4
welcome
EDITORIAL
Too many broken hearts
EDITOR
Laura Gelder laura.gelder@sellingtravel.co.uk JOURNALISTS
Jessica Pook, Sasha Wood & April Waterston CONTRIBUTING EDITORS:
Andy Hoskins & Julie Baxter EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Steve Hartridge
SALES PUBLISHERS
Steve Thompson steven.thompson@sellingtravel.co.uk Sally Parker sally.parker@sellingtravel.co.uk ADVERTISING MANAGER
Lisa Merrigan lisa.merrigan@sellingtravel.co.uk
DESIGN & PRODUCTION SENIOR DESIGNER
Louisa Horton DESIGNERS
Ross Clifford, Caitlan Francis & Zoe Tarrant PRODUCTION & STUDIO MANAGER
Clare Hunter
BMI PUBLISHING MANAGING DIRECTOR
Matt Bonner CEO
Martin Steady CIRCULATION MANAGER
Shani Kunar
(PRINT) ISSN 2056-9319. © BMI PUBLISHING LTD 2019. SELLING TRAVEL IS PUBLISHED BY BMI PUBLISHING LTD: SUFFOLK HOUSE, GEORGE STREET, CROYDON, SURREY, CR9 1SR, UK. T: 020 8649 7233 E: ENQUIRIES@BMIPUBLISHING.CO.UK BMIPUBLISHING.CO.UK • SELLINGTRAVEL.CO.UK 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. WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO ENSURE ACCURACY, BMI PUBLISHING LTD CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS. COVER IMAGE: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
L
ast month the subject of this column was the collapse of Super Break and this month I can scarcely believe that Thomas Cook has joined it. My social media feed is filled with broken yellow hearts as the travel trade unite in sadness for the loss of this venerable brand. Thomas Cook is as British as baked beans and, for me at least, synonymous with travel agents. Like many, my very first holiday as an adult was booked in a branch of Thomas Cook – I’m oddly sad to say it was to France rather than Faliraki! I’ve also learnt that there is barely anyone in the travel trade Laura Gelder that doesn’t know someone who worked for Thomas Cook and EDITOR so many that started their career in travel under its guidance. There are many reasons to be worried, even angry and certainly regretful. The package holiday that was the hallmark of Thomas Cook is not dead but tastes and trends are fastchanging; today's agents are trading under exceptional economic circumstances; and then there's the internet. But we’ve heard it all before... What this has shown, as an agent told me this week, is that booking through an ATOL-protected agent really does work - Thomas Cook’s demise sparked the biggest repatriation in peacetime history. And while the national media is filled with horror stories of stranded travellers, it's also filled with heart-warming ones; of stoic Thomas Cook employees still showing up to help customers, and of agents helping each other - with sympathy but also with practical advice on finding a new job. The yellow heart may have stopped beating but the heart of the travel industry is still the travel agent, and when the dust settles I'm sure more consumers will realise that.
With this issue Selling Canada
WINTER 2019/2020 | TRAINING FOR THE TRAVEL TRADE
snow show GET READY FOR A
WINTER WONDERLAND
Don't ski, won't ski? There's a wide array of activities away from the slopes
EXPERIENCE CANADA
From Indigenous-themed activities to wildlife to the Northern Lights
RECOVERY PLAN
This publication is printed on Revive 100 Media and Revive recycled coated, recycled paper grades that are FSC® Recycled certified and Carbon Balanced.
How Canada's cities and wild places refresh the mind, body and soul
PLUS... NATIONAL PARKS. MY JOURNEY: NEW BRUNSWICK. TOP MUSEUMS. HOW TO CANADA...AND MORE
FINAL COVER.indd 1
24/09/2019 11:45
Read about Calgary, New Brunswick, national parks, winter sports and top musesums
Oman explore
oman Cover_FINAL.indd 1
9/24/19 06:35 PM
From the desert to the Gulf, Muscat's souks to the wadis of the south - learn how to sell Oman
Smile all the stay. LUXRESORTS .COM Welcome - Oct Untitled-5 1 2019.indd 4 LUX_Ad_SellingTravel_1/4_Oct19.indd 1
9/27/19 10/09/2019 13:35 9/10/19 07:37 2:53 PM