ABTA Magazine – March 2019

Gateway to the Middle East

Travel industry insights / March 2019

Fusing rich history, effusive hospitality and sweeping vistas, Jordan is increasingly popular thanks to new budget flights to Aqaba

If Only

The trade-only luxury operator shares the secrets to its success

Holiday romance

The best in wedding and honeymoon options from across the world

Munich guide

The Bavarian capital offers beer, art and green space

T H E BR I L L IA NT OR IGINA L AT HER MAJEST Y’S THEATRE, LOND ON 020 7087 7762 | thephantomoftheopera.com TM © 1986 RUG Ltd.

CONTACT THE TRADE TEAM FOR INFORMA

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ATION ON TRADE RATES AND AVAILABILITY

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Travel industry insights / March 2019

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Returning to Jordan

I

n November 2016, in its world news section, The Guardian ran an article with the headline: “Jordan is spectacular, safe and friendly – so where are the tourists?” At that point, tourism to the country had fallen by 66 per cent since 2011, leaving many of its incredible sites – including the iconic Treasury in Petra, pictured on our cover this month – virtually deserted. For a country where tourism accounts for 20 per cent of GDP, this was worrying news. However, slowly but surely, visitors have begun to return to this magical land, which boasts magnificent coastal resorts, a buzzing, multicultural capital and ancient wonders that can rival anywhere in the world. As ABTA pointed out in this year’s Travel Trends report, when it named Jordan as a destination to watch in 2019, new budget flights to the expanding Red Sea resort of Aqaba bring another twist to Jordan’s considerable attractions. In fact, last year Jordan welcomed more British travellers than ever before, with visitor numbers increasing by 21 per cent compared to the same period in 2017 – and that only looks set to grow. We sent one of our roving reporters, Emily Eastman, to join G Adventures on a trip from Amman, taking in Petra and Wadi Rum, below, and the Dead Sea (p48).

Elsewhere in the issue, Karl Cushing writes about one of the most lucrative holidays for travel agents: weddings and honeymoons. With an eye on new openings and renovated hotels, he takes a look at the best options across the world, from Malta to Sri Lanka (p56). We also visit Glasgow (p38), Munich (p44), Las Vegas (p53) and Jamaica (p61), plus there is all the latest travel industry news (from p10), all things ABTA (starting p24) and much more. Share your thoughts on the magazine at info@ABTAmag.com.

2019 with ABTA

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See p33 for the full list of ABTA events

March 27

March 27

April 24

The Business Travel Law Seminar, London

Improving Health and Safety in Tourism Accommodation, London

Crisis Management in Travel Conference, London

March 2019

ABTAmag.com

48

March 2019

Rock of ages Emily Eastman explores the delights of Jordan

53

FEATURES

Stripped back Las Vegas offers relaxation as well as hedonism

Holiday romance The best in wedding and honeymoon options

ABTA Magazine is created by Waterfront Publishing on behalf of ABTA Waterfront Publishing 12-18 Hoxton Street London N1 6NG waterfront-publishing.com

020 3865 9360

Director Sam Ballard sam@waterfront-publishing.com Director Anthony Pearce anthony@waterfront-publishing.com Head of sales Simon Leeming simon@waterfront-publishing.com 020 3865 9337

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Sales manager Emily Norris emily@waterfront-publishing.com 020 3865 4815 Sales manager Bryan Johnson bryan@waterfront-publishing.com 020 3865 9338

Head of design Billy Odell billy@ABTAmag.com Business travel editor Jenny Southan jenny@ABTAmag.com Sub-editors Emily Eastman, Nathaniel Cramp

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With thanks to: Karl Cushing, Gary Noakes, Fred Mawer, Christine Smallwood, Jane Archer, Sue Bryant, Heidi Fuller-Love ABTAmag.com info@ABTAmag.com Twitter: @ABTAMagazine Facebook: ABTAMagazine LinkedIn: ABTAMagazine ABTA 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ Chief executive Mark Tanzer Chairman Noel Josephides

January March 2019

5

ABTA Magazine

In the March issue

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38

44 Contributors Billy Odell is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer based in London. You can see his cartoons and sketches at billyodell.com Emily Eastman is a freelance writer and editor. She specialises in travel, content marketing and long-form generalist features.

Heidi Fuller-Love is a Med-based travel who produces British Airways’ Meet The Locals guide series and writes for publications worldwide.

Jenny Southan is an awardwinning freelance travel journalist, and editor and founder of trend forecaster Globetrender.

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March 2019

04

Editor’s letter A warm welcome to the latest issue of the new-look ABTA Magazine

07

On trend A closer look at the positive impacts of outbound tourism on the economy

09

News All the latest travel industry news, from hotels to cruise and touring

18

Out and about Our round-up of images from the latest industry events

20

Interview: Gavin Tollman Trafalgar’s CEO talks responsible tourism and the power of travel

24

ABTA section All the latest news, campaigns and events from ABTA

30

Business travel Jenny Southan looks at how China will come to dominate business travel

34

Spotlight on…

If Only, the trade-only luxury operator that has doubled its number of guests in one year

38

UK holidays Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, effortlessly combines new and old. Joe Zadeh enjoys its unique cultural landscape

44

City guide: Munich Chris Leadbeater returns to the Bavarian capital, one of Europe’s most enjoyable cities

64

Gamesroom Play games, plus win a place on If Only’s mystery fam

66

Final word John de Vial gives an insight into his work as ABTA’s director of financial protection and financial services

ABTAmag.com

On trend The contribution of outbound travel to the UK economy

£27.1 bn 2014 The contribution to the UK economy from outbound travel has increased by a third since 2014, ABTA has revealed.

This is the Gross Value Added (GVA) of the travel industry, which takes account of direct spend on travel services

£10bn increase in spend In 2017, UK travellers spent £45.7 billion on outbound travel in the UK before departure, compared to £44.8 billion while overseas, an increase of almost £10 billion since 2014. This is the third report from ABTA of this nature and not only demonstrates the significant contribution the sector makes to the UK, but also highlights its strength, resilience and ability to grow amid global challenges and uncertainty.

ABTAmag.com

Every issue we reveal the numbers behind the biggest stories in travel

£37.1bn

1.8% of GDP (up 36%) 2019

and holidays, as well as a range of associated products and services such as duty free, cameras and sun tan lotion.

The findings are from ABTA’s report Driving Growth – The Economic

Value of Outbound Travel, which is an analysis of the economic contribution of the UK’s outbound travel industry. The analysis finds travellers now spend more in the UK before they travel than they do while abroad.

221,000 UK jobs directly provided by the travel industry It supports 526,000 jobs in the wider economy including retail staff and manufacturers. Both have increased since 2014 – from 214,000 and 435,000 respectively.

Since the 2008 financial crash, the UK economy has grown 9% The tourism sector has grown 40%, according to ABTA

March 2019

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ABTA No. V4744

News March 2019

All the latest headlines from the world of travel

CRUISE

‘All-time high’ bookings for NCL parent company

G ADVENTURES

Family fortunes

By Anthony Pearce

By Anthony Pearce Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the third largest cruise operator in the world, has described booking levels as being at an “all-time high” after reporting a rise in profits.

The company, owner of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, reported adjusted net income at $1.1 billion in 2018, up from $907.7 million in 2017, with revenue up 12.2 per cent to $6.1 billion.

Last year, the company’s flagship brand, NCL, launched Norwegian Bliss, joining Norwegian Joy, which launched in 2017. This year will see the launch of Norwegian Encore, the fourth and final ship in the Breakaway Plus Class. It also has six more ships on order, due between 2022 and 2027.

Oceania Cruises has two Allura class vessels for Oceania Cruises set for delivery in 2022 and 2025. A third 750-guest Explorerclass ship for Regent Seven Seas is due for delivery in 2023.

Company president and chief executive Frank Del Rio said: “The team at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings delivered a breakout year in 2018, once again generating industryleading record financial performance.

ABTAmag.com

“Strong global demand for our portfolio of brands, the successful, record-breaking introduction of Norwegian Bliss and the flawless execution of our demand creation strategies drove our fifth consecutive year of double-digit earnings per share growth.

“Building on this momentum, we entered 2019 in the best booked position in our company’s history, with pricing above prior year’s record levels.

“The strong start to this year’s wave season, coupled with our moderate in-year capacity growth and our solid booked position across our three brands, has us well-positioned to continue driving price throughout the year and into 2020, where we will also benefit from the first full year of sailings from Norwegian Encore and the addition of Regent’s Seven Seas Splendor.”

Chief financial officer Mark Kempa added: “We are confident in our outlook for 2019 and beyond, and have built upon our foundation for measured capacity growth by enhancing our growth profile through 2027, with announced orders for all three of our awardwinning brands, now totalling 11 vessels, enabling us to expand our presence both globally and domestically and further diversify our product offerings to continue driving outsized shareholder returns.” ABTAmag.com

G Adventures has announced the launch of a new families programme in partnership with National Geographic.

The 12 National Geographic Family Journeys with G Adventures go on sale globally on May 7, 2019. It will feature unique National Geographic experiences for children and adults on departures in 2020, G Adventure said. The companies first joined forces in 2015 with the launch of National Geographic Journeys with G Adventures, a programme of small group adventures which has grown to include 89 trips in 53 countries during 2019.

Brian Young, EMEA managing director, G Adventures, said: “This new programme of trips is perfect for adventure-loving families looking to discover the world together. The newly designed itineraries have been developed from scratch to inspire travellers of all ages to uncover each destination’s diverse characteristics, from wildlife and conservation to history and culture, exploration, and photography and storytelling.

“All our groups are made up of an international mix of travellers, giving families the opportunity to connect not just with each other, but with their fellow travellers and the local people they meet along the way. As is the case with all G Adventures tours, we encourage interactions with local people, and ensure as much money as possible stays in the communities we visit.”

“National Geographic Expeditions is excited to expand our partnership with G Adventures to include this new line of family trips,” said Heather Heverling, National Geographic senior vice president of product management.

March 2019

9

News

LUXURY

Prestige expands

By Sam Ballard

INBOUND

Europe still top choice for Chinese

By Emily Eastman Europe continues to be the favourite destination for Chinese tourists. New data shows a 5.1 per cent year-on-year increase in Chinese arrivals in EU destinations last year. The latest figures come from the European Travel Commission in collaboration with air travel analyst ForwardKeys, which monitors 17 million flight bookings a day.

The top three EU destinations for Chinese arrivals were the UK, up 2.4 per cent; Germany, up 2.6 per cent; and France, up 7.7 per cent.

ABTAmag.com

Prestige Holidays has appointed Jonathan Whiteley in the new role of long-haul sales manager. Whiteley joins from Class Holidays, where he was national sales manager. He will work with Prestige sales director Shubhra Halliday, Canada tour operations director Denise Hunn and Australia and New Zealand portfolio manager Lorna Curry.

Chairman and managing director John Dixon said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jonathan, who joins us as we prepare to celebrate our 30th anniversary.

A consummate industry professional, with 20 years’ experience across many destinations, I’m delighted to welcome him on board in this exciting year.”

He added: “Since launching as a luxury tour operator back in 1989, focusing largely on my beloved Bermuda and destinations in and around the Med, our business has over the course of 30 years diversified hugely.

“While those initial core programmes remain crucial to the company, we’ve developed dedicated, specialist programmes to other destinations too – with Croatia, Canada and more recently Australia and New Zealand now key members of the Prestige family. Our biggest asset and behind everything we do is a passionate specialist and Jonathan’s appointment is an extension of this policy.”

ABTAmag.com

Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook: @ABTAmagazine TOURING

Riu Hotels ups Tui stake

By Emily Eastman Spanish chain Riu Hotels & Resorts has increased its stake in Tui by buying 1.1 million shares. The investment of almost €10.4 million increases Riu’s stake in the German travel giant from 3.38 per cent to 3.56 per cent.

The chain was founded in Mallorca by the Riu family in 1953. Now in its third generation, it is still owned by the family. It has been a shareholder of Tui since 2004 and now has 93 hotels in 19 countries.

Luis Riu, Riu Hotels & Resorts chief executive, said the purchase “represents a further step in the historic collaboration between the two companies, and further evidence that the fourth generation of the family, just like the third, remains committed to the future of joint business with the world’s leading tourism group”. ABTAmag.com

CRUISE

Royal to build sixth Oasis ship Royal Caribbean International has ordered a sixth Oasis-class ship, due to be delivered in 2023. The as yet unnamed vessel will join Oasis, Allure, Harmony and Symphony of the Seas. A fifth Oasis-class ship will launch in 2021.

10 March 2019

ABTAmag.com

AIR

No-fly zones extended after Gatwick drone chaos

By Anthony Pearce No-fly zones for drones around airports are to be extended following the disruption at Gatwick in December, the government has announced.

From March 13 it will be illegal to fly a drone within three miles of an airport. The current exclusion zone is 0.6 miles (1km). The government also said it wants police to have new stop and search powers to tackle drone misuse in measures that were welcomed by the UK pilots union. Head of flight safety at the British Airline Pilots’ Association, Dr Rob Hunter said: ”We are pleased that the government is bringing forward legislation to increase the drone no-fly zone around airports.

“This increase is what we’ve been calling for in order to ensure there is a safe separation between commercial aircraft and legal drone operations. This, along with the introduction of suitable detection measures, represents a significant improvement to the safety of manned aircraft around airports.

“We remain concerned that protections for helicopters are still lacking as they operate at low levels away from the protected zone around airports and in areas where drones are frequently flown.”

Gatwick was shut for more than a day after drone sightings near the runway before Christmas, affecting more than 1,000 flights.

ABTAmag.com

AIR

New route to Tel Aviv

By Emily Eastman Virgin Atlantic will operate flights to Tel Aviv from September 25. Tickets for the daily flight from London Heathrow operated by a A330-300 are on sale now. It will accommodate 31 seats in upper class, 48 seats in premium economy and 185 seats in economy class. “Tel Aviv represents a fantastic opportunity for us – Israel’s economy is booming and as one of the world’s leading tech hubs we’re anticipating many business travellers and entrepreneurs flying between Tel Aviv and the UK,” said Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic CEO.

UNIWORLD

Mekong Jewel designs revealed Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has revealed renderings of its Mekong Jewel, debuting January 3, 2020.

“We’re excited to share a very first look at what’s to come for our fleet of Super Ships in 2020,” said Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO of Uniworld. “The SS Mekong Jewel’s design coupled with our unparalleled service and experiences will offer guests the best that river cruising has to offer. And this is only the beginning – with a total of four new Super Ships set to launch in 2020, and a commitment to convert our entire fleet to Super Ships in the coming years, we continue to offer our guests the highest standard in luxury river cruising.”

The SS Mekong Jewel’s 13-day itinerary will take guests from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, with visits to Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat. It will feature all-suite accommodations, an indoor swimming pool and two restaurants: a main dining room and an al fresco eatery on the upper deck. It will carry 68 guests and boast one of the highest staff-to-guest ratios on the river.

ABTAmag.com

March 2019 11

News

HOTELS

AIR

Qantas waste plan

Ibis partners with Spotify and Sony

By Sam Ballard Ibis, AccorHotel’s economy hotel brand, is to receive a full makeover and will host music concerts in partnership with Sony and Spotify.

