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04 – Cook urged to “show heart”; operator addresses indie agents; election’s mixed impact on sales; Princess unveils online tools; new tourism minister backs cutting VAT
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08 – APD changes buoy Caribbean; Crystal Cruises sale finalised; support for southeast runway; CityJet axes Cardiff routes; Clia warns agents
Analysis
10 – Cook faces a battle to restore reputation in aftermath of inquest
Special Reports 12 – Tui restructures and rebrands 16 – Abta LifeLine offers bursary
Conference Report 14 – Advantage 2015 in Bodrum
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Product News 23 – Holiday Extras targets indies
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57 – Head to Penang for a taste of the best Malaysia has to offer 63 – Bustling Hanoi is a great base for exploring northern Vietnam
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ALL ABOUT YOU
Letters 38 – Tui; easyJet; MyFerryLink; Sunvil
Comment 42 – Steve Dunne: Tui’s masterplan
All For You 44 – Be the first to see Jurassic World
Readers’ Lives 46 – Emma Harewood, Walsall
LUCY Editor-in-chief HUXLEY
Resort deserves to seize the Advantage
’m writing this column as I fly home from the Advantage conference in Bodrum, feeling pretty tired after three days of business sessions and networking. But my fatigue must be nothing compared with that of
I
the team from Mark Warner, which hosted the event at the operator’s beautiful Sea Garden Resort. It was no mean feat to cater for the 450 delegates; indeed, the resort even had to construct a steel-framed marquee on the tennis court for the business sessions to take place. If that wasn’t enough, Mark Warner also sponsored agents
to attend the conference and, after the event, whisked some agents off on fam trips to other Mark Warner resorts in Greece. All in all, it was a huge outlay by the beach and ski holiday resort specialist; it was great to see a tour operator, rather than just tourist boards and hotels, investing in agents in this way. I hope Mark Warner, and MSC Cruises, which will host next
year’s conference on board MSC Fantasia, reap the benefits from Advantage agents. The cruise line has clearly recognised the opportunity, as Mark Warner did, of showcasing its products to hundreds of agents in one fell swoop – and it’s not alone. Celebrity Cruises will host The Travel Network Group
conference on board Eclipse next May, with the aim of educating and inspiring delegates to sell its holidays upon their return. As neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield told Advantage
delegates: “An enriched environment stimulates the brain. It’s so important, as what you’re selling depends on the experiences you’ve had and connections you’ve made.” I couldn’t agree more.
lucy.huxley@
travelweekly.co.uk WHAT LUCY DID THISWEEK 1 FRONT COVER PICTURE: NICK ROBB
2 3
Spent a fantastic few days at Mark Warner’s beautiful (if a bit hilly in heels!) Sea Garden Resort in Bodrum for Advantage Travel Partnership’s annual conference
Hosted some of Travel Weekly’s best partners on a stunning Club Med boat cruise and long lunch
Fulfilled an ambition by singing a duet – I Got Ewe Babe! – with Graham Balmforth at SuperBreak’s Shaun the Sheep-themed dine-around in Bodrum!
21 May 2015 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 3
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