guided tour. Our 24/7 guide is William, half French/ Japanese but with perfect English, and the tour includes four- and five-star accommodation throughout, all a transport, daily breakfast plus several lunches and Being able to chat to dinners, luggage forwarding, guides and entrance fees. maiko was a delight Our stroll around Tokyo’s Asakusa district on the first morning is an instant assault on the senses. We tour Senso-ji temple (Tokyo’s oldest) and stroll past scores of small shops before boarding a Sumida River waterbus to the beautiful Hamarikyu gardens, a city oasis.

After a sushi lunch our visits include the Meiji Shrine, where we see several traditional weddings, and the Metropolitan Government Towers for spectacular aerial views and, afterwards, a glimpse of the Imperial Palace.

Day three is a minibus journey to Nikko to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tosho-gu, Japan’s most ornate shrine complex.

We check into our ryokan, a traditional Japanese hotel with lots of tatami matting, hot baths and, this evening, enjoy one of the most spectacular meals I’ve ever eaten. Dressed in kimonos, we eat umpteen courses of exquisitely presented and mouth-watering food.

I continue the theme the next morning with a Japanese breakfast before heading on the Romantic My ma Road for a cable car ride to gical m oments see beautiful Lake Chuzenji The foo d! Neve and the Kegon Falls. r were s o many w and tex onderf tures s We take coffee in the pretty ul taste ampled s . A priv sun-filled but people-empty two ma ate aud ikos: yo ience w ung wo ith resort town of Okinikko before men tr life. Th aining e unfail fo r the g continuing to the ski resort of ing cou eisha rtesy a Japane nd frie Karuizawa where we cycle to se peo n d li ness of ple. Be the ing app a nearby lake. Our six-course lauded when in in a jaz troduce z club d us as dinner is in the hotel’s stylish ho

tch s ma olour ossom c n l Autum cherry b g’s sprin

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guests

!

sellingtravel.co.uk

French restaurant and is followed by an impromptu piano recital by an Inside Japan employee.

Our tour of Karuizawa includes the 121-year-old Mampei Hotel, where John Lennon stayed each summer between 1976 and 1979. We have great fun making our own soba (buckwheat) noodles, which are cooked perfectly for us to eat. Then it’s on to Mt Asama Magma Stone Park (the volcano last erupted in 1783) and the Shiraito Waterfall.

Shopping in Karuizawa Ginza wraps up the afternoon before another multi-course (nine) tofu dinner.

Day six brings our first shinkansen (bullet train) journey, to Nagano. Spotless trains run to the second and the train crew bow to passengers! On arrival we take a taxi to see the snow monkeys bathing in the Jigokudani Monkey Park’s hot pool then journey back through orchards and vineyards to Nagano for a stroll. The day ends with another memorable dinner in Fujiy Gohonjin Wisteria.

Dawn blessing

The following day is a (voluntary) pre-dawn start to the impressive Zenkoji Temple to see chanting monks. We are ‘blessed’ by the head monk and walk through a pitchblack underground passage to touch ‘heaven’s door’. After breakfast we board another bullet train to Kanazawa’s spectacular railway station to head for the Museum of Contemporary Art and a fish market to whet appetites.

The evening is rounded off perfectly in the Riverside Jazz Bar where we are introduced as ‘honoured British guests’ to the applause of the audience and, at evening’s end, are courteously escorted to a taxi.

Halfway through the tour, the sights of Kanazawa include gold leaf making, the geisha district, the Nomura Samurai House, Kanazawa Castle, the beautiful Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan’s most famous, and, finally, the Kanazawa Myoryuji (Ninja Temple) to see its many ‘hidden’ rooms and stairways.

Next morning Thunderbird (a bullet train) takes us to yet another spectacular station, this time Kyoto’s.

We visit the 1001 Buddhist statues of Sanjusangen-do and walk past the craft and souvenir shops up to the World Heritage Site of Kiyomizu-dera Temple,

Many tem ples grace the World Heritage li st

my journey

All that remains of old Hiroshima

45

Noodle mak ing joins my list of culinary skills

surrounded by the acers’ spectacular autumn colours.

The next day we leave in beautiful sunshine to see the 2000 red tori gates of Fushimi inari taisha and two Kyoto temples including the oldest, Kennin-ji, founded in 1202.

After lunch comes a real highlight: a private audience with two maikos, young women training for five years to work as geishas. They demonstrate the tea ceremony, dance and we then chat and play a drinking game! That evening we savour a magnificent dinner cooked in front of us in Kyoto’s famous Tempura Endo restaurant.

A slo w futur drive t o e of wedd a ed bl iss

Seventy years of peace

I next use my Japan Rail Pass to take the bullet train to Hiroshima, to visit the Peace Memorial Park (another of Japan’s 19 World Heritage Sites) and Museum which recalls the horror of the first atomic bomb in 1945.

Yet another bullet train takes us to Odawara, to reach our second Hyatt Regency in the hill resort of Hakone. We spend a delightful afternoon wandering the open-air sculpture park. Local trains put us in ambling distance of the hotel to enjoy its daily two-hour complimentary drinks session.

The next day our pirate boat cruise on Lake Ashi gives spectacular views of iconic Mt Fuji as we sail to Hakone Sekisho, to buy one of the town’s famous trick boxes. A walk along the Old Tokaido Road to lunch and the Hakone Shrine ends the afternoon.

is as tation Presen nt as taste ta impor

“Our stroll around Tokyo’s Asakusa district is an instant assault on the senses.”

The bullet trains are as impressi ve as they look

Outstanding firsts

After more complimentary drinks we take a taxi to a tiny family-run restaurant to eat sushi seated on the floor.

Our last bullet train journey sees us back in Tokyo.

In bright sunshine we stroll the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and a department store before dinner.

After a simply unforgettable fortnight our private transfer arrives next morning right on cue to whisk us to the airport.

Japan and a guided tour were double firsts for me and my verdict is ‘outstanding’ on both fronts. A Best Small Tour Operator award is no surprise.

So much better with chopsticks

The Emperor’s Imperial Palace

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46

australia: adventure & activities

max take it to the

From croc spotting in the Top End to swimming with whale sharks out west Australia offers adventure ideas for many repeat trips, says Ben Lerwill

I

eyed the crocodile nervously, wondering what sort of work its prehistoric jaws would make of my fibreglass canoe.

The two-metre-long creature basking on the banks was a ‘freshie’, a freshwater croc, meaning it was far less likely to try to have me for dinner than one of its saltwater cousins. But still – I paddled a little faster. We were alone, the two of us, in one of the high-sided canyons of Katherine Gorge in the Northern Territory. I was spending the day steering along the river in a hired canoe, having stopped off on the long, hot road trip from Darwin down to Uluru.

The journey to the Rock from the so-called

sellingtravel.co.uk

Top End covers more than 1,200 miles. The majority of this distance follows the Stuart Highway through empty, dingo-roamed outback. As a way of getting a sense of the scale of Australia, it’s unforgettable.

And there are some fantastic diversions en route, as I was discovering. From the sweeping expanse of Kakadu National Park in the north to the lofty rim of Kings Canyon near the

australia: adventure & activities

47

heart of the country, it’s a part of Australia that likes to serve up its nature super-sized.

This was certainly the case with Katherine Gorge – crocs or no crocs. As I paddled past quiet ochre cliffs still held sacred by local indigenous groups, marvelling at the solitude and raw natural beauty of the surrounds, it was a reminder that Australia holds infinitely more than its headline offerings.

“Everyone’s heard of the star attractions like the Great Barrier Reef, Great Ocean Road and Uluru,” says Michael Edwards, UK Managing Director of Intrepid Travel, “but there are plenty of hidden gems to be discovered too. You can try the remote wilderness of Kimberley, the vast plains of the Nullarbor Desert or the gorgeous white sands of Broome’s Cable Beach. There are few countries where visitors can have such a range of experiences.”

In more ways than one, a trip to Australia is a big proposition.

The destination is roughly the same size as Europe, and these immense dimensions make it excellently suited to clients in search of adventure, largely because it offers activities for so many different demographics.

From hot-air ballooning, wine tasting and koala encounters to 4WD expeditions, bush-hiking and cage-diving, it’s somewhere that caters for young families, hardened thrill-seekers and everyone in between.

“The potential for adventure is massive due to the fact there’s something for everyone and all budgets,” says Katie Burton, Destination Manager at Austravel.

“It’s also so easy to discover Australia under your own steam and in your own time. Self-drives are a great way of exploring off the beaten track, but if you’re constrained by time then internal flights are quick and good value.”

Facing page: hit the surf on the Gold Coast, Queensland; This page from top: Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island; Arkaba Walk, South Australia

LUXURY LODGES AUSTRALIA

Big trip

Go wild: Australia is celebrated for The sheer magnitude of the country is its natural attractions from kangaroos mirrored by its diversity. From the lush and wombats to koalas and emus. Visit a valleys of Tasmania and the snowy alps of conservation park to learn more about the New South Wales to the sun-baked plains animals and see them up close. of Western Australia and the surf beaches Go croc-spotting: The Top End, in the of Victoria, it offers near-limitless choice.

Northern Territory, is famous for its UK tour operators have long realised the saltwater crocodiles. There are various ways of country’s potential in terms of the excursions seeing them in the wild, but the cruises offered that can be offered on the ground, and in Kakadu National Park are the most rewarding. the current strength of the pound makes Whale of a time: the destination even Swim with giant whale more appealing.

“The great exchange “December to March is sharks off Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia or go rates in favour of the an ideal time to visit cage-diving with great white pound mean that 2016 many parts of Australia sharks off Port Lincoln in is the perfect time but the tropical Top End South Australia. to plan an adventure Traditional touches: holiday to Australia,” is best experienced from Indigenous groups says Rachel McMurdo, May to October” have lived in Australia over Assistant Product 50,000 years and there are Manager at Travel 2. many ways to learn more about their culture.

“And David Attenborough’s current ‘Great Try a tipple: Wine regions such as the Barrier Reef’ documentary has sparked a huge Barossa Valley in South Australia, renewed focus on Australia’s aquatic and costal Margaret River in Western Australia and the Yarra experiences.” McMurdo recommends overnight Valley in Victoria are world-class, with countless adventures on the reef as a memorable option. options for tastings and cellar door visits.

Perfect ten Head outback: Australia’s Red Centre is Into the blue: The Blue Mountains in home to more than Uluru. Both Kings New South Wales offer scenery and Canyon and the spectacular nearby outcrop of various hiking, horse-riding and 4WD options – Kata Tjuta can also be incorporated into an and less than two hours from Sydney outback itinerary.

Catch a wave: There’s good reason why Climb the bridge: Joining a 'climb' to the Australia is so synonymous with surfing. top of Harbour Bridge has become one of It’s a superb place to hire a board and take to the quintessential Sydney experiences. The views the waves, with lessons offered for beginners. from 134 metres up are phenomenal.

sellingtravel.co.uk

48

australia: adventure & activities

“Incorporate a stopover in Abu Dhabi or Hong Kong into an Australian itinerary for even greater scope for contrast and diverse adventures”

Where to book it  AUDLEY TRAVEL – 01993 838 810 A 14-day Southwest Uncovered itinerary starts from £2,595pp, including international flights. Focusing on Perth and the Margaret River region in Western Australia, the holiday includes the chance to explore Fremantle, visit Rottnest Island and relax on beaches. audleytravel.com

Ride the rails: The country has some incredible luxury train journeys. Two of the best are The Indian Pacific between Sydney and Perth and The Ghan (Darwin and Adelaide).

