Globetrotting NJT agent aiming for 400 bookings
Andrew McQuarrie
A Not Just Travel agent is eyeing an 18% increase in sales in 2025 – despite being set to depart on an epic 12-month trip inspired by TV showRace Across the World. Leeds-based Dale Sidebottom
said he decided to circumnavigate the globe after narrowly missing out on selection to take part in the next series of the BBC television show. He is due to start his journey from
Manchester on January 29 but plans to continue servicing existing clients and hopes social media coverage of his travels will contribute to 400 bookings in 2025, compared with 330 last year. His trip is set to include visits
to Japan, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Mongolia, Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and the US, with an Antarctic cruise also featuring in the itinerary. “I’ve told a lot of my customers
about it and they’re really excited for me,” said Sidebottom, who launched his agency in August 2021 after working for NatWest for 24 years. The agent added: “I’ve worked
really hard to build up a nice pipeline of bookings and will continue to look after my customers while I’m away, but I’ve also got a couple of buddies
Dale Sidebottom will be joined on his globetrotting trip by friend Lucie Mountain for three months
to help service my UK clients.” He said he had planned
incentives to help spur enquiries as he documents his trip on social media, with potential prizes including extras such as lounge access and private transfers. Sidebottom added that his
decision to embark on the venture came after he and his friend and travelling companion Lucie Mountain applied last year to take part in the next series of Race Across the World, which is due to air in April. They were told they had been
unsuccessful despite making it through a number of stages of the
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8 23 JANUARY 2025
process, so decided to embark on a global adventure regardless. Mountain will join Sidebottom
for the first three months of the journey, before returning to run her catering business. The finale of Sidebottom’s trip
will be a cruise over Christmas and New Year on Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess, departing from Buenos Aires and incorporating the Antarctic Peninsula. Two months earlier, he will
indulge his interest in horse racing with a visit to the Breeders’ Cup in California, where he will be joined by friends and clients.
Chancellor to give go-ahead for expansion of London airports
The government is expected to back significant expansion of southeast airports in a speech on growth next week. It is understood chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to declare her support for a third runway at Heathrow, approve plans to bring a second runway at Gatwick into full-time use and increase capacity at Luton.
AmaWaterways to focus on trade after ‘strong start’
AmaWaterways plans to increase its trade distribution in 2025 in a bid to achieve another “record- breaking year”. Jamie Loizou, UK
managing director, said: “Our focus is to make sure we grow and strengthen our trade partnerships and provide the support our partners need, whether they are travel agents or tour operators. “We want to increase our
distribution and it’s important that we provide support no matter what someone’s business model is.” Loizou revealed 2025 sales had
“started very strongly”, tracking 31% higher than the same period in 2024. Last year, AmaWaterways
boosted its UK agent distribution by more than 20%, welcomed more UK guests on its ships than ever before and paid out record commission. This year, with the addition
of six new ships, the line plans to increase the scale of its product with new itineraries and destinations, including Colombia for the first time. Loizou said there would be
multiple incentives this year, including a ‘Sell Five, Sail Free’ promotion, a range of fam trips and new modules on AmaAcademy. The line also plans to expand its
trade support team.
Visit California urges tourists to support recovery of Los Angeles
The head of Visit California has appealed to tourists to support Los Angeles’ recovery from this month’s devastating wildfires. The state’s tourism organisation has published a map showing more than 98% of Los Angeles County is not in a burn area and a second map highlighting the rerouteing of the Pacific Coast Highway around the Palisades area affected by fire closures.
travelweekly.co.uk
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