cars overseas about changes to UK driving licences. The DVLA is abolishing paper licences from June 8. Drivers will be able to access their licence details online. Affordable recommends that agents advise customers to obtain their unique passcode from the DVLA website to access their details before collecting their car.


Amanda Wills receives CBE for extensive charity work Amanda Wills, former managing director of Virgin Holidays, was awarded a CBE by Prince William at Buckingham Palace last week. Wills (pictured), who has worked in the travel industry for 28 years, was honoured for her contribution to the sector and for her charity work in the UK and abroad.


“You can’t defend the strategy, but it has not stopped Cook from doing what it does”


Analyst Mark Brumby is unfazed by media reaction to the handling of two children’s deaths in Corfu


MORE IN TRAVEL WEEKLY BUSINESS: BACK PAGE


South Africa tightens rules for travellers with children New rules being imposed on families entering South Africa will come into effect on Monday (June 1). Parents travelling with children under 18 may be asked to show the child’s full birth certificate, while single parents will need to provide proof of parental or legal authority to travel with a child. The stricter immigration rules are devised to tackle child abduction and the trafficking of young people.


Affordable gives agents a steer over licence changes Affordable Car Hire has advised agents to inform customers hiring


8 • travelweekly.co.uk — 28 May 2015


Cosmos appoints Sharp as national sales manager Cosmos Tours has appointed Paul Sharp as national sales manager. Sharp, former business development manager at AmaWaterways, takes up his role with immediate effect, replacing Simon McDermott. Sharp’s remit is to develop the operator’s commercial trade strategy for Cosmos Tours & Cruises and sister brand Avalon Waterways.


Mercian agent Sam Tyers


wins hamper from Funway Sam Tyers from Mercian Travel in Hagley, West Midlands, has won a luxury hamper from Funway. She entered a Facebook competition in which agents were asked to post a useful fact from the Sandals by Funway 2015-16 brochure.


Travel Weekly’s Booth wins Lata trade feature award Travel Weekly features editor Joanna Booth (pictured) has won an award from the Latin American Travel Association. Her guide to luxury holidays in the Galapagos Islands, published in Travel Weekly’s sister title Aspire in September, won the award for trade feature of the year.


Cunard’s three Queens put spotlight on cruise


Cunard believes its three Queens celebrations in Liverpool will benefit the whole industry by putting the spotlight on cruise. The line marked its 175th anniversary in


Liverpool with all three Cunard ships sailing on the Mersey for the first time. More than one million people are estimated to have flocked to the riverside in the city, where Cunard was first based, to mark the occasion. Cunard marketing director Angus Struthers said: “I hope this event highlights what a significant brand Cunard is. We are a small player – we make up just 6% of the UK cruise industry – but the spotlight is on Cunard. “If we see a surge in bookings off the back of it, that’s a bonus. This celebration is great for the cruise industry because it is attracting attention from around the world.”


Clarity Travel Management to shut two regional offices Clarity Travel Management is to close two regional offices. The corporate travel agency,


formerly owned by The Co-operative Group, said the decision to shut its Derby and Northampton offices reflected a shift towards digital bookings. Clarity,


formerly called Co-operative Travel


“As


Management, when part of the joint venture between the Co-op and Thomas Cook, was sold to Saudi Arabia-based Mawasem Travel and Tourism for £13.5 million last year. A spokeswoman for Clarity


business grows, our reviewed”


property portfolio has been


Clarity opened a Manchester head office last year and has invested in its go2 digital booking system. “This investment is bearing fruit with the business winning over £12 million of new business in the first quarter of this year,” added the spokeswoman. “As our business grows, our property portfolio has been reviewed and we’ve had to make some difficult decisions around whether we modernise our current locations – renewing leases – or


utilise capacity elsewhere. “It is proposed that accounts


Travel Management said the firm was “committed to servicing accounts regionally”. “However, the changing face of business travel means many clients are now choosing different ways to book with us,” she said.


managed by our Derby and Northampton sites will be managed by our teams in other locations. We are working with team members affected to explore what alternative roles may be available to them.”


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