Leger switches Shearings to trust account protection
Ian Taylor
Leger Holidays announced a switch of financial protection arrangements for Shearings customers from bonding to a ‘gold standard’ trust account last week. Parent Leger continues to protect
its coach tours through Abta, but commercial director Liam Race told Travel Weekly: “Eventually, the industry will move entirely to this [trust] model. We’re not taking a penny out of the account before customers return from holiday.” Leger acquired the Shearings
name in June last year after the failure of owner Specialist Leisure Group. It said the new arrangements would protect customers “across the product range, including self-drive breaks and gift vouchers which were not previously covered”. Announcing the switch, Race said:
“The collapse of the company under the former owner left a nasty taste for customers left out of pocket due to some components being uncovered by Bonded Coach Holidays [BCH] bonding. We wanted to reassure them this would never happen again.” BCH is the protection scheme
of the Confederation of Passenger Transport. Race explained: “The reason
Leger retains Abta bonding is that we were already well down the track with it and switching would have meant recontacting a lot of clients to explain protection is not with Abta anymore.” He said the company would
“review the best course of action running up to the bonding renewal in September”. But he added: “It isn’t clear when travel will resume and we may have customers move [bookings] into 2022. Leger would envision moving to a trust over the course of time. A large portion of the industry will move.” A gold-standard trust retains all
customer payments until travel. Most travel industry trusts allow payment
Disneyland Paris defers opening
by seven weeks until early April Disneyland Paris has pushed back its post-Covid reopening date by seven weeks to April. The theme park, which had been scheduled to reopen on February 13, said the revised plan for an April 2 reopening would go ahead “if conditions permit”, adding that “given the current context, our plans contine to evolve”. Bookings can now be made for travel from April 2 onwards.
6 21 JANUARY 2021
of suppliers ahead of travel, most often airlines, with the arrangements supplemented by insurance against the failure of the supplier. However, insolvency insurance does not pay out when holidays are cancelled due to Covid-19. Shearings does not offer flight
packages and only 5%-10% of Leger business includes flights. An industry source pointed out
Shearings’ business would appear ‘new’ to a bond provider and said: “It’s not a matter of how good a company you are. We’re at the bottom of the crisis and the bonding market isn’t there for those trying to do new business.”
Emirates and Etihad to trial Iata’s ‘Covid passport’ app
Emirates and Etihad Airways are to trial Iata’s digital ‘Covid passport’. The Iata Travel Pass mobile app allows passengers to verify their pre-travel test or vaccination meets the Covid-19 requirements of their destination, and share results with border authorities and airlines. It also stores travel documentation.
Inset: Liam Race of Shearings parent Leger Holidays
Royal Caribbean agrees $201m sale of Azamara
Royal Caribbean Group has agreed to sell Azamara to private equity firm Sycamore Partners. The $201 million deal for
the three-ship line will see New York-based Sycamore acquire the Azamara brand and intellectual property. The transaction is subject to conditions and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. Azamara chief operating officer
Carol Cabezas has been appointed president of the brand. Royal Caribbean Group said
the sale would allow it to focus on expanding its Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises brands. Richard Fain, chairman and
chief executive of Royal Caribbean Group, said: “Our strategy has evolved into placing more of our resources behind three global brands, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, and working to grow them as we emerge from this unprecedented period. “Even so, Azamara remains a
strong brand with tremendous potential for growth, and Sycamore’s record demonstrates that they will be good stewards of what the Azamara team has built over the past 13 years.” The line’s three ships are
Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest and Azamara Pursuit.
NHS invites travel industry staff to apply for vaccine rollout jobs
Travel industry staff temporarily out of work due to Covid are being targeted by the NHS to help with the vaccine rollout. Paid roles include marshalling arrivals, welcoming patients and managing post-vaccination observation areas. Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust’s Elliot Howard-Jones said roles were available across the country. Those interested can email
hct.covidimms@
nhs.net
travelweekly.co.uk
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