Azamara hints at plans for first new-build ship
Josie Klein
Azamara managing director David Duff has hinted the line could expand its fleet by placing its first order for a new-build ship. All four of the line’s current ships
were previously owned by other cruise lines and refurbished after being bought by Azamara. But in an interview with Travel
Weekly, Duff suggested the line might break from tradition by building its own vessels instead of buying existing ships, thanks to backing from its private equity owner Sycamore, which acquired Azamara from Royal Caribbean Group in 2021. Asked if the line had plans for
additional vessels, Duff said: “I don’t think there’s a cruise line out there that’s not planning for something. We need to be prepared, and there are plans and discussions going on. “Our ideal would be to build
new [ships], and there’s a variety of reasons why that would be the right way for us to go. But watch this space.” Duff spoke to Travel Weekly
during the ninth of 10 agent ship visits the line had scheduled for this year, which saw more than 300 agents board Azamara vessels at locations around the UK. He hailed the success of the visits
Azamara’s David Duff and Azamara Pursuit
Our ideal would be
to build new [ships], and there’s a variety of reasons why that would be right for us
and emphasised how valuable the “very active agent community” is to the line. “[Ship visits] are a very important
part of our schedule over the year,” he said. “We want to expose agents to the product – nothing beats actually seeing, touching and feeling the ships.
Virgin Voyages to operate short
itineraries from Portsmouth Virgin Voyages is making a return to the UK with a series of sailings from Portsmouth. The itineraries, on as-yet unspecified dates, feature short breaks to Amsterdam and Zeebrugge for Bruges and a longer cruise to Barcelona via La Coruña, Lisbon, Casablanca, Málaga and Ibiza. The adult-only line made its debut from Portsmouth with its first ship Scarlet Lady in 2021.
8 7 SEPTEMBER 2023 “We’ve had some fantastic
feedback from agents who have been on board and it’s a great learning experience for us as well. “We learn a lot from the agents
about what they like about the product and what surprises them and we can take that away and think about how we can communicate more with the travel trade community.” Duff added: “We’re really focused on 2024 now and making that a real launch year for us in terms of sales. Sycamore and our investors have big ambitions for the brand and the business.”
Barrhead rises to 48th place on
Best Companies to Work For list Barrhead Travel has moved 50 places up the ‘Best Companies to Work For’ list, run by the website Best Companies. The travel agency group has been ranked 48th in the Q3 list of the UK’s best large companies, 22nd in the northwest region, 18th in Scotland and fifth among leisure and hospitality groups.
Travel spending grew at slower rate in August
International travel spending held up in August despite a reduction in growth levels, according to data from Barclays. Spending levels in travel
agencies more than halved last month, compared with July, as the summer season drew to an end. Spending was up 3.7% year
on year in August, down from growth of 7.8% in July. Spend with airlines continued
to grow, up 32.1% year on year, but the uplift was lower than in July (39.1%). Credit and debit card transaction volumes in August rose 6.7% year on year via travel agencies and 29.5% via airlines. Barclays reported overall high
street spending grew by 2.8% in August year on year, but the travel retail sector was up 10.7%. Barclays director Esme
Harwood said: “The rainy weather impacted high street and hospitality venues in August, but Brits were still keen to spend on memorable summer experiences. “The huge box office success
of Barbie and Oppenheimer meant entertainment enjoyed another strong month, while holidays abroad boosted international travel and pharmacy, health and beauty stores.” She added: “Brits remain
resilient in the face of these inflationary pressures.”
Jet2 promotes Terrell to succeed founder Meeson as chairman
Robin Terrell has succeeded Philip Meeson as chairman of Jet2. Terrell, a chartered accountant, joined the company as an independent non-executive director in April 2020, having previously worked for online and retail businesses including Amazon UK, John Lewis Direct and Tesco. Meeson, who founded the company in 1983, will take on an advisory role.
travelweekly.co.uk
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