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McKinlay Kidd showcases four new scenic itineraries in England and Wales


Domestic tour operator McKinlay Kidd has expanded its range of itineraries in England and Wales to coincide with the planned reopening of hospitality and UK breaks. The operator offers self-


guided tailor-made trips and small-group tours in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The four new trips are a six-night Yorkshire &


Buttermere, Lake District


Northumberland Family Adventure, from £2,175 based on a family of four; eight-night Secrets of South West England & Wales, from £1,195 based on two sharing; nine-night Exploring England’s East, from £1,445 based on two sharing; and seven- night Premier Lake District & Hadrian’s Wall Road Trip, from £1,595 based on two sharing. The Yorkshire &


Northumberland Family Adventure includes six nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation in an en-suite family room, dinner on three nights for two adults, a Freedom Family ticket on the North Yorks Moors Steam Railway, a boat trip to the Farne Islands and a private guided tour of the coast, including entry to two castles. mckinlaykidd.com


Titan extends deposit offer to end of August


Titan Travel has extended its £49 Flexi-Deposit offer to new bookings made by August 31. It was due to end on March 1. Available on most tours, Flexi-Deposit allows unlimited booking amendments up to 75 days before departure. Titan has also extended its £20 trade booking incentive to March 31. titantravel.co.uk


A&K Villas unveils Extra Flex protection


Abercrombie & Kent Villas is offering 100% refunds or no-fee postponements if clients cannot travel due to government advice or quarantine rules. The accommodation specialist’s Extra Flex policy, launched last week, applies to more than 70 villas in Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Croatia. akvillas.com


Rocky Mountaineer rolls in free inclusions


Rocky Mountaineer is offering two hotel nights, one transfer and one meal for free in an All Aboard 2022 promotion for trips of eight days or more booked on its three Canadian routes. For packages of five to seven days, two of the perks are included. The offer is available on GoldLeaf Service and SilverLeaf Service until August 27, 2021. rockymountaineer.com


12 4 MARCH 2021


Sunny Heart Travel aims to sell through agents by the summer


Juliet Dennis


Sunny Heart Travel hopes to sell through agents from this summer. The new online tour operator, born in the wake


of the collapse of Thomas Cook, launched this week to consumers with a sloth mascot promoting “stress-free holidays”. The operator was originally


due to launch last autumn. Its name is derived from


Cook’s ‘sunny heart’ logo and there are 10 former Thomas Cook retail staff working in the company’s call centre. The operator is selling holidays


worldwide and has deals in place with 84 destination management companies. Chief executive Steve


Bentzen, former Thomas Cook IT programme manager, said that working with the trade was “not that far off”. He added: “I definitely


hope that by the summer we will be working with travel agents.” Many of Cook’s former


partners overseas have chosen to work with Sunny Heart


Travel and have provided “fantastic deals”, said Bentzen. The operator will focus its promotions on


destinations where it has the strongest offers, including the Canaries, Turkey, Egypt, mainland Spain, Tunisia, the Caribbean, Australia and Thailand. Its advertising mascot Sunny the Sloth will be used as the face of the company to promote “hassle- free trips tailored to individuals’ needs”. Currently, Sunny Heart Travel


plans to offer holidays departing from May 17, to fit with the government’s current roadmap


plan for overseas travel. The company is initially


completing bookings by phone,


rather than online, because of the continued travel uncertainty and to ensure customers understand their booking options. The call centre team will be briefed daily on the latest government guidelines to provide a “full concierge service”. Sunny Heart Travel is based in Peterborough, where Thomas Cook had


its headquarters. sunnyhearttravel.com


Sunny the Sloth is the promotional face of Sunny Heart Travel


travelweekly.co.uk


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