The rebrand, which was announced at an event in Paris, will also see Ibis get rid of its check-in desks within the next three years.

Staff will instead check guests in using tablets and smartphones, a move that the company says will increase human interaction through technology. The move to get rid of reception desks was driven by research commissioned on behalf of Ibis by Ipsos, which spoke to 6,000 people across France, the UK, Brazil, Singapore, Germany and Australia. The

By ABTA Magazine staff research also revealed that 80 per cent of people would like hotels to also be social venues. As part of the Ibis redesign, the owner of each hotel will be able to choose from three new designs – Agora, Plaza and Square – which will all be customisable.

One of the hotel’s boldest moves was to announce a partnership with music brands Spotify and Sony, which will enable Ibis to host gigs across its portfolio. The gigs will be open to hotel guests as well as locals, which is part of a wider push by the company to help properties become a key part of local neighbourhoods. Upand-coming artists will be provided by Spotify, based on data of the music being listened to in that region. ABTAmag.com

SPAIN

Balearics move to ban polluting cars by 2035

By Anthony Pearce Car rental companies will have to offer electric or non-polluting cars in the Balearics after a new environmental law covering the Spanish islands was introduced.

The government intends to introduce 1,000 electric vehicle charging points and eliminate new diesel vehicles by 2025.

12 March 2019

All petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned by 2035.

“In line with the Balearic Islands’ objectives to create a long-term sustainable tourism destination, this new law paves the way towards a clean energy model,” the government said, adding that the aim is to eradicate the use of fossil fuels by 2050. ABTAmag.com

Qantas Group has announced ambitious plans to become the world’s first airline to reuse, recycle and compost at least three-quarters of its general waste before 2022.

The carrier is targeting the removal of 100 million single-use plastic items a year and will replace 45 million plastic cups, 30 million cutlery sets, 21 million coffee cups and four million headrest covers with sustainable alternatives by the end of 2020.

“This list of items goes well beyond the recent European Union ban, both in scope and speed of implementation,” Qantas said. CEO Alan Joyce added: “In the process of carrying 50 million people each year, we deal with more than 30,000 tonnes of waste. That’s the same weight as about 80 747 jumbos.

“It is quite literally a waste and we have a responsibility to our customers, shareholders and the community to reduce it. We’ve already removed plastic wrapping on our pyjamas and headsets, as well as plastic straws.

“Even plastic frequent flyer cards are going digital. It adds up to millions of items a year because of our scale and there’s a lot more we can do.”

The plan comes as the Australian flag carrier reported a A$19 million decline in first-half profits to A$780 million.

International profits fell by 60 per cent to A$90 million, largely due to a “rapid rise” in the cost of fuel.

Joyce said: “Higher oil prices were a significant headwind and we moved quickly to recover as much of the cost as we could. That’s easier to achieve in the domestic market than on longer international routes, where fuel is a much bigger factor, and that’s reflected in the segment results we’re reporting today.

“We also saw an increase in selling costs, simply due to the commissions associated with the 6 per cent rise in revenue, as well as costs linked to a weaker Australian dollar.”

ABTAmag.com

Promotion

MENORCA

IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

Menorca – a Biosphere Reserve

M

enorca was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1993 by Unesco in recognition of how the island balances economic activity with the use of resources, while at the same time preserving the environment, local heritage and social values; in short, aspiring to sustainable development.

Twenty-five years later, Menorca maintains today the same values that earned it that title in the first place. The island is still seen as an exceptional place, unique in the highly developed and densely populated area that is the Mediterranean.

These values are fundamental to ensure a good quality of life for the island population. They are also an undeniable attraction for visitors, at a time when authenticity, sustainability and wellbeing are components that people are seeking.

24 March 2019

Menorca therefore has a number of factors in its favour, offering a variety of experiences for discovering the island in a healthy and respectful way: • A Mediterranean climate with over 300 days of sunshine a year • 66 per cent of the island protected • 220km of coastline with over a hundred coves and beaches, half of which unspoilt • More than 1,500 prehistoric sites • A historic long distance footpath around the island, 185km long • An extensive network of country paths and cycling routes • Internationally recognised crafts and manufactured products • Traditional farming methods • A rich heritage, both tangible and intangibles

YOUTRAVEL OFFERS OVER 120 RESORTS, HOTELS AND APARTMENTS IN MENORCA COVERING EVERY BUDGET. VISIT YOUTRAVEL.COM FOR OUR LATEST OFFERS.

ABTAmag.com

MuseumsQuartier Wien

The perfect place for culture enthusiasts MuseumsQuartier Wien offers world-class museums, year-round cultural events and a vibrant food & shopping scene in the heart of Vienna.

Need to Know

One Day in Vienna

Two Days in Vienna

• MuseumsQuartier Wien (MQ) is one of the largest cultural districts for contemporary art and culture in the world, comprising 60 cultural institutions spread out over 90,000 m2.

Morning Explore the mumok. Its impressive collection of works includes entries by international artists such as Max Ernst, René Magritte, Pablo Picasso, Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol. For lunch, dine on Viennese classics with a twist at Glacis Beisl.

Morning There are plenty of smaller exhibition spaces to discover such as the Kunsthalle Wien or the Tanzquartier Wien, a state-of-the-art international centre for contemporary dance.

• The mumok is the largest museum of modern and contemporary art in Central Europe and houses important works from Modernism, Pop Art to Viennese Actionism.

Find its diverse programme and current exhibitions on the website.

• The Leopold Museum is MQ’s most visited museum and houses one of the most important collections of modern Austrian art, spanning Viennese Jugendstil, Wiener Werkstätte and Expressionism.

• The MQ’s interior courtyard is an inviting space for all and the perfect place to enjoy the architecture and creative buzz of the district.

Afternoon Just across the courtyard at Leopold Museum, discover the world’s largest collection of Egon Schiele works, masterworks by Gustav Klimt, founder of the Secession, & objects renowned as milestones in the history of international design by the likes of Josef Hoffmann and Kolo Moser.

All year round

Had enough of cultural activities?

Enjoy some shopping & browse through the numerous arts stores.

Evening Visit MQ kantine for drinks & music.

Getting There & Around Best time to travel

Afternoon Check what’s on. Throughout the year, MQ hosts an exciting range of concerts, film festivals, performances & other cultural events.

Airports: Vienna International Airport Railway: Vienna main railway station Underground: U2 MuseumsQuartier U2/U3 Volkstheater

Find out more on b2b.austria.info

Germany

Vienna

Italy

HOTELS

RIVER CRUISE

Mandarin Oriental partners Fred raises with Abercrombie & Kent profile

By Anthony Pearce Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced it is working with Abercrombie & Kent to offer unique local experiences.

The new partnership will feature culinary and fashion tours, and VIP access to sporting events and galleries. This includes a VIP visit to FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium or the New York Knicks’ Madison Square Garden.

In Paris, guests can have an exclusive tour of the Louvre with A&K’s art historian. In Miami, they can dine with an astronaut at the Kennedy Space Center.

Geoffrey Kent, chief executive, chairman and founder of Abercrombie & Kent, said:

“A&K and Mandarin Oriental are old friends.

For decades our guests have stayed at Mandarin Oriental properties around the world – enjoying its exemplary hospitality in the best locations.

“This natural partnership will allow guests to experience the A&K difference – insider access that nobody else can provide, creating memories that last a lifetime.”

Kristin Ruble, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s brand and experience marketing senior vice-president, said: “A&K are a renowned global travel brand and these are unique experiences curated by them and exclusive for Mandarin Oriental’s guests.”

ABTAmag.com

By Sam Ballard Fred River Cruises has appointed Lucy Hone as business development manager.

Hone, who previously worked as sales manager for Uniworld, said: “It’s the perfect opportunity to work alongside the team to raise the profile of our brand portfolio and bring them to the forefront. I’m particularly looking forward to working alongside the retail branches to strengthen the positioning of river cruising in-store.” The operator’s portfolio of brands includes Amadeus River Cruises, American Cruise Lines, Pandaw, Volga Dream and Far Horizon.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Retro livery draws crowds Aeroplane enthusiasts gathered at Heathrow to welcome British Airways’ Boeing 747 painted in the iconic design of its predecessor, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). The aircraft entered the IAC paint bay at Dublin Airport where it was stripped of its current British Airways Chatham Dockyard design before being repainted with the BOAC livery, which adorned the fleet between 1964 and 1974.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and CEO, said: “The enormous interest we’ve had in this project demonstrates the attachment many people have to British Airways’ history.

It’s something we are incredibly proud of, so in our centenary year it’s a pleasure to be celebrating our past while also looking to the future. We look forward to many more exciting moments like this as our other aircraft with heritage designs enter service.” The BOAC Boeing 747 flew directly to Heathrow on the aptly named BA100. Its second flight departed on February 19, flying to New York JFK. ABTAmag.com

ABTAmag.com

March 2019 15

News March

AIR

‘Protection needed’

By Sam Ballard

AIR

Ryanair adds Toulouse base

By Emily Eastman Ryanair will launch a new base in Toulouse this October. The budget carrier will base two aircraft there, flying 11 routes to seven countries. It will be its third French base. The move represents an investment of $200 million and will create 60 new jobs and support 750 airport jobs, Ryanair said. The new routes are: Alicante, Brest, Budapest, Lille, Luxembourg, Marseille, Oujda (Morocco), Palermo, Porto, Tangier and Valencia. ABTAmag.com

Spotlight turns to what happens when an airlines goes out of business following FlyBMI filing for administration.

The carrier blamed uncertainty about Brexit as it called in administrators.

ABTA said: “The failure of FlyBMI serves as a reminder that the existing system of consumer protection can be very confusing.

“The independent airline insolvency review, which was launched in the wake of Monarch going out of business, is due to report back in the spring and presents an opportunity to provide much needed clarity.

“We have welcomed the opportunity to share ABTA’s insights and expertise with the review body and have put forward principles for consideration, including avoiding duplication of consumer protection costs for businesses providing protection and making sure that funds are immediately available in the event of failure to pay for repatriation. We urge the government to carefully consider any recommendations made by the review.”

The Airline Insolvency Review is due to report shortly. ABTAmag.com

Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook: @ABTAmagazine TRAVEL AGENTS

From home to high street

By Anthony Pearce A former homeworker has seen sales jump 30 per cent year-on-year after setting up on his town’s high street. Richard Slater of Henbury Travel opened a shop in Macclesfield, Cheshire, after 30 years as a travel agent.

Slater, previously a Personal Travel Agents consultant with Midcounties Co-operative, has seen business booming after appearing on BBC Breakfast to talk about the resurgence of the high street and featuring in the local press.

“I’ve had people coming in showing me a holiday they’ve seen and asking me to book it, and others who have heard of me before but now I have a shop have more confidence to come and book,” Slater said.

“The majority of bookings [recently] are from new customers. People just want somebody independent to give them honest advice on where to book,” he added.

VOLUNTOURISM

Faroe Islands to ‘close’ in April The Faroe Islands will “shut for maintenance”, but welcome voluntourists willing to help preserve the destination’s ecosystem. Its first voluntourism weekend will take place over April 26-27. Visit visitfaroeislands.com/closed to sign up.

16 March 2019

ABTAmag.com

Culture clubs

With direct flights, rich cultural history, diverse architecture and remarkable scenery, Austria is the perfect destination for city breaks VIENNA

When it comes to culture, there are few cities that can compete with Vienna.

The Austrian capital boasts remarkable architectural sights in gothic, baroque and modernist styles, more than 100 museums, more than 140 art galleries and, of course, classic music and café culture at every turn.

The city, in fact, has an entire area dedicated to art: the MuseumsQuartier, comprising 60 cultural institutions spread out over 90,000 m2. Here you will find the mumok, the Museum of Modern Art, containing works by luminaries Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and Max Ernst; and the Leopold Museum, home to a remarkable Egon Schiele collection.

Elsewhere you will find the Mozarthaus, Mozart’s former Vienna residence; Haus der Musik, an interactive museum of sound where you can give being a conductor a shot; and the Kunst Haus Wien, which includes the idiosyncratic Museum Hundertwasser, each managed by Wien Holding. The company also operates cruises on the Danube with DDSG Blue Danube;

ABTAmag.com

an evening sailing with live music and traditional Austrian fare is one of the best ways to enjoy the sights of city.

Oenophiles will love Schlumberger, Austria’s oldest sparkling winery, open since 1842. One way to take advantage of all these incredible sights and more is to purchase a Vienna Pass, which includes free admission to more than 60 of Vienna’s most popular attractions, unlimited rides on the Vienna Sightseeing hop-on/hop-off buses, and free guidebook to all attractions and bus routes, also available as download and app.

With direct flights from nine UK airports, it’s the perfect city break destination.

SALZBURG

Salzburg has a lot going for it: the birthplace of Mozart, the setting of The Sound of Music, world-famous music festivals, it’s also backdropped by the Austrian Alps. The city is celebrated for its baroque architecture, small-town charm, culture and beer.

Salzburg has long been a city of breweries – the oldest is the Stiegl Brewery, established

in 1492, which offers tours as well as a cosy pub to sample the product. Each year, more than 250,000 people attend the Salzburg Festival to take in opera, theatre and classical music performances. There are 12 direct routes between the UK and Salzburg.

INNSBRUCK

Home to a stunning baroque and gothic Old Town, Innsbruck also offer a unique proposition because of its geography: a 20-minute cable car trip will take you from the city centre to 2,000m at the Nordkette mountain range. There are seven direct routes between the UK and Salzburg.

GRAZ

The capital city of Styria, Graz is a stunning medieval town, known for its famous Uhrturm, a centuries-old clock tower on the top of the Schlossberg hill). The city is also known for its week-long Food Festival in August, and excellent restaurants. No airlines fly direct from the UK, but it’s easy to connect via Frankfurt, Munich or Vienna.

March 2019 17

News Events

Out and about Pictures from the latest travel industry events 1. Agents join the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in the Nevada City. Left to right: Fallon Scott, Dawson & Sanderson; Alicia Dillon, The American Road Trip Company; Alex Perez, LVCVA UK; Joanne Shayler, Elegant Escapes; Nicci Davies, Travelwise; Nicholas Smith, British Airways; Emma Beaumont, Lime Management; Natasha Mouscos, Jetline Cruise; Alan Milton, Ramsay World Travel 2. A recent fam trip with The Colorado Tourism Office. Left to right: Sarah Searson, MD, Ski World; Jim Odoire, account director, Colorado Tourism Office, UK; Karen Moodie, sales specialist, Ski Independence; John Taker, global product director, dnata; Steven Mitchell, regional sales manager, Mark Travel; David Cape, sales manager, Alpine Answers 3. Super Break’s sales executive Briony Smith joins Wallace Arnold Travel at its new branch in Hillsborough, Sheffield. Left to right: Victoria Smallwood, sales consultant; Sue Brook, branch manager; Rachel Broadhead, sales consultant; Smith 4. The Tenerife Tourism Corporation and British Airways host a luxury fam trip. Left to right: Rebecca Pasha, Hume Whitehead – Tenerife Tourism Corporation UK; Caroline Baily, Designer Travel; Sharon Frame, Kuoni; Michelle Hughes, Eton Travel; Diane Coleman, Tickets Travel Ltd; Claire Dodd, freelance journalist; and Gabriele Scholes, Hallmark Travel, in Teide National Park 5. Celebrations for Etihad’s 15th birthday party at the Louvre Abu Dhabi

4 18 March 2019

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5 Send your travel industry pictures to info@ABTAmag.com and we’ll print the best

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Report As Brexit looms, Anthony Pearce shares comments from industry leaders on what our exit from the European Union means for the future of UK travel

T

he travel industry must combat “scare stories” about post-Brexit travel with hard facts, Mark Tanzer, the CEO of ABTA, has said.

