p9 News Dec18 16/12/09 21:26 Page 9
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In brief
Former Travelscope
■ Boeing’s Dreamliner begins test flights
Boeing’s next generation 787 Dreamliner made its
long awaited maiden flight this week – two years
after it was initially planned. The aircraft, which finance boss rapped
will be used first in the UK by Tui, made a three-
hour flight around Seattle. It marked the start of a
Rob Gill.
Horwood was also ordered to pay costs of
test programme that will see six aircraft flying FORMER Travelscope financial director Mark £1,800 in the hearing, which was held in private
around the clock before the first delivery to a Horwood has been fined £3,000 and given a after his application to exclude press and public
commercial airline at the end of next year. severe reprimand for professional misconduct was accepted by the three-man disciplinary panel.
while working for the failed escorted tours and Horwood set up Van Gogh Cruise Line just
■ Sir Rocco Forte to speak at Aito conference cruise operator. weeks after Travelscope collapsed with the loss
Legendary hotelier Sir Rocco Forte is to speak at Horwood admitted the charge during a of 270 jobs. Van Gogh closed in May 2008 shortly
the Aito Specialist Agents domestic conference in disciplinary hearing at the Institute of Chartered after its ship was impounded in Madeira.
Warwick on January 17. Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) Former Travelscope managing director Richard
headquarters in London this week. Ford, who raised questions about Horwood’s
■ Gill’s reports rise in balcony cabin bookings He admitted that he failed to tell accountancy conduct, was declared bankrupt and lost his
More cruise passengers are requesting cabins firm KPMG about an arbitration award of more house following the company’s demise.
with balconies, according to Gill’s Cruise Centre. than £2 million to Classic International Cruises “I’m pleased Horwood admitted his profes-
The Cardiff-based specialist agency said the when he was at Travelscope in October 2007. sional misconduct but holding the proceedings in
proportion of its bookings that were for balcony KPMG was preparing a cashflow projection private looks like a whitewash,” said Ford.
cabins had increased from 20% in 2008 to report into the firm at the time. Two months Horwood said he had acted under instruction
36% this year. later, the Gloucester-based operator went under. and believed it was in the firm’s best interests.
Cruise news, p18
■ Tourist board trio to host London workshop
Bermuda asks BA to reduce its fares
The tourist boards of Finland, Iceland and Estonia
will host a joint trade workshop on February 10 BERMUDA prime minister Ewart Brown is putting Dr Brown told TTG a similar promotion in the
at the Armoury House near Moorgate, London. pressure on British Airways to cut its fares to the US had been very successful and Bermuda hoped
The workshop is open to operators and agents, island to increase the number of visitors. it would help UK operators combat a 10% fall in
who will be able to arrange meetings with Dr Brown wants the carrier to ease fares next British visitors to the destination this year.
representatives from all three tourist offices. summer, at the same time as the island offers Dr Brown, who met BA chief executive Willie
customers a £400 voucher for hotel accommo- Walsh last week to discuss fare levels, said the
■ Advantage opens registration for Lucerne dation. Bermuda is offering the voucher for each government was prepared to reduce landing fees
Advantage has opened registration for next room booked by customers for a minimum five- to help the troubled UK carrier lower fares.
year’s conference in Lucerne, Switzerland, to take night stay between April 1 and October 31 for trips
place on May 21-23, 2010. The consortium has booked between December 22 and January 26. ■ BA’s strike ‘jeopardises jobs’: Letters, p26
launched a website dedicated to the conference,
at advantageconference.co.uk. Members can
register online or by emailing Nicky Appleby on
nickya@advantagetravelcentres.com
■ Midlands Ball raises £2,700 for charity
Birmingham-based charity Cure Leukaemia has
been handed a cheque for £2,712 from money
raised at this year’s Midlands Travel Trade Ball,
which was co-sponsored by TTG.
Shearings offers iPod nano prize draws
Shearings is offering an agent incentive
in the run-up to Christmas. For the next
two weeks, the operator is running a prize
draw for agents who sell a 2010 holiday. Agents
who sell a 2010 break will be put into the draw
and one winner a week will receive an iPod nano. SLEIGH BELLES: Santa Claus takes a break from packing his sleigh to meet agents on a
Worlds of Discovery fam trip to Florida last week. Most of the 28 agents on the trip won
ttglive.com
For the latest news, reviews and comment
their places by passing the TTG Knowledge College Worlds of Discovery online training
from the travel industry, visit ttglive.com course and a few places were also given away at TTG’s autumn roadshows.
18.12.2009 09
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