NEWS — HOT STORIES 4
World Travel Holdings switch opens door to dynamic cruises for TTNG membership
up exciting business-to-business opportunities. He said the potential distribution opportunities sealed the deal. “We will be able to distribute experiential packages
through TTNG’s 800 members, which include 260 Worldchoice shops,” he said. “We will get net rate on the sailings, package them
Hollie-Rae Merrick
The Travel Network Group’s (TTNG) 800 members will be able to sell unique cruise packages after a deal was struck with the parent company of Cruise118. World Travel Holdings UK, which also operates Six
Star Cruises and River Voyages, has left Hays Travel and will officially become a TTNG member on May 6. The deal means the agent’s dynamic cruise
packages will be available through TTNG’s extensive membership of homeworkers, independent agencies and Worldchoice shops, as well as being sold direct. James Cole, managing director of World Travel Holdings UK, said the move opened
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up, control our margins and pay TTNG members a commission. We’ve always had a business-to- consumer model, but this allows us to work business to business.” Gary Lewis, group managing director of TTNG, said the deal would allow members to differentiate themselves in the cruise sector. “This allows us to both drive and specialise in cruise
and offer our entire membership something unique, using the skillset of World Travel Holdings.”
“This allows us to offer our entire membership something unique”
Lewis said he expected more agents to join the
group off the back of the tie-up. TTNG has also confirmed that Worldchoice TV will
run for a second consecutive year after a new deal was signed with production company Ideal World. The deal means there will continue to be a monthly live show, aired on Wednesdays at 8pm.
Greece cash warning alarmist, says trade Lee Hayhurst
Warnings to holidaymakers to take cash to Greece this summer in case the country descends into financial meltdown have been dismissed as alarmist. Talks in Europe on Greece’s bailout
entered a critical phase this week as the country edged closer to default on its debt, prompting warnings about banks closing cash machines. However, Abta and operators
played down the concerns, pointing out advice on taking a mix of payment options has not changed for three years and was the same for other destinations. Noel Josephides, Sunvil managing director and
Abta chairman, said: “We advise all tourists visiting any destination to take a mix of credit card, cash and
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travelweekly.co.uk — 30 April 2015
whatever. The Greek National Tourism Organisation and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) also advises people to take a mix, but the FCO advice appears [on its website] only in relation to Greece. “Look at what happened in Cyprus [in 2012]. No one had a problem obtaining cash. No country that relies on tourism is going to make it impossible to withdraw cash. “At Sunvil, we have not had any
cancellations. There is no justification for cancellations.” An Abta spokeswoman said the official FCO advice to Greece had been in place since December 2012. Photis Lambrianides, commercial
director of Olympic Holidays, said: “The press is
making a mountain out of a molehill. EU negotiators want the Greek government to take its debt obligations seriously, but no one wants the country to exit the euro, and travellers should have no fears.”
MORE HOT STORIES
James Cole
“No country
is going to make it impossible to withdraw cash”
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