Trade figures help grow Travel.Radio’s listeners


Samantha Mayling


Travel.Radio has reported a surge in listeners, prompted by the working-from-home trend and familiar industry bosses hosting popular shows. The digital station, launched in


October, noticed a significant rise in its audience as more travel staff worked from home during the third Covid lockdown from early January. News bulletins, produced in


partnership with Travel Weekly, and new feature shows – presented by the likes of Andy Harmer, Clia’s UK and Ireland director, and Brian Young, EMEA managing director for G Adventures – are also prompting more travel industry staff and consumers to tune in, it said. Listener figures have grown to an


average of 1,100 for the Afternoon Travel show, while the Flight Deck show on Sundays, with industry commentator Paul Charles, is averaging 990. Station director Leo Jones, who


appeared in ITV docusoap Airline for eight years while working for easyJet at Luton airport, said the station is planning more engagement with the travel agent community. He said the addition of new


feature programmes was drawing more listeners, with the business


Radio is a great


way to communicate community messages and for countries to get their brand message over


travel show proving the most popular. Twice-daily news bulletins


on weekdays, provided by Travel Weekly, were also driving a “spike in numbers”, said Jones. The station, which will soon be


on DAB radio and offer a catch-up service, has also extended its partnership with the Polish Tourism Organisation and hopes to develop


Sister brands Scandinavia Only and Taber Holidays to wind down


The parent company of Scandinavia Only and Taber Holidays is to wind down as a result of the impact of Covid-19. Shareholders and directors of Roy Taber Limited, which was set up in 1973, said “ongoing restrictions and uncertainty” around travel’s resumption had prompted the decision. The solvent company, a member of Aito and Abta, plans to “wind down in an orderly manner”.


8 4 MARCH 2021 Andy Harmer,


Brian Young and Paul


Charles now present on


Travel.Radio


its Your Travel Radio Club with travel offers when travel gets going again after a 45% increase in subscribers. “Radio is a great way to


communicate community messages and for countries to get their brand message over,” said Jones. Following the prime minister’s


roadmap announcement last week, Travel.Radio launched a social media campaign to encourage holiday bookings, using the #lookingandbooking hashtag. Jones said: “Consumers and the


trade have increased confidence of being able to travel this summer. We want to support our industry recover by encouraging consumers to start #lookingandbooking.”


Accessible holidays specialist Disabled Holidays collapses


Disabled Holidays parent Discover Holidays has ceased trading. The company offered mobility equipment hire, assistance at airports and adapted transfers, and claimed to be the UK’s largest accessible-holidays specialist. Bookings remain financially protected through the Travel Trust Association.


Jet2holidays wins case against fake sickness claimants


Four holidaymakers have been found guilty of submitting fraudulent compensation claims for gastric illness against Jet2holidays. Christopher Byng, 38, Linda Lane,


36, Barbara Byng, 64, and Anthony Byng, 66, all of Middlesbrough, were convicted of contempt of court at Teesside Combined Court on February 26 after pleading guilty. They admitted submitting false


gastric illness claims for a holiday in Gran Canaria in November 2016. Three received immediate custodial sentences; Linda Lane received a suspended sentence. They were also ordered to pay Jet2’s legal costs. Social media posts of the family


enjoying their holiday, discovered by law firm Horwich Farrelly, showed the claims were fabricated. Jet2holidays chief executive


Steve Heapy said the ruling “sends out a very stark message: we will not hesitate to take action against fraudsters, and the courts will not hesitate to punish them.” Claims of gastric illness among


holidaymakers spiked by 500% between 2013 and 2016, according to Abta. In response, Travel Weekly, with the support of Abta and operators such as Jet2holidays, launched a Fight Fake Claims campaign in 2017.


P&O stops taking bookings for sailings departing before June 21


P&O Cruises has stopped taking new bookings for sailings before June 21 – but stressed that cruises due to depart before then have not been cancelled. June 21 is the date by which the prime minister hopes all Covid restrictions could be lifted. P&O sales and marketing vice-president Alex Delamere-White is to leave later this year to join retirement community developer McCarthy Stone.


travelweekly.co.uk


CLAIMS FIGHT


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