NEWS ROUND-UP


Virgin unveils Scarlet Lady’s first 50 visitors


Virgin Voyages has named the 50 UK agents who will visit its first ship, Scarlet Lady, when it calls in the UK next year. Agents were asked to answer questions in an exclusive Travel Weekly competition to win one of 25 places each at Liverpool and Dover. For the full list of winners, see page 14.


Clia reveals theme for April 2020 conference


Clia UK & Ireland’s 2020 conference will be themed ‘Cruise Heroes’. The event will take place in Southampton on April 26-28. The theme has been chosen to shine a spotlight on people in the cruise industry. Clia UK & Ireland director Andy Harmer said: “We look forward to celebrating the people who make the cruise holiday experience so special.”


Classic Collection moves into long-haul


Classic Collection is selling long-haul holidays for the first time. The range includes private tours, fly-drive holidays, and tours for solo travellers in Indonesia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kenya, South Africa, the Maldives and Mauritius. The luxury operator will launch a brochure in 2020.


Advantage Holidays platform relaunched


The Advantage Travel Partnership has introduced long-haul holidays and cruises to its Advantage Holidays dynamic-packaging programme. The platform was relaunched to members this week with an updated rewards scheme and recommendations. The group’s Atol licence has been increased from 12,000 to 16,000 passengers.


8 19 DECEMBER 2019


Agency sends elf to visit clients booking Lapland


Juliet Dennis


A travel agency is enjoying a ‘magical’ rise in Lapland sales this Christmas – with a litle help from one of Santa’s elves. For the second year running,


Elite Travel Boutique in Hale, Manchester, has employed an ‘elf’ to visit customers’ children to tell them they are off to Lapland the following day to see Santa. Tinkle Toes, a member of a local


amateur dramatic society, delivers a personalised box put together by the agency’s luxury travel manager Bo Hutchinson. It contains the children’s travel documentation, chocolate lollipops, jingle bells, fake snow and, most importantly, a leter from Santa. Director Kathryn Tompson said:


“We love Christmas and this is our Christmas giſt to our customers. Te elf adds to the magic.” Parents are told not to let their


children know about the Lapland trip, so they are genuinely surprised to find an elf on their doorstep reading a leter from Santa inviting them to visit him. “Te children are blown away


by it,” said Tompson. “I watched a


Latin Routes lauds its bestsellers at London ceremony


Latin Routes’ bestselling agency and homeworker were due to be honoured at the operator’s inaugural Top Agents Awards. Tirty agents atended the


event at Searcys at Te Gherkin


Tinkle Toes visits two children; and (inset) Elite Travel


Boutique’s Bo Hutchinson with the personalised box


I watched a video of one of the girls getting the news – her jaw drops and she is open-mouthed


video of one of the girls geting the news – her jaw drops and she is open- mouthed. Tey are told they have been good children and that Santa wants to invite them to his home.” Tompson said requests for


Lapland bookings were now increasing and coming in from customers who live further away. “One man said the only reason


they booked was because of the elf,” she added. “We have put a lot on social media but the biggest driver is mums talking at the school gates. “Last year, we delivered 12 or 13


boxes, but this year, we have about 32 bookings, and there are requests from further afield. Te elf has clocked on to that, so her fees have gone up!” Te agency has already taken seven Lapland bookings for winter 2020.


in London on December 18. Top agency 2019 was awarded to Beaver Travel, in Radlet, Hertfordshire. Top homeworker 2019 was


won by Travel Weekly’s Agent Diary columnist David Walker (Te Travel Snob) – a Not Just Travel franchisee based in Notingham. Both award winners will join


Latin Routes’ Travel Agent Training Academy in Peru in March. Another agency and


homeworker were also highly


commended at the awards: Regent Travel in Hartlepool, and Stephanie Watson, a Birmingham-based homeworker for Holidaysplease. Four suppliers atended the


awards: expedition cruise company Australis, Latam Airlines, Celebrity Cruises and Chilean tourist board Sernatur. Te operator announced earlier


this year that it would launch escorted group tours in 2020, running 29 departures from May.


travelweekly.co.uk


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