p4 news Apr24 22/4/09 21:31 Page 4
news
24.04.2009
McKenzie tells Knock
In brief
■ Thomas Cook set for ¤900m restructure
staff: Your job is safe
Thomas Cook parent Arcandor has said the
travel firm is one of the core activities it intends
to focus on as it goes through a ¤900 million
five-year restructure. The German retail giant
Rupert Murray.
for me to be able to ensure no redundancies said the plan would result in ¤7 billion of savings
THE BOSS of Northern Ireland-based Knock need to be made this year. over the next two to three years. Cook unveiled
Travel has “recession-proofed” her employees’ “So I decided to tell staff this to boost their a target profit margin before tax of 4.8%.
jobs, telling them they are safe in 2009. morale and help them focus on their work rather Tui Travel’s £800m loan ‘could be quashed’, p14
Doreen McKenzie told TTG she carried out a than worry about the struggling economy.”
full health check on her business after reading McKenzie took her 23 staff to a hotel for dinner ■ Travelzest to confirm bosses’ status
Abta’s recently released recession tool kit. to let them know the situation and also brought Travelzest was expected to make a statement
This enabled her to be confident that she in a motivational speaker to address them. about the futures of chief executive Chris
would not have to make any redundancies “We asked them to come up with ideas for the Mottershead and finance officer Colin McKinlay
despite the recession and to tell her staff this, business and they were unstoppable. With doom as TTG went to press. They are understood to
boosting their confidence and sales. and gloom everywhere it is difficult for people to have been lined up to run Tui Travel’s Canada
McKenzie explained: “It became clear that stay motivated, but after this everyone was buoy- operation. Confirmation was expected at an AGM
despite sales being down there was enough fat ant – and it has showed in our sales,” she said. on Wednesday. Travelzest said it had not received
McKenzie has also brought in a yoga teacher letters of resignation but had entered into
for a day and the management team brought in talks about the pair’s “employment terms”.
Broccoli re-elected to board: Doreen McKenzie homemade soup for everyone to further boost
was last week beaten in the Abta election for staff morale. ■ Travelport’s Lukan to return to the US
the board member to represent agents with She added: “Agents are not used to going out Travelport UK boss Patrick Lukan will return
turnovers of less than £2 million. Incumbent and fetching in their customers, which is what to his native US later this year to head up the
board member Daniele Broccoli, of Worldchoice they need to do more of now.” company’s global e-commerce business. Lukan
member Britaly Travel, was re-elected. will be replaced as general manager for the UK
■ How to reward your staff without cash, p32 and Ireland at the GDS by Jerome Moisan, who
currently leads Travelport’s French operation.
■ Kiss Flights launches new Sharm routes
Kiss Flights has unveiled plans to start flights
to Sharm el Sheikh from Bristol from July 2 and
from East Midlands from July 1. Both services will
be operated by charter carrier KoralBlue Airlines
on a new-generation Airbus A319. Kiss Flights boss
Paul Moss said there had been high demand from
Gatwick and Manchester to Sharm, and Kiss
wanted to offer the trade new regional routes.
TTG Caribbean Flights Guide – wallchart inside
■ Peter Moss to quit as Visit USA chairman
Peter Moss is to step down as Visit USA chairman
after the next Visit USA board meeting on June 25.
He will be replaced by Kate Burgess-Craddy, who
was unanimously elected by the board, but Moss
will continue his role as board director until 2010.
JERRY SPRINGERS A SURPRISE: American TV chat show legend Jerry Springer visited
Encore Tickets’ office in London to encourage managing director John Wales to keep the
ttglive.com
For the latest news, reviews and comment
sales up for his debut on the British stage this June as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago. from the travel industry, visit ttglive.com
04 24.04.2009
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