What's new  Airlines: Qatar Airways (qatarairways.com), which currently flies to both Melbourne and Perth via Doha, will be adding Sydney and Adelaide to its route map in March and May respectively.  Marketing: Tourism Australia (tourism.australia. com) is this year promoting the destination as ‘the world’s largest water park', the latest phase of its 'There’s Nothing Like Australia' campaign. The move ties in with Sir David Attenborough’s new BBC series on the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the fact that some 80% of UK visitors to Australia participate in some form of aquatic or coastal activity.  Adventure product: There are two major new walking trails. The first is the Three Capes Track (threecapestrack.com.au) in southeast Tasmania, a four-day undertaking that sticks close to the island’s towering coastline. The second is the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail, a five-day walk around the wildliferich island referred to as Australia’s answer to the Galapagos (tourkangarooisland.com.au). It’s set to be formally unveiled in September.

In Western Australia, swimming with humpback whales will become a possibility from June after the state government granted licenses to a number of Ningaloo Reef operators.

In South Australia there’s a new wombattracking tour (adelaideprivatetours.com.au), while in the Northern Territory a large-scale art installation by British artist Bruce Munro will be in place at Uluru from April.

 Hotels: The 87-room Peppers Docklands (peppers.com.au/docklands) opened in Melbourne in January close to the CBD, while Sydney has just welcomed the fivestar Primus Hotel (primushotelsydney.com), an Art Deco property with 172 rooms.

In Perth, recent openings range from the quirky new Fremantle Prison YHA (yha.com.au) to the upmarket COMO The Treasury (comohotels.com/thetreasury).  Tools for agents: Tourism Australia relaunched its Aussie Specialist Program in late 2015, with a new website: aussiespecialist.com. It includes a new 'Coastal and Aquatic' module.

Tourism talk “The Northern Territory is full of adventure, no matter what your budget, interests or age. Take a hot-air balloon over Alice Springs, ride a camel at Uluru or ride an airboat over the Mary River floodplains. The UK is our biggest international source market and we’ve seen consistent growth in visitors. There are some fantastic air fares around for our peak season, which begins in May and runs until the end of October.”

Fleur Burrows, Regional Manager UK, Tourism NT “We’re focused on achieving the South Australian tourism industry’s full potential of $8bn (£3.85bn) of visitor expenditure by 2020.

“With Qatar Airways launching its new route to Adelaide on May 2 using its Airbus A350, we are expecting a huge rise in UK visitors this year.

“We are also looking forward to the launch of new tourist attractions, such as the Kangeroo Island Wilderness Trail and the Adelaide Oval roof climb.”

Janice Kurrle, Marketing Manager UK, South Australian Tourism Commission

sellingtravel.co.uk

 AUSTRAVEL –0800 988 4834 A nine-night Tasmania Cruise holiday is priced from £3,049pp. The offer includes a seven-night Coral Princess Tasmania Cruise from Hobart to Hobart, with meals and two nights at four-star The Lodge on Elizabeth in Hobart. The deal includes international flights and is based on departures this month (February). austravel.com

 JETSET – 0845 0257 757 Jetset offers a four-day Sydney Discovery Stay with prices starting at £235pp. The deal includes an opportunity to take in the sights of Sydney coupled with a tour of Bondi, a dinner cruise of Sydney Harbour and a full-day excursion to the Blue Mountains.

Prices are based on those offered this month (February 2016) and include transfers and accommodation but obviously not flights. jetsetholidays.co.uk 

From the top: meeting the locals in Esperance, Western Australia; and cage diving in the Neptune Islands Marine Park, South Australia

The Review O N LY T H E T R AV E L N E W S T H AT R E AL LY M AT T E R S

50

R O C K Y M O U N T A I N E E R : Introducing new special offers and added value

54

CHECKING OUT Swissotel Le Plaza Basel GET ONLINE

55

S H OW R E PO RT ILTM in Cannes

51

NEWS Sunvil’s all-season Scandinavia

R E A D A L L O U R M A G A Z I N E S A N D C H E C K O U T O U R N E W S A N D S E L L I N G T I P S AT S E L L I N G T RAV E L.C O.U K

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50

the review

Rocky Mountaineer adds value for gold and silver passengers

WOW factor for USA WOW

Air, the

ultra-low-cost

transatlantic airline based in Iceland, is to begin flying to two

Canadian rail operator Rocky

California destinations in June.

Flights to San Francisco will

Mountaineer has a new ‘Stay and

begin on June 9 while those to Los

Play’ offer running until March 4

Angeles will commence on June 15,

that offfers passengers up to

departing from Gatwick and Bristol,

£280 per couple in ‘added value’.

WOW’s latest UK departure point.

New bookings in both GoldLeaf

Both California routes are now

and SilverLeaf Service of seven

available to book and are priced

nights or more will receive the

from £139, one way.

added value deal which can be

The flights, via Reykjavik (KEF),

used towards extra hotel nights,

will operate four times a week to

additional meals, meal plans and

Los Angeles with five weekly flights

airport transfers.

to San Francisco, year-round.

Eco partnership for Kenya

wowair.co.uk

Bookings for shorter packages of four to six nights will receive £190 per couple.

The

offer

is

designed

to

By jO auStiN

project, opening in March, is Loisaba

encourage clients to stay and

THe naTure Conservancy (TNC) is

Tented Camp which will comprise 12

play for longer in destinations

supporting the development of Loisaba

ensuite tents with two family tents,

such as Seattle (Washington),

Conservancy by luxury safari operator,

each made up of two double ensuite

Vancouver and Whistler (British

Elewana, in a 56,000-acre wildlife area.

tents with shared verandas.

Columbia) or Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff, and Calgary (Alberta).

The new partnership recognises

Each will have spectacular views

that responsible tourism is vital to

across the Laikipia Plains to Mount

Packages covered by the deal

long-term conservation and will help

Kenya and a minimal ecological

include the Canadian Rockies

ensure that Loisaba becomes self-

footprint. Elewana will also manage the

Getaway,

Kenya waives visa fees for children

sustainable for

famous Loisaba Kiboko and Koija star

Vancouver

beds following a serious refurbishment

Louise, and Banff with four days

The Conservancy is one of Kenya’s

project. The hope is to curtail poaching,

onboard

most important elephant corridors

create jobs, provide managed grazing

eight

in a bid to boost tourism, especially

between Laikipia and Samburu and is a

for local communities and secure

accommodation,

to its coastal regions, the Kenya

critical refuge for lion, zebra, wild dogs,

benefits for people and wildlife for

activities, to which clients can

Tourist Board has waived visa fees

leopard and cheetah.

generation.

add an Alaska cruise.

elewanacollection.com

rockymountaineer.com/stayandplay

waiver

applies

the

local

community and wildlife.

for children under the age of 16.

The

both

to

The Elewana Collection’s initial

travelling and

between

Jasper,

Lake

the iconic train and nights’

hotel tours

and

all

nationalities and is designed to encourage more families to Kenya.

ageNtS See tHe BeSt OF NeW

yOrK State

In addition, all Kenya Wildlife Service park fees will also be

a COMBined group of UK and

capped at $60 (around £41) for the

German agents and operators

financial year 2016/17, down from

experienced the best of New York

the previous fee of $90 (around

State on a fam trip arranged in

£62) for some national parks.

association with Selling Travel.

Travel

These moves come after Kenya

During the trip the group

introduced incentives for charter

experienced world-class

airlines at the start of this month.

museums and galleries,

Landing fees have been waived for

sampled local produce at

all tourist charter aircraft with

wineries, micro-breweries and

passengers terminating at Moi

distilleries

International Airport Mombasa and

spectacular natural attractions

Malindi Airport until June 30 2018.

such as Niagara Falls (pictured),

Airlines are also getting a

state parks and mountain regions.

and

enjoyed

passenger subsidy of $30 per seat

You can read all about the trip

for international passengers who

online at sellingtravel.co.uk from

terminate or disembark in Kenya

February 20 and in a

during

supplement distributed with the

the

same

period.

special

March issue of Selling Travel.

magicalkenya.com

sellingtravel.co.uk

the review

Rea Sea experts head to Greece and Turkey Red Sea Holidays is expanding into

Greece

and Turkey for

summer 2016 with a programme

Sunvil to focus on year-round Scandinavia

SuperBreak expands worldwide product SuperBreak’s

new

2016

Explore Europe & Worldwide brochure includes additional USA

of all-inclusive and self-catered

hotels, new self-drive options with

holidays

Turkish

a wide range of ferry operators and

resorts and the Greek Islands of

an increased focus on Iceland and

Corfu, Crete and Rhodes.

Marrakech.

to

popular

Part of an ambitious growth

The brochure highlights 486

strategy, the new standalone

properties from the operator’s

destination brochure showcases

1800

hotels and departures available

destination information to help

from UK airports nationwide.

agents plan three-day short breaks

Lead-in

prices

start

at

range

and

has

new

in a range of global destinations.

£339, with guaranteed savings of

GDS connectivity has given the

£75 per booking as a launch

operator greater flight access to

incentive, and low deposits from

worldwide

£99. Hotels range from ultra all-

inspired the addition of US cities

inclusive and five-star spa resorts

and other short break destinations.

destinations

and

to value for money four- and five-

In the U.S. over 200 properties

star family beach breaks with kids

have been added and the debut

facilities and a handful of self-

self-drive

catering options.

convenient ways to reach Ireland,

options

focus

on

Turkey and the Greek Islands

the Channel Islands and northern

are the company’s first new

France by car with P&O Ferries,

destinations, but it has plans to add the islands of Zante and Kos,

DFDS By julie baxter

Seaways, Irish

Ferries,

scene – has touched each and every one

Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries.

Spain and the Canary Islands later

Sunvil’s 2016 year-round Scandinavia

of us in recent years. The region is more

On many featured routes, children

in 2016. Red Sea Holidays will be

brochure

on

fashionable than ever before. This,

travel and stay for free. A four-

working in close partnership with

experiences and bespoke holidays

coupled with the current favourable

night self-drive break to Jersey

the

across Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

exchange rate, suggests it will be

costs from £315pp.

Turkish

Culture

and

turns

the

spotlight

Information Office to offer agent

New recommendations include the

educational trips throughout the

islet of Smola, overshadowed by the

coming summer season.

dramatic mountains of the Norwegian

Added itineraries include a self-drive

traditional Riad accommodation

redseaholidays.co.uk

Fjords, and 22 additional properties

option taking in southern Sweden, priced

while five new hotel options have

including an innovative igloo concept at

from £1,946pp including return flights

been added in

Pine Tree Lodge in Swedish Lapland and

(London), 14 nights’ B&B, airport transfer

Reykjavik

the historic Isfjord Radio Station hotel, a

and car hire. There is also a new short

including the

remote outpost in the impressive

break option

and

new Storm

Spitsbergen wilderness.

Copenhagen via The Oresund, Europe’s

and Skuggi

Rachel Jelley, Scandinavia Product

longest road and rail bridge, with a side

hotels.

