Trade is due much credit for cruise growth A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR


Travel Weekly has been media partner of Clia conferences and events for almost 15 years, which means I have had a front-row seat to observe the evolution of trade engagement with the cruise sector. I remember attending the first UK Cruise Convention in Dover in 2007, when the Passenger Shipping Association’s Retail Agent Scheme (Psara) rebranded as the snappier Association of Cruise Experts (Ace). Five years later, the PSA and Ace joined forces with global cruise associations under the Clia umbrella, and in the 12 years since the industry has flourished, as its new president Bud Darr recalls (pages 12-13). Last weekend, I was fortunate to attend and moderate the Clia RiverView Conference in Budapest, and this fantastic event served as


another reminder of how far we’ve all come (pages 10-11). Clia has been running river cruise conferences since those Ace days, but in recent years the scale and growth of the RiverView event has reflected a segment of the global industry that is truly on the up. During the conference, I was privileged to be unveiled as the godmother of APT’s newest ship,


Estrela, and I was pleased to accept the honour because the rationale for my selection was my commitment to the travel trade. I am always more comfortable posing questions to others than being the focal point of attention, but when I smash the bottle next month, I will do so on behalf of the incredible travel agent readers of Travel Weekly, who have played such a key role in the growth of a sector that continues to go from strength to strength.


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


Discounts give summer bookings a lift 4 ‘Balearics tax won’t have negative effect’ 4 Jetline failure: suppliers ‘could take hit’ 5 BDM support; airline accessibility plea 6 School pals’ agency; Huxley APT honour 8 Special Reports


COVER photo


From left: Lauren Johnson, Hays Travel; Melina Chheng, Mundy


Cruising; Brendan O’Connor, Hays PTC (front); Andy Harmer, Clia;


Christine Forbes, Travel Village; and Rachel Wilcox, Travel Counsellors


page 10 Photo: Steve Dunlop


Clia RiverView Conference, Budapest 10 The Interview: Bud Darr, Clia president 12 comment


Gordon McCreadie: Partnerships ‘key’ 14 NEWS YOU CAN USE


Royal, Newmarket, Wizz Air, easyJet 17 Tauck, Ponant Explorations


18 Classic, Jet2, Jules Verne, Tui, Neilson 20


FRONTLINE agent diary


Andrea Smith: Wildlife tourism advice 24 Your Stories John Ryrie: from corporate life to Travel Counsellors 25


FRONT COVER AND THIS PAGE: Shutterstock/snapvision, Balate.Dorin; Steve Dunlop; Jeremy Shaw/Destination NSW; Daniel Tran/Tourism Australia


travelweekly.co.uk FOLLOW US: @travelweekly close-up


Tipto, Travel Counsellors, Hays Travel 26 competitions


Hit the US highway with a motorhome 28


DESTINATIONS australasia Sydney: Remind yourself why the city’s stunning sights – and its zoo’s koalas – make a perfect introduction for Australia first-timers 30


UK & Ireland Boyne Valley: Discover tombs, castles and myths in this scenic Irish region 36 Set-jetting: From Downton Abbey’s Highclere Castle to Bridget Jones’s London, steer clients to screen sites 41


BUSINESS NEWS Corporate Travel Conference:


WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK


OHosted and chaired a Travel Weekly Executive Dinner with the Tui UK & Ireland leadership team and 20 agency and consortia chiefs.


OSpent three glorious days in Budapest for the 13th annual Clia RiverView Conference, where I moderated the business sessions and joined agents on ship tours.


OWent shopping with my daughter for her prom dress. None of my frocks were cool enough to borrow!


›GDS bosses clash on NDC progress 46 ›DEI policies; ‘Storm Rachel’; BA CAA data proposal ‘burdensome’


travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 13 MARCH 2025 3


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