NEWS ROUND-UP
Podcast: Marketing experts Steve Dunne and Phil Bloomfield review turn-of-year TV travel ads
go.travelweekly.co.uk/podcast
Aito Agents to host fam and conference in Malta
Juliet Dennis
Aito Agents has revealed plans to hold its first combined fam trip and conference in Malta in June. The agent arm of The Specialist
Travel Association (Aito) revealed news of its first ‘famference’ at Aito’s Kickstart, its January domestic conference, which was previously known as Starfest. It is hoped the trip, from June 12-
14, will attract about 80 agents and operators, plus affiliate members. It will include sightseeing and
activities based around three Maltese locations, plus networking and team- building exercises designed to boost relationships between Aito agents, operators and business partners. Aito Agents chairman Gemma
Antrobus said: “We kept hearing that agents loved getting together for the June overseas conference. Instead of bringing the conference back, we thought of doing a gathering in an Aito destination where half the time is spent networking and half is about discovering the destination.” The cost will be subsidised
by event partner Malta Tourism Authority and Aito. Antrobus said the announcement about the ‘famference’, by Malta
From left: James Coughlan, Abercrombie & Kent; Sarah Turner, Cox & Kings; Derek Moore, Aito; Gemma Antrobus, Aito Agents and Haslemere Travel; and Mark Harris, Abercrombie & Kent
game with more products and services for agents.” Aito Agents also revealed 27
Beaver Travel won the National All Star award
Tourism Authority’s UK and Ireland director Tolene van der Merwe, came during its “best” January conference, attended by 150 agents and operators. She said: “There was a really
good vibe about 2020 and suppliers seemed to have stepped up their
agents were recognised in the Aito Excellence Programme – 58% more than last year. This awards agents based on their engagement with the association. Meanwhile, the Annual All Stars
and Excellence Programme Awards Ceremony at the conference gave out 10 awards to agents and operators. For the seventh year running, Beaver Travel, based in Radlett, Hertfordshire, received the All Star National Winner award, based on sales through Aito operators in 2019.
Agents slam C4 holiday show as ‘load of rubbish’
Agents and operators have slammed a Channel 4 programme that claimed a last-minute deal is better value than booking in advance. The show, Holiday Secrets: Is
Last Minute Best?, compared two family holidays to Tenerife – one booked at the last-minute and one booked six months in advance. The last-minute holiday was said
to be more than £1,000 cheaper. Presenter Scarlette Douglas
said on the programme: “It shows that if you are willing to make a few compromises you can get a fabulous last-minute holiday for a great price.” But agents criticised the
comparison. Haslemere Travel owner Gemma Antrobus described it as “an utter load of rubbish” for not comparing like-for-like holidays. She also pointed out the last-minute deal meant the family would have to move rooms twice in a week. Miles Morgan Travel owner
Miles Morgan tweeted: “Totally embarrassing mess of a programme. Use an expert, a travel agent!” Shearings national key account
manager Claire Dutton also hit out, tweeting: “It’s only Jan 2nd but I think Holiday Secrets will be the main contender for the most useless programme of the year award. It was cheaper because it wasn’t the
same holiday!” i Get Social, page 33
Marc Bennett
Ex-colleagues pay tribute to Marc Bennett after his death in Qatar
Former colleagues of Marc Bennett have contacted Travel Weekly to pay respects to the ex-Thomas Cook and Tui director, who is understood to have died in Qatar on Christmas Eve. Bennett was a former managing
director of Tui Sport and previously held roles including director of trade relations and managing director of
8 9 JANUARY 2020
cruise at Thomas Cook. He moved to the Gulf region in
2012, holding senior vice-president roles for Emirates and Dubai Tourism, and was most recently senior vice-president of Discover Qatar and Qatar Holidays, a post he is understood to have left in October. A Foreign Office spokesperson
said: “We are supporting the family of a British man following his death in Doha. Our sympathies are with them at this difficult time.” Former colleagues paid tribute on
social media. One Dubai Tourism colleague
described Bennett as “a legend in travel and tourism globally”.
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURES: Andy Huntley
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
