Hats off to travel’s operational experts A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
The old adage no news is good news could certainly have been applied to the travel sector this summer, with the peak season largely passing without a repeat of the negative consumer headlines of recent years (page 4). There were occasional points of concern, of course, but the dreaded
phrase “travel chaos” was notably absent from front pages and the top stories of the major news websites. There is always an element of good or bad fortune in these matters – the industry was hardly at fault for last year’s wildfires, for example. But enormous credit should also go to the multitude of travel, aviation and maritime professionals whose experience and skill ensure such complex operations run largely as planned.
Sadly, there isn’t a category for logistical excellence in the Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards,
but it is precisely these high standards and professionalism we seek to recognise each January when we gather to kick off the new year in style. As you can read in this week’s issue, nominations are now open for travel agents to ensure their top suppliers and destination partners are featured in the shortlists when voting opens in November. And nominations and entries are also open for our five special awards: Travel for All, Unsung
Hero, Sustainable Future, Employer of the Year and Outstanding Achievement. The Globes are always an incredible celebration of everything that makes the industry great, but we need your frontline expertise to ensure we can honour the best of the best on January 16. Find out more in our special Globes 2025 feature, starting on page 33.
F Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS NEWS
Heathrow contingency plans ‘paid off’ 4 Agent warns of ‘smarter’ fraudsters
4
Ryanair says refunds spurred trade links 5 Trade lobbies government; Travelpack 6 Uniworld hails shift; Ambassador/Clia 8 comment
Globe Travel Awards 2025
Nominations open for the industry’s top accolades pages 33-44
Amanda Matthews: Value the skills of travel agents 10
NEWS YOU CAN USE Product
Jet2, Sandals, Balkan, Ocean Beds 13 Audley Travel, First Class Holidays Royal, Tui, Emerald, Fred Olsen
14 16
Princess, NCL, Riviera, Windstar, Scenic 18
FRONTLINE Close up G Adventures hosts agents at Taylor Swift concert 22
agent diary Helen Parry: Wet UK fuelled bookings 23
FRONT COVER AND THIS PAGE: Steve Dunlop; Sarah Lucy Brown; Shutterstock/MrVander, kaskip, Sabine Klein, Sytilin Pavel, dotshock
travelweekly.co.uk FOLLOW US: @travelweekly
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
ORecorded a webcast with Clia and Ambassador Cruise Line to discuss the operator joining the association.
OHad a great meeting with Manuel Díaz Cebría about La Paz – a city in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula that the UK trade is soon to hear a lot more about.
OCompletely lost my voice and couldn’t speak the whole weekend (some might say a good thing!)
A day with Owner Jill Waite and team at Pole Travel in Failsworth 26
competitions Win fam trips, flights, cash and wine 30
DESTINATIONS Greece & Cyprus Paphos: Step back in time to discover art and the legend of Aphrodite, plus five-star luxury in Cyprus 46
Peloponnese: Sell a crowd-free trip 51 Sifnos: Snapshot of the Greek island 55 MILLENNIAL AND GEN Z TRAVEL
Portugal: Gen Z reinvents the lads’ post-A-level holiday by swapping nightclubs for golf clubs in Albufeira 56
BUSINESS NEWS
FTI insolvency case; Hotelplan suitors 62 Travel Convention 2024 preview: ›Moderator Jonathan Samuels
travelweeklyuk 63
WTTC plans next phase of eco scheme 64 @travelweeklyuk
5 SEPTEMBER 2024 3
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