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Tunisia inquests ‘will hit at peaks’


Juliet Dennis juliet.dennis@travelweekly.co.uk


The timing of inquests into the deaths of 30 Britons killed in a Tunisia terrorist attack is the “worst possible hand to have been dealt to the industry”, according to a travel marketing expert.


The inquests start on January 16,


two weeks in to the industry’s peak sales period for next summer, and are expected to last between six and eight weeks. In total 38 people, including 30


Britons on holiday with Tui, were killed by a gunman as they lay on the beach by the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel at the resort of Port El Kantaoui on June 26, 2015. Steve Dunne, executive chairman


of the PR firm Brighter Group, said: “This is the worst possible hand that could have been dealt to the industry in terms of timing. “Geopolitical unrest and safety


are now bigger issues than price and Brexit for consumers, and the one thing the industry cannot control is safety. “If you get to the point of considering a holiday purchase


Memorial on the beach in Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia


and suddenly the front pages of the newspapers are dominated by tales of horror on the beach, this could have a detrimental effect.” Dunne believes it is unlikely the inquests will stop holidaymakers from booking but thinks certain destinations in the eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and even in Asia could suffer. Tui said it would be taking an


“incredibly sensitive” approach to the inquests.


Nick Longman, Tui’s managing


director for the UK and Ireland, said: “We are taking a full and active role in the inquests as we, like others, want to understand the specific circumstances that led to this terrible event. “This is an extremely important


matter to us and something we’ll continue to be incredibly sensitive to as we enter what is traditionally a key trading period for us as a business and the travel industry at large.” The inquests are expected to


assess the adequacy of travel advice offered by the Foreign Office and travel companies. Relatives of 17 of the 30 British


families have begun legal action against Tui Group.


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Agency partners can co-brand Jet2holidays’ mobile trailer


STORIES HOT


Sell Jet2holidays in mobile trailers


Lucy Huxley lucy.huxley@travelweekly.co.uk


Jet2holidays is launching a mobile travel agency initiative in January to “get agents out of the high street and into their communities”.


The package tour operator,


which recently announced new flights and holidays from Birmingham and Stansted for 2017 in addition to its northern bases, has invested in two five‑metre trailers to be used as mobile travel agencies. Member of its 10‑strong sales


team are undergoing a three‑day training course to “beef up their driving licences”. They are learning how to drive with the trailers, which can be co‑branded with partner independent agencies and parked in places of high footfall or at community events. The initiative will kick off with Midcounties for two weeks in January. The two co‑branded trailers will be driven to Co‑op food store car parks in the Birmingham airport catchment area. Jet2holidays will then partner


with Hays, Dawson & Sanderson and Stewart Travel to take its trailers into their communities – and it would like to hear from other independents who would like to make use of the trailers. Jet2holidays sales director Alan


Cross said the trailers have Wi‑Fi and heating and are an appealing place for customers to come and book a holiday. He said: “This is an imaginative idea that will get agents out of their high streets and into the heart of their communities, and we want to hear from anyone who would like to partner with us to take a trailer for a day or more. “We will sort out all the


co‑branding and park the trailer wherever the agent has identified as a good place, and our sales representatives will be on hand to help sell the holidays alongside our agent partners. It’s really exciting,” he said. Cross revealed he was recruiting


for a second sales rep to cover the Stansted catchment area following “huge demand” for holidays from


the airport. › Jet2 wins four gongs at the SPAA Awards, page 10


10 November 2016 travelweekly.co.uk 5


PICTURE: REUTERS/ZOHRA BENSEMRA


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