Speaking at the travel association’s Brexit and the Future of UK Travel Briefing in central London, Tanzer said that it has been “impossible to apply probabilities to an unprecedented event” but added ABTA is “continuing to update our guidance for members on the event of a no-deal Brexit, covering business structure, including TOMs [Tour Operators’ Margin Scheme], relationships with commercial partners, issues with staff and what customers need to know and do”.

He said: “As far as the customers are concerned, our priority has been to maintain their confidence to book holidays beyond the EU exit date. There is very clear evidence that consumers respond to media scare stories, such as the one we saw before Christmas [Nodeal Brexit travel warning: don’t go on holiday after March 29, The Sunday Times, December 16], and we need to counter these stories with facts that the customers can take.”

Tanzer said that a no-deal Brexit would be “extremely damaging” to the travel industry. “The bare bones are taking shape [for a post-Brexit world] but this is far from perfect. The damaging impact of a no-deal outcome on the industry should not be underestimated.”

Also speaking at the event, Paul Carter, the CEO of HotelPlan, said that Brexit was putting the seasonal model under threat.

Carter complained of a “vacuum of information” around Brexit, while Deirdre Wells, the chair of Tourism Alliance and CEO of VisitKent, said there had been a “disgraceful” lack of answers from the government. She added that “tourism was more important than ever. The last thing people will give up is their holiday. We

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need to work harder, market smarter and make sure we’re out there fighting for business.”

ABTA’s head of public affairs Luke Petherbridge said that “any deal is better than a no deal”, adding that a delay would be “preferable”. He said that it wasn’t a “binary deal between what’s on the table and no deal”.

Petherbridge described Brexit negotiations as the “end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end” in terms of Britain’s relationships with the EU. He added that some travel arrangements post-Brexit were beginning to take shape thanks to reciprocal agreements. “We know about flights. There will be basic connectivity [and] the European Parliament has stated any cap [on capacity] should be removed.”

He continued: “On the European Health Insurance Card, we expect bilateral arrangements to be in place very quickly in the event of no deal. On VAT, TOMs [Tour Operators’ Margin Scheme] will remain, but it will be zero-rated on EU holidays – so that is good news.”

The event coincided with the release of a report that detailed the contribution to the UK economy from outbound travel, which has increased by a third since 2014. The overall contribution to the UK economy from outbound travel now stands at £37.1 billion and 1.8 per cent of GDP, up 36 per cent from £27.1 billion in 2014 (see p8). ABTA says the report lays to rest the argument that outbound travel doesn’t contribute to the UK economy. The analysis finds travellers now spend more in the UK before they travel than they do while abroad. UK travellers spent £45.7 billion in 2017, compared to £44.8 billion overseas, an increase of almost £10 billion since 2014. ABTAmag.com Read Luke Petherbridge’s Brexit column on p27

March 2019 19

Interview Trafalgar ABTA Magazine

Gavin Tollman CEO, Trafalgar Anthony Pearce hears how Trafalgar is harnessing the transformative power of travel “

Y

ou have to make sure you’re drinking the local wine, buying the local produce, sustaining the local artisans,” says Gavin Tollman, the CEO of Trafalgar and Costsaver. “To me, breaking bread with locals is the best way to get an insight into the places we visit. It’s the very essence of travel – seeing life through a local’s eyes.”

Tollman has long spoken of the transformative power of travel and the collective responsibility we have as an industry. “From a personal standpoint, the most important thing about travel is making it matter. It’s not just about going to a place – if you can economically help sustain small communities, ensure that you maintain long-term viability and do it in a respectful, environmentally conscious way, you can help grow small businesses,” he says. “That’s when people can see the power of tourism, when travel is helping make a difference.”

Tollman is the nephew of Stanley Tollman, the founder and current chairman of The Travel Corporation, which comprises 29 brands, employs more than 10,000 staff and serves 1.9 million guests annually.

Although some of its brands, such as Contiki and Busabout, are better known to the Australian market, the likes of Uniworld have a growing presence in the UK (then there’s Red Carnation Hotels, which has six properties in London and two in Dorset).

But it’s Trafalgar that is described as the “cornerstone” of The Travel Corporation: the operator promises that, through its tours, guests can “explore globally and sustain locally”. Its philosophy can perhaps be summed up by its bestknown programme, Be My Guest, which celebrates a decade of operation this year.

The concept is simple: local food cooked by locals. Tollman says that “back in

20 March 2019

2009, this was a conversation no one was having. In 2008, we ran six series going to the Esposito sisters’ home in Sorrento, overlooking Capri in the distance. It was the same itinerary we had run for many years; we just included a different lunch. Every single trip that went there, when you read your guests’ comments, they said the lunch was the highlight.

“You sat down with the sisters and they cooked you the most sublime spaghetti pomodoro, nothing complicated, but we immediately knew we were on to something.

In 2019, on every single trip, wherever you go, you will have a Be My Guest experience.

In those early years, it required knocking on doors, knowing friends of friends. Today, often people come to us.”

Aside from Be My Guest is Join Trafalgar, the operator’s sustainability programme, which Tollman says is divided into three parts. “First is dissemination, making sure we don’t bring everyone to one place at one time of year, you’re not just coming for the two or three months of the year,” he says. “Second is dispersal, which is filtering

guests out to other parts of the country; and third is direct action, which translates into conscious thought. I believe firmly that as people within the travel industry we have a direct responsibility to ensure that future generations can continue to travel.”

Tollman tells the story of Marta, one of Trafalgar’s local experts, who lives in the town of Perugia in Umbria, Italy, and is the last weaver of Renaissance looms. “The fabric is extraordinary. It’s art.” Tollman says Marta was days away from giving it up as she could no longer make a living from it. “Her grandmother had moved the loom to a church up on the hill, and she was ready to shut it down, but we said: ‘can we bring our guests here?’” Since then, on tours, Trafalgar guests watch her perform her craft and have the opportunity to buy from her. “Now, she runs a completely sustainable business, she’s had an article in The New York Times about her. And best of all, she now has a 12-year-old niece who has taken it up. Just think about how wonderful that is – that you, through travel, can make that difference.”

Perugia, Italy, home to Martha, Trafalgar’s Renaissance weaver

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Five of the best: cruise ships launching in 2019 MSC CRUISES – MSC BELLISSIMA (MARCH) MSC Bellissima will join MSC Meraviglia in MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia-class of cruise ships when it launches this month. With a tonnage of 171,598 GT and a capacity of 4,500 passengers, the ship continues MSC Cruises’ remarkable growth – it will build 17 ships before 2027, including four smaller luxury vessels. Guests on board will experience the world’s first digital cruise assistant, Zoe, a voice-enabled Artificial Intelligence device fitted in every cabin.

The two-deck inside promenade features an 80-metre-long LED dome.

SCENIC – SCENIC ECLIPSE (AUGUST) Although once again delayed until August 15, when it will sail from Reykjavik to Quebec City, the ultra-luxury “discovery yacht” Scenic Eclipse promises to be a showstopper. Just 200 guests will have access to 10 restaurants, a helicopter and submarines.

PRINCESS CRUISES – SKY PRINCESS (OCTOBER) Launching this autumn, Sky Princess will carry 3,660 guests and boasts the largest balconies at sea with its two Sky Suites, which will offer guests a private vantage point of the ships’ Movies Under the Stars cinema screen, as well as 270-degree panoramic views.

SAGA – SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY (JULY) Launching this summer, Spirit of Discovery, the first purposebuilt ship by Saga, will bring a new proposition to ex-UK cruises.

Carrying 999 guests, the all-balcony ship will feature a nightspot called the The Club by Jools Holland… sure to be a hit.

HURTIGRUTEN – MS ROALD AMUNDSEN (MAY) Named after the Norwegian explorer, Hurtigruten’s latest vessel will employ new hybrid technology designed by Rolls Royce, and will hope to usher in a new era of green cruising. It will visit the Northwest Passage, Chilean fjords and Antarctica.

ABTAmag.com

March 2019 21

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23 Years Running

ABTA News

ABTA news March 2019

All the latest reports, comment, campaigns and events from ABTA – The Travel Association

ABTA launches new plastics guidance

‘Managing plastics: guidance for travel companies’ has been developed to support the industry

By ABTA Magazine staff ABTA is launching new guidance to support travel companies to take a long-term strategic approach in tackling their use of plastics, as part of a wider approach to waste management.

The guidance, titled “Managing plastics: guidance for travel companies”, has been developed to support those in the travel industry develop, plan and monitor their approach to plastic and waste. Many travel companies are already taking action – from looking at their use of plastics to working on issues such as waste management and recycling in destination. The guidelines will support businesses to develop a long-term strategy, and avoid any unintended consequences of a new approach, by looking at possible actions and broader considerations, such as health and safety.

The guidance uses the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle framework and says that any strategy needs to look at ways to reduce plastic in the first place, move from single-use items to reusable items, encourage recycling or seek credible alternatives. It also provides

24 March 2019

a five-step process that travel companies can adopt, which is based on the approach outlined by ABTA’s sustainability programme, “Better Places”, and highlights examples of what businesses within the industry have done to tackle the use of plastics.

With the provisional agreement of a European Single-use Plastic Directive, which plans to ban single-use items, set stricter rules on bottle recycling by 2025 and put reduction targets in place for drinks cups and food containers, the guidance also looks at how travel companies can respond to existing and future legislation.

Nikki White, ABTA director of destinations & sustainability, said: “While businesses are clearly putting plans in place, we also know that travel companies want to develop a long-term strategy in tackling the use of plastics, and are keen to make sure they aren’t introducing an approach which could have unintended consequences. Consideration needs to be given to all the impacts a product has – from manufacturing, transport, use and, finally, waste disposal. Reducing plastic waste can be a challenge, so it’s important to engage the support of those you work with to help you along the way.” ABTA.com

ABTAmag.com

NCSC and TMCs look for ABTA launch members when booking ABTA cyber advice

By Emily Eastman

The majority of businesses look for ABTA membership when selecting a travel management company (TMC). New research has found that more than four in five (82 per cent) managers say that membership of ABTA is important or very important when they select a TMC. According to the research, managers at companies with an annual turnover of £50-99.99 million especially value ABTA membership, with more than nine in ten (93 per cent) stating that membership was very important or important when selecting a TMC. Similarly, 95 per cent of companies with 50-99 employees took the same view.

Using a TMC that is an ABTA member is also particularly important for business owners (95 per cent). Booking business travel through an ABTA member allows corporate managers to book with confidence, knowing that their travel provider has passed ABTA’s financial fitness tests, including minimum capital requirements, balance sheet net asset strength and financial security requirements (where applicable) and that it follows ABTA’s Code of Conduct. ABTA members also benefit from a wide range of support services including free legal advice and detailed guidance notes. ABTA has been providing its business members with advice and support to help them plan for Brexit, including ABTA’s contingency planning guidance on a no-deal Brexit and advice to share with clients travelling after March 29, 2019, as well as lobbying on behalf of the industry. ABTA’s guidance on Brexit is available in the Member Zone (abta.com/member-zone).

ABTA members also have access to its operational crisis support and 24/7 operational bulletins about incidents and travel news, enabling them to better support their customers in the UK and overseas should an incident or issue occur. ABTA.com

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and ABTA have joined forces to make the NCSC’s advice available via the ABTA Member Zone. The guidance note starts with the Small Business Guide and scales to cover the requirements of all organisations, no matter their size or technical capability.

The NCSC will also be available to provide an update and first-hand guidance at ABTA’s new Cyber and Data Breach Management seminar in London on March 5. The seminar will equip you with the tools you need to plan for, respond to, and recover from a cyber or data breach.

Cyber security is a serious issue for UK businesses, with more than 40 per cent of companies experiencing a cyber breach each year, according to ABTA. For companies such as travel companies that process personal data, the figure is closer to 50 per cent. The average cost of cyber breaches is significant, with large businesses experiencing average losses of £22,300 for each damaging incident.

Despite these figures, only half of UK businesses implement the basic technical controls listed under the UK government’s Cyber Essentials scheme. Even fewer businesses have encryption policies in place to routinely protect personal data – the type of data that travel agents depend upon to run their businesses. ABTA.com

ABTA online The latest travel advice

The latest on visas, health requirements and destinations. See abta. com/tips-and-latest/ latest-travel-advice

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ABTA campaigns The full list of ABTA’s campaigns, which raise awareness of important travel issues. See abta. com/tips-and-latest/ abta-campaigns

March 2019 25

ABTA Advice

Ask the expert Do you have a burning question you can’t find the answer to? Be it travel trends, a regulatory riddle or destination dilemmas, send us your query for an expert response

Dealing with drone chaos I’m a tour operator and we had a number of customers booked on packages whose holidays were disrupted due to the drone flying over Gatwick last December. I know that the airlines have an obligation to look after customers, but so do we. Could you please clarify where the primary responsibility lies?

Anon

DON’T MISS Cyber and Data Breach Management March 5, London

I got a number of calls from ABTA members about this at the time of the problems at Gatwick and I can understand your confusion.

First of all, there are two sets of regulations that come into play when passengers booked on package holidays experience disruption to their flights: EU regulation 261 for flights within the EU or with EUbased airlines, and the Package Travel Regulations (PTRs).

As a tour operator, the PTRs require you to either provide the package, a suitable alternative or a full refund.

In relation to the Gatwick disruption, if the relevant airlines could not provide alternative flights, or the alternatives offered were significantly different from the original booking, then the tour operator responsibilities would come into play. However, it would be reasonable for you to ask the customer to submit a refund request to the airline for the ticket cost and to refund the rest of the package cost yourself.

Both sets of regulations also impose obligations on tour operators and airlines to look after customers stuck overseas. In the case of the PTRs this requires the tour operator to provide the customer, where necessary, with accommodation of an equivalent category as booked under the package where it is possible to do so. However, this obligation is restricted to three days and to get the customer home. The airline also has an obligation to provide care in relation to food and other refreshments and overnight accommodation, but in this case, there is no cut-off point.

So, for customers stuck overseas you may decide to split some of the extra costs with the airline, but you should check any contractual arrangements you may have with them before doing so.

However, as the situation at Gatwick was clearly outside of the airlines’ control, legally a “force majeure” situation, they would have no obligation under Regulation 261 to pay compensation. This was clarified at the time by the Civil Aviation Authority, but this did not absolve either airlines or tour operators from their obligations as set out above.

