OPERATOR
Oliver’s Travels boosts range in France with latest acquisition deal
Villa specialist Oliver’s Travels has bought holiday rental agency Pure France in its largest acquisition to date, while promising further deals in the future. The deal adds more than 330
holiday homes to its portfolio, bringing the range in France alone to more than 1,600. Oliver’s Travels was founded
in 2003 by Oliver Bell and Ravi Sabharwal. Bell said: “France has always been at the heart of Oliver’s Travels, as it was the destination where Ravi and I first began curating châteaux for our guests – and it has remained a firm favourite ever since.” The deal follows Oliver’s
Travels’ acquisitions of Menorca Private Owners, Homes & Provence and Charming Houses.
oliverstravels.com
Villa in Opio, France
PICTURES: Shutterstock/Christophe Cappelli, Subash Rajesh TRAINING
Visit Oman adds five-module training programme on OTT
Samantha Mayling
Visit Oman has partnered with Online Travel Training (OTT) to launch an online course to help agents boost their knowledge of Oman and their ability to sell the destination. The free course equips travel agents with insights
and tools to create tailored itineraries for their clients. Visit Oman – the sultanate’s official travel booking
partner – said the initiative supports its wider strategy to raise international awareness, drive platform registrations and expand the distribution of Omani travel products, ranging from major suppliers to small businesses offering authentic local experiences. The training features five modules covering Oman’s
varied landscapes – from beaches and wadis to deserts and mountains – as well as its traditions, hospitality and Unesco World Heritage Sites.
Edinburgh gains flights to home of Legoland theme park in Billund
Norwegian Air will start flying from Edinburgh airport to Billund in Denmark from April 2026. The service will operate until the end of October, with three weekly flights. The home of the Legoland theme park joins services from the Scottish capital to Copenhagen, Bergen, Oslo and Stockholm. The Nordic carrier also serves Billund from Gatwick.
norwegian.com
travelweekly.co.uk Travel agents will also be able to explore the
country’s seasonal highlights, from the Khareef monsoon in Salalah to cool mountain retreats in winter, positioning Oman as a year-round destination. Alongside cultural insights and travel tips, the course
introduces Visit Oman’s Iata-accredited B2B booking engine, a platform that consolidates flights, hotels, transfers, tours and activities in one platform, enabling agents to build itineraries for clients. Jessica Shelton-Agar, OTT managing director, said:
“We are pleased to partner with Visit Oman to educate the travel trade on the wide range of offerings in Oman. This course will empower agents with the knowledge and tools to promote Oman as a year-round destination.” The course will be available on OTT, which boasts
more than 93,000 registered agents, for one year.
onlinetraveltraining.com/free-courses/providers/ visit-oman
Muscat, Oman
Bedouin caravan, Oman
BA adds Heathrow-St Louis link as Route 66 marks centenary
British Airways will start a four-times-a-week Heathrow-St Louis summer service from April 19, 2026, with return fares from £529. The service to BA’s 27th US destination will coincide with the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the fabled highway that passes through the Missouri city.
ba.com
Air Canada extends London service to Ottawa to year-round
Air Canada is extending its London-Ottawa summer service to operate year-round. Flights between Heathrow and the Canadian capital will run three times a week between November 2 and March 27 next year, before ramping up to four flights a week next summer.
aircanada.com i Ottawa highlights: Destinations, page 45
9 OCTOBER 2025 19
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