p2 Contents feb20 18/2/09 19:03 Page 2
Travel’s in a disaster
movie – but hold out news
for the happy ending
IT’S EASY TO forget there was a time when there
wasn’t a daily rash of apocalyptic predictions about
the state of the UK economy.
If it was a film our economic woes would be like
the UK-made Oscar favourite Slumdog Millionnaire,
but without the feel-good Hollywood ending.
A tale of destitution, fraud and greed lurching
from one disaster to the next with the most vulner-
this week
able preyed on by the unscrupulous, the corrupt and
the criminally insane.
So how does the travel industry make sure it has
a Hollywood ending to this most painful of economic
crises?
Sadly, there will be the inevitable casualties. But
as industry leaders who discussed the coming year
in our Holiday Taxis debate (p12-13) said, now is a time
to work together and to forge closer partnerships. Michelle’s red hot ticket
No doubt this goes some way to explaining the Michelle Harriman of Hanson Travel Worldwide in Pudsey wins VIP tickets to
timing this week of the announcement of the the launch of Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Equinox in July in a TTG competition
Cosmos/Co-op tour operator joint venture. to mark the relaunch of the Cruising for Excellence website. Cruise news, p20
When times are tough you need to surround your-
self with partners who understand your business, Joint venture. Conference report.
who are pulling in the same direction and hold the Co-op/Cosmos team up p5 UKinbound slams PM p10
same values. The new Co-operative Travel Members of UKinbound gave the
It is for this reason that evidence of operators Group/Cosmos tour operating joint government’s support for the
ramping up online discounts is so worrying. Latest venture is likely to sell through tourism industry short shrift at
industry figures have shown the extent to which third parties but only after the their annual conference
prices are rock bottom in direct channels while the brand has established itself
high street strives to maintain values. The industry Round-table.
might come to rue this sort of short-termism. Air. Setting the agenda p12
The latest Mintel assessment of the industry con- Qantas unveils A380 plan p6 Industry bosses plan for what is
firmed that holidays remain high on the list of spend- Qantas plans to have a daily A380 expected to be a tough year on
ing priorities. And although it predicted there will service from Heathrow by the end the annual Holiday Taxis ski trip
be 900,000 fewer holidays sold this year, of 2009, once it has taken delivery to Avoriaz, France
there could be a sharp improvement in 2010. of four more of the superjumbos
While consumers will spend less of their City & finance.
disposable income in 2009, next year Campaign. Carlson sales warning p14
expenditure is expected to return to 2008 Jet2holidays gets singing p7 The travel management company
levels, in line with disposable income.
Jet2holidays.com is getting the has predicted a fall of up to 4% in
Travel is believed to lag behind UK into the holiday spirit and sales this year, but is confident the
other sectors in terms of a and lifting the gloom on the high company is in good shape
recession’s impact. Could it be street by paying buskers and
not being first in line means getting them to play of some of Travel Technology Show.
travel will be spared the the nation’s favourite holiday Comtec targets agents p26
worst as recovery plans tunes Comtec has launched a new
kick in? web-based leisure travel selling
Let’s hope so, but that’s Cruise. system with the aim of reaching
probably about as Holly- Ryanair Costa tie-up p9 5,000 desktops by the end of 2009
wood as it gets, I’m afraid. Costa Cruises has insisted that its
exclusive three-year partnership SECTORS.
with Ryanair to sell cruises through Cruise p20
Lee Hayhurst News editor its website will not harm trade Air p24
relationships Business travel p28
02 20.02.2009
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76