Although the Gatwick drone situation was highly unusual, even though we had a – thankfully very limited – incident at Heathrow shortly afterwards, disruption due to bad weather, industrial action and other factors will inevitably affect your customers at some stage in the future. So it is very important that you and your staff understand the actions you may need to take and communicate them clearly to your customers.

Daryl Nurthen ABTA business support manager

Got a question? Email: info@ABTAmag.com 26 March 2019

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ABTA comment

Life after Brexit

I

n January, ABTA launched its report on the value of UK outbound travel to the UK economy.

The findings are a timely reminder, given the prolonged uncertainty from Brexit, of the underlying strength and resilience of the industry, and holidaymakers’ strong commitment to travel.

The value of outbound travel has grown by more than 36 per cent since 2014 – up to a total of more than £37 billion in gross value added.

During the same time, the UK economy increased by less than ten per cent, which demonstrates how travel has significantly outpaced growth elsewhere.

Businesses within the sector support more than 526,000 jobs in the UK. In addition, we should never let it be said that outbound travel is a negative economic factor for UK businesses. Travellers spend nearly £46 billion on travel-related expenditure here in the UK each year – that’s more than the combined total spent overseas.

Turning to Brexit, it’s easy to forget at times that this is only the end of the beginning of the Brexit process. Deal or no deal, we will only start to negotiate our future trading relationship when the UK leaves the EU. This matters because the majority of our sector’s priorities will be addressed in this next phase, including a long-term aviation agreement and employment rules. It must be better and more productive to start these vital talks from a position of agreement rather than in a situation where both sides are picking up the pieces following a no-deal outcome. ABTA has clearly expressed this view to politicians and policymakers on all sides.

At the time of me writing this piece, there is still an absence of a political solution, and we continue to advise ABTA members to prepare for all eventualities. Members can download our latest guidance at abta.com/brexitguidance, and we also have some useful messaging for customers on

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the website. We are keeping that information regularly updated, but do not hesitate to get in touch with us at membersinfo@abta.co.uk should you have any specific queries.

It is easy to forget the world beyond Brexit, but there is a busy domestic policy agenda for travel in the year ahead. In the spring, we expect the Payment System Regulator’s market review into card-acquiring services. ABTA will be consulting widely with members to understand what’s happening in the cards payment marketplace and to seek better levels of transparency for businesses across the payments chain.

We also have the Aviation Strategy and Heathrow expansion debates. ABTA’s approach to both has a clear focus on the consumer to improve the passenger experience. For example, regarding Heathrow, we are supportive of expansion but with conditions. We want a commitment that passenger charges will be kept close to today’s levels, and we would like to see increased competition between airlines at the airport to benefit both consumers and the wider industry.

This year, the foundations will be laid for the future of the UK economy. ABTA will ensure that the voice of our members and the wider travel industry is heard loud and clear.

Luke Petherbridge

ABTA head of public affairs

March 2019 27

ABTA Campaigns

ABTA campaigns Parents want ABTA members for school trips 73% of UK families expect a company that organises school travel to be an ABTA member

By ABTA Magazine staff ABTA has revealed that nearly three quarters (73 per cent) of UK families expect a company that organises school travel to be an ABTA member.

There are more than 100 school travel organisers who are ABTA members, and booking through a school travel specialist allows teachers to access the expertise, knowledge and insight of the association in developing an enjoyable educational experience.

Travel companies that are approved

by ABTA are also granted access to the support of the association – including 24-hour crisis support – and schools can benefit from ABTA’s advice, as well as its independent complaints process should they need it. Booking an overnight school trip as a package – where a travel company organises the different travel services – provides the greatest overall protection.

Under the Package Travel Regulations (PTRs) the travel company is responsible for sorting out any problems, and making sure that if the trip can’t go ahead for any reason either an alternative is offered or a full refund provided.

Victoria Bacon, ABTA’s director of brand and business development, said: “School trips provide pupils with lifelong memories and often an opportunity to explore a place they’ve never been to before. However, it can be a timeconsuming and sometimes daunting process for teachers to arrange these trips, and the new Package Travel Regulations means that if a trip is booked in a certain way, the school could be held liable should there be a problem.

“There are lots of ABTA school travel specialist companies who can take these responsibilities off the hands of teachers and pull together a trip which provides a great educational experience as well as offering the support, protection and

expertise that comes with booking with an ABTA-approved travel company. With this peace of mind teachers can travel with confidence, knowing their students are in good hands and able to enjoy their travel experience to the full.”

All School Travel Forum (STF) members – a professional trade association for school travel – are required to be ABTA members. Gill Harvey of the STF said: “While organising a school trip can be seen by some education providers as stressful and time-consuming, there are ways to streamline the process and recruit third-party help to ensure the trip runs smoothly.

“Research shows that travel helps children to develop their sense of independence, experience new cultures and bond with their classmates. Booking with an STF member, which is also an ABTA member, will provide teachers and parents alike with the confidence of a safe and successful trip.” ABTA.com

Politicians press government for APD cuts Cross-party group wants UK to ‘compete on level playing field with European counterparts’

By ABTA Magazine staff MPs from across the political spectrum have come together to form a new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Air Passenger Duty (APD) Reform with the purpose of encouraging the UK government “to cut the UK’s Air Passenger Duty rate, thereby allowing the UK to compete on a level playing field with our European counterparts, boosting tourism, trade, jobs and growth”.

UK APD is a per-passenger tax levied on all flights departing from airports in the UK. The UK APD rate is the highest tax of its kind in the world. It is more than double the tax of our largest European trading rival,

28 March 2019

Germany. On long haul, it currently adds £78 to an economy ticket and £156 to a business class ticket.

The formation of the group comes after the chancellor’s decision in the Budget to further increase the long-haul air passenger duty rate in line with inflation.

This increase will follow a hike of £16 to economy premium and above to long-haul destinations scheduled for April 1, 2019.

Chair of the new group, Henry Smith MP, whose constituency contains Gatwick Airport, said: “I am grateful to have been elected chair of the APPG for Air Passenger Duty Reform. As the UK leaves the European Union and looks to forge a new identity for itself in the world as a global nation, it is

critical we have a tax system that reflects that ambition. A significant reduction in the UK’s APD rate would signal to the world that the UK is open for business.”

A spokesperson for the A Fair Tax on Flying campaign said: “This marks an important next step in the campaign to reduce APD. A cut in APD is long overdue and many MPs across parliament recognise that reducing APD would significantly boost the connectivity of UK airports and dramatically improve the competitiveness of UK airline routes relative to European alternatives, while at the same time tackling this additional tax burden on holidaymakers and business travellers.” ABTA.com

ABTAmag.com

Events March 21 Luxury Travel Conference*, London ABTA’s Luxury Travel Conference allows you to keep up to date with the changes in this fast-moving sector so that you can improve your product offering and marketing and selling techniques.

ABTA conferences and events deliver practical training for the travel industry and help keep you and your staff up to date on the most important, business-critical issues, with a focus on practical learning. Visit ABTA.com/events to learn more about our upcoming events and register your place.

April 25

April 30

May 1

Selling Holidays under the 2018 Package Travel Regulations, Manchester Attend this practical event about selling holidays in compliance with new regulations. Contact events@abta.co.uk for special rates for independent travel agents.

Social Media in Travel, London Get practical advice on advertising, selling, creating content and measuring the ROI on a variety of digital channels including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

The Travel Marketing Conference, London Learn how to reach your customers at the right time, via the right channels, and with the right messages to ensure they book with you. This conference is for advanced-level travel marketing professionals.

May 8

May 15

June 5

Accessible Travel and Tourism Seminar, London There are almost 14 million disabled people in the UK. ABTA’s one-day seminar offers practical support on a range of accessibility issues in connection to travel.

Delivering Customer Service Excellence, London This practical seminar is tailored for those working in travel and will look at ways to improve your customer service strategy, empower your workforce and improve communication across all channels.

Solo Travel Conference*, London Learn how to attract the growing number of solo travellers at ABTA’s Solo Travel Conference. Hear new ways to reach the solo traveller and ensure you are delivering a competitive solo travel experience.

*A limited number of complimentary places are available for travel agents. Email events@abta.co.uk to apply

ABTAmag.com

March 2019 29

Business travel China report

Rising in the East Business Travel Report With new routes, infrastructure and a host of hotel openings, China is becoming the new playground for business travel

I

t won’t be long until China overtakes the US as the world’s largest economy – according to research from Standard Chartered Bank, it will happen at some point in 2020. The Asian giant may be experiencing a slowdown at the moment – the most significant in three decades, in fact (fourth-quarter GDP rates were at 6.4 per cent last year, down from 6.8 per cent in 2017) but even this won’t be enough to break the force of its momentum.

China is also accelerating past the US in terms of air travel numbers (deemed as traffic to, from and within the country).

Between now and 2037, the International Air Transport Association predicts that

30 March 2019

the country will generate one billion new flyers, taking the total to 1.6 billion, compared with 819 million in the US today. Last autumn, Boeing said that over the next 20 years the country will need 7,690 new planes to satisfy demand – and by next year alone is opening another 74 civil airports, including Beijing’s new $13 billion Daxing International later this year. Initially it will be able to handle 45 million people annually, but by 2025 this will go up to 70 million.

The country’s biggest airlines are Air China (based out of Beijing), China Southern Airlines (headquartered in Guangzhou) and China Eastern Airlines

by Jenny Southan, business travel editor (centred in Shanghai). But other contenders include Hainan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Tianjin Airlines and Sichuan Airlines.

Travellers in the West may not even have heard of some of these, but not only are they providing important connectivity within the country, but to the rest of the world as well. And in many cases they are operating routes with no competition.

New air links that have emerged over the last year or so include Chengdu– London Gatwick with Air China (although it will be switching to Heathrow in the spring), Shanghai-London Gatwick with China Eastern Airlines, Shenzhen to London Heathrow with Shenzhen Airlines, and Changsha-London Heathrow, Shenzhen-Madrid and Xi’an-LA with Hainan Airlines. Meanwhile, China Southern Airlines has launched WuhanLondon Heathrow, Shenyang-LA, Guangzhou-Sanya-London Heathrow, and Guangzhou-Wuhan-San Francisco.

Although leisure travel will be a huge driver among the burgeoning middle classes, business travel to and from the country will be a major part of growth. In

ABTAmag.com

The headlines Hilton HHonors partners with Netflix for in-room streaming

Members of Hilton’s loyalty scheme HHonors can now log in to Netflix via its app and stream content direct to televisions in the brand’s Connected Rooms. The technology is currently available at about 1,800 rooms in 10 US hotels located in California, Texas and New York, among other destinations, but will roll-out rapidly throughout 2019.

DON’T MISS The Business Travel Law Seminar March 27, London abta.com/events/business-travellaw-seminar-london

2017, business travel spending in China totalled US$347 billion and is expected to increase 6.5 per cent over the next few years, according to the Global Business Travel Association. Travel management companies (TMCs) from the West have been taking steps to capitalise on this segment, with Carlson Wagonlit and AMEX Business Travel both launching joint ventures with local firms over a decade ago. Last year, Corporate Travel Management acquired Lotus Travel Group, making it the largest TMC in Hong Kong.

Being able to attract Chinese businesspeople holds great appeal for travel companies around the world, the savvy among them already taking steps to cater to their needs. For example, the Savoy and the Landmark hotels in London now accept payments through China’s leading online payment platform Alipay. Marriott International is rolling out Alipay facial recognition check-in and payments and across its hotels globally. Having websites available in Mandarin and even instant noodles available in the minibar are other ways hotels are trying to make Chinese visitors feel welcome.

With ever more guests – both domestic and foreign – needing places to stay, new hotels within China are opening on a daily basis. According to reports, more than 1,800 properties are under construction,

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Stelia Aerospace to design business class seat for Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines’ new long-haul business class seat will be designed by France’s Stelia Aerospace, it has been confirmed. The fully flat product will be installed on the carrier’s B787-9 and A350-900s from this summer, and will feature sports-car-style upholstery, 18-inch entertainment screens and direct aisle access for all passengers.

Cathay Pacific signs up to easyJet’s Worldwide connections service

Cathay Pacific is the latest long-haul airline to sign up to easyJet’s Worldwide service, which allows passengers to book connections from 11 European airports (including London Gatwick, Amsterdam and Paris CDG) to onward destinations with other carriers. In Cathay’s case, it will be for flights from Gatwick to Hong Kong.

Qatar Airways launches new corporate rewards programme

Doha-based Qatar Airlines has announced it is debuting a new corporate rewards programme later this year called “Beyond Business by Qatar Airways”. Once signed up, small- and medium-sized businesses will be able to earn Qrewards (a new currency) on all business trips, redeemable on any flight at any time.

New TWA Hotel to open at New York JFK airport

A new airport hotel inspired by TWA will be opening in Eero Saarinen’s iconic 1960s Flight Centre at New York’s JFK at the end of the year. The 512-room property will have views of the runways, a Jean-Georges restaurant and a cocktail bar in a converted Lockheed Constellation L-1649A plane, known as Connie, which will be parked outside.

Get in touch at jenny@ABTAmag.com

March 2019 31

Business travel China

Previous page: Hilton has expanded across the country, including in Guangzhou.

Right: Beijing’s $13 billion Daxing International Airport will handle 45 million people annually (Render by Methanoia © Zaha Hadid Architects)

with roughly 100 each for Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. Among the international chains expanding here, Hilton comes out top, followed by Intercontinental Hotels Group and Marriott International.

Part of Marriott International, hotels from its Bulgari and Edition brands opened in Shanghai last year, while the St Regis Hong Kong is coming in June. Mandarin Oriental is opening in Beijing soon and Rocco Forte’s Westbund hotel is coming to Shanghai this summer.

Last year, Forbes China published a list of the country’s top ten business cities: at number one was Shanghai, which was followed by Guangzhou, Beijing, Nanjing, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Suzhou,

Qingdao and Hangzhou. However, for UK business travellers hoping to visit, securing an “F” visa isn’t particularly easy. Since November 2018, all applicants must attend a visa application centre in person and have their fingerprints scanned. They may also need to provide a letter of invitation.

Care also needs to be taken when spending time in the destination, as laws and customs differ from the West. As TMCs send increasing numbers of employees to China, factors such as online security are hugely important. AMEX Global Business Travel says: “We always recommend using a virtual private network (VPN). Not only can the secure internet connection help maintain cyber-security, but you also will

be able to access sites that the Chinese government restricts its citizens from using, such as Twitter, Dropbox, Gmail and Facebook.”

It adds: “Security personnel may place your activities under surveillance. Hotel rooms, meeting rooms, offices, cars, taxis, telephones and internet use may be monitored on-site or remotely without your knowledge or consent. We always suggest encrypting your hard drive and using dual-password protection in case your device lands in the wrong hands.” Cultural challenges aside, China is a business destination that cannot be ignored. With that in mind, we should all start polishing our Mandarin skills. ABTAmag.com

Tips for smarter working on the road

By Rose Dykins Eliminate the back and forth that comes with trying to plan a meeting or conference call. Calendly (calendly.com) syncs with your calendar and sends a link for clients and colleagues to select an available time slot in your diary. The event is then automatically added to everyone’s calendars. Calendly also works with video-conferencing software Zoom (zoom.us).

Up your email management game by downloading a plug-in.

