EDITOR’S COMMENTS
NEWS Hot Stories
04 – Iglu gets £7.5m funding; Hilton unveils Curio brand; senior figures leave Cook; Green aims to raise £100k in bike challenge; Flambert joins Haiti tourism; Thai military rulers pledge to support tourism
News Digest
08 – Cook unveils staff directory; Grant acclaims travel a ‘success story’; Freedom slammed over trust account; GTMC aids apprenticeships; easyJet ‘would fly from Heathrow’
Special Report
10 – Abta boss reflects on lobbying and ratings successes in past year
DESTINATIONS NEWS YOU CAN USE Product News
13 –KidZania to open in Westfield London in spring 2015
Cruise News 14 – Fred Olsen wants retailers to promote its Enjoyment Promise 16 – Regent urges agents to sell to clients who book land holidays
Hotel News
18 – New real-time site VisitRentals touts range of ‘cheap’ aparthotels
Operator News 20 – Red Sea launches TV adverts 22 – China Links Travel expands portfolio to offer specialist tours
Europe
41 – 10 of the best: French family holidays 47 – Review: Mark Warner, Corsica
India & the Indian Ocean
49 – Make travel tastier with foodie tours across the region 52 – 10 of the best: Romantic retreats
JOBS AND CLASSIFIED
57 – Vacancies and business services TRAVELWEEKLY BUSINESS
News
62 – Monarch warns of overcapacity 63 – GTMC conference 2014 64 – Euro election ‘won’t delay PTD’
Cover Star Sam Cooper from Midcounties Co-op Travel in Walsall. Photo: Steve Hockstein. Clothes: Courtesy of Kenneth Cole, Desert Hills Premium Outlets
ALL ABOUT YOU
Letters 24 – Monarch, salaries, Thailand
Comment 26 – Fiona Jeffery: ‘Need for advice’
Readers’ Lives 30 – Cover Star Sam Cooper
All For You 33 – Seychelles, Australia, Silversea
Mystery Shopper 38 – Durham agents all top 80%
LUCY Editor-in-chief HUXLEY
Apple gets to the core of shop service
sk a retail expert to highlight an example of best practice and Apple stores are never far from the top of the list. That was certainly the case at the ITT conference in Malta, where a string of speakers referenced the technology giant’s approach when discussing the future of the high street. Tui’s Johan Lundgren reiterated his company’s commitment to
A
retail, but said stores needed to “embrace all technologies”. John Straw, Thomas Cook’s head of digital, talked not just of
iPads in shops but of introducing headsets to allow potential customers to virtually experience destinations and resorts. And Will Shuckburgh from Nectar spoke about “show-rooming” – where customers test and sample but don’t necessarily buy on the spot. Focusing on the growing importance of technology in the
retail experience is perfectly sensible, of course, but it was also encouraging to hear the speakers acknowledge that it wasn’t the be-all and end-all. As another speaker, Mary Portas, noted, the real standout element in Apple’s approach wasn’t necessarily the product or the shop design, but the company’s rigorous recruitment process to ensure staff at its Genius Bars were enthused and engaged. Travel retailers are right to look outside the industry for
inspiration, but it would be foolhardy to see tech enhancements as a panacea if they aren’t complemented by the recruitment and retention of the very best people. By appointing a new retail director, Apple has acknowledged
even its much-lauded stores have room for improvement. But I strongly suspect that expert staff will continue to be central to whatever direction it chooses to take next.
lucy.huxley@
travelweekly.co.uk WHAT LUCY DID THISWEEK 1
2 3
Enjoyed catching up with delegates at the ITT conference in Malta
Had a great meeting with Andrew Say and Kate Miello from Mail Newspapers, our consumer media partner for the Globe Travel Awards
Joined friends for a camping weekend in memory of a friend who died of motor neurone disease last year
5 June 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 3
CONTENTS Inside your number-one industry mag!
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72