talking shop THE SECTION JUST FOR AGENTS Kuoni and John Lewis team up
Cook Islands come to town
BY JULIE BAXTER Cook Islands Tourism kicked off
BY LAURA GELDER Luxury travel brand Kuoni has
signed a partnership with John Lewis which will see new travel concessions open in four of the retailer's high street department stores. The Kuoni concessions will open in
the autumn at John Lewis shops in London's Oxford Street, Reading, Southampton and Cardiff and will offer the full range of holidays available from Kuoni shops. The move will create 19 new full-time jobs. The mini-travel shops will be situated
in the customer service area adjacent to John Lewis' Gift List departments, and interactive technology such as
IN BRIEF
Get on a fam to Vietnam Emirates Tours is celebrating its
new Indochina programme with an agent incentive. Until July 31 agents need to book to Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos with Emirates Tours. As well as winning Love2 vouchers (until June 30), the top seller will win a fam place. Email reference and contact details to
ektlonmarketing@emirates.com
AITO secures gap year guru AITO and AITO Agents have
secured Deirdre Bounds, founder of gap year travel company
i-to-i.com, for the annual conference to be held in Funchal, Madeira from June 14-17. It offers the 145 member tour operators and 100-plus member agents the chance to network and debate.
www.aito.com
Offers from Wendy Wu Wendy Wu Tours has launched a
late offers campaign with savings of up to £500 per couple on bookings before June 30 2012. The operator has discounted the price of around 80 departures on 11 of its tours to China and Indochina. The offers form part of an Unbeatable Asia lates campaign.
www.wendywutours.co.uk
www.sellinglonghaul.com • June 2012 57
iPads and plasma screens will be used to depict dream holidays on offer. The spaces will range from 444 to
821 sq ft and combine the look and feel of the two brands. Kuoni will introduce John Lewis Travel Insurance to its customers for the first time, and become the travel partner for John Lewis Gift List, meaning customers can ask their guests to contribute to their Kuoni honeymoon through a John Lewis Gift List. Commenting on the move Kuoni Managing Director Derek Jones said: "Kuoni and John Lewis have a very similar customer base and share the same approach to business, putting
customer service at the heart of everything we do, so we're really excited about this partnership." New Business Manager at John Lewis,
Rob Martin said: “We already have a strong customer base in our travel insurance services, so opening travel concessions in our shops feels like a natural step. People will be able to take time out from speaking to a personal travel expert to shop or have a coffee, and choose their holiday in a relaxed and inspiring environment. The new concessions will take Kuoni's
number of branches up to 25 across the UK.
www.kuoni.co.uk
its European roadshows with time performing at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Pageant at Windsor Castle and promoting the destination to UK children and their parents with Turquoise Holidays. Eight dancers and four drummers, selected through a national audition process, were in London with four tourism managers to showcase the unique culture of the destination and promote its heritage appeal. Three hours' flying time from New Zealand, the Cook Islands attract around 112,000 visitors a year but have seen a slight decline in numbers from the UK in the last few years. Keen to rebuild bookings the tourist office is working with airlines on new coding arrangements to make the Cook Islands easier to book. It is actively promoting weddings,
adventure travel, active holidays and eco-tourism. The Cook Islands cover an area the
size of continental Europe and include 15 islands and one dedicated bird sanctuary island. Cook Islands Tourism Corporation
CEO Carmel Beattie said: "Travel and tourism is our most important industry and we have to protect that asset. We will never be a mass-market destination and don't want to be but we do offer a really authentic experience and warm welcome."
www.cookislands.travel
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