The words fly out but tourism doesn’t for Cameron’s coalition
TOURISM IS a word that has never been far from David Cameron’s lips since he moved smoothly into Downing Street last year. The industry is fundamental to the British economy.
It will create more jobs. It will help lead us out of the recession and into a golden new age, etc... Fine words indeed, but what has become rapidly
apparent is that for Cameron and his coalition, tourism means tourism in Britain. It may be domes- tic, it may be inbound – but it sure as hell isn’t any- thing to do with the multimillion-pound collection of industries that take people out of the country and are responsible for the majority of agents’ business. Nowhere has this been made clearer than in the tourism strategy released last week. It has some fine ideas for stimulating travel in Britain, including a hugely ambitious marketing campaign abroad, but it seems the coalition views outbound tourism as something it can afford to increasingly tax – and as something that, apparently, can take care of itself. It’s a strategy which unsurprisingly has Britain’s
travel leaders up in arms – and increasingly nervous ahead of the budget on March 23. Launched on the same day as the tourism strategy, Abta’s “A Fair Tax on Flying” campaign has got off to a cracking start, although it’s yet to receive any encouragement from the voices that matter. Watching tourism minister John Penrose present the new strategy on TV the other morning, it was hard to believe that by giving support exclusively to inbound tourism, rather than taking a fully-rounded approach, the government isn’t simply feeding one half of tourism while taking away from the other.
No idle hands at TTG Towers TTGhas been busy on all fronts this year. Our first virtual event of 2011 – TTG Virtual: Cruise, on March 29 – is shap- ing up brilliantly, and our spring season of TTG On Tour roadshows has been particularly well attended, with hundreds of agents coming to meet suppliers and the TTGteam.
For the dates of our next roadshows, visit
ttglive.com/ontour And look out for another major TTG event launch in next week’s issue...
Daniel Pearce Editor
dpearce@ttglive.com
02 11.03.2011
news
ILG be back... Remembering International Leisure Group’s glory days at a reunion in Bromley this week, 20 years to the day after the company stopped trading, are (from left – with their former titles): Mike Killeen, commercial director, Lancaster Holidays; Lynn Wallington, area rep Lancaster Holidays; Nigel Wallington, managing director, Lancaster Holidays; Maureen McGrory, personnel manager, ILG; Harry Goodman, chief executive, ILG; and Jan Kirby, area manager, Intasun.
Government strategy.
Looking the wrong way p6 The coalition has been condemned by figures across travel for “letting down” the outbound industry in its new inbound and domestic- focused tourism strategy
Holiday habits.
Low spirits for Brits abroad p7 Of all holidaymakers, Brits are the least likely to try and do something spiritual abroad, and more likely to opt for food and flirting instead, according to research by Kuoni
Conference report. The Global gossip p12 Commission, booking trends and the future of the independent sector were the hot topics at this week’s Global Travel Group Conference in Leicester
www.twitter.com/danielpearce
Customer service. Facing the facts p14 Good customer service may help agents pocket more on a sale, but some agents are getting it wrong, according to our exclusive research
City & finance. Coup for Kuoni p16 Kuoni’s deal with Travelport to acquire Gullivers Travel Associates for $720m will provide the operator with a massive boost to its online consumer sales
Comment.
Heading for home p18 Staycations have flourished in the face of the recession, but agents could sell more by segmenting the domestic market and focusing on what will sell in their catchment
Cunard.
No place for a knees-up p24 Traditions are a key selling point and people will never be allowed to wear shorts in Cunard’s dining rooms, according to the line’s managing director, Peter Shanks
REGULARS.
City & finance p16 Comment p18 Operators p20 Cruise p24 Letters p26
this week
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