NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW 4


Vivid boss vows to tackle plastic issue with levy


Lee Hayhurst lee.hayhurst@travelweekly.co.uk


Vivid Travel is to introduce a plastic levy on flight sales as it urges the travel industry to “get drastic on plastic”.


Founder Kane Pirie believes


Vivid’s customers will support the levy and says although it is a “small step”, it could help “nudge” airlines to improve their procedures. Writing in this week’s Travel


Weekly, Pirie warns that if the industry does not address the issue it will be a “collective failure”.


Pirie, former Travel Republic


chief executive, said from 2019 luxury specialist Vivid would ask customers to pay a plastic levy if booking any airline that does not use biodegradable or recycled plastic. Proceeds will go to an environmental charity. Referring to the threat of plastic


on tourism, Pirie warned: “Who will want to lie on a rubbish-strewn beach next to a lifeless toxic ‘soup’? It’s time to get drastic on plastic.” Plastic pollution has become a cause célèbre following the BBC’s recent Blue Planet II series. Prime minister Theresa May


has vowed to eradicate avoidable use of plastic in the UK by 2042, a pledge Pirie described as “pathetic”. Nikki White, Abta director of destinations and sustainability, said it was important the industry took a long-term approach to sustainability. “The amount of plastics companies use, along with wider environmental issues and the impact on the local community, are important matters,” she said. “Abta is working with members to help address these problems.”


Jane Ashton, director of sustainable development at Tui Group, said tackling plastic used by airlines was “a complicated area due to EU regulations”. She added: “However, we’re con- ducting an internal review looking at any opportunities to improve our environmental credentials and reduce the use of plastics.” Airline body Bar UK said carriers


were improving environmental performance but opposed the use


of levies to increase recycling. › Comment, page 38


Kane Pirie wants the whole industry to address the plastic problem


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Positive peaks defy downturn fears 78%


Ian Taylor ian.taylor@travelweekly.co.uk


New year peak sales began strongly, defying fears of a downturn in holiday spending, with industry analyst GfK reporting bookings for summer 2018 up 7% on 2017 in the first full week of the year.


A £12 decline in average selling


price (ASP) for summer holidays in the week to January 13 was more than offset by a £52 year-on-year increase in the week to January 20


and £51 rise for the season to date. GfK reports bookings for the summer season to date up 4%. UK retail sales excluding travel


have fallen sharply, with Visa reporting household spending at its lowest for five years this month. Yet outbound holiday bookings appear set to hit new highs after GfK reported the summer 2017 season ended with the number of bookings up 7% on 2016. Soaring summer demand for


Turkey may be coming at the expense of the higher-priced Canaries and Balearics. Bookings


6 travelweekly.co.uk 25 January 2018


Increase in summer bookings to Turkey


for Turkey were up 122% last week on the comparable week a year ago, and up 78% for the season to date, but the Canaries down 5% and the Balearics down 6%. Season-to-date bookings to the US were down even more at 12%. Family bookings for the summer to date were up 5% to January 13


west shops up 50% year on year. › Business, page 127


and all-inclusive bookings up 6%, with shorter durations of four to six and seven nights showing growth at the expense of 14 nights. Bookings for winter 2017-18


remain 4% up year on year for the season to date with an increase in ASP of £51. Spain has seen a 4% increase in bookings for the season so far and the Balearics an 18% increase. Andy Nelson, director of leisure agency Admiral Travel, reported bookings at one of his three north-


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