Manager, said: “Scandinavia’s unique

trip to ‘Wallander Country’ – the pretty,

superbreak.com/

culture – its cutting-edge design,

medieval coastal town of Ystad. It is

agents

coveted quality of life, addictive crime

priced from £506pp including flights

fiction, right to roam amid stunning wild

and four nights’ B&B.

scenery and innovative gastronomy

sunvil.co.uk

another popular year for visitors from

New Marrakech packages start from

the UK.”

linking

Malmo

£451pp

and

feature

NEWS TO USE IN BRIEF New boutique: On an island hill

Grenada investment: Sandals Resorts

Dominica connected: Same-day

Serbia innovation: Small-group

overlooking Sri Lanka’s largest natural

is planning a $10-million expansion of

connections from the UK are now

adventure travel experts Explore has a

lake, Koggala, the new Tri Lanka hotel

its Sandals LaSource Grenada Resort &

available to Dominica following the

new standalone tour to Serbia. The

has 11 spacious suites in an eco-design

Spa property. The work will see 32 new

completion of repairs to Douglas

eight-day Highlights of Serbia itinerary

including three suites with dramatic

luxury suites added and bring other

Charles Airport required after Tropical

takes in Belgrade, the capital, and Novi

360-degree views. There is also a spa

enhancements to the Luxury Included

Storm Erika. Also, LIAT has increased its

Sad, the country’s second-largest city.

and tree top yoga shala and gardens

property. The new Lagoon Nature

daily service between Dominica and

Departures run from June to September

which supply the hotel kitchens.

Reserve Suites will open in the summer.

Antigua to three a day.

2016, priced from £825pp.

trilanka.com

sandals.co.uk

discoverdominica.com

explore.co.uk

51

52

the review

Tourism update

CAROL HAY UK Manager, Caribbean Tourism Organisation

COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU...

THE Caribbean Tourism Organization and its partners will be coming to a town near you very shortly! Our planned training events in 2016 include: Ireland (Cork, Limerick and Dublin) on April 12-14; Scotland (Edinburgh and

14 and Birmingham on September 15.

Mercury Holidays adds Florida and more

Anyone interested in attending should

By laura gelder

Lauderdale, Miami and Tampa Bay. This

there is no single supplement for

contact Ann-Marie Brooks at:

MerCurY HOlidaYS’ latest edition

includes the Treasure Bay Hotel &

travellers staying in twin rooms

abrooks@caribtourism.com.

of

Worldwide

Marina, the closest hotel to Disneyworld

(subject to availability).

brochure features 200 holidays in 26

in the Mercury portfolio, from £999pp

All Mercury Holidays trips include

TRAVEL GURU

destinations, including Florida for the

for two weeks B&B and with a third

return flights from the UK, with a

Look out for further details in the news

first time.

week free.

choice of 30 different departure

Glasgow) on April 18-19; London on May 17; Essex on May 18; Chester on September

section of the Caribbean Trave Guru training

its

European

and

The tour operator – until now a

programme (caribbeantravelguru.com) or as

Malta

featured in our monthly newsletter.

Mercury Holidays offers hundreds of

airports, all security fees and airport

room

and passenger taxes, accommodation,

showcasing its largest collection of

supplement. New trips on offer to solo

meals, return transfers in resort and the

If you are not already registered on this

package holidays to date, with holidays

travellers include two weeks’ half-

services

programme, then sign up now at

across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle

board at the four-star-plus Hotel Valle

representative in the resort.

caribbeantravelguru.com. There are some

East, India Ocean, Caribbean, Vietnam

Mar, Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife from

The tour operator will release a

great opportunities to win prizes and attend

and Australia.

£699pp, on a B&B basis, with a third

second brochure focused on escorted

week free.

tours later this month.

Caribbean events and fam trips.

and

Gozo

specialist – is

Agents booking Florida can choose

Our first winner for 2016 is Lai Yap of

from an assortment of hotels in Fort

holidays

with

no

single

For stays between June 1-30 2016

of

a

Mercury

Holidays

mercuryholidays.co.uk

Kenwood Travel who won £100 worth of Amazon vouchers for making and logging her Caribbean bookings in January.

duBliN FligHt BOOSt FOr la MaNga CluB

But don’t worry if you didn’t win last

aer linGuS is to operate four flights a week from Dublin into Murcia-San Javier airport from March 27.

The expanded service is set to boost bookings to the five-star La Manga Club, popular with golf and sports enthusiasts and located just a 20-minute drive from the airport.

Set in an area three times the size of Monaco, the resort’s facilities include three 18-hole golf courses and a nine-hole academy course, a Leadbetter Golf Academy – the only one of its kind in mainland Spain – a 28-court tennis centre and eight full-size football pitches.

The resort provides a wide range of sports academies for children. lamangaclub.com

month, just start logging your bookings now to win a Rum & Chocolate hamper. And if you complete the most spotlight quizzes and tests on caribbeantravelguru.com

in

February you could win yourself a £50 Love2Shop voucher.

To become a Caribbean Travel Guru all you have to do is complete the CTO’s three training module tests, five partner spotlight quizzes, attend one Caribbean event and make three Caribbean bookings.

For all queries regarding the Caribbean Travel Guru online training programme, contact Ann-Marie Brooks on 020 8948 0057 or by email at abrooks@caribtourism.com

Caribbean Tourism Organization 22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1BP Tel: 020 8948 0057 Fax: 020 8948 0067 caribbean.co.uk

sellingtravel.co.uk

the review

53

Rewards from Silversea SPECIAL OFFERS

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by laura gelder

Silversea Cruises has launched a

Quarterly winners, along with

new recognition programme for

retail agencies who deliver the

travel agents that recognises hard

greatest percentage growth over the

work with exclusive prizes, VIP

year, will be recognised at a

tickets and trips.

Silversea Advocates event at the

The Silversea Advocates scheme is

end of 2016.

retail

The first prize up for grabs is one

agencies and homeworkers, with

of 10 places on a fam trip to Dubai,

those

open

to

all

Silversea’s

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percentage of growth (based on

and take a tour of Silver Whisper

bookings compared to the same

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delivering

the

quarter of the previous year) in the

Lisa

McAuley,

Silversea

Commercial Director, UK and Ireland

running to win accolades.

All qualifying bookings since the

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automatically

Memorable experiences await, in the heart of extraordinary physical beauty

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OE-base-2.indd 1

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21/12/2015 12:11

54

the review

Checking out...

HOTELS / RESORTS / TRAIN JOURNEYS / CRUISES / AIRPORT REVIEWS

S T A Y : S W I S S O T E L L E P L A Z A – Basel, Switzerland T H E V E R D I CT

BY LAURA GELDER

THE BACKGROUND: This 238-room

four-star-plus hotel is largely designed for business travellers, with extensive meeting facilities and break-out areas on each floor. But the location also makes it popular for leisure travellers at the start or end of a Rhine river cruise or just sightseeing in this compact, pretty city.

THE LOCATION: The hotel is 15 minutes by car from the airport and situated on the north side of the river just a few tram stops from the old town over on the south side. It is opposite and connected to Congress Center Basel and a five-minute walk from the city’s Musical Theatre.

THE ROOM: My Junior Suite was spacious and light, mixing warm yellow with neutral tones. As well as the king-size bed there was a chaise longue and a sofa area with a coffee table placed next to the round attic-style window looking across the city’s rooftops. Amenities included a Lavazza coffee machine and

This hotel feels incredibly spacious and the rooms modern, cosy and comfortable. Overall the feel of the hotel during my stay was more corporate than leisure but this was because of the number of delegates staying at the time. The rooms and facilities are perfectly suited to leisure travellers too. The staff were

mini bar. The marble bathroom had a bath/shower combo. A pillow menu was available and the hotel delivers a complimentary paper to the room each morning. All rooms have free wifi.

KEY FACILITIES: The Purovel Sport Fitness Centre had a small but functional space with cardio and weight machines as well as sauna and steam rooms.

RESTAURANTS/BARS: Grill25 sat at street level and had contemporary

decor and art along with a modern international menu. At breakfast the self-servive area offered both hot and continental options. For lunch I sampled the salad bar and had a light Asian-flavoured duck, potato and pak choi dish. Other options included the signature burger. There was also a small, stylish lobby bar which served snacks.

extremely helpful when it came to recommendations and directions to local attractions and restaurants.

RATES: Prices lead in at £155 per night for a Classic Room on a room-only basis.

 swissotel.com/basel;  +41 61 555 3333; Fax: +41 61 555 3970;  basel@swissotel.com

S TAY : THE ARCH – London, UK

BY STEVE HARTRIDGE

THE BACKGROUND: This central London

five-star boutique hotel’s 82 bedrooms – including 11 suites – are spread over six floors that span seven Grade II listed Georgian townhouses and two mews homes. It is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

THE LOCATION: In Marylebone, a couple of blocks back from Oxford Street, close to Marble Arch and Bond Street tube

stations – and also right across from Madonna’s London home.

THE ROOM: I stayed in the spacious Sullivan Suite on the ground floor.

A mini-bar and fridge ‘area’, with complimentary soft drinks, water and juice, was just inside the entrance before the suite opened out to a large space that featured a king-size bed complete with duck down duvets and pillows, a couch and two chairs. With its mix

of original wood and parquet floors, hand-painted bespoke wallpaper and collection of modern prints, it was super stylish. The bathroom area, with rain shower, bath, two basins and heated anti-steam mirrors ran the entire length of the suite. There was also a small outside ‘patio area’ with two chairs.

RESTAURANTS/BARS: Hunter 486 restaurant offers a ‘Best of British’ inspired menu. Booths with leather couches are set into enclaves for added privacy. Through shiny copper pots and pans suspended from the ceiling, diners can watch the chefs doing their thing in an open plan kitchen. My salt and pepper squid and salmon main course were both superb. The area doubles up as a ‘Champagne lounge’ and the hotel also features a ‘Martini Room’.

T H E V E R D I CT This is a stylish and funky hotel that puts a capital ‘B’ into ‘boutique’. It manages to be both classy yet homely: there are several impressive artworks by British talents and an openfireplace (complete with blazing fire in the lobby) provides an ultracomfortable feel. This is service at its best: from the moment you first walk into the lobby to the time you leave. Recommend to those on a London break.

RATES: From £350 for a

The Arch London, 50 Great Cumberland Place,

Deluxe Room and £420 for

Marble Arch, London W1H 7FD;

a suite.

 thearchlondon.com;  020 7724 4700

sellingtravel.co.uk

the review

Top of the range

NOVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 3 2015

The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) in Cannes turned the industry spotlight onto some of the most desirable travel experiences around the globe for the 14th successive year. Rowena Marella-Daw reports

Selling by storytelling ‘STORYTELLING’

was

Hotels go high tech MAJOR

the

hotel

chains

are

buzzword at an ILTM Global Forum

investing in high-tech gadgetry

themed around meeting demand

and new technology to give them

for bespoke experiences.

a competitive edge in the luxury

Robert McKee, renowned Creative

travel market.

Writing Instructor and mentor to

Marriott International’s Apply

award-winning figures in film and

Pay app allows guests to check in

TV, encouraged the industry to

with their iPhone 6, 6 Plus, and

“hook, hold and reward (the

(soon) with an Apple Watch, at a

consumer) with a satisfying climax

contactless reader situated at the

to a beautifully told story”.

front desk, eliminating the hassle

He said what clinches the deal “is a service the brand provides to the customer to enrich their lives, to give them insights they cannot easily get in any other way”.

of having to present a credit card.

