EDITOR’S COMMENTS
NEWS Hot Stories
04 – Report stresses value of content on websites; Cook boss Green on Scotland vote; Thomson starts TV campaign; Egypt praises FCO; Blastland joins Loveholidays
News Digest
08 – Carnival UK appointments; Thailand murders; Hellens quits Hays; Thomson opens in Glasgow
Special Report
10 – Thomas Cook installs 3D headsets at concept store in Kent
American Idol 2014 13 – Greenway learns about US
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Product News 15 – Lufthansa adds premium cabin
Operator News
16 – Shearings adds 2015 options 18 – Wendy Wu unveils new tours
Aviation News 20 – SAS launches online training
Cruise News 22 – Cruising Excursions adds ports 24 – MSC stretches MSC Armonia
Hotel News 27 – Loews plans Universal hotel
ALL ABOUT YOU
Letters 30 – Scotland vote; Monarch; Tui
Comment 34 – Amanda Matthews
All For You 36 – The Gambia, vouchers, flights
Readers’ Lives 38 – Cover Star Stephen Monaghan
Mystery Shopper 46 – Altrincham agents put to test
DESTINATIONS Ski & Snow
49 – Book a break in Kitzbühel to help beginners find their feet 52 – Kids try out Club Med Valmorel
Turkey
57 – Still warm but fewer tourists: why autumn is a great season to visit 61 – 10 of the Best: romantic retreats
JOBS AND CLASSIFIED
66 – Vacancies and business services TRAVELWEEKLY BUSINESS
News
70 – Tui merger plan; Center Parcs 72 – David Stevenson outlines the threat posed by Google to OTAs
Cover Star Stephen Monaghan of Thomas Cook, Irvine, Scotland. Photos: Steve Hockstein. Clothes: O’Neill at Outlets at Orange
LUCY Editor-in-chief HUXLEY
Whatever the vote, market stays fierce
The first, the Travel Weekly Northern Ball, looks set to be another fantastic celebration of the trade in the north and Midlands. As always, it will offer a range of suppliers the chance to thank their agent partners at the industry party of the year. The second, The Travel Convention in Slovenia, will focus on
A
more weighty matters. Both will take place against the backdrop of the game-changing Scottish vote on independence, and it is inevitable that much of the talk in Ljubljana will focus on the fallout from the referendum (page 5). Whatever the result – which remains too close to call, as I
write – there is no doubt that the political, social and economic landscape will have changed significantly, and very few travel companies will be able to claim they are in no way affected. Scottish independence aside, this year’s Travel Convention comes at a particularly opportune time, with the travel industry facing a raft of changes and challenges. Despite some positive trading reports, there is no doubt that 2014 has not been the bumper year everyone hoped for, and many delegates will be keen to garner some genuine insight and advice on how to steer their businesses. As we report in this week’s issue, Thomson has taken the decision to go out early again with its advertising in an attempt to steal a march on its rivals, and it isn’t alone (page 5). Whatever comes out of the Travel Convention, there’s no doubt we’ll see some fierce competition in the months ahead.
lucy.huxley@
travelweekly.co.uk WHAT LUCY DID THISWEEK 1
2 3
Had great night at Caribtours’ annual dinner, meeting lots of agents and sitting beside Natasha Kaplinsky!
Met up with former First Choice retail boss and Tui marine division MD Cheryl Powell (now Brown), who’s back in the UK from Florida running Le Boat
Had a run-through and made some last-minute fancy dress purchases for the Travel Weekly Northern Ball
18 September 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 3
s I write this week’s column, I am preparing for two very different industry events.
CONTENTS Inside your number-one industry mag!
NEW!
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 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76