Travel Trade Gazette 01.03.2012 TTGDIGITAL.COM


Daniel Pearce Brand director


business, with other people? How often do you swap views on the industry you work in? When the challenges are piling up and it feels like consumer confidence, failing travel businesses and floundering cruise lines are conspiring against you, it can really help you get a healthier perspective, as I have just found. This week I was invited to give an update to a group of managers at the BBC on the state of the travel industry. Such exercises are useful to help ensure that those in the wider media have as full a perspective on travel as possible. Talking through the challenges facing travel businesses today – come on, you don’t really want me to list them, do you? – it sounded like the industry should be on its knees. But when I told them the real story about travel – about how the number of Brits going on holiday is flat rather than in decline, about how per-customer spend on holidays is rising, and about the innovations in travel and the strength of many travel agents – they were amazed and excited to hear about how resilient the sector is. To see these senior managers’ eyes light up as I told them about the rise in authentic travel, the growth in adventure holidays and all-inclusives – and even the ongoing strength of package holidays – underlined exactly why travel is the feel-good sector that so many others wish they were more involved with. Every business, every job, has its challenges in 2012 – but wouldn’t you prefer to face up to them in the travel industry rather than any other?


H


Get behind the high street We’ve had some great responses to the Trust in Travel Agents: Backing Britain’s High Streets campaign that TTGgot under way last week. A number of readers have come forward to tell us about high street issues affecting them, with the gradual disappearance of what seems like every one of Britain’s free parking spaces high on the agenda. For many community businesses, it’s clear that it’s the local issues, the ones that affect them and their customers, that really matter. Keep reading TTGand find out how we can help you tackle them.


It’s easy to get in touch – you can email me dpearce@ttgdigital.com – or tweet me at twitter.com/danielpearce


ow often do you talk about your travel job, or your travel


CONTENTS


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18 04 NEWS.


10 TTG Interview: Ross Marshall on how he’s taken YourGolfTravel.com into the Sunday Times Fast Track list 12 TTG Virtual: Cruise: Our next virtual event will offer advice on how cruise sales can keep growing 14 Cruise: Celebrity Cruises has announced that it will be placing another ship in the UK 16 The week in travel: Insight offers European photography tours, while Jumeirah adds pearl diving in Dubai 18 Luxury Travel: Key points from ttgluxury Seminar 2012, including tapping into the “luxsplorer” trend


20 INTELLIGENCE.


Tipto summer events research: Indie agents are expecting this summer’s Queen’s Jubilee to drive up domestic travel, but the impact of the Olympics remains less clear cut


22TALK.


23 Simon Calder on maximising off-peak ski deals: “By some intelligent use of ‘bin-end’ flights, agents can put together trips that will offer startling value”


24TOOLKIT.


24 Technology: How to save money and cut risk by moving IT to ‘the cloud’ 27 Good Business: Join TTG and The Travel Foundation at a free-of-charge seminar on responsible business 28 TTG on Tour: The food, the fun, the prizes: highlights of our visits to London, Cardiff, Bristol, Exeter, Belfast, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Newcastle 30 Training: Swot up on Marconfort’s various properties in Spain for a chance to win an all-inclusive stay 32 Mystery Shopper: A high street agent finds a bargain on a high-end Cyprus hotel when we visit Morpeth


35 FEATURES.


35 On Our Radar: We find out about Kirker’s new Philadelphia arts tour and Beaches Single Parent Fun months 37 UK & Ireland: Limber up for a sporty holiday, focus on a Diamond Jubilee and Olympic summer, 60 Seconds with Hoseasons 45 Essentials/Add-Ons: Eco-car rental; fast-track visas


54GETAWAY. 48


TTGina with more insights into her jet-setter life, plus win a place on Gimme 5 & Fly Barbados in our competition


01.03.2012 03


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