Luxury sector on the rise

Virtual reality is carving a niche in the travel market as a sales tool. The Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts group spearheaded the

Andrew Stembridge, Chewton

LUXURY buyers and suppliers met in an

market alongside the country’s other

trend by rolling out Samsung

Glen & Cliveden Hotel’s Managing

estimated 60,000 one-to-one meetings

historic cities, such as Nara.

Gear VR headsets across its

Director agreed: “Images of marble

at the latest staging of ILTM, reflecting

This year the luxurious 124-room Four

global sales offices and plans a

bathrooms don’t cut the mustard

the growing demand for and significance

Seasons Hotel Kyoto will open in the

full roll out by the end of the year

any more, guests want us to help

of the luxury market worldwide.

city’s historic Higashiyama-ku district,

to help enhance agent knowledge

close to heritage sites and the Kyoto

and improve sales confidence.

them create memories that they

Some 1500 travel agents from 77

can cherish with their loved ones.”

countries and close to 1500 exhibitors

National Museum.

Starwood introduced to its Aloft brand a robotic butler service or

deluxe

New openings, relaunches, digital and

properties attended the event. New

design innovations and upcoming

‘Botlr’,

were 70 first-time stand holders – from

projects from brands and properties

essentials, such as toothbrushes,

design-led and gastronomy-focused

included a strong profile for companies

extra towels, etc, – although five-

boutique hotels to deluxe spas, private

such as Cousine Island in The Seychelles,

star guests are most likely to

islands and country mansions.

Four Seasons, Oberoi, The Peninsula

continue to expect personal

Japan had a big presence at the event,

hotels, SLH, Relais & Chateaux, Langham

service from a human butler for

meaningful

with Kyoto suppliers leading the

and COMO, as well as new sales

the foreseeable future.

experiences’ and 85% expect a

initiative to expand Japan’s luxury

incentives from Virtuoso.

representing

This time it’s personal R E S E A RC H

from

American

Express Travel and Lifestyle Services has shown 90% of travellers

‘crave

a

range

of

designed

to

deliver

more personalised itinerary.

Claire Bennett, Executive Vice President and General Manager,

IN BRIEF

said the research also showed that

72%

are

Debut product: First-time exhibitor

One-of-a-kind: Hotels and resorts are

Retail travelling: Personalised shopping

prepared to invest more time in

Dickins & Hawkes combines experience

increasingly designing around a theme,

experiences are set to grow in popularity

planning a customised travel

in film and TV with hospitality to create

working with local artists and designers

in the coming years and will be used to

experience. And despite having

a ‘Downton Abbey experience’ for those

to style individual rooms. Even B&B

add value to personalised concierge

the most advanced digital tools

staying in a stately home. Guests enjoy

accommodations are being transformed

services. Organised tours are also

at

an

a range of quintessential country

by design into rural boutique hotels.

expected to focus increasingly on

overwhelming 93% of considered

pursuits and a gala dinner where a

Properties are also taking inspiration

shopping festivals, visits to malls and

human contact and personal

drama scenario involving actors ensues.

from their surroundings and forging

factory outlets in response to growing

service irreplaceable.

dickinsandhawkes.com

partnerships with local businesses.

demand for retail experiences.

their

of

travellers

disposal,

sellingtravel.co.uk

55

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african lodges

converters... currency

Karl Cushing checks into some of Africa’s leading lodges and finds out what’s new this year

african lodges

T

57

Elsewhere the Kenyan government’s Charter Incentives Program aims to reinvigorate wildebeest waited, massed back from the coastal areas by offering passenger the riverbank as far as the eye could see. subsidies and waiving landing fees until Then with a jerky motion they were June 30 2018 for charters with passengers off, crashing down into the water while terminating in Mombasa and Malindi. the wallowing hippos looked on.

Louise Stanion, Africa Product Manager with Cox Before long the river was swamped and the & Kings, says: “Botswana is the home of the luxury air heavy with dust and panicked, plaintive cries lodge in Africa. It continues to sell well, especially as confusion reined — some of the animals the Okavango Delta. Zambia and Zimbabwe are struggling to climb the other bank, others opting picking up while recent good level lodge openings to turn back as young ones and stragglers started are generating interest in Uganda, Rwanda and to flail in the water. It was now the patient Ethiopia. “ South Africa is “flying high”, she adds, crocs made their move, submerging to barrel buoyed by a very favourable exchange rate. roll hapless stragglers to down and drown.

In Botswana, the luxurious Ngoma Safari Lodge I’ve been lucky to go on a number of memorable has eight spacious suites and is located on the African safaris over the edge of Botswana’s years but to witness Chobe National Park. such an Attenborough Stanion adds : “Clients “Safari lodges in Botswana can moment as the Great are buying really be very remote and access is Migration across high end, five-star often by plane. Ensure your Kenya’s Mara during itineraries, and getting clients factor in enough travel knock-down prices…. a stay at andBeyond’s time and are aware of any delightful Kitchwa as the Namibian dollar Tembo tented camp relevant baggage restrictions” is linked with the was unforgettable.

South African rand DAVID POINTER SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER, RAINBOW TOURS From the peerless Namibia is riding off staff to the opulent the back of this good bush dinners and exchange rate too.” scenic sundowners the trip was just perfect, Namibia Tourism Board Sales & Marketing capped by a rapid ticking of all the Big Five and Director Samuel Hancock reports a 10% a sunrise balloon flight over the Mara as the increase year on year for UK visitors, with animals were stirring. Magical Kenya indeed! self-drive holidays dominating and average stays increasing to more than 17 nights.

Bucket list appeal “The UK is back where it was when there Few products in travel are as iconic as an African was a direct flight route,” says Hancock. safari. As Sean Clark, Belmond Safaris’ Director of Watch out for NTB’s planned trade campaigns Sales, Marketing & Touring notes: “It’s hard to find and revamped online training site (with Travel someone whose bucket list doesn’t include an Uni), incentivised with prizes and fam places.

African safari, which bodes well for the continent, Both Rainbow Tours’ Senior Product Manager its people and conservation in general.”

David Pointer and African Pride’s Sales Manager When it comes to luxury lodges and tented David Holland have seen increased demand camps the term ‘luxury’ can be somewhat for authentic, ‘experiential’ product and an opaque, with levels of service and comfort tempered by the remoteness of the location.

That said, the range of upscale, truly indulgent options is truly remarkable and even mobile camps such as those pioneered by Abercrombie & Kent can be staggeringly luxurious. Added high-end credentials are provided by the levels of privacy and intimacy offered and the exclusivity of the activities, from vintage biplane excursions, offered by the likes of Original Travel, to the Walking with Elephants activity operated by Sanctuary Retreats at its Stanley and Baines’ camps in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

All eyes this year are on Kenya which has witnessed a resurgence in bookings since the FCO lifted its most recent travel advisories. This year marks the 30th and 50th anniversaries of the release of the movies Out of Africa and Born Free, From left: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti; Sanctuary respectively – both were filmed in the country.

Retreat’s Chief’s Camp, Botswana he kinetic build-up of expectation was both palpable and agonising as the

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african lodges

“Now’s the time to take advantage of the unbelievable exchange rates for the South African rand and the Namibian dollar to sell some really highend luxury lodge itineraries at really affordable prices” increase in average booking values.

“Africa offers a huge range of luxury product and demand remained strong throughout December and into January with South Africa number one, and demand for Botswana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Namibia also looking good,” says Holland.

Ranch Rider (ranchrider.com) Managing Director Tony Daly also reports strong demand for product offering authentic experiences, alongside a trend towards multi-generational travel and Brits upgrading at its South African lodges.

Belmond’s Clark points to ‘diverse’ sales trends regarding lead times. “Whereas previously African lodges, particularly at the top-end of the market, were mostly booked as far as two years in advance we are now seeing both very short and very long lead times in most major markets.

One particularly interesting trend is a departure from the traditional three-centre trip in favour of a one- or two-centre African vacation.”

Wilderness Safaris says it has seen increased

demand for ‘wi-fi free’ safari holidays and will be offering this at a selected camps this year.

Zambia is the home of the original walking safari, particularly in South Luangwa National Park, one of the last great wildlife wonders of the world. The South Luangwa has been visited by wildlife enthusiasts from all over the world since its creation as a National Park in 1972, but the intimacy of the experience has usually come with a high tariff.

However, the new Flatdogs Camp is making its mark by offering the same open game viewing vehicles, walking safaris and night game drives to both couples and families but at much more affordable prices.

At Zambia’s other main attraction Victoria Falls, The Victoria Falls Safari Lodge (four kilometres from the World Heritage falls), turns the focus onto local flavours with The Boma – ‘Place of Eating’, a nightly celebration of African food. It offers premium accommodation in its 20-room Victoria Falls Safari Club and six spacious two- and three- bedroom suites.

Eleven miles upstream from the falls, River Club at Livingstone targets both families and couples with activities that include an afternoon sundowner cruise up the Zambezi spotting elephants, hippos, crocodiles and an abundance of native birdlife. For those looking to self-cater, the nearby Lokthula Lodges offer two- and three-bedroom rustic accommodation overlooking the bush.

What’s new  Accommodation: In Botswana, Belmond’s flagship Eagle Island Lodge in the Okavango Delta reopened last November following

sellingtravel.co.uk

LOUISE STANION AFRICA PRODUCT MANAGER, COX & KINGS

an extensive refurbishment, complete with onsite helicopter offering private air safaris.

February sees the launch of six new all-inclusive mobile camping safaris in Botswana from andBeyond Expeditions (from £2,500pppn).

Sanctuary Retreats’ (sanctuaryretreats.com) newlook Chief’s Camp opens in Moremi Game Reserve’s Mombo Concession in July. Its 12 luxurious bush pavilions have been expanded from 51 to 141sqm and come complete with plunge pools. Sanctuary also has a current ‘stay six nights, pay for four’ accommodation offer.

“Initial bookings indicate the popular combination is Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Zambia’s Victoria Falls and the gamerich South Luangwa Valley,” says Renette Hartridge, Sanctuary’s UK Director of Sales.

Hot prospects in Kenya include Angama Mara, which opened late last year on an escarpment overlooking the Mara. “This exceptional new lodge will become a favourite in a very short time”, predicts African Pride’s Holland.

March sees operator Elewana (elewanacollection. com), open Loisaba Tented Camp in Loisaba Conservancy, with stylish family accommodation.

New options in neighbouring Tanzania include Asilia’s Highlands Ngorogoro (March) and Nomad Ngorogoro (June). Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti (fourseasons.com/serengeti) has a current

This page, clockwise: Landscapes around Singita Ebony Lodge, South Africa; Belmond Eagle Island Lodge bedroom, Botswana; Tintswalo Atlantic Lodge, Cape Town; opposite page: Ant’s Hill honeymoon cottage, South Africa; Kitchwa Tembo tented camp; The River Club, Zambia

african lodges

offer of a complimentary fourth night free until June 30 2016.

