NEWS ROUND-UP
Trade veterans gear up for epic Australia return
Juliet Dennis
Two travel agents are about to set off on a month-long self-funded fam trip to Australia to gain up-to- date knowledge that they will share with the UK trade following the destination’s reopening this year. Ken Garrity, director of
Altrincham-based Ken Garrity Travel, and Graeme Brett, director of Westoe Travel in South Shields, not only hope to gain product information about Australia following its two-year Covid closure but will also feed news to the UK trade in a
series of blog posts and videos on Travel Weekly’s website. Both agents are recognised by
Tourism Australia as Premier Aussie Specialists and have established track records of selling “significant” numbers of holidays to the destination. The country reopened its borders
to all vaccinated international visitors in February this year. It will be Garrity’s 18th trip to
Australia and Brett’s 25th. The pair will depart on
September 18 on what they are calling ‘The Great Australia Bite Tour’. They have a full itinerary,
Graeme Brett (left) and Ken Garrity in Sydney pre-pandemic
including visits to lesser-known areas such as Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia and Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. Their accommodation varies from hotels to tented accommodation and they will also travel on luxury train The Ghan. Garrity, who last visited the
country in 2018, said the idea for the trip was sparked by winning two tickets at a Tourism Australia event to travel on The Ghan, which operates between Adelaide and Darwin. “This trip will give us information for the UK trade and our clients,”
he said. “We are revisiting places and going to new parts to see what’s happening post-pandemic.” Brett, who pre-pandemic
organised annual trips with other agents to Australia, said: “Although there is a significant cost to these trips, it is worthwhile as it gives us the chance to see new products, which is reflected in our sales to Australia.” David Clifford, owner of Luxury
and More Travel, was due to join the pair but can no longer make it. Garrity and Westoe will post
blogs, pictures and videos on
travelweekly.co.uk.
Full Future of Travel line-up revealed Travel Weekly reporters
Airlines UK chief executive Tim Alderslade and Airport Operators Association chief executive Karen Dee will join a raft of the industry’s leading executives at Travel Weekly’s Future of Travel Conference on September 22. Other newly confirmed speakers
include Si Morris-Green, agency sales and marketing director for Classic Collection Holidays and Classic Package Holidays; and ITV commissioner for factual entertainment, Kate Teckman. Previously confirmed industry
speakers for the conference, which will take place in partnership with Google, include Steve Byrne, chief executive,
8 8 SEPTEMBER 2022
Travel Counsellors; Dame Irene Hays, owner, Hays Travel; Steve Heapy, chief executive, Jet2. com and Jet2holidays; Ailsa Pollard, chief executive, dnata Travel Group; Garry Wilson, chief executive, easyJet holidays; Paul Ludlow, president, P&O Cruises; Joe Ponte, chief executive, Hotelplan UK; and Miles Morgan, chairman, Miles Morgan Travel. Other experts joining the line-up
include Jo Causon, chief executive, Institute of Customer Service; Martin Alcock, director, Travel Trade Consultancy; Joanna Kolatsis, director, Themis Advisory; and Chris Photi, head of travel and leisure, White Hart Associates. Exclusive consumer insights will be provided by presenters including
of Travel Weekly Group, said: “We are delighted to complete the speaker line-up for our flagship Future of Travel Conference, which represents many of the biggest brands in the travel trade. “As we emerge from the pandemic,
Finnbar Cornwall, travel industry lead, Google; and Lucy Crotty, cultural strategy and insight lead, and Glenn Gowen, head of audiences (commercial), both ITV. The event will take place at
Google’s offices in central London in partnership with premium sponsors Hurtigruten, Inspiretec, Norwegian Cruise Line and Paysafe. Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief
the industry faces a wealth of challenges and opportunities, and our speakers will offer essential insight for delegates in attendance on the day and all readers of Travel Weekly.” She added: “I am incredibly
grateful to Google for its ongoing support of the Future of Travel series, to our speakers and sponsors, and to ITV, which will reveal exclusive research into mainstream travel trends as part of a new and exciting partnership.”
travelweekly.co.uk
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