Trade longs for semblance of certainty A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR


After three years of uncertainty, it seems clarity about the future remains some way off. As Travel Weekly went to press, it was still unclear if the nation was heading for a no-deal Brexit, if a general election was on the horizon or if the Brexit wrangling would be extended again until the end of January 2020. Whatever your politics, it’s hard to see many positives in this ongoing uncertainty, with the peak booking period likely to be impacted whether consumers are dealing with the aftermath of Brexit or still harbouring concerns about its impending impact. Of course, there is a chance the “sod it” factor will kick in, as


customers decide they’ve had enough of the politics and book anyway, and it’s worth remembering that outbound numbers for this


summer will actually be slightly up year on year. But the trade will be longing for at least some semblance of certainty to help it develop strategies for the months and years ahead.


Partnerships are key In times of uncertainty, partnerships are ever-more critical, and it is the partnerships between suppliers and agents that we will again be celebrating in January. The Globe Travel Awards (page 45) offer the opportunity to showcase the excellence and solidarity of our industry, so please nominate the suppliers that have supported you at globetravelawards.co.uk.


WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK


OHad a planning call with Abta about the sessions I will be moderating at this year’s Travel Convention in Japan


OWas honoured to join the esteemed panel charged with judging this year’s AWTE awards


Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS TRAVEL AWARDS 2020


Nominations now open!


Have your say page 45


Photo: Shutterstock NEWS


Prince Harry unveils ecotourism project 4 Operators rebook as hurricane strikes 4 Brexit delay ‘could hit during peaks’ 5 Hawke extols travel’s service on Radio 4 6 InteleTravel and Tui probe ‘fraud’ Virgin opens four more concessions


6 8


Mike Rodwell retires from Fred Olsen 10 Special report


Silversea’s Silver Moon takes to water 12 Comment


Debbie Marshall: accessible cruising 14


NEWS YOU CAN USE Product Caribtours, Travel 2, Balkan, Luton


Cruise APT, Carnival, Crystal, Celebrity


operator


DESTINATIONS winter sun


Florida: Fort Myers and Sanibel


17 18


Destination Club Med, Disney, Sonoma, Iceland 26


FOLLOW US: travelweekly.co.uk @travelweekly


Railbookers, Kuoni, Titan, G Adventures, AAT Kings, Warner, Shearings, Tauck 20


64 Value: 8 of best budget-friendly spots 70


Zanzibar: Year-round African island 77 Latin america


Nicaragua: Volcanos, wildlife, cities 81 Brazil: Paraty is Rio’s best-kept secret 87


BUSINESS NEWS Ettsa welcomes new rules; Ryanair


travelweeklyuk


Noel Josephides: overcapacity curse 95 Cook agrees key terms with Fosun


94 96


@travelweeklyuk 5 SEPTEMBER 2019 3


OJoined a group of travel industry ladies to enjoy a clay-pigeon shoot, champagne punting – and dressing up as vampires – for A-Rosa MD Lucia Rowe’s hen party celebrations


FRONTLINE Get Social


Cook, B737 Max, Jet2, Shearings Agent diary


Competitions 29


Kim Kent: I blame myself for staff woe 32 Your Stories Iain Shaw, Barrhead Travel


Win a four-night trip to Lapland


Mystery Shopper Bolton agents set winter-sun task


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