INSIDE THIS
WEEK Contents
NEWS Hot Stories
Barrhead joins The Travel Network Group; Monarch drops Cosmos; Cook to axe 48 managers; Saga appoints Linfoot; Greek hotels seek room-tax clampdown
Round-up
P&O Cruises/Cunard, G Adventures, STA Travel, Norwegian, Advantage
WIN!
A fam trip to Sydney and Cairns with Tourism Australia page 36
Special Reports Icelolly sets out expansion plans
12
Summer crises ‘highlight need for trade’ 14 Monarch focuses on simplicity
Talk Back Plea to suppliers; Tui; Crusader/Sunvil
NEWS YOU CAN USE Product News Iberostar in agent push
Operator News Tucan adds 100 trips Hotel News Iberostar in agent push Cruise News New ships for Saga
FRONTLINE Comment Andy Freeth: secret agent
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location of the event and its theme of risk and resilience are particularly pertinent. Greece has faced its share of challenges this summer,
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Cut risk and be resilient A
from a volatile political and economic situation to its place at the centre of the ongoing migrant crisis in eastern and southern Europe. Yet it appears to be coping with many of these challenges, defying the harbingers of doom by averting financial meltdown and posting encouraging inbound tourism figures in support of one of its most important industries (page 80). Closer to home, some of the biggest names in the
industry are continually assessing their business models and structures in the face of a market that offers potential rewards, but also retains many risks. This week, we report on Barrhead Travel’s decision
to develop a new partnership to help drive its plans for growth (page 4). Monarch, meanwhile, is making significant changes to its strategy (page 16) while Thomas Cook continues its ongoing recalibration with plans to restructure its retail division (page 5). As always, our thoughts are with those Cook staff who
are affected by the proposed changes, and we hope as many as possible are relocated or re-employed. But the fact that these significant moves are taking place is a reflection of the need to continually evolve. It will be fascinating to hear how the
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Readers’ Lives Susan Tooke, Elmsworth 38 Mystery Shopper St Neots put to test 40
COVER PHOTO Adele Jones, Kuoni, Gemma Richards, Air New Zealand, Rebecca Price, STA Travel and Felicity Keating, Thomas Cook, meet All Blacks Ma’a Nonu, Luke Romano and Victor Vito at an Air New Zealand #SQUAD event in Cardiff
DESTINATIONS
Asia Epic tours: the best escorted tours
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Goa: coast, cuisine, spice farms, heritage 52 Nepal: country bounces back from quake 59
Greece & Cyprus Kefalonia: island offers secluded havens 62 Active Cyprus: inland attractions
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BUSINESS NEWS Round-up Coroner’s demands; Cook
Back page Greece ‘has golden future’ WHAT
LUCY DID THISWEEK
OCT 8
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Had a great meeting with Princess Cruises UK and Europe’s new vice-president – he even bought Hollie-Rae Merrick and I red roses!
Had a briefing call with Abta ahead of the Tomorrow’s World session I am chairing at next week’s Travel Convention in Greece
Took my son to his first secondary-school open evening. How is my little boy even old enough for this yet?
8 October 2015
travelweekly.co.uk 3
Lucy Huxley Editor-in-chief @Lucy_Huxley
industry’s key players intend to not only cope with the risks facing them, but also demonstrate the resilience to be fit for the future.
s the Travel Weekly team gears up for The Travel Convention in Greece next week, it seems that both the
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