INSIDE THIS


WEEK Contents


NEWS Hot Stories


‘Confusion’ rife among agents over PTRs Cook seeks £400m in bank lending Agent Jake reveals tatt-Tui on his leg Top agencies make AAAs shortlist Social media is hotbed for fake deals


WIN!


Round-up Life-saving flight; Wendy Wu; Brunei Agent talks on Kiss; Carnival; AWTE


A two-night stay at Warner Leisure Hotels’ new property Studley Castle page 38


Special Report


TourHound reveals top search terms Talk Back


Identity fraud; BA; Balearics; OTAs


NEWS YOU CAN USE Product Balkan, CMV, Crystal Cruises


08 10


12 19 04 21


Operator On The Go Tours, Hoseasons 22 Aviation Newcastle, easyJet, BA


25 Cruise Victory, Scenic, Saga, Celebrity 26


FRONTLINE Comment Debbie Marshall, Silver Travel 32 This Week In… A look back at archives 33 Caught on Camera Pictures of the week 34 A Day With... Idelo Travel, Ipswich


36 Mystery Shopper Bradford, W Yorkshire 42


DESTINATIONS Europe


Northern France: Backwaters taster Malta: Isle of MTV music festival


HAVE YOU MADE THE SHORTLIST? Travel Weekly reveals finalists for Agent Achievement Awards 2019


pages 6 and 15-17


44 51


Indian Ocean New Openings: 8 of the Best in Maldives 54


BUSINESS


Round-up World Tourism Forum; Heathrow 62 Back page Flybe boss calls for end to APD 64


WHAT


LUCY DID THIS WEEK


May 9


Lucy Huxley Editor-in-chief @Lucy_Huxley


1


2 3


Had an amazing three days meeting the agents shortlisted for the individual honours at this year’s Agent Achievement Awards.


Was on the winning team in the Travel Weekly quiz night, raising money for the MSC Cup, being played to support Reuben’s Retreat.


Spent bank holiday Monday in the office writing scripts for next week’s Clia Conference. Am so excited about the line-up!


9 May 2019travelweekly.co.uk3


A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Package rules need clarity W


hen the long-awaited new Package Travel Regulations came into force on July 1 last year,


many forecast they would take time to bed in and that independents would sell more pre-packaged holidays. Some agents were unclear at that stage how far their liability for a dynamically-packaged holiday went. Meanwhile, lawyers and trade bodies were at loggerheads as to whether an agent was the principal if they added “significant components” such as car hire to an Atol-holder’s package. As confusion reigned, the government was keen to stress the rules were designed to protect an additional 10 million holidays – but it also faced complaints from the trade over a lack of consultation. That lack of dialogue could be why, nearly a year since the PTRs were introduced, we report this week on the continued “widespread confusion” industry lawyers say is still prevalent when agents dynamically package (page 4). Bridge the World, a specialist tailor-made agency in


Leeds, which is part of the STA Travel Group, admitted as much when it apologised and agreed to refund a couple whose flights had been cancelled having first insisted that the holiday did not constitute a package. If even a well-respected dynamic packaging specialist can be caught out 10 months after its implementation, then perhaps more easily-digestible education on the PTRs is required. As we reveal the outstanding companies and individuals who are shortlisted for the Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards this week (pages 6, 15-17), we are reminded once again of the complexities and challenges of being a travel agent, and the expertise needed to stay at the top of the game.


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