Other late 2015 standouts include Amanzi Tented Camp (theluxurysafaricompany.com) in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park; the refurbed Tintswalo Atlantic (tintswalo.com), near Cape Town, whose 10 sumptuous suites overlook the ocean and Sentinel Peak; and Namibia Exclusive’s Sorris Sorris Lodge (namibia-exclusive.com), in remote Khaudum National Park.

Omatendeka Lodge, Xaudum Lodge and Shey Shuushona Lodge are scheduled to open late April (namibia-exclusive.com) while other hot tickets include the stunning 14-room Limalimo Lodge (limalimolodge.com) in northern Ethiopia and Miavana Private Island in Madagascar, where Original Travel (originaltravel.co.uk) has added a flying safari to explore ‘Africa’s quirkiest country’.

In June, andBeyond’s Ngala Safari Lodge, bordering South Africa’s iconic Kruger National Park, reopens after a two-million-pound facelift.  Airlines: Both Qatar (qatarairways.com) and Turkish Airlines (turkishairlines.com) have introduced flights into Durban, South Africa, and Etihad Airways (Etihad.com) has begun a daily service from Abu Dhabi to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Zimbabwe is benefitting from its refurbished Victoria Falls airport and the new Isiolo Airport should help open up Kenya’s north.  Operators: Carrier’s Africa 2016/17 brochure features a new tailormade ‘14 Days Over Africa’ air safari to Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania and four of 2015’s new openings — Angama Mara in Kenya; Singita Ebony and Makanyi Lodge in South Africa; and The Aiyana in Pemba, Tanzania,

“Whereas previously African lodges, particularly at the top-end of the market, were mostly booked as far as two years in advance we are now seeing both very short and very long lead times” SEAN CLARK DIRECTOR OF SALES, BELMOND SAFARIS

designed to help satisfy increased demand for ‘Bush and Beach’ holidays (carrier.co.uk).

Perfect ten Walk the walk: Zambia is ideal for walking safaris, which are also offered in Kenya’s Masai Mara.

Splendid isolation: Namibia has stunning wildlife sightings against dramatic backdrops and empty spaces.

Cheers! The winelands of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Constantia make a perfect South African add-on to a lodge stay.

Mix and match: Beyond the obvious consider everything from Indian Ocean beach extensions in Mozambique to Ethiopian lodge stays and air safaris in Madagascar.

Beyond the big: From aardvark to black-footed cats, check out Mokala National Park and Marrick Safari Camp in South Africa’s Northern Cape.

Water works: Recommend Botswana’s Okavango Delta for water safaris in ‘mokoro’ dugout canoes.

Migration station: Coincide a stay with June’s Great Migration across the Serengeti and Mara and consider a mobile camp such as those offered by Sanctuary Retreats.

Cat calls: Top spots for big cats include Kenya’s Mara and Botswana’s Moremi.

Float high: Top balloon safaris include the Mara, Serengeti and South Africa Bountiful Botswana: For sheer variety Botswana is hard to beat.

Tourism talk “The UK remains the number one market to Kenya, with the latest arrival figures showing an increase year on year for June, July, September and October 2015. Last year also saw significant investment in Kenya’s hotel sector with Radisson Blu in Nairobi, Angama Mara and English Point Marina in Mombasa all opening their doors. And this March will see the opening of Hilton Worldwide’s $25 million Garden Inn Hotel in Nairobi and Elewana’s exclusive Loisaba Tented

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59

Camp. Following the lifting of the FCO advice for Malindi in October Kenya’s coastal offering will be a core focus for our promotions through 2016.”

Rosina Williams, Account Director, Kenya Tourism Board UK “Last year saw a steady growth in visitor numbers. July and August proved particularly strong with an 8.55% increase in UK arrivals. Thanks to the strength of sterling against the rand, the value for money a South African holiday brings has never been better. A five-star meal in South Africa is now about the same price as a starter in London. In the coming year we will be highlighting South Africa’s varied experiences, value and superb new lodge developments through a number of exciting trade campaigns, training events and fam trips.”

Tolene van der Merwe, Country Manager UK and Ireland, South Africa Tourism

Where to book it  ABERCROMBIE & KENT – 01242 547 760 A 10-night Kenyan ‘Out of Africa’ itinerary, priced from £6,640pp, includes a full-board safari at Finch Hatton’s, Lewa Downs and Angama Mara, plus B&B accommodation at Hemingway’s in Nairobi, international flights and transfers. abercrombiekent.co.uk  COX & KINGS – 020 7873 5000

The six-night private Great Botswana Safari is priced from £5,195pp, twin-share, during the high season including two nights halfboard at Savute Safari Lodge, Chobe; Camp Xakanaxa, Moremi; and Xugana Island Lodge, Okavango, plus flights to Johannesburg with British Airways, internal flights to the lodges. coxandkings.co.uk

 RAINBOW TOURS – 0203 131 4927 A six-night package featuring two nights allinclusive at each of Belmond Eagle Island Lodge, Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge and Belmond Khwai River Lodge, is from from £4,659pp for November 15 - December 23 2016 including game activities and flights from the UK to Maun. rainbowtours.co.uk 

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african lodges

Kaskaz Mara Camp Kaskaz Mara Camp is a short drive from Kogatende Airstrip and the famous Mara River viewing area in the far northern Serengeti. The tented suites are superbly located to provide an indulgent base for optimal migration and resident game-viewing throughout the year. This is glamping at its best: large windows, cotton curtains, oversized beds, unique Swahili furnishings, 24-hr hot water, solar lighting and in-room charging. Presenting style and grace, the camp is available for drive-in or game package clients who explore the wilderness on foot with our resident armed walking guide.

T: +255 732 930833 , 0753 984 925; E: info@nasikiacamps.com or info@nasikiatanzania.com www.nasikiacamps.com

Sanctuary Retreats Sanctuary Retreats is an award–winning collection of luxury safari lodges and camps.

With properties in Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, each lodge and camp is totally individual in its design and operated around the philosophy of ‘Luxury, naturally’. All have the same aim: to allow guests to have a ‘real’ experience and enjoy a more natural kind of luxury in properties that have a strong commitment to conservation and responsible tourism.

T: + (27) 11 438 4650 E: reservations.safrica@sanctuaryretreats.com www.sanctuaryretreats.com

Shayamanzi Fancy cruising on a luxury Houseboat, the first Houseboats in South Africa – the only one of their kind on Lake Jozini, surrounded by the Pongola Game Reserve and the Lebombo Mountains.

Enjoy this first-class experience with your family, friends or colleagues on the Shayamanzi Houseboats and enjoy the abundant wildlife, calm serenity on the water or the thrill of Tiger fishing! Shayamanzi is all about taking time out to appreciate Africa’s special wonders. Shayamanzi Houseboats can accommodate 12 or 20 passengers in 6 en-suite or 10 en-suite cabins.

T: +27 34 413 2299 (Office Hours) E: shayamanzi@saol.com www.shayamanzi.co.za

sellingtravel.co.uk

african lodges

Aquila Private Game Reserve

Croc’s Nest at Flatdogs Camp

Award-winning Aquila Private Gave Reserve is set in the Southern

This stunning tented house on the banks of the Luangwa River features two

Karoo Highlands against a backdrop of mountains and featuring the Big

en suite bedrooms, indoor and outdoor living areas and private pool with

Five. This four-star game reserve

views onto the river. The Croc’s

offers a taste of Africa just two

Nest comes with private safari

hours from Cape Town. 4x4

guide & vehicle for the ultimate

safaris, horseback safaris, quad

safari in the South Luangwa

bike safaris, star safaris and eco-

National Park.

synergy tours are available.

T: +260 977485873

T: 021 430 7260

E: info@flatdogscamp.com

E: res@aquilasafari.com

www.flatdogscamp.com

www.aquilasafari.com

Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

Ngoma Safari Lodge

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are renowned for looking after smaller

The luxurious Ngoma Safari Lodge on the edge of Botswana’s Chobe

guests. As such, the Kijana Klub at Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

National Park, home to the largest elephant herds on earth, overlooks

is no ordinary kids’ club, with

the Chobe floodplain, abundant

its team of energetic child-

with wildlife. The main guest area

carers, Maasai warriors and

includes a dining room, swimming

wildlife experts on hand to

pool and viewing deck, while each

educate younger guests about

of the eight suites has a private

Africa and its wildlife.

outdoor “refresh and relax” pool.

T: +255 768 981 981

T: +267 6200108-9

E: res.serengeti@fourseasons.com

E: office@ngomasafarilodge.com

www.fourseasons.com/serengeti

www.africaalbidatourism.com

The River Club

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge

The River Club is a charming oasis on Zambia’s mighty Zambezi River

Just 4km from the world’s largest waterfall is the sunset-facing Victoria

and the perfect location for a visit to the renowned Victoria Falls. Eleven

Falls Safari Lodge, which offers stunning views of the African bush, including

spacious suites overlook the

a wildlife-rich waterhole.

river and pods of hippo into

The thatch and timber lodge

the Zambezi National Park. A

rises several levels, giving the

host of activities await young

impression of a vast open-plan

and old.

tree house. All 72 rooms are

T: +27 (0)72 517 4880 (SA)

spacious and have a balcony.

E: reservations@

T: +263 13 43211-20

theriverclubzambia.com

E: saflodge@saflodge.co.zw

www.theriverclubafrica.com

www.africaalbidatourism.com

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cruising

cruise inaugurals

Seven brand-new ships for UK cruisers – including the world’s largest vessel – will be taking to the seven seas in spring and summer 2016. Jeannine Williamson investigates

T

he cruise industry shows no signs of slowing down with nearly 24 million passengers expected to take a cruise this year,” according to CLIA UK & Ireland’s Director Andy Harmer.

“CLIA member cruise lines, including Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Oceania and Regent, are investing more than $6.5 billion in new ocean vessels alone,” he said.

“Cruise lines are continually adapting to the market by introducing new innovations to appeal to seasoned cruisers and firsttimers alike. They are using the familiarity of high street brands to appeal to new cruise guests. We have seen examples of this with chefs including Jamie Oliver and James Martin, as well as brands like Starbucks and Lego coming onboard. By creating unique ships, new experiences and access to destinations around the world, the evolution, appeal and value of cruise travel continues to drive the overall growth of the industry.

Added Harmer: “There are also more ‘voluntourism’ cruises taking place in 2016, as holidaymakers choose to spend their onshore visits working in community projects. We are witnessing the birth of a new travel experience with social impact travel. This year is a very exciting one and travel agents have many great opportunities to sell cruise to first-timers.”

The first ship to launch on April 8 will be Holland America Line’s 2,650-passenger Koningsdam; it will sail in the Mediterranean and winter in the Caribbean. Heralding the line’s new Pinnacle Class, food innovations will include the new Sel de Mer French seafood brasserie and an immersive farm-to-table dinner experience in the Culinary Arts Centre. Taking centre stage on the entertainment scene will be a revolutionary two-storey 270-degree LED screen that will provide the backdrop to productions in the main theatre.

“Entertainment is a huge part of the cruise experience and with Koningsdam we’re taking that experience to a whole new level and trying things that have never been seen on our ships before,” says Orlando Ashford, President of Holland America Line.

Carrying 5,497 passengers at double occupancy – and a ground-breaking 6,410

cruising

at maximum capacity – Royal Caribbean International’s Harmony of the Seas is big news in more ways than one. The largest-ever cruise ship embarks on her maiden voyage in the western Mediterranean on May 29, with a robotic bar tender joining the 2,394-strong crew.