For Gmail users, Active Inbox (activeinboxhq.com; from US$5 per month) lets you assign “due dates” for actioning emails, set reminders, schedule when to send them and bundle them together logically.

Purchase in-flight wifi and boost its efficiency by closing inactive apps and disabling push notifications. Have a back-up plan for when the connection is patchy. For example, activate the Work Offline mode in Outlook so you can write emails at 35,000ft, ready to be sent as soon as you’re connected again.

32 March 2019

Download a podcast that inspires a productive mindset.

Available on iTunes and Podbeam “Make Your Productivity Fly”, is a podcast created by Singapore Airlines, featuring leadership insights and practical tips for enhance work output at different stages of a business trip.

ABTAmag.com ABTAmag.com

Reinvented destination dining on the water

C

aterers and event specialist, Sodexo, is reinventing dining on the water with the relaunch of two of its classic boats as modern dining experiences, featuring interiors by Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio.

Under the umbrella of Bateaux London, the Glass Room (previously Symphony) will weigh anchor this November with River Room (previously Harmony) completed by Easter 2019. These destination dining rooms on the water, sailing from Embankment Pier, will offer a unique experience for individual diners, corporate dining, celebrations and private charter, with the Glass Room targeted to city visitors and River Room designed to appeal to a London demographic.

The all-glass structure of Glass Room enables guests to enjoy views of London’s most iconic landmark buildings without interruption. It can accommodate 235 for a seated dining experience and 400 guests for a reception. Signature features include an exterior viewing platform for groups of up to 60 and a private dining room seating 10.

The Glass Room’s kitchen team, led by head chef Jose Cacciavillani, prepare all the food on board with a focus on fresh and sustainable produce. The modern British menus will be available to book for lunch and dinner with a variety of packages on offer. Afternoon tea and Sunday lunch jazz voyages are accompanied by resident musicians and live entertainment.

The Tom Dixon-designed River Room, along with a new bar and café launching at The Moor Room, both in Spring 2019, are aimed at a London audience and will offer a programme of distinct and immersive dining experiences with a schedule of masterclasses, pop-ups and summer cinema screenings.

Catrin White, marketing director at Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, said: “Bateaux spearheaded dining on the Thames over 25 years ago and we are so excited to be yet again leading the way with a new, elevated offering. Our aim is to bring a truly unique food-led experience to the Thames – a complete on-board package complemented by outstanding design, impeccable service and a quality food offering.’’

Departs daily from Embankment Pier, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2N 6NU bateauxlondon.com bateauxlondon.com/glass-room 020 7695 1800 | @bateauxlondon

WELCOME TO ANOTHER LONDON Modern dining on the water.

A new experience from Bateaux London.

B O O K Y O U R G RO U P , P R I VAT E H I R E O R E V E N T +44 (0)207 695 1800 S A L E S @ B AT E A U X L O N D O N . C O M G L A S S RO O M. L O N D O N

Spotlight on If Only

Spotlight on

If Only Sam Ballard chats to Andy Freeth and Gordon McCreadie from the tradeonly luxury operator that has doubled its number of guests in one year

H

ow do you define luxury? It is actually an incredibly personal thing. Whether it is by a hotel’s décor, the number of staff employed to wait on you hand and foot, or the lack of people you are sharing a destination with – everyone has different barometers. But one word that crops up time and time again is exclusivity.

That’s one of the reasons why bespoke holiday specialist If Only has been making such a name for itself. A relatively new player on the scene, the company was founded 17 years ago by Brendan Maguire as an Indian Ocean specialist. What started as a one man band has gone on to become a large operator with more than 100 staff. Over the last few years the company has taken

34 March 2019

its expansion further with a move into Australasia in 2016, followed by the US and Caribbean. There have been some high-profile hires – including that of Andy Freeth as managing director and Gordon McCreadie as sales and marketing director – a move into a new central Glasgow office and, perhaps most interestingly, a doubling of the company’s guests carried under its Atol licence from 8,200 to 15,387 per year. There is one thing that has remained static, however: If Only’s commitment to being a tradeonly operator.

“This is an ambitious business. This is a growing business,” Freeth says. “The trade trust us. They appreciate that If Only is a destination expert. Our staff only take calls on certain places so they

really know what they are talking about.

That’s how we’re able to offer what we do: bespoke luxury holidays.”

When it comes to building up that expertise, If Only has a strategy that is two-fold. One is in its curated array of product, which is one of the reasons why it focused on the Indian Ocean and Arabia for so long before expanding into Australasia three years ago. That careful approach has, in turn, helped cultivate a team of people who know the destination inside out.

“We are experts in what we do,” Freeth says. “Traditionally that’s meant being an Indian Ocean luxury tour operator but we’ve launched more and more product recently – including the USA and the Caribbean. We’ll also be

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putting together a cruise programme and launching it this spring.”

The cruise sector is an interesting space for If Only to enter. Having dipped a toe in with players such as ultra-luxury line Silversea over the past couple of years, the firm is now preparing to dedicate more resource to an area that is booming. But how will it be able to stand out in what is becoming an increasingly crowded field?

“We have learned from our customers there is a need in the market for a highend experience when it comes to cruising.

If Only will offer a handpicked collection of cruises with a difference. Expect the touch of luxury If Only are known for, as we’ll be adding in five-star land stays as well as unique experiences with every package,” Freeth explains. “With the changes in package holiday regulations last year there is a real appetite among the

trade – especially those who do not hold Atols – for a luxury tour operator like If Only to create something unique with our expertise.”

It’s a good point, and by packaging holidays up on behalf of agents, Freeth’s team are saving agents a lot of headaches, especially for those customers who are wealthy enough to want a totally bespoke holiday.

Freeth says If Only will continue to commit to the trade, evidenced by its growing sales team. The company not only has six business development managers in its on-the-road team, overseen by a sales director and a business development director, but it has also doubled the number of passengers it is licensed to carry per year.

However, when it comes to getting agents to experience the product, If Only really do push the boat out, perhaps unsurprising

considering that the trade are, according to Freeth, the company’s “lifeblood”.

“We are putting a huge amount of resources into fam trips,” explains Gordon McCreadie, If Only’s sales and marketing director. “We hosted 80 agents last year and we are already planning on hosting 120 this year. They are incredible opportunities for agents – they’re not like normal fam trips where you’re seeing 30 hotels in a day – with ours you really get to experience the product.”

It just so happens that in If Only’s case, that product is luxury holidays in some of the most exclusive destinations in the world. These trips are a reward for agents – learning through experiencing the service, rather than sitting through hours of seminars. Judging by the attention the company is receiving, it seems to be working. ABTAmag.com

Pictured

Right: If Only’s Gordon McCreadie and Andy Freeth, who have overseen the doubling of the firm’s Atol licences from 8,200 to 15,387 in just one year

ABTAmag.com

March 2019 35

Our Escorted Tours are the perfect adventure

O

ur experts spend a long time carefully crafting and fine-tuning our escorted tours to show your customers the very best of the destinations they are visiting, from the celebrated sights, to the hidden gems off the tourist trail. They’ll enjoy authentic experiences and the services of a knowledgeable Tour Manager who will share their expertise.

From adventures through South Africa and epic journeys across Australia, to mesmerising small-ship cruises of the Croatian coast and cultural rail tours of India,

there’s a world of amazing moments waiting for your customers on an Escorted Tour expertly planned by us.

SOUTH AFRICA - JUST ONE OF OUR INCREDIBLE DESTINATIONS FOR 2019 Thrilling wildlife safaris, the beautiful Garden and Wine Routes, cultural Cape Town and the penguins of Boulders Beach… your customers can experience all this and more on one of our exhilarating escorted tours, which are guaranteed to depart and include an array of inspiring excursions.

“

Wonderful holiday.

We would encourage anyone to take this adventure it is such good value.

”

Michael, Berkshire – A World in One Country

A World in One Country Search for the ‘Big Five’ in Kruger National Park, sail on tranquil Lake Jozini, your customers can immerse themselves in traditional Zulu culture and explore cosmopolitan Pretoria.

Where Oceans Meet Enjoy spectacular game drives, whale watching and a visit to an ostrich farm.

Contrast the rugged grandeur of Africa’s shipwreck coast with its golden beaches and historic towns.

Inclusions: • Optional Included travel insurance • VIP door-to-door travel service with unlimited mileage • Visas included • Dedicated Tour Manager • A choice of exclusive solo departures • All tour departures are 100% guaranteed • First time travellers protected by our Money Back Guarantee • Plus more

Lakeside Lodge The ‘big five’ roam freely – often within sight! Set on the banks of the vast Entabeni Lake, the classic thatched, stone-built retreat offers seven magnificent game drives to ensure your customers don’t miss a thing on this small group holiday.

The Best of South Africa Look through God’s Window on South Africa’s legendary Panorama Route, go game viewing in Kruger National Park, cruise Knysna’s lagoon, hope to watch whales at Hermanus, take a tram tour through the Cape Winelands then discover all vibrant Cape Town has to offer…

Cape Winelands and the Big Five This tour is a fantastic opportunity to discover the joy and excitement of travelling on the African continent. Take in the key attractions of South Africa, from the pristine beaches of False Bay and a city tour of Cape Town to an exploration of the winelands of Franschhoek and game drives in Pilanesberg National Park. This 8-night Africa ‘taster’ is sure to whet your customers appetite for the continent which is why we also offer both pre- and post-stays around your customers holiday.

The Cape Revisited Explore South Africa’s Western Cape where wild flowers create a landscape of colour in the coastal parks and nature reserves. Learn more about the ancient Bushmen’s culture and traditions, go in search of wildlife on game drives and enjoy sampling some of the Winelands local delicacies during this scenic and leisurely tour.

UK holidays Glasgow

UK holidays

Glasgow From its quaint Victorian city centre to its futuristic riverside architecture, Scotland’s largest city effortlessly combines new and old.

Joe Zadeh enjoys its unique cultural landscape

I

f anywhere is a tale of two cities, then it is Glasgow. Once known as the “second city of the British empire”, Scotland’s biggest settlement was famous for its shipbuilding heritage and the art nouveau designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Wander through the towering Victorian city centre and it can feel like 19th-century New York. But then there is the other side of Glasgow: a modern hub for education and culture, a riverside brimming with modern architecture from the likes of Zaha Hadid, and a wealth of contemporary art lurking in galleries, such as the CCA and Trongate 103. This is, after all, a city that has produced no fewer than seven Turner prize winners and 11 nominees.

Begin your adventure at The Lighthouse, a perfect place to get a feel for both the past and present of Glasgow.

Designed by Mackintosh in 1895, this

38 March 2019

building was used as the premises for the Glasgow Herald newspaper. But in the past two decades it has been transformed into a centre for design and architecture, packed with exhibitions, events and workshops. Climb the helical staircase all the way to the top and you’ll be rewarded with uninterrupted views of the Glaswegian cityscape.

A quick train journey from Central Station will put you in the trendy West End, an epicentre for live music, art and nightlife. Walk down to the banks of the River Clyde and you’ll find the Riverside Museum, a former title holder of European Museum of the Year. Don’t be fooled by the futuristic, Hadid-designed building because the exhibition inside is like a wormhole into Scottish history.

Life in 20th-century Glasgow is recreated through an old cobbled street you can wander down that includes old shops and

Great hotels Budget

Point A might be a budget hotel, but the fantastic city centre location, comfortable Hypnos beds and power showers make it an ideal place to dwell for a weekend visitor who is looking to save some pennies.

Mid-range

If you want to immerse yourself in Glasgow’s shipbuilding heritage, then there’s nowhere better to stay than Native Glasgow, a wonderfully art deco hotel. The building has been decked out to feel like an old 1920s ocean liner, in which you’ll find glazed tiles and terrazzo flooring.

High-end

This street of Georgian townhouses was once home to wealthy merchants, but now it is one of the most luxurious hotels in Glasgow.

Principal Blythswood Square Hotel boasts an award winning spa, private gardens and a highly rated restaurant.

ABTAmag.com

cafés to explore, horse-drawn carriages and vintage cars. If you need to rest your feet after that, then why not take a quick stroll to the The Clydeside Distillery, where you can taste some of Scotland’s finest single malt whiskies.

Thanks to the abundance of high-end restaurants, choosing dinner in the West End can be a difficult decision, but it’s a good problem to have. For a true but innovative taste of Scottish cuisine, there is Cail Bruich, a family-run restaurant that was included in last year’s Michelin Guide. Interior-wise, expect natural wood decor, stripped-back brick walls, and fresh floral arrangements. When it comes to food, there is an intense and rewarding focus on local produce, including shellfish from Skye, venison from the highlands and poultry from an idyllic farm in Strathaven.

It’s difficult to feel lost in Glasgow, even if you venture from plans and recommendations: simply wander into a “cosy wee pub” like The Belle or The Doublet and you’ll be sure to find a welcoming atmosphere. You might even enjoy a blether with the locals. This is a city of sophistication and style, but also one with a down-to-earth feel and a heartwarming wit. As the local saying goes: “Glaswegians have more fun at a funeral than people of Edinburgh have at a wedding.” ABTAmag.com

Pictured

Main: the spectacular Zaha Hadid-designed Riverside Museum; Above: Glasgow’s futuristic waterfront along the Clyde; Right: The streets of old Glasgow

Necropolis They say around 50,000 bodies are buried in the Glasgow Necropolis, a 37-acre graveyard with stunning panoramic views of the city. But while the term necropolis might make you think of a solemn and haunting place, this is far more than just a “city of the dead”, which is why it attracts hundreds of visitors a day.

The necropolis was never designed to be a place of death and anguish, and as a result it doesn’t offer any paranormal or ghost tours, unlike many similar landmarks. Rather, the intention was for visitors to feel uplifted and inspired by the surroundings, which includes sculptures, memorials and wildlife. At the entrance, you will find the Bridge of Sighs, over

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which funeral processions would cross from the cathedral to the graveyard. Once inside, you can find architecture of almost every style, crafted by celebrated craftsmen such as Alexander Thomson and JT Rochead.

Wander the landscape and you’ll find gravestones for artists, writers, scientists and noble characters of Glaswegian history. Visitors are even likely to see roe deer, foxes, grey squirrels and pipistrelle bats. On any given day, you’ll find walkers and students reading books or having picnics. As Billy Connolly joked in his ‘90s documentary about Scotland: “[Glasgow] doesn’t care much for the living, but it really looks after the dead.”

March 2019 39

THE FAMOUS FIVE Š 2017, Hodder & Stoughton Limited. All rights reserved. Advertising based on an increase of over 10% in train seats on long distance, intercity services in January 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. Correct as of 03/01/19. For full terms and conditions visit GWR.com

More seats.

More trains.

More adventures.

NEWS

HOTELS

Shakespeare birthday boom Openings for Stratford-upon-Avon and updates

By Emily Eastman Planning permission has been granted to develop a 52-bedroom hotel in Lisburn, County Antrim. The Beannchor Group, the owners of Belfast’s Merchant Hotel, will convert about 30,000 square feet of commercial space at Lisburn Square in the city centre.

Work is due to begin this month.

An opening date of autumn 2019 is being targeted. The hotel, which is aiming to obtain four stars, is to be named The Haslem.

