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Turkey bookings up 26% on 2018


Juliet Dennis juliet.dennis@travelweekly.co.uk


Turkey’s resurgence as a mainstream destination has een confire y a caacity hike by Tui and a rise in bookings for Thomas Cook.


The news is backed by industry


analyst GfK, whose latest data shows Turkey bookings up 26% year on year for the season to date to last Saturday. Thomas Cook said Turkey had


overtaken Greece to become its second-most-popular destination this summer, behind Spain, and accounted for a quarter of its flightonly bookings so far this year, 27% up on last summer. Cook’s 2019 annual UK holiday


report revealed a clear shift towards countries outside the EU this summer in a year of “political upheaval” including Brexit, and said the driving factor was the weakness of the pound against the euro. Cook highlighted Turkey’s


valueformoney, fivestar resorts and diversity as key drivers in its popularity, as well as its location outside the EU.


The Blue Grand Azur will be exclusive to Tui from next summer


In recognition of Turkey’s rising popularity, Tui UK has announced an additional 45,000 seats for summer 2020. Tui Airways has launched flights


from Belfast and Aberdeen to Dalaman, and increased frequency from Gatwick and Manchester. Tui has exclusively contracted


two hotels in Antalya, the Royal Dragon and Royal Wings, and added them to its Platinum range. In Marmaris, the adult-only


Blue Grand Azur will be owned by and operated exclusively by Tui from next summer. The capacity hike follows that by Jet2holidays last year, which added 600,000 seats for 2018. Cruise lines are also increasing capacity in Turkey. Sister NCL Holdings lines Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises will offer 65 calls at Turkish ports in 2019 and 2020 – it had none in 2017 and just two in 2018. A ost ffice Travel oney


report this week revealed that sterling was 34% up against the Turkish lira compared with a year ago, giving holidaymakers £128


extra on a £500 currency purchase. › Thomas Cook report, page 10


Iain Powell scoops the young manager of the year award


Saga chief lands Hall of Fame gong


Ben Ireland ben.ireland@travelweekly.co.uk


Saga Travel’s head of trade sales thanked his team for how they “embraced change” after he was named young manager of the year at the British Travel & ositality all of Fae.


Iain Powell, who has driven


Saga’s shift back to selling through agents since he was appointed in 2017, said he was “overwhelmed” by the honour, adding: “A lot of what we achieved in 2018 is down to the success of my team. I’m proud of the way they’ve embraced change and risen to the challenge.” The over-50s specialist, which


returned to selling through agents in 2014, unveiled a trade website and booking engine in 2018. The young entrepreneur of the


year award went to Nathan Cable, co-founder and co-chief executive of clubbing operator Party Hard Travel, who praised his business partner Barry Moore and the “core values and purpose for the business that’s taken us to a new level”. He said: “Our purpose is to give young people the best week of their lives.”


“I’m proud of how my team has embraced change and risen to the challenge”


The accolades were handed out


at the Four Seasons Hotel in Park Lane, London, on Monday, as six industry leaders were inducted into the Hall of Fame, part of Travel Weekly parent Jacobs Media Group. They were: Frank Del Rio, chief


executive of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings; the co-owners of AmaWaterways, Kristin Karst and Rudi Schreiner; Bea Tollman, founder of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection; and Gary and Rita Beckwith, founders of City Cruises. The awards, which honour the


highest achievers in the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, also includes a sustainable business award. It was won by Intrepid Travel Group, which last year became the biggest travel firm to achieve ‘B Corporation’ status. The business achievement of the year award went to foodservice


and hospitality operator WSH. › Intrepid prediction, page 8


2 May 2019travelweekly.co.uk5 3 STORIES HOT


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