“Harmony of the Seas will be a game changer for holidaymakers,” says Stuart Leven, Managing Director UK and Ireland, Royal Caribbean.

“Travellers today are looking for holidays that they can brag about with friends and family, and Harmony will give them a multitude of ways to do that. We have added an array of world firsts including the Broadway production of Grease and Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea.”

Brits will be among the first to get a look at Royal Caribbean’s second new vessel, Ovation of the Seas, which debuts on April 17 with the first of two European cruises before heading for her home port in Tianjin, China.

The line’s third Quantum Class ship is the first in the fleet to be specifically designed for an Asian market, but is still expected to attract its fair share of international passengers.

Ben Bouldin, Director of Sales for UK and Ireland at Royal Caribbean, says: “China is an increasingly popular destination and this is a great opportunity for those who wish to experience it first hand, while still having the comfort of the facilities that can be found onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Marking Carnival’s return to Europe, the 3,954-passenger Carnival Vista is the line’s first new ship for four years and will become the largest in the fleet. Sailing in Europe from May 1, the vessel will take cruising to new heights with features that include SkyRide (a suspended open-air cycling experience),

the world’s first IMAX on a ship, the line’s first raft-riding water tube slide and the RedFrog Pub, with Carnival’s first onboard brewery.

Senior Vice President of Guest Operations Mark Tamis says: “Carnival Vista will celebrate the connection to the oceans on which we sail and give our guests amazing seascapes around every corner and more ways to enjoy every moment of sun and fun during their cruise.”

Sister ship to the Viking Star which launched last year, Viking Cruises’ second ocean ship, the 930-passenger all-balcony Viking Sea, sails from Athens on April 3 for itineraries in the Baltic and Mediterranean. Replicating the understated Scandinavian-style decor of Viking’s river vessels, it will feature an infinity pool at the back of the ship and Nordic spa with a snow chamber.

“Viking itineraries are designed for maximum time in port, often with overnight stays, to allow cruisers to experience local city nightlife. Guests can also enjoy many complimentary services such as free wifi and 24-hour room service” NEIL BARCLAY, HEAD OF SALES, VIKING OCEAN CRUISES

“Viking Ocean Cruises was born from guest demand and introduced with experienced travellers in mind,” says Neil Barclay, Head of Sales. “The Viking sea itineraries are designed for maximum time in port, often with late evenings or overnight stays, to allow guests to experience local city nightlife. Guests also enjoy many complimentary services, such as beer and wine with lunch and dinner service, free WiFi and 24-hour room service. With so much included, we have seen an increase in guests taking advantage of these savings and upgrading to higher-end cabins. This is a trend we expect to see continue in 2016, which offers agents the chance to upsell to their customers, without compromising on value for money.”

At the luxury end of the market, the opulent 3,875 sq ft Regent Suite, complete with an in-room spa retreat and Steinway piano – both firsts at sea – will be unveiled when Regent Seven Seas’ Seven Seas Explorer sets

sail on from Monte Carlo on July 20. The all-suite 750-passenger vessel will spend an inaugural season in Europe before heading to the Caribbean. Benefits for passengers booking the top suite include first and business class air travel and a private car with a driver and guide in every port.

Finally, Seabourn Encore will just make it in time for 2016 when it debuts on December 4 in Athens for a maiden winter season that will include the Middle East, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. With 300 cabins it will become the largest in the Seabourn fleet.

New names Hurtigruten’s latest ship, MS Spitsbergen, is undergoing total refurbishment and will sail on Norwegian coastal cruises from May 8. Built in 2009 and previously called Norway Explorer, it will be the latest ship to offer the line’s Coastal Expedition concept with an onboard expedition team and lecture programme.

Anthony Daniels, Head of Sales, said: “Explorer tourism is a fast-growing industry and Hurtigruten have big ambitions to take advantage of this. The addition of MS Spitsbergen is a very exciting development for us, adding extra capacity to the programme and giving us the flexibility to offer new destinations.”

Also bucking the trend for mega-ships is Oceania Cruises, and following a 35-day, $40-million refurbishment, the line’s latest

Above left: Seabourn Encore’s new penthouse suite; above: Holland America Line’s new Koningsdam entertainment scene; over page: Royal Caribbean debuts its second new vessel, Ovation of the Seas, in April

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“Many guests now look for the intimacy of a smaller ship with speciality restaurants, more personal public spaces and greater staff-to-guest ratios.

These are the people to whom Sirena will appeal” BERNARD CARTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, EMEA OCEANIA CRUISES

Where to book it

vessel Sirena enters service on April 27 with a 14-night cruise from Barcelona to Venice.

During its inaugural season, the 684-passenger ship will sail on Mediterranean and Caribbean itineraries. Built in 1999, and previously sailing as the Ocean Princess for Princess Cruises, Sirena will feature two new speciality restaurants, Tuscan Steak and Red Ginger, plus Jacque Bistro, offering the menus of celebrated French chef Jacques Pepin. It will be the first ship in the fleet to offer this collection of dining options.

Bernard Carter, Managing Director EMEA Oceania Cruises, says: “In recent years we have seen the launch of larger and larger cruise ships, with more and more features and amenities, but conversely many guests now look for the intimacy of a smaller ship, with speciality restaurants, more personal public spaces and greater staff-to-guest ratios. These are the people to whom Sirena will appeal.”

Thomson Cruises has purchased Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas, which was launched in 1996 and refurbished in 2011. With capacity for 1,830 passengers it will become the largest in the fleet and sail out of Palma from June 11 under the name Thomson Discovery.

 ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL – 0844 493 4005

A seven-night western Mediterranean roundtrip cruise from Barcelona on Harmony of the Seas, calling at Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, Florence, Civitavecchia and Naples, is priced from £905pp cruise-only departing August 21. royalcaribbean.co.uk

 OCEANIA CRUISES – 0345 505 1920

A 10-night Greek & Turkish Charms itinerary on Sirena from Istanbul to Athens is priced from £2,219pp, departing on June 3, with ports of call that include Rhodes, Alanya, Limassol, Agios Nikolaos, Antalya and Mykonos. The deal includies flights and complimentary soft drinks and bottled water onboard. oceaniacruises.com

 HOLLAND AMERICA LINE – 0844 338 8600

A seven-night Viking Sagas round-trip cruise from Amsterdam on Koningsdam, with ports of call including Flam, Stavanger and Oslo, is priced from £798pp, departing May 22, excluding flights. hollandamerica.co.uk 

7-nights from £799pp

• Free upgrade ocean view to verandah* • Up to $500 per stateroom onboard spend

Including Free Upgrades & Free Air*

• Up to 10% off select shore excursions (booked by 15/3/16)

Book Select • Plus up to 25% on select europe 2016 cruiSeS By 29/2/16 Collectors’ Voyages • Free Air* on select cruises and receive

M s Kon i ng s daM

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This elegant, mid-sized ship will debut in April 2016 with a whole host of new and exciting venues alongside the classic elegance for which Holland America Line has long been known. premier voyage & turkish treasures 8 Apr 2016 ms Koningsdam

7 NIGHT FLY/CRUISE FROM

£

799

PER PERSON

Civitavecchia (Rome), Dubrovnik, Corfu, Katakolon (Olympia), Naples, Civitavecchia (Rome)

Greek & turkish treasures 15 Apr 2016 ms Koningsdam

£

12 NIGHT CRUISE FROM

999

PER PERSON

Mediterranean Mosaic 27 Apr 2016 ms Koningsdam

£

12 NIGHT CRUISE FROM

999

PER PERSON

Civitavecchia (Rome), Katakolon (Olympia); Piraeus (Athens), Istanbul (overnight), Kusadasi (Ephesus), Rhodes, Crete, Naples, Civitavecchia (Rome)

Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, Palermo, Cagliari, Gibraltar, Cadiz (Seville), Malaga (Granada), Cartagena, Barcelona (overnight), Civitavecchia (Rome)

Free air on ocean view and above

Free air on ocean view and above

Ways to book: Reservations by phone – 0844 338 8600 Visit www.hollandamerica.co.uk POLAR online – register at www.hollandamerica.co.uk Online training – www.halacademy.co.uk *Free Upgrades & Free Air available on request for 1st & 2nd guest in stateroom. Holland America Line’s View & Verandah Terms & Conditions apply. Free Air from select UK airports on certain routes only booked via Polar online.

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dubai

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vision 2020

A raft of new openings are building momentum for Dubai as it works to become the most visited city in the world by 2020, says Karl Cushing

’ve ridden some strange old rides in my time but clinging to a camel as my mahout steered it manfully around a polo pitch while I whirled a mallet was certainly up there. Still reeling from the obstacle course warm-up exercise, it was a challenge just to stay in the saddle at first but once I’d got my eye in — and the old competitive streak took over — it wasn’t long before my charge Jamila and I had somehow scraped a goal amid the eight-camel, mallet swinging melee.

This activity at Dubai Polo Club is one of a dizzying programme of fun activities offered by local DMC Gulf Ventures (gulfventures.com) and illustrates a key element of Dubai’s enduring appeal – its inherent variety and versatility.

And fly-and-flop luxury hotel breaks, worldclass golf holidays, indulgent spa and wellness stays and gourmet adventures are all there too.

Versatile appeal The all-rounder emirate caters to all sorts of holidaymakers, from couples and families to groups of friends or colleagues, and works equally well as a stopover or longer break thanks to its city and beach combination.

Accessibility is another strong point with a huge choice of airlift from the UK. This, combined with other factors such as the wide array of luxury accommodation options, means visitors get a surprising amount of bang for their UAE dirhams.

At ITC Luxury Travel Group, where Dubai remains the biggest-selling Middle East destination for both ITC Luxury Travel and Western & Oriental, Senior Product and Marketing Manage Zoe Saunders points to Dubai’s packed events calendar, including golf and Rugby Sevens tournaments and the Dubai Airshow, which offer agents and operators further sales hooks.

“Dubai stages world-class events such as the Dubai World Cup. It takes place at Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse in late March and is proving very popular for our sister company Horse Racing Abroad,” says Saunders.

She added: “It’s a great option for both racing enthusiasts and visitors who’ve been to Dubai before and want to incorporate something different.” (Packages from £2,500pp; horseracingabroad.com) This versatility helped Dubai’s resilient

“Take a trip up to the 128th floor of the Burj Khalifa for breathtaking views. Follow this with dune bashing and watch the sun set on a desert safari - a real must” SHERYL DRANE DESTINATION MANAGER, HAYES AND JARVIS

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Plans are afoot for a spectacular Royal Atlantis Resort, adjacent to Atlantis The Palm, featuring 800 guest rooms and suites and a spectacular ‘Sky Pool’. Madinat Jumeirah is set to complete its fourth expansion, Jumeirah Al Naseem, this summer, adding 430 rooms (jumeirah.com).

Tourism talk

sprawling ‘funtasy’ land will feature more than 100 rides and attractions spread over a Legoland water park and three theme parks — Legoland Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai and the Hollywood-inspired Motiongate Dubai, with rides based on franchises such as Hunger Games (motiongatedubai.com; dubaiparksandresorts.com).

Looking further ahead, 20th Century Fox plans to open a 20th Century Fox World park in 2018, while phase one of the Meydan One development, whose facilities will include a 350-room hotel, marina and the world’s largest indoor ski resort, should be completed by 2020.