By Sam Ballard A host of special events in Stratford-uponAvon is set to draw crowds to the area for the festivities on April 27 and 28.

Organisers hope the festivities will top the 2018 event, which saw £3 million spent in the local economy as a direct result of the festival, according to UKInbound.

There will be a celebration parade and flag unfurling ceremony, and Shakespeare’s quill will be carried from his birthplace and placed in the hand of the effigy of the Bard, which overlooks his grave at Holy Trinity Church.

Helen Peters, CEO of Shakespeare’s England, said, “In 2018, more than 10 million

tourist trips were made to visit the home of Shakespeare with his birthday celebrations being a peak period for international and domestic travellers and bringing nearly £3 million to the local economy across the weekend of celebrations.

“These impressive figures show how important the legacy of Shakespeare is to the area and how key it is for the local community to continue supporting his birthday celebrations.”

Councillor Maurice Howse, business, tourism and ICT portfolio holder at Stratford-onAvon District Council, said, “The Shakespeare birthday celebrations are a great occasion for residents and visitors alike.” ABTAmag.com

The owners of the Stafford London hotel, Britannia Hospitality, has acquired the Northcote. Managing director Craig Bancroft said that he, general manager Craig Jackson and executive chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen would remain at the hotel. The luxury Lancashire hotel has a Michelin-starred restaurant.

The 92-bedroom Vintry & Mercer hotel has opened in the City of London with three restaurant and bar concepts.

The concepts include Vintry Kitchen, which serves an Asian-inspired menu of small plates, and the Mercer Roof Terrace, which serves British produce cooked in a charcoal oven.

Crate plans Silo for London

By Anthony Pearce Crate Brewery is launching a crowdfunding campaign to bring Douglas McMaster’s zerowaste restaurant concept Silo to London. They hope to raise £500,000.

The campaign aims to fund a major refurbishment of the brewery’s home in Hackney Wick’s White Building. They intend to develop a new restaurant space for the Silo concept, which already exists in Brighton.

ABTAmag.com

Crate was launched in 2012 by siblings Tom and Jess Seaton along with their friend Neil Hinchley.

Tom Seaton said: “We are so excited for this brand-new chapter in the Crate story. The refurbishment of the White Building is going to allow us to really enhance our business and our creativity, with sustainability at the forefront. Douglas and Silo joining us is such an integral part of this for us, we can’t wait to see what the year brings.”ABTAmag.com

March 2019 41

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THEATRE UK TOUR

Hair Beginning at New Wimbledon Theatre, London From March 5 After acclaimed seasons in London and Manchester, Hair will tour the country to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary.

Winner of a 2018 WhatsOnStage Award, this legendary rock musical is written

by Gerome Ragni (book and lyrics), James Rado (book and lyrics) and Galt MacDermot (music), and takes viewers back to the Summer of Love in 1967 with Hair’s hippies in the East Village of New York City.

LONDON

Come From Away The Phoenix Theatre Until September 14 A musical about the September 11 attacks? It sounds like the worst idea in the world, but this moving Broadway musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein is beloved by critics. It tells the story of the passengers of 38 planes that were ordered to land in the small Canadian town of Gander shortly after 9/11 and of the town which kept 7,000 stranded visitors housed and fed following the tragedy. It was nominated for seven Tony Awards including Best Musical.

LONDON

Avalanche: A Love Story Barbican April 27-May 12 Maxine Peake (Black Mirror, Shameless) will perform at the Barbican in London in the stage adaptation of Julia Leigh’s 2016 book, Avalanche: A Love Story.

Following a woman’s attempts to conceive through IVF in her late 30s, the story is inspired by Leigh’s own story.

Australian Anne-Louise Sarks directs.

Leigh is an award-winning novelist and filmmaker, best known for The Hunter, Disquiet and Sleeping Beauty. It is Peake’s first time performing at the Barbican.

LONDON

Betrayal Harold Pinter Theatre March 5-June 1 Tom Hiddleston, best known for playing Loki in Marvel films such as Thor and The Avengers, will star in Betrayal, one of Harold Pinter’s best-loved plays. Zawe Ashton, best known for TV’s Fresh Meat and Wunderlust, and Charlie Cox from Marvel’s Daredevil, will also star. Betrayal was first produced at the National Theatre in 1978, directed by Peter Hall and starring Penelope Wilton and Michael Gambon. The play covers the seven-year affair between two characters, Emma and Jerry.

UK TOUR

Little Miss Sunshine Beginning at Arcola Theatre, London From March 21 Based on the Academy Award-winning 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine, this musical is heading from Broadway to the UK in 2019.

Created by James Lapine (Into the Woods) and William Finn (Falsettos), the offbeat comedy follows the Hoover family as they travel to California to help their daughter Olive compete in a beauty contest. It will run for seven weeks in London before heading on a UK tour from the New Wolsey, Ipswich on May 20, visiting Salford, York, Brighton.

Bradford, Glasgow, Birmingham and more.

UK TOUR

Amélie Beginning at The Watermill Theatre, West Berkshire April 11-May 18 Audrey Brisson, who previously starred in Pinocchio at the National Theatre, has been cast in the titular role in the stage adaptation of Amélie, based on the five-time Oscar-nominated Frenchlanguage film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It will visit Wimbledon, Dublin, Exeter, Wycombe, Oxford, Edinburgh, Bradford, Leicester, Manchester, Birmingham, Malvern, Bournemouth, Glasgow, Woking, Eastbourne and Inverness.

STAR WARS

Empire strikes Royal Albert Hall The Empire Strikes Back will be shown with full orchestral accompaniment in the Royal Albert Hall this September. The Philharmonia Orchestra will play the likes of John Williams’ Imperial March. There will be five performances, running from Saturday, September 21 to Monday, September 23, with tickets priced between £37-£87. Tickets are on sale now.

ABTAmag.com

March 2019 43

City Guide Munich Munich, Germany

City Guide

Munich Chris Leadbeater returns to the Bavarian capital where an abundance of art, beer and green space has created one of Europe’s most enjoyable cities

How to see Munich Weekend getaway

I

t probably sounds strange to say that Munich suffers from a perception gap. This, after all, is Germany’s third largest city – smaller only than Berlin and Hamburg. This, too, is the capital of Bavaria, a bright metropolitan light in the German south. It is a place of well-known attractions – of beer houses which overflow with cheer and the clink of giant tankards; of fairytale fortresses on nearby hilltops (notably the fantasy architectural icon of Neuschwanstein Castle, which sits within day-trip range, 100km to the south-west); of crowds and chants when its titan of a football side, Bayern Munich, is playing at home.

And yet, for all that Munich’s image is well-defined, the reality, once you arrive, is a little different. It is smaller than you think, its centre still a medieval maze of narrow lanes – in defiance of the

44 March 2019

destruction it sustained from Allied air raids in the Second World War. The city was hugely rebuilt in the ’50s and ’60s, but with such sensitivity that you do not see the stitches. And while it is easy to expect Munich to be big, noisy and brash, it is rarely any of these things. It revels instead in the soft beauty of its buildings, the quiet pleasures of its parks, a history that stretches back far beyond the darkest hours of the 20th century, and a raft of art museums as impressive as those in London, Paris and New York.

Of course, you can certainly come to Munich seeking its most famous facets.

Nor is there anything wrong in enjoying their company. The Hofbräuhaus (hofbraeuhaus.de) is the most celebrated of the city’s drinkeries, its love of ale dating back to 1589. You will not struggle to find a table in its cavernous

City-break specialist Kirker Holidays offers three-night escapes to the five-star Kempinski Vier Jahreszeiten from £1,086pp, with flights, transfers and breakfast. kirkerholidays.com

River cruise

Avalon Waterways offers a Danube Symphony Munich to Vienna trip, which spends eight days cruising from the city to Austria’s capital.

From £2,387pp with flights. avaloncruises.co.uk

Historical tour

Munich is part of Martin Randall’s King Ludwig II and the Wittelsbach Palaces of Bavaria – a six-day tour that focuses on the region’s rulers.

From £2,480pp with flights. martinrandall.com

ABTAmag.com

Pictured

Above: Munich’s Brick Gothic skyline, including the Frauenkirche Below: locals raise their glasses during the Oktoberfest celebrations

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interior (all three floors of it) – with the exception of the fortnight which frames Oktoberfest (oktoberfest.de) in September and October (though the main staging ground for Munich’s colossal beer festival is the Theresienwiese fairgrounds). Spatenhaus an der Oper (kuffler.de), one of the most popular restaurants, clings to that traditional idea of German food – schnitzel, sausages, dumplings – on Residenzstrasse.

Then there is football. Bayern Munich, for all the team’s ability to scoop

up trophies, makes its seats accessible to loyal fans and visitors alike – with tickets to the 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena available at prices Premier League supporters can only dream of. Another of the city’s biggest selling points is the sheer number of the green spaces: the Englischer Garten is one of the world’s largest urban parks, replete with an enormous beer garden.

All this is within quick reach for British travellers. With British Airways and easyJet adding air-lift to

March 2019 45

City Guide Munich

Pictured

The sprawling Englischer Garten, one of the world’s largest urban green spaces.

The park features a Japanese teahouse, beer garden and an artificial wave that can actually be surfed

the services provided by the German carriers Lufthansa and Eurowings, UK tourists can currently fly into Munich from Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle, as well as the full range of London terminals.

Munich International Airport lies 28km north-east of the centre – and is connected to it by two S-bahn (suburban railway) lines, as well as plentiful taxis.

The journey in by train (to central Marienplatz) takes about 45 minutes.

But what of those elements of Munich which perhaps lack exposure?

They are also straightforward to find.

Indeed, you can scarcely miss the city’s art scene. It spreads itself across the walls of the Alte (Old) and Neue (New) Pinakothek (pinakothek.de) – the vast twin galleries that showcase wonders by European masters such as Durer, Da Vinci

46 March 2019

and El Greco (in the case of the Alte), and Gauguin, Van Gogh and Matisse (in the Neue). Then there is the Galerie im Lenbachhaus (lenbachhaus.de), which lets its focus fall upon the late 19th and early 20th centuries – making a particular virtue of the Blaue Reiter (Blue Rider) group of modernist artists which thrived in Munich between 1911 and 1914.

Munich’s love of art is partly down to its backstory as the one-time seat of the Dukes of Bavaria – the Wittelsbach dynasty which held sway in the region between 1180 and 1918. These wealthy aristocrats were avid gatherers of culture (it is largely their collection that stocks the Pinakothek museums). They were also creators of fabulous structures, not least the Residenz (residenzmuenchen.de), the former royal palace, which, though also badly damaged in the

war, still gleams in the gold crowns of its Schatzkammer (treasury), and in the equally gilded confines of its Cuvilliés Theatre, an 18th-century rococo jewel.

This German mini-Versailles also performs another important role: shining brightly enough to draw attention away from the city’s darkest period.

Munich was the epicentre of Hitler’s machinations in the ’30s. But while some of the landmarks of that time remain – the former Führerbau, where Neville Chamberlain signed the infamous Munich Agreement (“Peace for our time”) in 1938, is now the University of Music and Performing Arts – Munich has long moved on from those bleak years. Whether you visit the city for beer, bratwurst or brushstrokes, there is much else that will engage and enthrall you.

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Features Jordan All inclusive

48 March 2019

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Rock of ages One of ABTA’s destinations to watch in 2019, Jordan fuses rich history, effusive hospitality and sweeping vistas. Emily Eastman travels from Amman to explore this ancient gateway to the Middle East

T

he benches in the open-back jeep judder beneath us as the vehicle gathers speed. Clouds of sand create a trailing haze. Ahead: the undulating reaches of Wadi Rum, a desert wilderness and Unesco World Heritage Site of sandstone mountains, awesome rock formations and the dunes that we are currently hurtling down.

The convoy of three jeeps carries the 14 members of my G Adventures tour group – new friends from around the world who have joined this eightday Highlights of Jordan round trip from Amman. Small-group specialist G has carved a niche in guided whistlestop tours that engage with local communities. It’s a fun, sociable and effortless way to travel – our CEO

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(Chief Experience Officer), Hakam, takes care of everything.

Jordan is just two hours ahead of the UK, so, with no jet lag to worry about, I arrive a day before the tour begins to explore Amman. The capital’s café culture is reminiscent of continental Europe – just with more shisha pipes – while the bustling souks and sonorous calls to prayer are distinctly Middle Eastern.

I walk up to the Citadel to explore the spectacular Roman ruins, admiring the towering Temple of Hercules and the beautifully beige metropolis below.

Beyond the cityscape is the promise of Unesco sites and places of pilgrimage in spectacular settings.

Hakam is eager for us to see it all.

The tour takes us north to Jerash, a

March 2019 49

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Where to stay Want an extended stay in Amman? The city has hotels to suit every budget: Our tour group met at the Retaj Hotel, a clean and comfortable three-star lodging situated just a short taxi ride from the city centre. Rooms from £41 per night; bed and breakfast from £47 per night.

Four-star The Signature Hotel – Firas Palace is centrally located, surrounded by museums, galleries and restaurants and facing the Citadel. Bed and continental breakfast from £71 per night.

The House Boutique Suites offer fivestar accommodation, an outdoor pool and fitness centre in the heart of Amman.

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city inhabited since the Bronze Age and of renown thanks to the ancient walled Greco-Roman settlement of Gerasa, just outside the perimeter of modern Jerash.

The city was once part of the Decapolis, the ten most important cities in the Middle East, and we spend a peaceful morning wandering around the Oval Forum colonnade, the second-century Hadrian’s Arch and the Corinthian columns of the Temple of Artemis – considered the best-preserved ruins outside of Italy.

Once a stop along the ancient Silk Road trading route, Jordan has a compelling history.

Highest on most visitors’ lists is Petra, below, an ancient Nabatean city that thrived from around 6BC. Petra’s fortunes changed when new trading routes opened up, and the city eventually became obscured by the landscape until it was rediscovered in 1812.

Today, the Rose City is once again the jewel in Jordan’s crown.

A pre-dawn start is worth it for the quiet calm as we arrive in the lost city. We tread between colossal rocks and along the Siq (the 1.2km-long entrance, which ends in a narrow gorge) to approach the first stop: Al-Khazneh, or the Treasury.

Standing tall thousands of years after it was built, its effect is undiminished.

Carved deep into the rock face and sufficiently protected from weathering, it’s still possible to detect the iconography on the facade – understood to represent the Nabateans’ chief male deity, Dushara, and the goddess Isis.

The Bedouin, a tribe said to be descended from the Nabateans, welcome us. They occupied Petra’s caves until the site gained Unesco World Heritage status in the mid 1980s, when they were relocated to the nearby settlement of

March 2019 51

Features Jordan All inclusive

Umm Sayhoun. Yet many return daily to work as tour guides and provide local colour, sharing stories, playing music and offering horse and camel rides.

We stroll the ancient routes, admire temples and tombs, and climb 800 rudimentary steps carved into the sandstone cliff to the monastery, where we marvel at the elaborate architecture and take in the stupendous mountain-top views over the immense Petra basin.

