64 | TRADE NEWS
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Jet2holidays Returns to Türkiye for Ninth Annual VIP Conference
May 2023
again be specifically tailored for independent travel agents and homeworkers so that they can increase sales and successfully grow their businesses.
As well as helping agency partners understand how to sell more holidays by working in partnership with the UK’s largest tour operator there will be presentations, supplier showcases, awards and a gala dinner. A number of other exciting announcements about the conference will be made over the next few weeks and months, so independent travel agents should watch this space for more news.
JET2HOLIDAYS has announced that its ninth annual VIP conference for independent travel agents will be hosted in Türkiye, as a demonstration of its commitment to supporting the popular holiday destination.
Up to 350 delegates and top performing agents will head to the conference, which will take place from Monday 27th to Thursday 30th November 2023. Choosing Türkiye represents the first time that Jet2holidays has returned to a particular destination for its annual VIP conference for independent travel agents. The UK’s largest tour operator to Türkiye has chosen to host its conference there once more, as a demonstration of its support to the country, which is seeing holidaymakers return with
NEW YORK CITY TOURISM + CONVENTIONS
PRESENTS IT’S TIME FOR CULTURE OFFERINGS, AVAILABLE 9-21 MAY
NEW York City Tourism + Conventions has announced the return of It’s Time for Culture with offerings at nearly 100 cultural organisations across all five boroughs, available 9-21 May. The programme, comprising seasonal events, concerts,
tours, classes, programmes and more,
family-friendly kicks off the
unofficial start of the New York City summer cultural season. A full list of organisations and offerings are available at nyctourism. com/timeforculture.
“Cultural travel accounts for 40 percent of global travel and continues to be one of the top activities for visitors to New York City,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions. “As the weather warms, we’re launching It’s Time for Culture to encourage visitors to explore the diversity and vibrancy of our city’s cultural landscape, and the talent and creativity that can be found across all five boroughs.” It’s Time for Culture is a celebration of
the range and richness of New York City’s offerings, providing visitors the opportunity to enjoy a variety of experiences and immersions into the City’s vibrant cultural scene. Consumers can sort through nearly 100 offerings by borough, neighbourhood and category at
nyctourism.com/timeforculture. As the premier sponsor of New York City Tourism + Conventions’ signature vibrancy programs,
Mastercard is the preferred
payment partner of It’s Time for Culture. A sampling of participants includes Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Coney Island USA, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Mark Morris Dance Group, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Dance Parade, New York Live Arts, Museum of the City of New York, National Museum of the American Indian, Apollo Theater, Harlem One Stop, American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog, Louis Armstrong House Museum, New York Hall of Science, National Lighthouse Museum, among many others.
much pent-up demand remaining. The company’s last annual VIP conference to take place in Türkiye was back in 2018. The tour operator has chosen to head back as a demonstration of its commitment to the country, and so that independent travel agents can see all it has to offer customers. With holidays operating to Türkiye from all ten UK bases, Jet2holidays is looking ahead to a busy Summer 23 in one of its most popular destinations. The conference will provide agency partners and homeworkers with a first-hand experience of the stunning destination so that they are equipped with all the knowledge they need to sell it to customers.
The event draws on nine years of conference experience, with a programme that will once
Jet2holidays demonstrated its commitment to building relationships with independent travel agents and homeworkers, by announcing the promotion of Alan Cross to the newly created position of Director of Travel Agent Relationships. It is also expanding its award-winning trade team to 20, and the team will be hosting agency partners in Türkiye, alongside senior members of the Jet2holidays management team including CEO Steve Heapy. Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2holidays said: “We are very pleased to be returning to
Türkiye for our annual VIP conference. As well as enjoying a productive week discussing our partnership approach to working with independent travel agents and homeworkers, we will be spending time showing them the many delights that Türkiye has to offer. We are the UK’s leading tour operator to Türkiye and have a bigger programme on sale than ever to the country, so we know this year’s annual VIP conference will be great way of further boosting demand to this wonderful destination.”
