p10 news Jan15 13/1/10 13:48 Page 10
news
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A ‘majority view’
In brief
■ CityJet adds capacity as bookings take off
is key to reform
CityJet is boosting capacity on some of its best-
performing routes after a surge in bookings in
the last quarter of 2009. The carrier, a subsidiary
of the Air France KLM Group, which operates out
of London City airport, will increase frequencies
Chris Gray.
won’t get a majority view on how things should to Amsterdam, Dublin, Edinburgh and Paris
ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer has urged all be shaped.” (Orly) this winter, taking its daily flight tally to 60.
members to take part in two consultations about “We need Abta to bring forward what is good
the future of the industry in the next few weeks for the whole sector even though it may not work ■ Silversea cooks up culinary curriculum
– even though the final outcome will not please for every individual member.” Silversea Cruises has joined forces with Relais &
them all. Abta’s proposals to reform its rules about Chateaux to introduce L’Ecole des Chefs, an inter-
Tanzer said Abta hoped to get a majority pipeline monies led to all but one of its bed bank active cooking school, on 11 voyages in 2010.
view on how consumer protection should change members leaving the association. The programme offers guests a culinary curricu-
out of the consultations on reform of the UK Atol But Tanzer said he had no concerns that mem- lum relevant to each cruise itinerary, hosted by
system and EU regulations on air passenger bers would leave if they disagreed with Abta’s Silversea executive chef David Bilsland. There
rights. final proposal on Atol reform. will be workshops on a variety of culinary skills.
The consultations follow a similar exercise “I hope that our members will
on reform of the EU Package Travel Direc- see that we are doing it for ■ Customers seek all-inclusive cruises
tive (PTD), about which Abta consulted the good of the whole sector Cash-strapped travellers are opting for all-
members at the end of last year. and the final result will be a inclusive cruise packages to save money.
With Abta members ranging from tra- matter of law so they will Independent cruise retailer Gill’s Cruise Centre
ditional tour operators to online dynamic have to abide by it whether they said it had seen a significant rise in clients
packagers such as Travel Republic, which are inside or outside Abta,” he wanting to book all-inclusive packages.
is engaged in a legal battle with the said.
CAA over whether it had an Atol, Tanzer added that ■ Inbound tourism to grow in 2010
Tanzer accepted it would talks were continuing VisitBritain is forecasting inbound tourism
be all but impossible to with bed banks in and growth in 2010 after figures for 2009 revealed
get unanimity on the out of Abta about find- an upturn in fortunes for the industry. During
reforms. ing a way of protecting the first 10 months of 2009, the UK received
But he said: “You pipeline monies. Solu- 300,000 more tourists and in the three months
may not get unanimity tions could include to October, leisure and business visitors spent
on every issue, but some form of insur- £5 billion, up 3% on the same period in 2008,
that’s not to say you ance or a trust fund. according to the International Passenger Survey.
The organisation predicted a 0.8% increase in
inbound tourism to 30.4 million in 2010 with
Time for action: Get involved with the consultations
spend increasing to £17.1 billion, up 4% on 2009.
Atol: Called by the Department for Transport Air passenger rights: Called by the EU on ■ January boost for Center Parcs
on December 10. Ends March 11. December 15. Ends March 1. Center Parcs has 14,000 more bookings in
Covers: The Atol system, which is the UK’s Covers: Mishandled luggage, disabled passen- January than it did this time last year – an
answer to the Package Travel Directive. gers, airline business practices and insolvency. increase of 18% – and 2009 was a record-break-
■ Abta board members are drawing up a Likely outcome? Seen as the best hope for ing year for all four UK Center Parcs.
questionnaire that will be distributed by extending consumer protection to cover
post, email and
abta.com later on this airlines’ seat-only sales. ■ Retail vouchers are booking bonus
month. Caribtours and The Private Travel
■ Regional roundtables to be held Package Travel Directive: Called by the EU Company are giving travel agents a £50
■ Member responses due by February 12 Covers: Entire scope of EU consumer protection. Capital Bond Voucher for every booking for two
Likely outcome? Proposal for the Atol licence Could extend protection to non-package sales, people for seven nights or more made before the
to cover sales of flight plus any other holiday or change definition of a package. Aims to get end of February. The vouchers are valid at more
component, including those by airlines and consistency across all EU states both on extent than 160 retailers. To claim their vouchers,
“click-thrus” between various websites, has of and responsibility for protection. agents should send the booking invoice number
garnered a lot of support. Could also take in ■ Abta consultation ended December 23. and client surname to rebecca.burgess@
all flight-only sales by firms other than airlines. ■ Abta board discussed position January 13.
caribtours.co.uk by March 31.
If so, will fail to answer claims that airlines have Likely outcome? Extent of consultation makes
an unfair advantage. outcome unclear. Nothing expected before 2012.
ttglive.com
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ttglive.com
10 15.01.2010
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