While Jordan’s history fascinates, its natural attractions captivate. Our itinerary includes an afternoon floating in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea – an unctuous expanse of water so salty that we bob like corks. It is the lowest place on Earth and melds natural beauty with alleged healing properties.

A word of advice: shave at least 12 hours before you visit, and try to avoid getting the water in your eyes (as I manage to do not once, but twice).

On the shore, we slather ourselves in therapeutic mud.

The itinerary is comprehensive in its coverage of Jordan. We visit Madaba, an ancient town known as the “City of Mosaics”. A member of our group

52 March 2019

studied archaeology and her excitement at the sixth-century Byzantine mosaics is contagious.

We travel to Karak Castle, a crusader stronghold, and Mount Nebo, from where, according to the Old Testament, Moses saw the Promised Land. Along the River Jordan, we visit the site of Jesus’s baptism, situated at the border between Israel and Jordan. A baptism is taking place across the water, and their hymns carry on the breeze.

Hakam’s calls of “Yalla! Yalla!” signal that it’s time to move. A few days into the trip, he laughingly reveals that it means “let’s go!”, not “hurry up”, as some of us had suspected.

We savour Jordanian life at every turn: a glass of sweet mint tea, a bowl of mansaf – a traditional lamb dish – and still-warm bread to dip in olive oil and za’atar. Wherever we go, artists and hawkers are keen to engage.

Jordan is living up to its reputation as the Middle East’s friendliest nation.

We travel comfortably by private minibus down to the Red Sea resort of Aqaba, a diver’s paradise where we hire a boat and snorkel the teeming coral reefs. During each journey, Hakam shares

details of the landscape, area and culture as the bus rumbles along.

Wadi Rum, above, is a personal highlight. Having survived the jeep excursion, we sit atop the dunes and watch the setting sun cast copper-red hues across the sand. Our destination is a Bedouin camp, where we sleep in camel-hair tents. Our noses twitch on arrival at the wafting smell of zarb, a dish of meat and vegetables slow-cooked in an underground pit.

Dinner is followed by a walk out into the desert, where we each pick a spot free of camel droppings and lay back to stargaze. The air is pristine, the world silent; the desert feels good for the soul.

Back in Amman, we collectively opt to dine at Hashem – a legendary eatery that overflows on to the street. Our last supper is aptly biblical: a feast of meltin-the-mouth falafel, silky hummus and fresh pita. ABTAmag.com G Adventures’ tour: eight days, to and from Amman, including accommodation, in-country transport and some meals, from £819pp. Fly direct from London with British Airways or Royal Jordanian

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Stripped back Las Vegas may be holding on to its party hat, but the resort city is simultaneously seducing travellers with wellness retreats and a tantalising menu of unbeatable restaurants, writes Emily Eastman

A

s a city in constant flux, Las Vegas was always destined to appear on the radar of tourists seeking relaxation alongside recreation.

Combine that with the launch of low-cost direct flights from the UK with Norwegian, and a long weekend here is now an attractive option.

The carrier’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliners are faster, greener and reduce the effects of jet lag, meaning our group of six is raring to go when we land.

After checking in and freshening up at Park MGM – Vegas’s newest hotel and casino, conveniently situated in the middle of the Strip – we head out for cocktails and dinner at Beauty & Essex in The Cosmopolitan. The restaurant blends opulent decor with a knockout menu and that fabled American service. We sample tomato tartare, raw salmon tacos, juicy tomahawk steak and an unlikely favourite: individual spoonfuls of thick tomato soup topped with cheesy croutons.

Our appetites sated, we make our way to the Hard Rock Hotel, where I have little time to psyche myself up for the night’s entertainment: Magic Mike Live. Those familiar with the film can probably guess

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the format: part strip show, part tightly choreographed dance performance, with lap dances thrown in for good measure.

There’s no denying the performers’ talent, but if it isn’t your thing, Vegas has an entertainment schedule bursting with options. Lady Gaga began her residency in January, joining the likes of Britney Spears, Celine Dion and Aerosmith, while Cirque du Soleil and the Blue Man Group are among the most popular productions.

We rise early on Saturday morning to blow away the cobwebs at SoulCycle, a spin class that combines a dark room with pulsing music (think: high-tempo remixes of Nirvana, Childish Gambino and Amy Winehouse), dance and weights. We round off with green smoothies from The Juice Standard before heading to lunch at Primrose at Park MGM, a gorgeous eatery serving “French-ish” fare where the service is attentive without being intrusive.

Our plans for the evening involve cocktails, dinner and a nightclub, so to get in the mood we stop by Violet Hour Salon and have our hair and make-up done while sipping champagne.

Dinner tonight is at CATCH, a sushi, seafood and steak restaurant frequented by

celebrities. I keep one eye out for George Clooney as I snap photos of the restaurant’s stunning entrance: a corridor of plants, flowers and fairy lights that curl overhead to impressive effect. Once seated, we ask for whatever our waiter recommends.

He does not disappoint. Sharing platters of mouthwatering salmon and crab sushi and sashimi, mushroom truffle-oil spaghetti and the signature CATCH roll – which is scorched with a blowtorch to release the flavours – appear. The menu features vegetarian and vegan options, plus extensive wine, beer and cocktail lists: the mojito expertly balances sweet and sharp. This meal is my favourite, but the best is yet to come. We sit in rapturous silence as dessert arrives: a melting chocolate cake with layers of ice cream and caramel. It’s the tastiest dessert I’ve ever eaten.

We practically roll out of the restaurant and embark on a whistle-stop tour of some of Vegas’s best cocktail lounges, supping French 75s at Rosina, Electra and The Dorsey at The Venetian, all part of The Cocktail Collective, before making our way to TAO Nightclub, where we make the most of the VIP Experience table service.

March 2019 53

Features All inclusive

Getting there Norwegian has expanded its long-haul network with the increase of its seasonal routes to Las Vegas to four flights per week. Norwegian operates four weekly flights during winter direct from London Gatwick to the Nevada city.

All flights are operated by a fleet of brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with two cabins: premium and economy.

Fares start from £165 one-way and £309 return in LowFare economy and £519 one-way and £959 return in premium, including all taxes and charges and subject to availability. norwegian.com/uk

visitlasvegas.com

Vegas might be the entertainment capital of the world, but it still values a lie in. We emerge mid-morning on Sunday for a leisurely brunch at Giada at The Cromwell – a light, airy space with great views of the Strip and friendly, intuitive service. Small portions of pasta soak up our hangovers before we devour dessert from the “Build Your Own Brownie” cart.

The afternoon is spent exploring the hotel lobbies – an attraction in themselves.

I’m struck by the condensed joy of Vegas: the extravagant hotel designs and decorations are simply there for people to enjoy, and everyone is here to have fun.

54 March 2019

Having somehow worked up an appetite, we join the Lip Smacking Foodie “Savours of the Strip Tour” where we sample a different course and drinks in four restaurants: Bardot Brasserie (wild burgundy snails, king crab and more French 75s); Julian Serrano (tuna cones, Spanish croquettes and paella Valenciana); Estiatorio Milos (grilled octopus and Greek salad); and CUCINA by Wolfgang Puck (salted caramel budino, tiramisu, Italian doughnuts and espresso mousse). The night ends with cocktails at Juniper, where the drinks are served in whimsical glasses.

Perhaps saving the best for last, we while away our final morning at The Spa at ARIA. Tranquil, uncrowded and luxurious, it’s an ideal spot to unwind. Our facials leave our skin aglow (and hydrated for the flight home), and I feel rejuvenated as we make our way to lunch at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago. Our girls’ weekend concludes in style: with caviar and oysters followed by smoked salmon pizza and hand-made pasta drizzled in truffle oil.

The entertainment capital of the world has added valuable strings to its bow – hedonism, gastronomy and relaxation make for a great break. ABTAmag.com

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Features Weddings & honeymoons

56 March 2019

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Holiday romance The market for overseas weddings and honeymoons represents an incredibly lucrative selling opportunity for creative agents. Karl Cushing reports

G

iven our unpredictable weather and the huge cost of UK weddings it’s no surprise many of us tie the knot abroad. From shorthaul hotspots such as Italy and the Greek Islands to Australia trips that see clients get hitched atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Mexican marvels featuring underwater ceremonies, the options are endless.

Having a stake in a couple’s big day can be immensely satisfying and offers the chance to bag additional honeymoon commission and future repeat business if planned well. Thankfully everyone from Olympic Holidays and First Choice features in-house wedding planning capability and many boast dedicated programmes, such as Sandals’ Aisle to Isle offering.

While Mauritius tops Kuoni’s 2019 wedding destinations hotlist (kuoni. co.uk/weddings-abroad) followed by the Maldives, Italy, Saint Lucia and Antigua, an increasing number of couples are taking to the water with last year seeing Celebrity Equinox become the first vessel to carry out a legally binding same-sex wedding at sea.

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Traditional sun, sea and sand resort honeymoons continue to sell strongly with Kuoni citing the Maldives, Mauritius, Bali, Sri Lanka and Thailand as its top five honeymoon destinations. Tastes are definitely developing though with more couples opting for “adventure-moons” in countries from Peru to Iceland. Shorter duration “mini-moons” also remain popular, notes Kuoni, and there is robust demand for renewal of vows trips and a rise in booking enquiries for trips to propose.

Premier Holidays is seeing longer honeymoon durations, an increase in bookings with children and “a massive increase” in Indian Ocean bookings. “The reason for this is the vast number of adultonly hotels opening in the Indian Ocean,” explains product manager Nikki Hain. “The honeymoon market is also really tapping into island-hopping in the Seychelles as it gives a real Robinson Crusoe feel.”

MALTA Easy to get around and blessed with a pleasant year-round climate, Malta ticks a lot of boxes for couples looking to get wed in the Med. It’s a great option for

larger groups, with everything from accommodation to catering remarkably affordable. Airlift is another positive: Air Malta launched a thrice-weekly service from London Southend last May and Jet2holidays is to add 25 per cent more seats to Malta for winter 2019/20.

Hotels such as the five-star Phoenicia and Westin Dragonara are well versed in wedding planning, while locations such as Mdina’s walled city and Valletta’s Upper Barraka Gardens make excellent backdrops for photos. Plus, agents can request clients arrive in everything from a vintage car or Karrozzin carriage to a traditional Dghajsa boat on Valletta’s Grand Harbour.

Options in First Choice’s Wedding Brochure (firstchoice.co.uk) range from pocket-friendly all-inclusive packages at four-star Hotel Seabank, near Mellieha Bay, to fairytale ceremonies at Villa Arrigo or Naxxar’s Palazzo Parisio.

Having topped the Rainbow Europe Index for LGBT-friendly destinations three years running, Malta is a great pick for same-sex weddings and civil partnership ceremonies can take place in any of the venues featured by Planet Weddings

March 2019 57

TIME IS SO PRECIOUS THAT SMART COUPLES STEAL IT

S

omewhere in in the the world world there there is a place where two people can be alone, and omewhere and the the only only clock clock--watchers watchers are the the sun sun and and stars. stars. No No schedules. No distractions. No interruptions. are interruptions. Nothing Nothing but but time. time.

Welcome to to Rendezvous.

Rendezvous. Like Like its its Welcome name, it is designed for couples. name, it is designed for couples. intimate boutique boutique resort resort An intimate An on the the island island of of Saint Saint Lucia Lucia in in on secluded, the Caribbean Sea, the Caribbean Sea, secluded, stolen tranquil and and tailor tailor--made made for for stolen tranquil moments. A A corner corner of of paradise paradise moments. reserved for two, it is a private reserved for two, it is a private quite simply simply –– the the oasis and and–– quite oasis for reconnecting, reconnecting, perfect setting setting for perfect celebrating life’s life’s rediscovering and rediscovering and celebrating pleasures together. together. pleasures

With With two two miles miles of of white white sand sand beach beach and exotic tropical gardens by and exotic tropical gardens-- by-the the -- sea, sea, the the only only outside outside influence influence here here isis entirely entirely atat your your discretion discretion exceptional impeccable service, –– impeccable service, exceptional food, amenitiesand and food, and and aa wealth wealth of of amenities activities. activities.

Discover Discover Rendezvous.

Rendezvous. And And find findthe the time and place to steal away together. time and place to steal away together.

To book contact contact your your preferred preferred Tour Tour To book Operator or call 0203 096 1685 Operator or call 0203 096 1685or or visit www.theromanticholid ay.com. visit www.theromanticholid ay.com.

ABTA Magazine

(planetweddings.co.uk). Managing director Mathilde Robert’s top pick is the “magical” Castello Zamitello, a 17thcentury castle on the outskirts of Mgarr, where a comprehensive civil partnership wedding package, based on 30 adults attending, costs from £8,300.

SOUTH AFRICA South Africa’s wealth of affordable luxury and world-class service has never been so accessible: British Airways (britishairways. com) is currently flying its largest ever winter programme with 38 weekly flights from London to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, launched last October. South Africa is also new for First Class Holidays (fcholidays.com) this year.

Couply classics such as Kruger NP safaris and Garden Route self-drives backed by stays in Cape Town and the Cape Winelands practically sell themselves, while a seven-night Boutique Garden Route Self-Drive is a standout of Premier Holidays’ 2019 brochure (from £489pp; trade.premierholidays.co.uk).

Honeymoon-friendly boltholes include recently refurbished Royal Malewane where a new safari lodge, The Farmstead, opens in June (theroyalportfolio. com). Another good bet is the country’s luxurious, scenic rail services such as Rovos Rail’s Pride of Africa or Shongololo

Express. For 2019 the Blue Train (bluetrain.co.za) from Cape Town to Pretoria has changed from a one-night to a two-night journey with new prices, from R18,405pp (£1,015), and more convenient evening departures.

For weddings consider private game reserve Thanda Safari (thandasafari.co.za) in Zululand. Prices for its new tailorable Zulu-themed Kanye Wedding Package start from R15,000 (£830) for up to 10 guests, with wedding locations ranging from the open bush to a scenic spot overlooking a watering hole.

ST LUCIA Renowned for its dreamy adult-only properties such as Anse Chastanet, Ladera and Jade Mountain with their idyllic views of the towering Pitons this lush green Caribbean island gem is a honeymoon hotspot par excellence. Operators recently adding the island include If Only, whose inaugural Caribbean programme launched last June (ifonly.net).

September saw Jade Mountain (jademountain.com) launch three new wedding packages comprising everything from spa treatments to a Champagne sunset cruise. Elope to Paradise (£842), Great Escape (£2,305) and Ultimate Escape (£3,621) can each be tailored to suit clients’ requirements.

All three of Sandals’ resorts on the island can be explored on its Stay At 1, Play at 3 Programme (sellingsandals.co.uk) with guests staying more than three nights qualifying for a free wedding. Top picks for newlyweds include Halcyon Beach, whose Crystal Lagoon Walkout Swim-up Club Level Suites and Crystal Lagoon Poolside Luxury Suites opened in December. A seven-night stay in the latter costs from £1,925pp including flights with Virgin Atlantic departing Gatwick on November 4.

This year’s hot openings include the Fairmont Saint Lucia at Sunset Bay (fairmont.com), with work ongoing on a fourth Sandals property, Sandals LaSource, which will boast a rooftop infinity Skypool.