What’s new  Hotels: An increase “Lots of Dubai attractions  Tourist board: in hotel beds from are free or have free entry – Buoyed by its just under 100,000 from Dubai Fountain shows recent performance to 150,000 by 2020 and Dubai Aquarium to horse is forecast. Dusit and the crowded and camel racing at Meydan and International will pipeline of tourism developments, bullish open its landmark Al Marmoum racetracks” Dubai Tourism's 235-guestroom KARL CUSHING, TRAVEL JOURNALIST ambitious Tourism dusitD2 TECOM Vision aims to attract Dubai in March and 20 million annual visitors by 2020, including re-launch the extensively upgraded Dusit two million from the UK. With a view to making Residence Dubai Marina in July as the Dusit Dubai the most visited city in the world, its Thani Residence Dubai Marina (dusit.com).

Hotly anticipated openings include Bulgari key focuses include the family market, with Resort & Residences on the new Jumeirah Bay theme parks firmly back on the agenda.

Island development (2017).  Attractions: The first quarter of 2016 sees The 300-room Venu, a Jumeirah Group offering the opening of IMG Worlds of Adventure, the on the planned Bluewaters Island, future home world’s largest indoor theme park featuring to the world’s largest ferris wheel, Dubai-I, will rides based on Marvel and Cartoon Network open in 2017. As will the 477-room Viceroy on characters (imgwoa.ae/en), while October sees the opening of Dubai Parks and Resorts. This Palm Jumeirah Dubai (viceroyhotelsandresorts.com).

tourism industry bounce back from its recessionary wobble in 2008/9 and it’s a strong sales tool for operators such as Travel 2.

“For families there are a number of attractions, including the Wild Wadi and Aquaventure waterparks, KidZania, Sega Republic and the Dubai Aquarium,” says Melanie Burton, Assistant Product Manager Middle East.

“For adventurous travellers I would recommend Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates while those after a relaxing holiday can head to some of Dubai’s top spas such as the Talise Ottoman Spa at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray.”

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“Dubai’s position as a year-round destination continues to be strengthened. Last year we attracted nearly one million UK visitors – up 12% – with particularly strong growth during the summer as people made the most of the value breaks on offer.

This year we have two big theme parks opening – IMG Worlds of Adventure and Dubai Parks & Resorts – which will add to the existing destination experiences that mean holidays in Dubai are filled with possibilities.

"Agents are vital to us and we are always looking for more opportunities to help them experience and learn more about Dubai first hand. We have 14 fam trips planned for 2016, as well as industry dinners, incentive schemes and training.

"We will also launch a brand new online, interactive agent training tool.”

Ian Scott, Director UK & Ireland Dubai Tourism

Where to book it  HAYES & JARVIS – 01293 735 831 A four-night trip is priced from £599pp including four nights B&B at the five-star Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort and flights from Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic, departing June 6 2016. hayesandjarvis.com

 CARIBTOURS – 020 3642 0785 A five-night break at Madinat Jumeirah is priced from £1,019pp, based on a halfboard basis until September 30. The deal includes flights to Dubai from Heathrow. caribtours.co.uk 

From the top: fun on the slopes at Ski Dubai; and marine adventures at Atlantis Aquaventure

Discover casual luxury at its finest Relax on the golden shores of Dubai at JA Palm Tree Court, where spacious beachfront suites nestle amidst the lush gardens of the award-winning JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort.

Unwind under the palm trees, enjoy some family time around three pools and experience the thrill of exciting activities such as horse riding, water sports and golf. With a spa, three kids’ clubs, 16 restaurants to choose from, you’re guaranteed to find a place for every holiday need.

For bookings or more information, please call 0800 0159 708 (UK Toll Free) or email reservations@jaresorts.com

jaresortshotels.com

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indonesia

dream islands in the

Indonesia’s new government is making tourism a priority with ambitious plans to double visitor numbers by 2019, says Petra Shepherd

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indonesia

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wildlife park famous for its nonnative animals seems a strange choice of excursion on Bali, “The Island of Gods,” better known for its natural beauty and ancient culture.

But it is not so strange if you have little ones. For the eight-, four- and two-year-olds I have in tow, Bali Safari and Marine Park more than hits the spot on multiple levels. It is both entertaining and educating. Twice a day there’s an animal education show with rangers sharing informative stories and fun animal facts. And it’s also thrilling! The night safari transports us in a specially-designed cage to see and feed the animals at close range, and an elephant-back safari takes us to breakfast. Considerably tamer, the Safari Poo Paper Factory is another big hit, taking the concept of going green to a whole new level by converting animal waste into recycled paper which is then used to generate a signature range of souvenirs and gift items.

Ringing the changes A visit to the park when combined with an overnight stay at the Mara River Safari Lodge Resorts offers a quality holiday experience and suggests that Bali is eager to attract more than just newly-weds. However, Bali will always be a fashionable honeymoon destination (it’s Kuoni’s fourth bestseller following Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka).

But Bali is also moving into the mainstream, with bookings up 20% up for 2016, says Emma Mitchell, Hayes and Jarvis Destination Manager.

“All the beach resorts in southern Bali are selling extremely well with Sanur and Nusa Dua being the most popular. A large percentage of our customers are honeymooners but we are also seeing an increase in families due to the excellent weather conditions in our summer months unlike many other long haul destinations.”

A new Emirates flight via Dubai has also

Facing page: Indonesia’s stunning marine appeal. This page, clockwise: see orang-utans wild in Sumatra; Borobudur in central Java; releasing young turtles at Pulua Pramuka in the Thousand Islands archipelago

increased sales and makes it easy to twin strongly promoted. Relaxation of shipping rules with Dubai, whilst Garuda Indonesia has means more cruise ships can now stop over in highlighted its excellent-value fares. five of the country’s largest ports and cruise Indonesia as a whole is undergoing significant visits are expected to rise to 1,000 by 2019. change. The country has a new President, a new Perfect ten Tourism Minister and a new Ministry of Tourism.

Tempting temples: Borobudor on Java is Numbers of visitors, not only to Bali but the a must, whilst the five top temples in Bali rest of the country, are expected to increase. are Tanah Lot, Uluwatu Temple, Ulun Danu For the first time, tourism is now represented Beratan Temple in Bedugal, Besakih, and Goa by a standalone ministry, focused on highlighting Gajah, known as The Elephant Cave. the sector’s vital importance to the economy Family fun: Raft along the Ayung River, and the country’s development. The ministry ride elephants at Bali Safari and Marine has announced ambitious plans to grow tourist Park and get wet and numbers from 9.5 wild at Waterbom Park. million in 2014 to “Bali’s neighbouring Lombok Souvenir 20 million by 2019. and Gili islands have seen shopping: Art, To help achieve this, large increases in passenger handicrafts and Indonesia has waived visa requirements bookings and make the perfect furniture are all good buys in Seminyak, Bali, for 90 countries, twin or multi-centre option, or a local markets. including the UK, with easy access from Bali by Make a splash: and implemented a speedboat or short flight” With more than strategy to promote 10 EMMA MITCHELL 17,000 islands in the Destinations of Focus: DESTINATION MANAGER, HAYES AND JARVIS archipelago, there are the Buddhist Temple of thousands of beaches.

Borobudur, Central Java; Wellbeing ways: Wellness originated in the developing resort area of Mandalika, Lombok; Asia with yoga, meditation, detoxing, and Labuan Bajo, the Flores fishing town which acts spas all a way of life. as a staging point for Komodo Island trips; the Take the plunge: Bali, Java and Sumatra volcanoes of Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National are all world-class surfing destinations or Park, East Java; the Thousand Islands chain, north you can spot manta rays gliding through the of Jakarta; Toba Lake, North Sumatra; Wakatobi water at one of many dive sites.

National Marine Park, South East Sulawesi; the Home from home: There’s no shortage of beaches of Tanjung Lesung, east of Jakarta; the fabulous hotels but villa holidays are also historical island of Morotai, North Maluku; and the beach area of Tanjung Kelayang, Bangka Belitung. becoming increasingly popular too.

Foodie flavours: This is one of the most A 2016 highlight will be the solar total vibrant and colourful cuisines in the world eclipse taking place on March 9. Most visible –from chicken satay to the more exotic grilled bat! from Indonesia, the eclipse is expected to Natural wonders: There’s rice terraces, attract thousands of visitors for great viewing rainforests, coloured lakes and volcanoes. particularly in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

Wild wows: See orang-utans in Sumatra, A new Indonesian Minister of Maritime the world famous Komodo dragons, and Affairs reflects the country’s importance as the Balinese long-tailed macaques in the Sacred an archipelago nation where marine tourism Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud.

– cruising, diving, sailing and surfing – will be

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What’s new  Hotels: Mandapa, Ritz-Carlton’s (ritzcarlton. com) third reserve property opened in September last year. Bohemian, luxurious and sophisticated, the interiors have been designed

by Jeffery Wilkes, and the whole reserve has been modelled on a working Balinese village with rice paddies and a temple.

Starwood (starwoodhotels.com) has several new openings in 2016 including the Westin Ubud Resort & Spa (June), The St. Regis Jakarta (April) and The Westin Jakarta (February).

Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak opens in mid2016 with 280 spacious rooms and villas.

Located on Bali’s southwest coast beside pristine beaches, Alila Seminyak (alilahotels.com/ seminyak) opened in October 2015. The five-star resort evokes cool and natural sophistication, connected by shimmering pools cascading from a stunning backdrop of vertical gardens.

Alila SCBD, Jakarta will open in early 2016 and will be Alila’s third property in the city, serving as a vibrant and modern retreat.

The resort of Nihiwatu (nihiwatu.com), located on the beautifully-preserved Indonesia island of Sumba, has gone back to nature with the recent launch of Mamole, a new, whimsical three-bedroom tree house villa concept.

The Katamana (the-katamama.com) will be a culturally-led hotel opening in Bali in January 2016. The hotel will have access to the world-renowned Potato Head Beach Club, located next door.

Bisma 8 (bisma-eight.com) is a new luxury boutique hotel set in the heart of Ubud in Bali, while the St. Regis Bali Resort (stregisbali.com) has been awarded the Best for Families Resort at Condé Nast Johansens 2016 Awards for Excellence.

The Muse is a four-bed luxury villa launching March 2016 in Seminyak and the first of a

From top: the rice terraces of Belimbing, Bali; children get ready for festival time

four-stage project called the ‘Dari Indera offer 96 luxurious one- to six-bed villas, plus Villas and Spa Collection’ – DIVAS. For more two speciality restaurants and a destination bar. information, contact Three Little Birds PR & Bawah (bawahisland.com), a new luxurious island destination, opens in the autumn, with Business Development (threelittlebirdspr.com).  Air: Garuda Indonesia (garuda-indonesia.com), 35 bamboo villas accessed via a 40 minute Indonesia’s national airline, has revealed a boat ride from Singapore to Pulau Batam. striking SkyTeam livery for its newly-purchased Where to book it Boeing B777-300ER aircraft. Garuda is part of  TRAVEL 2 - 020 7561 2244 the SkyTeam Alliance and operates 187 aircraft.

