NEWS ROUND-UP NEWS IN BRIEF
Abta updates accessible tourism training facility
Abta has refreshed its accessible tourism e-learning tool to reflect changes in Package Travel Regulations, data potection rules and the 2010 Equalities Act. The association estimates firms miss out on £1.8 billion in sales a month by ignoring the needs of disabled customers.
Accessible Travel to cease trading in September
Gloucester-based specialist operator Accessible Travel and Leisure, a Travel Trust Association member, is to cease trading on September 10. Owner Andy Wright blamed large operators for having a “virtual monopoly” on accessible accommodation. › Talk Back, page 15
Kuoni to set up safari tent at BBC Countryfile Live
Kuoni is teaming up with South African Tourism to set up a safari tent at this weekend’s BBC Countryfile Live event at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
Marshall promoted to sales director at Sandals
Sandals has promoted Leah Marshall to sales director. She has been with the business for more than 20 years and led the launch of Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ UK tour operation, Unique Caribbean Holidays UK.
Yates quits Attraction World to join Scenic and Emerald
Nicky Yates, Attraction World’s business development manager, north, is to join Scenic and Emerald Waterways as sales manager on September 3.
Wendy Wu Tours becomes 20th member of Tipto
Asia specialist Wendy Wu Tours has become the latest member of tour operator association Tipto, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Greece specialists raise funds for wildfire victims
Ben Ireland
ben.ireland@
travelweekly.co.uk
Operators have rallied in support of the victims of the wildfires in Greece that have claimed the lives of more than 90 people.
Olympic Holidays is asking for donations of essential items such as soaps, nappies, shampoos, disinfectants, packaged food, bottledwater, toothpaste, brushes, vests, new underwear and children’s shoes for the humanitarian effort. The Greece specialist has so far
helped raise more than £8,600 for Greek charity
Desmos.org through its ownChildren’s Charity Fund and is matching £1 donations fromcustomers. Head of marketing Carl Catterall
said45%of customers lastweek donated. “Wewanted to help, and many of our customers also wanted to support,” he said. Another operator, Party Hard
Travel, is nearly £2,000 towards its £5,000 fundraising target. The firm,which says Greece is its most popular destination, is sending money to local charity the Lyreion Foundation,which runs
Corfu’s rubbish continues to mount, say holidaymakers
Complaints of problems with waste collections in Corfu have re- emerged –weeks after authorities said the issuewas “being resolved”. Agents and holidaymakers told
Travel Weekly piles of rubbishwere building up on roadsides despite recent efforts to resolve the crisis ahead of the arrival of thousands of tourists this peak season.
8
travelweekly.co.uk 2 August 2018 Holidaymaker Mark Smith said
localswere nowfly-tipping, adding therewas “more rubbish than ever” on the road fromthe airport.
ABLAZE: Fires rage near Loutraki in the Peloponnese region on July 24
an orphanage for 65 children and which sawone of its five houses burnt downin the wildfires, along with three buses, two trucks, a tractor and an olive grove. Co-founder Barry Moore
said donations had come from customers and the industry but that the fires had not affected sales. He added: “Bookings are slowthis time of year, but there’s been no variation fromlast year.” Sunvil managing director
ChrisWright said holidaymakers appeared to knowthe wildfires had affected only mainland Greece and that the operator hadn’t
Dassia, Corfu, on Monday
seen a flood of cancellations. He said:“Wewere expecting calls
about the fires butwe didn’t have one. It’s not affected bookings.” At least 91 people have been
killed in the wildfires in the Attica region of mainland Greece,which includes popular domestic tourist resort Mati. Another 25 peoplewere unaccounted for and more than 2,000 homes have been affected. According to records held by
the Centre for the Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, based in Brussels, the blaze has been the deadliest of its kind in Europe since 1900.
Spear Travels managing director
Peter Cookson said: “The rubbish situation continues, albeit better on thewhole than itwas, and is worse in some areas than others.” The UK office of the Greek National Tourist Office said the situationwas “highly improved” compared with earlier this year and added that Corfu authorities had approved €713,000 in funding to start paper recycling collections. The problem follows the closure
of a full landfill site in February. › Talk Back, page 15
PICTURE: VASSILIS PSOMAS/EPA-EFE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
PICTURE: MARK SMITH
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