THE MALDIVES Having pioneered the one island, one resort concept the Maldives continues to blaze a honeymoon trail with its everexpanding range of luxurious, sun-soaked retreats, including a growing band of allinclusives. Late 2018’s standout openings include Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort (marriott.com) and Movenpick Resort Kuredhivaru (movenpick.com).

The 109-key, adult-only You & Me by Cocoon opens February 2019, complete with underwater restaurant, H20. Hard Rock Hotel Maldives (hardrockhotels.com) opens March, with Saii Lagoon Maldives

Pictured

Above: Sarojin’s Jungle Waterfall Wedding in Thailand Right: Sandals’ “White Romance” ceremony

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March 2019 59

Features Weddings & honeymoons

(saiiresorts.com/maldives/lagoon), part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, opening across the lagoon in April. Further ahead the 200-villa OZO Maldives will open late 2020.

Premier Holidays’ new options include Oblu Select at Sangeli, opened last July.

A seven-night all-inclusive stay in a lagoonfacing beach villa costs from £2,199pp, including flights from London, transfers and a complimentary couples’ massage for honeymooners staying at least five nights (trade.premierholidays.co.uk).

Meanwhile, Naladhu Private Island Maldives’ new Honeymoon Dream Package, valid for stays until January 8, 2020, offers a programme of tailored experiences spanning four to seven days.

Rates starts at £2,863, plus taxes, for a four-night stay (anantara.com/en/ naladhu-maldives/offers).

SRI LANKA As wedding services in the Maldives aren’t legally binding agents have long combined honeymoons there with wedding trips to Sri Lanka backed by LondonColombo-Malé-London flights on airlines such as SriLankan.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s boutique hotel boom has raised its own fortunes as a honeymoon hotspot, focused on its southwestern and southern coastlines.

Other recent openings, however, point to

an increased focus on the under-discovered north, such as the North Gate in Jaffna (jetwinghotels.com/northgate/), and east, such as Karpaha Sands (karpahasands.com).

The east coast climate is perfect for summer weddings, says Kuoni, which for 2019 has reintroduced The Blue Water Hotel & Spa, in Wadduwa, where a Silver wedding package costs from £617 per couple (flights and accommodation extra).

Honeymoon options worth a look include the new Wattura Resort, north of Negombo (watturaresortandspa. com), and the luxury safari camps near Yala NP such as Wild Coast Tented Lodge (resplendentceylon.com). Another nice option is the growing range of infinity pool-backed boutique properties amid the tea plantations of hill country, as featured by local operators such as Teardrop Hotels (teardrop-hotels.com), whose options include the five-bedroom Nine Skies, near Ella.

SOUTH EAST ASIA From Phuket and Samui to quieter options such as Koh Kood, Thailand’s islands have long lured honeymooners with their boutique properties and crystal clear waters, and beach weddings are a staple.

Venue options include the Sarojin (sarojin.com) in Khao Lak, which also launched a Jungle Waterfall Wedding

package last year. Offered in Thai or Western styles it includes the services of a wedding planner and costs from THB 91,200 (£2,200), excluding flights and accommodation.

Twin centre options don’t come more romantic than the Eastern & Oriental Express (belmond.com). The iconic train spirits honeymooners from Bangkok, where this year’s exciting new properties include Rosewood Bangkok, to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, where Raffles is set to emerge from a major refurb this year.

Alongside Malaysia’s paradise islands such as Langkawi, Tioman and the charming Perhentians sits “adventuremoon” classic Malaysian Borneo, while over in the Philippines the temporarily closed island of Boracay is back open for business and January saw the opening of Banwa Private Island off Palawan (banwaprivateisland.com).

Others getting in on the game include Cambodia. Six Senses Private Resort, opening on Koh Krabey in early 2019, features on InsideAsia Tours’ new 13-night Cambodia Under Canvas: A Luxury Adventure alongside a trio of recently opened honeymooner-friendly wilderness camps – Cardamom Tented Lodges, 4 Rivers Floating Lodge and Shinta Mani Wild (from £7,165pp, excluding flights; insideasiatours.com). ABTAmag.com

Pictured

Above: South Africa offers affordable luxury for honeymooners; Left: Malta, one of the best LGBT-friendly destinations

60 March 2019

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ABTA Magazine

One love Pristine beaches, the sounds of Bob Marley and smell of jerk chicken cooked over a wood fire help Heidi Fuller-love fall for Jamaica “

Y

ah mon! You need to learn this – it’s what everyone says out here,” our driver tells us as he navigates dense traffic flooding out of Montego Bay’s modern airport. I’m here in Jamaica for two things: to attend Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2019 and to explore more of this island country situated in the balmy Caribbean Sea, which is known for reggae, coffee and rum.

The 37th edition of CTM is held at the impressive colonial style buildings of the Montego Bay Convention Centre. Produced

by The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), it’s a great chance to network with destinations reps, travel agents, MICE reps and members of the media. The three-day event ends on a high note with a glitzy party at Sandals resort in Montego Bay, where Jamaica’s minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, told the crowd: “It is an incredible achievement for our country and I am certain we will reap significant benefits.”

ABTAmag.com

After three days of meeting and greeting it’s time to get out and explore this beautiful country. Reggae is a constant soundtrack to any Jamaica trip and Bob Marley’s One Love blares out over the speakers as we head for Negril, a twohour drive from MoBay along the north coast where most of Jamaica’s top resorts are situated. Unlike the lively shop- and café-lined streets of Montego Bay, Negril, dubbed “Capital of Casual”, is the place to chill. Lunch is at Island Lux Park, a new beach complex set on the talc-soft sand of the resort’s celebrated Seven Mile Beach, which has lounge chairs, swings, shops selling Rasta gear and several shackstyle restaurants. As hot wind riffles the shimmering turquoise Caribbean Sea, we tuck into crisp-skinned chunks of spicy national favourite jerk chicken slow smoked over a wood fire, and served with plantains, green beans and callaloo, the delicious local dish of minced amaranth leaves mixed with coconut milk.

After lunch we head over to Ricks café.

Opened in the 1970s by local visionary Richard Hershman when Negril was still just a sleepy fishing village, the clifftop café is packed and there is loud cheering as the café’s legendary cliff divers leap from a 35-foot high overhang into a narrow pocket of turquoise water far below.

Jamaica is only 146 miles long and 52 miles at its widest point, but it still takes two hours to get back to Falmouth where we are staying at the new Excellence Oyster Bay. In this five-star beachside hotel, whose spacious rooms have private pools or sunken Jacuzzis, “all inclusive” means just what it says: from meals and snacks, to the bottles of rum and whisky in the well-stocked mini bar, everything is complimentary.

The following day we set out to explore Montego Bay, second city to capital Kingston and better known as MoBay to locals. First we hit Gloucester Avenue, known as the Hip Strip because it’s the

March 2019 61

Features Jamaica Weddings & honeymoons

SLEEP

EAT

DO

Enjoy all-inclusive luxury by the tropical paradise surrounding Montego Bay at the Excellence Oyster Bay, which has more than two miles of white sand around it. (excellenceresorts.com), or try the newly-opened S hotel, a chic and relaxed hotel that brings a South Beach vibe to Montego Bay, below (shoteljamaica.com).

Now that is fast food: Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records (tracksandrecords.com) delivers classic Jamaican dishes, burgers and beers, while paying homage to the Olympic sprinter. Island Lux Beach Park (islandluxbeachparkja.com) in the beach town of Negril serves Caribbean fare in the most peaceful of surroundings.

No trip would be complete without a rum or two. Hampden Rum Estate (hampdenrumcompany.com), found in the beautiful Queen of Spain Valley in Trelawny, is one of the best places to enjoy it. More than 217,000 British nationals visited Jamaica in 2017 and most visits are trouble-free. However, visitors should see gov.uk/foreigntravel-advice before travelling

city’s nightlife hub. During the day this street is home to a craft market selling wood carvings, Jamaican root tonic and other colourful souvenirs. We pop into National Gallery West, where an exhibition showcases the work of local artists, and then it’s time to eat at Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records.

The nine-time Olympic gold medallist was born in Trelawny parish just down the road from MoBay and the restaurant is packed with trophies and memorabilia related to his career. Sitting on UBTR’s third-floor balcony, next door to nightlife venue Doctor’s Cave, we sip the local Red Stripe beer and sup on spiced jerk grilled shrimp served with sweet potato fries, while frigate birds, their forked tails flicking like ship’s rudders, wheel overhead.

Just outside of town we stop off to visit the imposing and – slighty spooky – Rose Hall. Built in the late 18th century, this stunning Jamaican Georgian house would not look out of place in Gone with the Wind. There’s a small museum that traces

the history of slavery and the grounds are glorious, but most people come here hoping to spot the ghosts of Annie Palmer, the Haiti-born mistress of Rose Hall, and her three husbands who, legend says, she murdered using voodoo spells. Although it’s tempting to stay on Jamaica’s beachlined coast it’s well worth heading up into the hills to see another side of this lush island. On our final day we drive the narrow winding road to Ahhh Ras Natango Gallery & Garden.

The gallery and botanical gardens is the love child of Ras Natango and Tamika, who carved this little piece of paradise out of a steep chunk of wilderness more than 30 years ago. Ras, who was previously an accountant, now sells his paintings in the gallery, while Tamika tends her fairytale garden full of plants and flowers.

After touring the garden, we feed the hummingbirds that swoop and dash around us like vivid emerald insects.

Schooled by Tamika, we hold out feeders full of sugar water and the tiny birds perch on our fingers and poke needle

thin beaks into the feeding tubes. Tamika has given them all names. “That’s Rudy because he is so rude,” she tells us as one bird swoops to feed, but refuses to sit on my outstretched finger.

We finish our trip at Hampden Rum Estate. After jolting and jogging along a dirt track we turn into an avenue of king palm trees, their feathery fronds creating a cathedral arch that leads us to the Hampden Great House. One of the country’s oldest sugar estates, Hampden is now famed for its rum. We visit the atmospheric rum distilling area where vast brick-lined pits contain the murky, mould- and molasses-scented fluid that will be brewed in four pot stills the size of small elephants to make Hampden’s legendary pot still rum. After the visit we try the spicy Hampden Fire rum, followed by the smoother Hampden Gold. The guide is telling us about all the other sights we’ve missed: “There’s the Bob Marley Museum and Dunns Falls waterfalls and Scotchies.

“So will you be coming back to Jamaica?” she asks. “Yah mon!” comes the rum-happy chorus of replies. ABTAmag.com

62 March 2019

ABTAmag.com

In September 2018, Waterfront, the publisher of ABTA Magazine and Cruise Adviser, launched a new creative agency. The Studio by Waterfront specialises in design solutions across print, web and social media. The Studio offers a tailored approach for all clients, with copywriting, proofreading and design elements available, in the following areas:

PRINT Catalogues, brochures, leaflets, exhibition stand designs and magazines

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ADVERTISING BRANDING Billboards, newspaper and Logos, brand identity, magazine creative advertising promotional videos, and advertorials proofreading and copy writing

For more information, email info@waterfront-publishing.com

Gamesroom

Gamesroom Crossword

ACROSS

DOWN

6. Californian beachfront city (6) 7. Remedy (4) 8. Bean curd (4) 9. DIY ciggie (4-2) 10. When there’s no other choice (2,9) 12. Destitute (2,4) 14. Born Free lioness (4) 15. Skidded (4) 16. Southwest Indian port (6)

1. Short holiday (3,3) 2. Foremost features of old sailing ships (11) 3. Officers’ area afloat (11) 4. Youth (11) 5. Remarkable thing (4) 11. Largest land (6) 13. Dickens heroine (4)

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64 March 2019

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ABTAmag.com

ABTA Magazine

Where in the world?

Each of these four images is of the same city.

Can you name it?

Competition time WIN! A place on If Only’s mystery fam trip

This is your chance to win a place on one of If Only’s luxury fam trips – to a mystery destination. The lucky winner will be travelling in the next 12 months – they just won’t know where to...

To be in with a chance of winning, answer this question:

Which Scottish city is the luxury tour operator based in?

Send answers to info@abtamag.com before the end of April.

Send answers to info@ABTAmag.com before April 25 with the subject line “March competition”.

Terms and conditions, see abtamag.com/2018/11/01/terms-2

January’s answer was: Cape Town

ABTAmag.com

March 2019 65

Final word John de Vial

Final word

Each issue we speak to an ABTA employee about their work. This time it’s John de Vial, director of financial protection and financial services

A

BTA’s job is to serve its members and my role is to ensure that we do that in a fair and consistent way within the Membership, Financial Protection, Risk, Claims and Insurance teams. My job is to support the team and to represent ABTA with a range of government and other stakeholders, including the CAA, DfT and BEIS. MEMBERSHIP TEAM The job here is to keep an accurate record of around 1,200 Members and their 3,100 branches, the many hundreds of homeworkers and the many thousands of directors and shareholders. This matters because our CRM system drives the public search facilities on ABTA.com, the system of ABTA numbers and enables us to operate as a Department for Business (BEIS) “Approved Body” under the 2018 Package Travel Regulations. The team is charged with keeping the “bad guys” out and helping applicants to join. Several hundred enquiries will result in around 100 applications, of which typically 50-60 will join each year.

The team administer subscriptions and all changes to the member record. The Membership Committee of the Board, which meets monthly, is made up from a representative cross section of members represented by financial and compliance experts, and is an important part of ABTA’s governance and checks and balances. The team also looks after the Single Payment Scheme (SPS).

FINANCIAL PROTECTION This team administers the bonding and insurance scheme and is the part of my role that can keep me up at night! Business models are so dynamic now and trading and payment terms are so diverse, that there really is no such thing as a typical member. The team looks after in excess of £500 million in bonds and £1.4 million of insurance premiums each year, as well as ensuring that the Membership team has the correct information to collect the £6 million of subscriptions.

66 March 2019

DON’T MISS Selling Holidays under the 2018 Package Travel Regulations – April 25, 2019, Central Manchester

The team works closely with the ABTA partner brokers and bond market, as well as the CPT BCH and ABTOT bonding and insurance schemes that we co-recognise as BEIS Approved Bodies. Sitting behind the bonding is ABTA Insurance PCC Limited, a wholly owned insurance company, with a £20 million insurance reserve fund, that gives assurance to consumers and ABTA principals that consumer payments are protected. I represent members’ interests on ATIPAC (the Air Travel Insolvency Protection Advisory Committee) that advises the minister and CAA, primarily on the ATOL scheme.

RISK AND CLAIMS This team looks into a steady stream of reports of misuse of the ABTA logo, false claims of membership and other issues involving Trading Standards and police forces around the country, as well as the CAA. Supporting consumers and members following a failure is a very important and challenging part of this team’s work – helping and refunding consumers following a failure. The All Leisure Group and Monarch Travel Group failures have been our two largest operations in recent years.

REGIONAL MEETINGS I would encourage all members to attend the twice-yearly local regional meetings, where you will have the chance to meet members of the ABTA team, receive topical updates and ask questions. Many members stay on after the formal session to ask further questions and get additional help and advice. I really enjoy meeting and helping members face-to-face. Book at abta.com/events/regional-businessmeetings. ABTA.com

ABTAmag.com

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