NEWS ROUND-UP
COMMENT: “Customers expect holiday companies to demonstrate responsibility towards the destinations they operate in” Andrew Flintham, page 28
Funway rejigs sales team in bid to expand in north
Juliet Dennis
juliet.dennis@
travelweekly.co.uk
Funway Holidays is inviting ‘frank conversations’ with agents as it restructures its sales team with a view to significant expansion in the north of England.
The operator has promoted
marketing director Nick Talbot to the wider role of sales and marketing director, following head of sales Audrey Brooks-Wiggins’ departure in July. Brooks-Wiggins, formerly of Thomas Cook, is not being directly replaced. The on-the-road sales team is
being expanded, and their roles changed. Three account directors will be replaced by two business development managers reporting to two regional sales managers. Curtis Hunter, previously of
Hotelbeds, has been appointed regional sales manager for the north. Stephen Craven has been recruited from North America Travel Service as business development manager for the north. Account manager Craig Liddle has been promoted to regional sales manager for the south, while account manager Sam Orbell
Cook to conduct animal welfare audit of Chinese resort
Thomas Cook has confirmed that the Atlantis Sanya resort in China, which keeps beluga whales and dolphins in captivity, will undergo an animal welfare audit. Animal rights groups have criticised Cook for continuing to sell package holidays to the resort on Hainan Island after publicly
TEAM SPIRIT: Sales and marketing director Nick Talbot (back left) with his staff
NEWS IN BRIEF
Neilson pledges to expand following purchase by LDC
Neilson Active Holidays has promised departures from more regional airports and new resorts after it was sold to private-equity investor LDC. The Brighton-based beach club and ski operator was sold by Risk Capital Partners last week. Chief executive David Taylor and chairman Richard Bowden-Doyle will continue to lead Neilson.
Kuoni creates roles in sales and cruise divisions
He said: “My objective is to have
“My objective is to have conversations with agents on what works for them and our weaknesses”
becomes business development manager for the south. Funway is also looking to expand its agency sales support team from one person, Hannah Zajac, to help agents with day-to-day queries. Talbot said Funway wanted
more agent feedback, as it expands its sales team.
frank conversations with agents on what works for them and what they deem to be our weaknesses, so we can evolve the business.” Talbot praised Brooks-Wiggins’ “amazing” work to improve agent ties prior to her departure, but said the new structure would strengthen the trade focus in the north. “A lot of our successful agents are based in the north,” he added. Funway will also look at opportunities to boost sales in Northern Ireland, and increase agent engagement and training, as well as to develop its 500 Club for its top-performing agents.
announcing it was dropping attractions that keep killer whales. Cook released a programme of
package holidays to the island last month, including Atlantis Sanya, which has a marine and water park that is home to bottlenose dolphins, white-sided dolphins, sea lions and beluga whales, but not orcas. Atlantis is owned by Chinese
conglomerate Fosun, which has a 11% share in Cook. Dolphin Freedom UK said it had
BELUGA WHALE: Atlantis Sanya is home to a range of marine life
8
travelweekly.co.uk 9 August 2018
written to Cook’s environmental manager following concerns it is
Kuoni has made two internal appointments to its sales and cruise teams. Maxine Brown has been appointed to the newly created role of trade key account executive – south, supporting agents in Kent, Sussex, south London, Surrey and Hampshire. Michelle Tomlinson, meanwhile, has taken on the new role of cruise and partnership manager.
Cox & Kings recruits two regional sales managers
Cox & Kings has appointed two on-the-road regional sales managers. Sarah Turner, who joins from Railbookers, will manage the south, while Laura Dawson, who joins from APT, will cover the Midlands and north. Both will report to national account manager Greg Thurston, who has become head of agency sales.
promoting beluga captivity and a dolphinarium market in China. A Cook spokesman said:
“We will continue to insist that all animal attractions we sell undergo an audit under our rolling programme of audits conducted by an independent provider. “This will include the Atlantis
Sanya. We will also continue to review our animal welfare policy and use our voice to promote a transition away from traditional animal attractions towards more sustainable alternatives.”
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