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Tributes roll in as ‘true gent’ Harry Weeks dies at 94


Juliet Dennis juliet.dennis@travelweekly.co.uk


riutes have een paid to one of the ’s earliest travel agents who has died aged .


Harry Weeks, who founded


Harry Weeks Travel & Leisure Group with wife Winifred in 15 in New Kent Road, south London, has been remembered as an agent “pioneer”, “true gent” and “industry legend” by former colleagues. The agency, originally a travel desk in Harry’s shoe repair shop, started out selling theatre and coach tickets. It was one of around


5 Clampdown on hotel sites welcomed


Ian Taylor ian.taylor@travelweekly.co.uk


Industry figures have welcomed the Competition and arkets uthority C enforcement action against maor online travel agents on hotel ookings ut said it does not go far enough.


xpedia, Booking.com, Agoda,


Hotels.com, ebookers and Trivago agreed to changes following a CMA investigation into “pressure selling, misleading discount claims, hidden charges” and


distortion of search rankings. The OTAs have agreed to “make


clearer how hotels are ranked, for example when search results [are] affected by the commission a hotel pays”; end the “false impression of availability or popularity” of a hotel; be “clearer about discounts and only promote deals actually available”; and display “all compul- sory charges” in headline prices. All changes must be implemented


by September 1. The CMA will monitor compliance and said it expects other OTAs to follow suit. But Bed & Breakfast Association


6travelweekly.co.uk14 February 2019


“We asked the CMA to ban rate-parity clauses, as they have been in [Europe]”


chairman David Weston said the CMA had failed to address a key complaint on ‘rate parity’ clauses. He said: “Rate-parity clauses in


contracts prevent accommodation owners discounting their own prices to their own customers on their own sites. The OTAs demand commission – typically 15%-20%


– and insist the B&B or hotel charge the commission-inclusive price to customers even when no commission is payable.” Weston said: “We asked the CMA


to ban rate-parity clauses in the UK, as they have been in France, Italy, Austria and Germany.” Trailfinders chief executive


Toby Kelly complained the CMA had missed “the most-salient point”. He said: “A large OTA recently ran a campaign making a virtue of booking a flight and hotel separately. This deprives the traveller of protection.”


300 agencies in the UK at the time. It went on to scoop multiple


awards, including national small agent of the year at the Agent Achievement Awards in 1, 2001 and 2002. Sons Grahame and Colin worked in the agency, which later moved to Orpington, Kent, and was sold to IT specialist Capita in 200 for £33 million. Grahame, 70, recalled: “Dad


adored the ob and treated all staff like family. He would go on holiday somewhere and the next year all his customers would go there!” The agency developed a holiday club business for employees of


Harry Weeks (centre) with sons Colin (left) and Grahame, in 2012


large organisations such as the NHS and was the business travel agent for various government departments. It set up rail ticketing system Evolvi, still used today by travel management firms. Former staff paid tribute to


Harry, who knew industry greats such as Freddie Laker and Harry Goodman. Cruise & Maritime Voyages


head of marketing Mike Hall, who worked for Weeks for 10 years, said: “Harry was a pioneer at a


time when package holidays were in their infancy. He instilled in me the basic marketing principle of giving customers what they want.” Jenny Barham, marketing and communications manager from 15 until 200, described Harry


as “one of the greats”. Travel Weekly recruitment sales manager Tanya Read, who started her career at the agency, said it was an “honour” to work for Harry. Harry died on Sunday after a short battle with cancer.


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