NEWS ROUND-UP
COMMENT: “A number of hotels are trying to undercut us . . . which smacks of biting the hand that feeds you” Amanda Matthews, page 44
Homeworker opens office after ‘crazy few months’
Hollie-Rae Merrick
hollie@travelweekly.co.uk
Award-winning homeworker Wendy Veal has set up an office following a rise in enquiries and requests from customers for more face‑to‑face meetings.
Veal, who was named leisure
agent of the year at Travel Weekly’s Agent Achievement Awards in 2015, opened Wendy Veal Luxury Travel in Cheadle, Cheshire, last week. She has also taken on two staff:
marketing manager Paul Finey and Laura Beesley-Evans, who is training to be a sales consultant. The office is in a block of “modern suites” and, despite it not having a shopfront, Veal is expecting good footfall. “It is something I’ve wanted to
do for some time so our customers can come and see us,” she said. “Customers were asking to meet
up, but your home has to be your home, not an open office. “I do home visits but this new space allows me to invite customers in so we can sit down and create their perfect holiday. I’m going to see how this goes, but I’d
Kuoni boss reassures agents it ‘won’t walk away like Virgin’
The boss of Kuoni has reasserted the operator’s commitment to the trade and promised it won’t “walk away like Virgin Holidays”. UK managing director Derek
Jones said the company was not after “world domination” with its retail network, which is set to reach 50 stores by the year’s end. Speaking after the release of
NEW STAFF:Wendy Veal (right) with Paul Finey and Laura Beesley-Evans
“This new space allows me to invite customers in and create their perfect holiday”
like to open a second one next year.” She said her decision to set up
an office was also down to a “big increase in enquiries”. “Over the past two or three months it has gone crazy – the phones haven’t stopped. I’m getting about 30 enquiries a week and the vast majority of them are
The Kuoni Worldwide Trends Report last week, Jones said in the long term he did not expect Kuoni to operate more than 60 stores nationwide. “Our retail strategy was
never about becoming a pure retail player, it was about giving Kuoni a face”, he said. “We’re not there to undercut [the trade] and we’re not interested in stealing their customers. I would rather pay them
8
travelweekly.co.uk 11 February 2016
being converted into bookings. Lisa Henning, group membership
services director at The Travel Network Group, said: “Wendy is the perfect example of a retailer who has great vision. The way she has marketed the Wendy Veal Luxury Travel brand is truly inspirational.” Veal, who has 20 years’ travel
retail experience, took some time out before becoming a homeworker with TTNG’s Independent Travel Experts in
April 2014. › Nominations open for Agent Achievement Awards, page 16
a reasonable reward. We will continue to guarantee that we won’t undercut them and walk away like Virgin.” The operator has
signed deals to open shops in Leeds and Bromley in Kent. Kuoni also revealed
that European holiday bookings were up 30% compared with 2014.
JONES: ‘We won’t undercut trade’
POLL
Do you find it difficult to defend the higher price of going away during school holidays?
79% 21%
Yes No
NEWS IN BRIEF
Seddon joins Scenic after overseeing Kuoni sale
Scenic has appointed former Kuoni marketing and digital director Steven Seddon as head of marketing, digital and sales. Seddon was part of the team that oversaw the sale of Kuoni UK to DER Touristik.
Balearics’ proposed tourist tax could start on June 1
The Balearic government has set a provisional date of June 1 for its proposed daily tourist eco-tax to come into effect. The proposal to levy a charge of €0.25-€2 per visitor per night in the Balearic Islands is being debated in the islands’ parliament.
Astronaut adds atmosphere to Advantage conference
Advantage Travel Partnerships has enlisted former space station commander Chris Hadfield as headline speaker for its conference on MSC Fantasia from April 16-20. He was the first Canadian to walk in space.
advantageconference.co.uk
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