NEWS ROUND-UP NEWS IN BRIEF
Hutchings joins former colleagues at rival If Only
Carla Hutchings has become the latest sales executive from dnata Travel to follow former bosses to trade-only operator If Only. Hutchings joins as business development manager for the southeast of England, after spending the last six of her 16 years in travel at Travel 2.
Scenic Eclipse delayed due to ‘shipyard issues’
The delivery of Scenic’s new ‘discovery yacht’ Scenic Eclipse has been delayed by five months until January 2019. The company blamed “construction issues” at the Croatian shipyard. Passengers on cancelled cruises will be given a full refund.
Seabourn and HAL appoint business development duo
Sister lines Seabourn and Holland America Line have made two sales team appointments. Emma Paolino, formerly reservations coordinator for both brands, becomes business development representative south, while Matt Betteridge joins from Princess Cruises as business development representative north.
P&O reveals ‘pleasure dome’ on new ship Iona
A four-screen cinema and ‘pleasure dome’ entertainment hub will be among features of new P&O Cruises ship Iona. Its SkyDome will have a “hidden” nightclub and boutique cinema. The 5,200-passenger ship is due to enter service in 2020. › Talk Back, page 17
Aito overseas conference will be in Ras Al Khaimah
The Association of Independent Tour Operators is to host its 2018 overseas conference in Ras Al Khaimah. The event will take place from November 22-25 in the emirate, which is seeking to raise its profile with the UK trade.
COMMENT: “Is celebrity culture and the behaviour having a negative impact on some of the hotels and destinations?” Gordon McCreadie, page 24
Wendy Wu grows team to sell South America range
Juliet Dennis
juliet.dennis@
travelweekly.co.uk
Wendy Wu Tours has doubled its trade sales team as it reveals its ambition to make South America as big as its core China programme.
The team increases from four to
eight in the restructure, with the creation of a new global destination management company and key account manager position, two business development executive roles, and an additional member of its head office trade support team. It means six staff will be on the
road meeting travel agents. Mark Zissler, former account and business development manager at JacTravel, has joined as global DMC and key account manager. He is responsible for new trade partnerships, group bookings and cruise extensions. The two new business
development executives are Rose Gibbon, who joins from ski specialist Interactive Resorts, and Liam Brophy, who will be returning to the operator after travelling around Asia. Recruitment is under way for a
AWTE unveils award for male colleague as nominations open
The Association of Women Travel Executives Awards will this year hand out its first-ever award to a man. The new AWTE ambassador
award celebrates male colleagues in the travel industry who actively encourage and support female employees within their business.
8
travelweekly.co.uk 12 July 2018
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Joe Lavers, Rose Gibbon, Sarah Budgie, John Warr and Mark Zissler
new trade sales support assistant. Also new are business develop-
ment managers Sarah Budgie, Joe Lavers and Nicholas Hindle. Budgie, formerly of Insight
Vacations, joins as BDM for the east, replacing Karen Milward; Lavers, formerly of Cruiseco, is BDM and key account manager for the south, following Mark Harris’s departure; while Hindle is BDM for the west, succeeding Liz Ryan. Global sales director John Warr
said: “Currently we are not able to maximise demand and service so we are doubling our trade sales team and adding field sales roles so
The association has opened nominations for its annual awards, which celebrate the achievement of members over the last 12 months. Nominations are now open
for the 2018 awards in four categories, including business impact award, AWTE honorary award and company award. Members can nominate themselves, colleagues, companies or someone they admire at
awte.org.uk by July 18. Finalists will be selected
we can work closer with agents.” The call centre team is to
increase by 25% as Wendy Wu Tours seeks to grow its new South America programme to the size of its core China programme over the next five years. “There is no point driving additional growth if we cannot service it,” Warr added. He said there were opportunities
to increase sales from existing agents who may not be aware of the operator’s full destination portfolio. Trade sales currently account for
55% of Wendy Wu Tours’ sales. ›Wendy Wu: Face to Face, page 12
by a panel of travel industry judges and votes from industry professionals, with the winners announced at a ceremony at the May Fair Hotel, London, on September 10 in an event sponsored by The Travel Network Group. The AWTE is also seeking nominations for five people to add to its list of influential women in the travel industry, which began with 60 names in 2014 to mark the association’s 60th anniversary.
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