p2 Contents July10 8/7/09 21:16 Page 2
Barriers must be
lifted to ensure talent
news
rises to the top
WHENEVER you find an apparent inequality in the
kind of people an industry employs it’s easy to claim
it is down to some sort of active discrimination.
On too many occasions there is, sadly, substance
to the claim, but more commonly the factors that lie
behind why some groups are less represented are a
lot more complex.
If you attend any travel industry conference, the
this week
industry can look, as former BBC director-general
Greg Dyke said of the broadcaster, “hideously white”.
But then again, travel also looks very macho too,
which is, for an industry so female-dominated at
shop level, an issue it should address.
I may be being naive, but it would be surprising to
find any commercial entities these days actively dis-
criminating against a part of the potential workforce.
Who can afford not to have the very best people
working for them, at times like these in particular?
A Queen is born
So the question the industry needs to ask itself is Construction work has started in Italy on Cunard’s new ship, the Queen
whether it can address the belief that there are too Elizabeth, which will sail its maiden voyage in October 2010. The 13-night
few women and black employees in the top jobs. Mediterranean cruise sold out in record time earlier this year. For news of
It must ensure there are no barriers to entry and Thomson Cruises’ lease of its sixth ship, to sail from next summer, see p11
continue promoting the virtues of working in this
exciting, interesting and fun sector. Credit. Cosmos tie-up.
E-Clear rethinks travel p4 Co-op launches brochure p10
Domestic bliss in heatwave The boss of one of travel’s four main The Co-operative Travel launched
The Hayhurst clan trekked down to the West Country credit card payment processing its joint-venture tour operation
last week for what has become the annual family firms is “reassessing” his firm’s with Cosmos this week. Its debut
holiday in Devon. involvement with the industry brochure can be sold only by its
Happily, the trip coincided with the heatwave that own agents but could eventually
might just turn out to be this year’s British summer. Recruitment. be made available to third parties
No doubt there will be plenty more UK families Call for racial equality p5
making the journey westwards down the A38 this A travel agency boss has claimed Abta 2009.
year praying for some domestic sun. too few ethnic minorities hold Barcelona venues report p12
The “staycation”, we’re told, is senior positions in the industry TTG kicks off its preview coverage
very much in vogue and the latest and has called for a focus similar of The Travel Convention with a
statistics from GfK Ascent-MI suggest to that on female employees look at the venues in Barcelona.
it is cash-strapped families who are TTG is the convention media partner
shunning the overseas trip. Scotland. for the third successive year
Certainly, when the sun shines, Barrhead student plan p6
as it did for most of last week, Barrhead Travel is hoping to capi- Cruise.
a day on a Devon beach is as talise on the number of graduates Reader Offers’ new HQ p18
good as anything you might who cannot find work with a Colchester-based cruise retailer
find at the end of a flight. recruitment drive offering to pay Reader Offers showed TTG around
But having to pack off some of their student loans its swanky new base which it has
for five people with spent £4 million converting into
every possible weather Lates market. a state-of-the-art headquarters
eventuality in mind Building up to summer p7
isn’t exactly ideal. Comparisons between trading in SECTORS.
2008 and 2009 may be painting a Cruise p18
more gloomy picture than reality, Operators p20
Lee Hayhurst News Editor according to the supplier of official Letters p22
industry statistics GfK Ascent-MI Business travel p26
02 10.07.2009
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