Help clients clinch a late-summer holiday A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR


Having just spent a lovely – but wet and windy – weekend in the Yorkshire Dales, I can see why agents are reporting something of a race by clients to get some sunshine before the end of the holidays. There’s no doubt this short-term spike in demand before the next traffic


light review will give a much-needed fillip to the sector and its financial position, albeit nowhere near enough. Anything the trade can book to depart in the next few weeks before English schools go back will be critical to cashflow ahead of what is undoubtedly going to be another tough period. News from Abta of just a 2% drop in subscription renewals (page 46) shows how resilient members are, but unless government extends furlough for the sector we are likely to see more job losses in the coming weeks. On the flip side, we will also see a greater return to some sense of


normality this autumn with the reintroduction of live events. At Travel Weekly, we have already announced that our Agent Achievement Awards will be back on September 16 (page 22), while the day before, we’ll be staging our one-day Future of Travel conference, in association with Google, bringing together a host of amazing speakers including the bosses of Jet2holidays, Tui UK, easyJet holidays, Saga Travel, Virgin Atlantic and Travel Counsellors (page 7). We are also proud to have been named media partner once more for Abta’s Travel Convention, which will be back as a hybrid live/virtual event on October 13. As Miles Morgan said on a recent webcast, “put your positive pants on” and pull out all the stops to sell whatever you can to capitalise on the remaining sales opportunities this summer.


Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS NEWS


dedicated web pages to support you


travelweekly.co.uk/media Webcasts


Restart & Recovery Hub travelweekly.co.uk/ restart-recovery


T ravel Weekly’s


Easing of travel rules ‘is real progress’ 4 Hopes for imminent US reopening slim 4 Sales surge but latest changes ‘too late’ 5 Covid tests ‘important’; P&O’s Iona sails 6


Wildfires hit Europe; Future of Travel 7 Special Reports


Silversea Cruises christens Silver Moon 8 Mental Health: Holidaysplease in focus 10 comment


Lisa McAuley: People are keen to travel 13 NEWS YOU CAN USE


Jet2holidays, Virgin Atlantic, Sandals 17 Kuoni, Limitless, Regent, Cox & Kings 18 Silversea, Disney, Saga, Princess


20


FRONTLINE Your Stories


THE QUEEN’S AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE:


INTERNATIONAL TRADE 2020


PICTURES: Georgina Goodwin; Shutterstock/CSNafzger, underworld


travelweekly.co.uk


agent diary Sharon Thompson: Sector steps forward 25


Jennie Watson on setting up as a homeworker


FOLLOW US: @travelweekly 24


WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK


OHad a meeting with Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK, Saroja Sirisena, to discuss tourism post-Covid.


OHosted a webcast with Miles Morgan Travel’s Miles Morgan, Caribtours’ Paul Cleary and Gold Medal’s Lisa McAuley following the latest traffic light update.


OSpent a weekend in the Yorkshire Dales visiting friends. Beautiful scenery and long walks – but very windy and rainy!


competitions


Virgin flights, champagne and more 28 Get Social


Covid test costs, Manchester terminal 31


DESTINATIONS the US


Outdoor Adventures: From skiing in Utah to glamping in Arizona, here are six great autumn/winter options 32


Touring: Q&A with Carol Kendrick 36 active & adventure


Female Rangers: Special report on how more women are training to be rangers in Kenya and Tanzania 38


Slovenia: Snapshot of green list nation 44


BUSINESS NEWS Kuoni legal ruling raises liability issues 38 Abta membership drops by ‘just 2%’ 38 Booking.com targets ‘connected trips’ 39 Financial results: Expedia, Lufthansa 39 Bookings ‘double’ after amber change 40


travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 12 AUGUST 2021 3


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