Alan to
Cross,
Director
of Travel Agent
Relationships at Jet2holidays said: “At the start of the year, we pledged continue putting
independent travel
agents and homeworkers right at the heart of our business and in that spirit, we are promising that this will be our biggest and best conference ever. Our Partners2Success strategy is stronger and more successful than ever before, and we will be using our time together in Türkiye to update on how we will strengthen our partnerships even further.”
He added: “This will be the first time that the Jet2holidays Annual VIP Conference for independent travel agents has returned to a specific destination, but what better place to return to than stunning Türkiye. This is a destination that truly does have something for everyone, and we will be showcasing that to our best performing agency partners in November. Although the tragic events did temporarily impact demand, there is no doubt that holidaymakers are looking to get to Türkiye
and we will do everything
we can to help stimulate that demand and help the local economy. It promises to be a memorable week, and if agents want to be there, then our message is get booking!” Delegates will be flown to Türkiye on two chartered flights, with the UK airports to be announced in due course.
If you are an independent travel agent and are interested in learning more about how you could benefit from working in partnership with Jet2holidays, please visit the company’s dedicated trade site: trade.
jet2holidays.com
Expedia Launches Trip Planner Powered by ChatGPT
EXPEDIA announced an exciting new use for artificial intelligence with the beta launch of a new in-app travel planning experience powered by ChatGPT. Expedia members can now start an open-ended conversation in the Expedia app and get recommendations on places to go, where to stay, how to get around, and what to see and do based on the chat. But much more than that, the new trip planning experience brings
International journalists explore Northern Ireland’s newest filming locations
in intelligent shopping by automatically saving hotels discussed in the conversation to a “trip” in the app, helping members stay organised and making it easier for them to start choosing dates, checking availability, and adding on flights, cars, or activities. “Every great trip can be made or lost while planning and shopping. As the leader in travel tech, Expedia continues to build out the core operating system for the industry,
UNWTO and Aviareps Partner Up to Boost European Tourism Recovery
THE latest big-screen epic to showcase the spectacular scenery of Northern Ireland is the new film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which recently went on release in cinemas. Much of the filming took place in Northern Ireland – at Titanic Studios and locations close
to Belfast. Tourism Ireland, in
conjunction with Tourism NI, invited top journalists from GB, the United States, Germany, France, Spain and Belgium to visit Northern Ireland, to check out some of the locations used in filming.
The visiting journalists have a combined audience of more than 9 million readers, viewers and followers on social media. During their time here, they visited places like Tollymore Forest Park, Castle Ward and the Ards Peninsula, as well as Carrickfergus Castle, Glenarm Castle, the Carrick-a- Rede Rope Bridge, Ballintoy, the Giant’s Causeway and Dunluce Castle.
AVIAREPS and the World Tourism Organization have formed a partnership with the aim to boost European tourism. AVIAREPS, an affiliate member of
the UNWTO, will provide a portfolio of destination marketing and research services for free to five countries chosen by UNWTO. The UNWTO + AVIAREPS Destination Marketing Grant will include various digital marketing services. These include campaign websites, webinars, e-learning programmes and virtual events. It is hoped that this suite of digital services will be able to benefit all countries and regions to rebound quickly. In addition the UNWTO + AVIAREPS
Destination Marketing Grant will also offer classic PR services and allow countries to participate in AVIAREPS Roadshows. The AVIAREPS Roadshows bring qualified travel industry buyers in each market in direct contact with destination stakeholders. Recipients of the Research Grants
will be provided pro bono in-depth international travel trade and consumer research.
constantly enhancing capabilities and
making trip planning faster, simpler and even more informative,” said Peter Kern, Vice Chairman and CEO, Expedia Group. “By integrating ChatGPT into the Expedia app and combining it with our other AI- based shopping capabilities,
like hotel
comparison, price tracking for flights and trip collaboration tools, we can now offer travelers an even more intuitive way to build their perfect trip.”
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