THIS WEEK IN... A STEP BACK IN TIME


2009


The impending recession dominated the news pages, with close to 5,000 redundancies and consultations reported by Travel Weekly since the collapse of XL Leisure Group the previous September.


However, there were some bright spots in the downturn, with Hays Travel and Travel Counsellors among the companies launching recruitment drives. Industry leaders responded to Tui boss Dermot Blastland’s dire warnings of company failures and stranded passengers (This Week In…January 17), accusing him of


scaremongering to attract customers to the market leader.


FSA regulations on insurance sales kicked in, but agents were urged to still offer cover despite more red tape. Aito’s Specialist Travel Agents launched a search for its agent ‘Mastermind’, with delegates at its conference urged to focus on upselling and maximising the lates market. Advantage sent promotional leaflets to 300,000 consumers as part of its Love Your Travel Agent campaign.


We take a look through


the Travel Weekly archives in our 50th year to find


out what was making the headlines 10, 25 and 45 years ago…


1994


1974


Clarksons and Horizon both laid off staff as further hefty increases in aviation fuel surcharges seemed certain for inclusive tours and bookings stalled. British Airways promised that any surcharges on its Enterprise and Sovereign programmes would carry commission, but Clarksons and Thomson failed to follow suit.


Hotel giant Ramada Inns planned a multimillion-pound expansion in the UK, while TWA touted its Ambassador Service, highlighting benefits including “more shinroom”, a choice of two films and eight tracks of audio. FTO forerunner TOSG lobbied to redefine inclusive tours in an attempt to avoid the introduction of Advanced Booking Charters in Europe. Blackpool, Brighton and Eastbourne were lined up as potential Abta Convention hosts as concerns were raised over the readiness of convention facilities in Athens. Manchester airport announced it handled a record 2.8 million passengers in 1973.


Abta was expected to appoint a team of headhunters to find its next chief executive after the departure of John Dunscombe, while the association was also contending with the growth of non-member agencies as Thomson began trading with members of The Travel Group. AT Mays continued its 10% discount campaign despite Lunn Poly, Going Places and Thomas Cook ending their 11% campaigns, while new cable and satellite channel Travel eyed a potential audience of 1.4 million. Spain was expected to ditch plans to outlaw the one-year British visitors passport after pressure from the Federation of Tour Operators. Twenty-five direct-sell operators were preparing to sell through the trade for the first time as part of an Aito scheme to identify its ‘Top 100’ highest-producing shops. Emirates planned an overhaul of its Manchester operation, while Aer Lingus hoped to prise transatlantic business away from Heathrow and Gatwick with a campaign at UK regional airports.


40travelweekly.co.uk24 January 2019


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96