NEWS ROUND-UP
Travel trade media pioneer
Ted Kirkham dies aged 100 Ted Kirkham, the founder of TravelGBI and co- founder of Travel Trade Gazette, has died aged 100. In 1952, he produced the UK travel industry’s first colour magazine, Poly Holiday News, to market the Polytechnic Touring Association’s packages. He went on to launch TTG in 1953 and TravelGBI in 1977.
Expert warns: Act faster to secure your digital future
A large proportion of travel professionals are “sleepwalking” into a digital future and must act faster to predict clients’ needs using technology to survive, an e-tourism academic has warned. Tis means offering expert
advice and added value, and using technology to understand holidaymakers’ needs, said Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, director of the eTourism Lab at Bournemouth University. He was speaking ahead of Abta’s
Future Skills in Travel and Tourism event, where he will tell delegates the role of an agent is “much more” than making bookings. “It’s a mater of understanding
technology and using digital resources to create value in real time to address all contextual challenges.” He said most firms were still
reliant on 1980s technology. › Future Skills in Travel and Tourism
is on June 19 at Abta’s offices in London. Book your place at
bit.ly/abtaskills
Professor Dimitrios Buhalis
Spotlight: “My perceptions were that a cruise was for elderly people, but there was so much to do” Dr Alex George, page 41
Peter Andre to entertain
agents at Jet2holidays event Peter Andre is to perform for hundreds of independent agents at the Jet2holidays VIP conference. The fifth annual conference, called La Gran Reunion (Big Reunion), is in Calpe on Spain’s Costa Blanca from November 25-28. It is expected to be the operator’s biggest yet, with more than 300 agents attending.
Advantage releases Explorers
magazine to 150 members More than 150 Advantage members have opted to be part of its Explorers community. They will have access to dedicated marketing and information about the growing touring and adventure sector. The first Explorers magazine, featuring news, trends, stats and information on the sector, along with recommendations about solo travel, has been sent to members this week.
Sri Lanka sales return after FCO lifts travel ban
Juliet Dennis
Bookings have begun to return for Sri Lanka amid hopes the liſting of the travel ban could save the destination’s peak winter season. Te trade reported enquiries
leading to bookings almost as soon as the Foreign Office relaxed its travel advice last Tursday (June 6). Independent operators
immediately put Sri Lanka back on sale. Tomas Cook’s programme resumes on July 1, while Tui is still reviewing its programme. Te seven-week ban on all but
essential travel followed terrorist bombings on three churches and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday, which killed 258 people. Tricia Birmingham, product and
commercial director for dnata’s B2B tour operations in Europe, said Gold Medal and Travel 2 had taken new bookings and put Sri Lanka back into clients’ itineraries, and put offers on social media. Experience Travel Group said 68 of 103 forward bookings for Sri Lanka were going ahead. It had cancelled 12, postponed five and changed destinations for 18. Hits to its website were 25% up at the weekend, compared with prior weekends. Managing director Sam Clark said
8 13 JUNE 2019 The key winter
booking period is from now until August, so this gives us a chance to save the season
the timing could help Sri Lanka. “Te key booking period for winter 2019- 20 is from now until August, so this gives us a chance to save the season.” APT has increased departures on
its Spirit of Sri Lanka tour from four to 12 for 2020-21 to demonstrate its confidence in the destination. Te Specialist Travel Association (Aito) is now working with the Sri
Lanka Tourist Promotion Board to get the destination back on its feet. It plans an invitation-only relaunch event next month and will reveal “exciting plans” within weeks. A Kuoni mega-educational to Sri
Lanka will go ahead in November. UK managing director Derek Jones said: “We’re actively talking to our colleagues there about what we can do to rebuild confidence.” Oli Dobbs, business development
manager of Sri Lanka specialist Te Travel Gallery, said: “We are working with partners to relaunch Sri Lanka.” Cox & Kings senior commercial
and product manager Sue Livsey said: “Tere are some excellent offers to stimulate demand.”
travelweekly.co.uk
Sri Lanka’s Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
PICTURE: Shutterstock
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