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PHIL’S SALES TIPS
TIP 1
If clients are interested in history, this is the area to recommend, as it is where the first settlers arrived on US shores.
TIP 2
Boston is a great alternative to New York and much more manageable in scale.
TIP 3
It’s an easy holiday to tailor-make but there are also plenty of operators offering packages.
was so easy that I had no problems exploring on my own. We also went on a drama walk with two actors who showed us locations such the bar used in the TV series Cheers and the bench from the film Good Will Hunting starring Robin Williams, which has become a tribute to him since his death. It’s a lovely city to wander round and so friendly; I was pleasantly surprised.
PHIL’S CV
2012-present: personal travel agent, The Midcounties Co-op Travel, Taunton
2010-12: assistant manager, Cathedral City Travel, Wells
2007-10: owner, Thyme Travel, Taunton
A: How did Cape Cod match up to your expectations? Q: I didn’t have a clue what to expect. I was expecting seaside because it’s where the Americans go on holiday, but it was much more picturesque than I thought it would be. There were lots of little towns with independent shops, unspoilt beaches and wildlife. The 4x4 trip over the sand dunes was a real highlight. There were houses on the dunes built on stilts – some were like garden sheds and some are really funky.
Q: What did you get out of the trip from an agent point of view? A: It gave me extra confidence to sell the area. I have already sold a couple of trips to the region, but it’s something I hope to sell more of now.
Phil’s highlights . . . Standing on the beaches where the first US settlers arrived in the US certainly gives Cape Cod a unique selling point, according to Phil Hindle. “These are the beaches where the
Pilgrim Fathers arrived. They moved to Plymouth, where it was more sheltered, but this is where the European settlers started,” he enthuses. For those interested in history and the
educational aspect of a holiday, Cape Cod has plenty to offer. “At the Plimoth Plantation, there is
a depiction of life as it was when the settlers arrived, with re-enactments. It was very educational. There is also a Native American encampment, where we were told about what it was like before the Europeans arrived.” Other highlights included a copy of the
original 17th-century Mayflower ship – the Mayflower II, which was constructed in the 1950s – and the history of the Kennedy dynasty in local museums.
l Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism:
massholiday.co.uk
l Brand USA:
discoveramerica.com l Virgin Holidays:
vhols4agents.co.uk l Simon Shopping Destinations:
simon.com/travel
in association with
12 November 2015
travelweekly.co.uk 41
PICTURES: STEVE HOCKSTEIN/
HARVARDSTUDIO.COM
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