NEWS ROUND-UP
Love to Travel marks 10 years with plans to grow
Juliet Dennis
Scottish agency Love to Travel has revealed plans to gradually expand its homeworking arm and has not ruled out further high street branches as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. The four-branch agency currently
has four homeworkers and has recruited from outside the travel sector in recent years to expand the business. The latest recruit is being trained in one its shops. Owner Joanne Dooey said:
“The part of the business I want to grow is the homeworkers. I would like to take more on. I want to do it gradually over the next two years and we are happy to do all the training. “We have a wealth of experience in the business and are seeing great success from training staff from outside travel.” Love to Travel already has
seven staff on its books with retail or sales experience from outside the travel industry who have been trained inhouse. Dooey, a former president of
the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association, said she had also not ruled out opening another shop in the next couple of years, provided
Joanne Dooey says: ‘The part of the business I want to grow is the homeworkers’
she could find the right location, and had already begun training staff with potential to fill branch manager positions in future. The agency’s fourth shop opened in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, at the end of last year. “It’s about finding the right town
and people,” she said, adding: “I am on the lookout. There are a few towns I would like to go into where there is not an independent agency already.” Love to Travel marked its
10-year milestone with a special party in Coatbridge, where it opened its original shop a decade
Classic Collection launches
trade forum Classic Connect Classic Collection pledged to maintain a “laser-like” focus on the trade as it marked the launch of agent feedback forum Classic Connect by hosting a trip to Andalusia. Agency owners were among 16 professionals who joined the operator at La Zambra hotel near Mijas. B2B director Si Morris-Green said: “Classic Connect will be an open and honest forum with a spirit of collaboration and co-operation.”
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ago. That shop has since moved to larger premises within the town. The agency hosted 60 staff and
supplier representatives with a champagne reception and three- course meal, with entertainment provided by Scottish singer Rachel
Oates, who is part of the cast of the Mamma Mia! international tour. Dooey said: “I held the party
because I wanted to say thank you to staff and suppliers. Suppliers are always hosting us so it was time for them to be hosted. We did some networking and had a great evening.”
InteleTravel conference to host 500 agents in Sorrento
InteleTravel will welcome more than 500 agents and 40 partners in Sorrento next month at its biggest conference. InteleTravel Quest will take place at the Hilton Palace Sorrento from October 10-12, with the theme ‘The Future is You’. Headline sponsors are Classic Collection for land and Virgin Voyages for cruise, while the destination sponsor is Sorrento.
CAA issues Atol reminder five years after Cook failure
The Civil Aviation Authority marked the fifth anniversary of the collapse of Thomas Cook this week by issuing a reminder to holidaymakers to check for Atol protection when booking. The failure of the Thomas Cook
Group on September 23, 2019, led to the largest repatriation of Atol- protected customers in the history of the consumer financial-protection scheme – introduced in 1973. The CAA organised more
than 1,000 repatriation flights to bring more than 140,000 overseas holidaymakers back to the UK. The CAA subsequently paid
out more than 250,000 refunds at a value of more than £350 million. Creditors of Thomas Cook are
expecting to receive final payouts totalling £280 million at the end of this month after the Official Receiver announced plans in July to distribute the funds recovered. Michael Budge, CAA head of
Atol, described Thomas Cook’s failure as “a sad day for the industry, employees and consumers” and suggested the anniversary “serves as an important reminder to book an Atol-protected holiday”. He said: “Booking a holiday
is exciting [but] remember to do your research and check your holiday company is an Atol-licensed tour operator.”
Fred Holidays unveils new trade portal and £1k booking incentive
Fred Holidays has unveiled a new trade portal with an agent incentive of up to £1,000 per booking. The operator said its “biggest trade incentive” recognised agents’ support in achieving triple-digit year-on-year growth. The agent portal has been designed to offer greater functionality and a more user-friendly interface, with added content including training webinars and marketing assets such as window posters and video content.
travelweekly.co.uk
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