Agent-voted Globes mean a great deal A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We aim to make the Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards bigger and better every year, and the 2025 edition last week was another spectacular celebration of the travel trade. Once again, we were indebted to the travel agents who took the time to cast tens of thousands of votes for their favourite suppliers, and you could tell from our winners’ reactions how much they continue to value these accolades. More than 1,200 guests at London’s Grosvenor House hotel were
treated to a fantastic evening of entertainment, and you can read about the night and some of our big winners in this week’s edition (pages 12-16). There were many memorable moments and a real highpoint was the presentation of our special awards, including the Outstanding
Achievement honour which went to Silversea’s Peter Shanks (page 14). Cruise has had a growing presence at the Globes over the past decade, and we were delighted to recognise Peter’s contribution as we also introduced a new category to celebrate excellence in the expedition sector. The fast-paced and rapidly expanding cruise industry is also the focus of this annual themed
edition of Travel Weekly, sponsored by Virgin Voyages (page 10). Inside, you can find a wealth of content to help you grow your sales, including the first in a new series as we take a deep dive into cruising in Alaska with a 12-page Ultimate Guide supported by Holland America Line (page 45). With the Globes wrapped up for 2025, we can’t wait to keep providing the information and inspiration you need to ensure it is another year to remember.
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS
NEWS Agents report ‘interceptor’ fraud
News The Interview
Incentive launch Comment
5, 6, 8 10 18 20
News You Can Use 28 Agent Diary Your Stories Competitions Destinations
32 34 38
45-76
Reuben’s Retreat hails Globes donations 4 Trade reports steady start to wave
Strong sales continue; Explora ship visits 6 Agent’s RTW trip; AmaWaterways goal 8 The interview
Virgin Voyages chiefs’ 2025 outlook 10 Globe travel awards 2025
Trade honours the suppliers of the year 12 special report
Trio of brands launch £100k challenge 18 comment
Giles Hawke: Spur early bookings 20
NEWS YOU CAN USE Anzcro, Jet2, Santa’s Lapland, Tui
Typically Holidays, G Adventures
25 26
Virgin Voyages, MSC, HAL, Crystal 28
FRONTLINE agent diary Clare Dudley: Learn a new cruise sector 32
FRONT COVER AND THIS PAGE: Steve Dunlop; Sarah Lucy Brown; Johann Helgason; Shutterstock/Maridav
travelweekly.co.uk FOLLOW US: @travelweekly
4 5
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
OMet Claudia Winkleman, Sam Ryder, Rudimental and the RPJ Band, who all performed at our glittering Globe Travel Awards last week. How lucky am I?
ORecorded an interview with Tui’s Phill Iveson about the company’s start to the year and plans for 2025.
ODrove my son back to Cambridge for his second term at uni, the car full of freezer meals to keep him going!
Your Stories Destinology’s Lauren Wood on her journey from musician to cruise sector specialist 34
competitions Win Miami, Ethiopia, Caribbean trips 38
DESTINATIONS Cruise
Ultimate Guide to Alaska Cruises
›Voyages ex-Vancouver 50 ›Alaska ports
›Exploring Alaska ›Sailing from Seattle
›Cruise and tours
53 56
Disney Treasure: Review of new ship 61 Danube: Rediscover an old favourite 67 Caribbean: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao 73
BUSINESS NEWS
Abta adds climate to ‘strategic’ risks 78 MPs to vote on Youth Mobility bill
78
GBT-CWT merger faces block in US 79 Inbound sector anger at ETA fee hike 80
travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 23 JANUARY 2025 3
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