The operator features an eight-night tour  Operators: Travel Gallery (travel-gallery. co.uk) celebrates its 30th Anniversary in including return flights from London, eight 2016. It offers tailor-made experiential nights at the four-star Bali Mandira totel in a holidays and added Indonesia for 2016. superior room with breakfast, and a tour which The volcano Rinjani takes in the Mengwi is Indonesia’s second Temple, the Monkey Forest “Increased flights from highest volcano and and Tanah Lot Temple.

Emirates and Qatar mean erupted as recently The package is priced as November last access to Indonesia is easier from £1,179pp for travel year. KE Adventure than ever and visa rules are between August 11 and Travel (keadventure.com) September 30 2016. now simpler too” travel2.com has launched a new EMMA MITCHELL  HAYES AND JARVIS three-day climbing HAYES AND JARVIS, DESTINATION MANAGER 01293 735 831 of its 3762m peak A seven-night stay for the (when safe to do so).

For travellers looking for the complete Lombok price of six is available in Bali for clients staying at the four-star Segara Village on a experience Rickshaw Travel (rickshawtravel.co.uk) offers a new itinerary – Treasures of Lombok. room-only basis from £995pp.

The offer includes resort Travel 2 (travel2.com) has three new hotels in Bali for 2016: Bali Mandria, a well-priced transfers and return four-star; Courtyard by Marriott Seminyak; international flights from and Kejora Suites, a four-star all-suite Heathrow with Thai boutique hotel close to Sanur, which is International Airways. great for kite-surfing and snorkelling.

The price is based on  Villas: Spa Venus at Villa Kubu (villakubu. a departure date of com) offers pre-flight packages for the gap September 17 2016. hayesandjarvis.com  between check-out and flying which include bespoke spa treatments and the use of a private pool villa, room service and spa services.  Future Developments: Opening in 2017, the 13-hectare Waldorf Astoria Bali (waldorfastoria. com) in the exclusive Bukit Pandawa region will

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central america

seven magnificent

The compact region of Central America offers a vast array of experiences, a mix of culture and scenery and the chance to visit several countries in one trip. Anna Maria Espsäter sums up the seven choices

Belize Formerly British Honduras, Belize is squeezed in between Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea and gained independence only in 1981. The country has a great mix of cultural heritage (British, Spanish, Maya and Afro-Caribbean among others) and natural assets including Maya ruins, spectacular barrier reef and lush jungles. As the Central American country with the closest ties to the UK, there’s hardly any language barrier.

Highlights include eco-lodge stays, diving and snorkelling the Belize cays, and jungle treks and wildlife watching.

Book it: Cox & Kings offers a 12-day Belize private tour taking in the rainforest, reef and ruins. Prices start from £2095pp and include flights, transfers and accommodation. coxandkings.co.uk

Guatemala Of the Central American nations, Guatemala is arguably the most colourful and, despite decades of past conflict, it has a peaceful vibe. The country is blessed with Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, while inland it is dominated by steep volcanoes, abundant jungle and picturesque Maya villages, the latter particularly well-known for their traditional and vibrant textiles. Guatemala is home to several of the region’s must-sees: the Maya ruins of Tikal and the Spanish colonial gem, and former capital, Antigua.

Book it: Sunvil operates a two-week Guatemalan Adventure.

Prices start from £3698pp and includes flights, B&B and hacienda accommodation, local transport and some entry fees. sunvil.co.uk

Above: Pico Bonito National Park, Honduras, opposite page clockwise: Arenal Volcano Costa Rica; and a splash of local colour in Nicaragua; the Great Blue Hole, Belize

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central america

Honduras

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“From May British Airways will start running direct flights from London to Costa Rica, making it easier than ever before to reach this stunning destination”

Honduras is best known for its Caribbean coastline – and for good reason. It’s a watersports enthusiast’s dream, both for the coast itself and the offshore Bay Islands. All are superb places to dive, snorkel and windsurf. Despite some bad press over the years, involving a few violent incidents, the majority of travellers experience few problems when visiting the country. Away from the coast, the Maya ruins at Copán are a main draw, as are the national parks and protected areas covering cloud and tropical forests, mangroves and marine life.

EMILY UNDERHILL ASSISTANT PRODUCT MANAGER AMERICAS TRAVEL 2

Book it: Tucan Travel has an 11-day tailor-made Best of Honduras itinerary. Prices start from £1935pp and include accommodation, local transport, guide and some meals. tucantravel.com

El Salvador It may be the smallest of the seven nations but El Salvador still manages to pack in plenty: a Pacific coastline well-known and loved by surfers, volcanoes complete with crystal-clear lakes, colonial architecture and the Maya ruins of Tazumal, to name a few of the highlights on offer.

Remembering its not-so-long-ago war-torn past, El Salvador also has some unusual activities and sights, such as a reconstructed guerrilla camp with ex-guerrilla guides, giving an insight into its fraught but interesting history.

Book it: Journey Latin America offers a 19-day El Salvador holiday. Prices start from £3055pp, including accommodation, local transport, excursions and breakfast. journeylatinamerica.co.uk

Nicaragua One of the most varied of the Central American destinations, Nicaragua is dominated by the large freshwater Lake Nicaragua, in turn home to several scenic islands. These include Ometepe, with its two iconic volcanoes. The Spanish left behind several colonial cities – the best known being Granáda and Leon. The Caribbean and Pacific coasts offer contrasting experiences, from tiny fishing villages along the Caribbean to smooth surfing hubs on the Pacific.

Eco-tourism is increasingly popular, following in neighbouring Costa Rica’s footsteps.

Book it: Veloso Tours offer an eight-day Nicaragua tour with prices starting from £1470pp, including accommodation and tours. veloso.com

Costa Rica

Panama

Undoubtedly the best-known country with the most developed tourism infrastructure, Costa Rica remains a favourite in the region. There’s outstanding wildlife viewing to be enjoyed and the national parks draw increasing numbers of visitors year on year. There’s a firm focus on sustainability and eco-tourism with second-tonone eco-lodges and wildlife guides. The beaches on both coasts are popular, and interesting activities include coffee finca stays and extreme canopy tours.

Obviously best known for the canal connecting the Pacific and the Caribbean, Panama has rather more to offer visitors than first meets the eye.

Most people take a peek at the aforementioned waterway, but Panama is also known for its ‘Napa valley of coffee’, Boquete. Panama City is home to the 17th century old town, Casco Viejo, while the 378 islands of San Blas, along the Caribbean coast, offer not just beach experiences but also the chance to experience indigenous culture.

Book it: Ramblers Worldwide Holidays offers a 14-night Natural Costa Rica tour. Priced from £2700pp the deal includes flights, transfers, half-board and a naturalist guide. ramblersholidays.co.uk

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Book it: Geodyssey offers a 12-night Panama Explorer (for travel agent bookings). Prices start from £2860pp and include 12 nights’ accommodation, local transport, excursions and some meals. yssey.co.uk

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the final word

the quirky side of travel - family time - blind dining - hotel 'freebies'

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recent survey uncovered what family members love most about holidays – from hotel cats to Katy Perry (in their dreams that is).

The survey by tour operator Sovereign (sovereign. com) found that spending time together as a family was the most important thing for all parents (45.5%) - how sweet! Parents living in London, however, voted free WiFi the most important ingredient for a good family get together, showing that 'quality time' doesn't mean having to actually look at or speak to your spouse/partner/sprog.

Among UK-wide parents, complimentary WiFi came third, marginally topped in importance by a lovely beach and a selection of restaurants.

Rather charmingly, 30% of kids said simply having time off school was the most enjoyable aspect of any holiday, although 44.2% added that a 'tablet' was the most essential item to pack!

Children were also asked to describe their dream hotel room and the more entertaining answers included cats and a view of the airport.

Interestingly, Katy Perry listed highly among dads as the perfect holiday companion, at nearly 20%.

BLIND DATES The Park Hyatt Maldives has a new twist on the traditional beach dinner.The experience includes cocktail and canape pairings before a blindfolded dinner. The experience apparently makes every mouthful more intense – along with making a mess of that white linen suit. maldives.hadahaa. park.hyatt.com

You're nicked... ...most stolen items Monitoredalarms.co.uk asked 100 UK hotels to tell them the top 10 most-stolen items from rooms. Here are the somewhat surprising results:

JUST KIDDING! Lufthansa is turning over its cabin address scripts to the kids, in a competition to win flights by creating an imaginative inflight announcement.

The fun clips from the under 10s will be published online at lh-kidsonboard.com and the winner will be decided by a public vote of pushy mothers. Listen up next time you're onboard - it could be your neice telling you to buckle up!

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Linen Light bulbs Food/drink Towels Picture frames and artwork Dressing gowns Curtains Kettles and cutlery Books Bibles

SOLOS SEEK ITALY TRAVEL DATING WEBSITE TOURBAR HAS IDENTIFIED

ITALY IS THE NUMBER ONE DESTINATION FOR THOSE SEEKING LOVE ON VALENTINE'S DAY. SOME 11% OF SOLO TRAVELLERS LISTED THE COUNTRY OF PASTA AND PAVAROTTI AS THEIR FAVOURITE PLACE FOR MEETING OTHERS LOOKING FOR THE ONE DURING THE 'ROMANCE SEASON'. TOP FOOD AND RETAIL WERE OTHER REASONS ITALY CAME OUT TOP TOURBAR.COM

THE MARCH ISSUE OF SELLING TRAVEL WILL FEATURE: • Abu Dhabi • Caribbean Update • Chile (Road Trips) • The Gambia • German Rail Trips • Hong Kong • • Jerusalem • Las Vegas • Luxury Ocean Cruising • Qatar • River Cruising • St Kitts • Tennessee CONTACT US sales@bmipublishing.co.uk editorial@bmipublishing.co.uk PLUS ONLINE Daily Selling Tips • Destination Guides • Event & Fam Trip Photo Galleries • Links to Travel Uni • Competitions FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @sellingtravmag

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Malaysia Hotel Specials

Malaysia Airlines

from

£

399 return

75

Kuala Lumpur Furama Bukit Bintang

to KL & beyond

Direct flights from Heathrow with Malaysia Airlines Malaysian destinations include:

25 BB £39 BB £33 BB £33 BB £

Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur Penang Golden Sands Resort by Shangri-La Lone Pine Hotel

2 children under 12yrs share FREE

from

Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Kuala Terenggan & Kuantan

Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa £

55 BB

Flights also available to Thailand, Vietnam, Bali & more.

Langkawi Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa

FREE Night Offer applies, valid for selected room types & dates

£

51 BB

The Danna

£

73 BB

The Datai

£

99 BB

Valid for outbound travel until 30 Jun’16.

Call for prices and availability.

1 child under 12yrs shares FREE

FREE Night Offer applies, valid for selected dates 15% discount on selected Spa treatments

New offers just in

5* All-Inclusive Resorts featuring Unlimited-Luxury® in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama & Costa Rica.

45

from £ AI 1 child shares FREE

45

from £ AI 1 child shares FREE

74

£ AI Adults only

from

74

£ AI Adults only

from

Call for more details and to book.

Coin De Mire Attitude: Mauritius

from

Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm; Sat 9.30am-1.30pm

Hotel prices are “from” per person per night and based on 2 adults sharing unless otherwise stated.

Terms & conditions apply. www.touchdown.co.uk

33 AI

£

Book with confidence ACCREDITED AGENT