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NEWS


AAAs to celebrate agents’ hard work during pandemic


Travel Weekly reporters


A streamlined edition of the UK's premier travel agent awards will take place at the end of the summer season to celebrate the efforts of the trade during the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021 Travel Weekly Agent


Achievement Awards will take place on Thursday, September 16, after the 2020 event was postponed to enable agents and commercial partners to focus fully on their immediate business needs during the crisis. Maintaining that commitment to


supporting trade partners, the 2021 category line-up has been shortened


to remove the need for agencies and individuals to create and complete detailed entries during the rebuilding process and with reduced teams. Instead, the focus will be on the


relationships and partnerships that have become even more critical in the past 18 months, as suppliers ranging from tour operators and destinations to airlines, cruise lines and add-ons specialists are asked to nominate and vote for their top agency partners based on region, business channel and product specialisms. A small number of individual


awards are being retained and these are open for agents and agencies to


nominate colleagues and staff who they feel are worthy of recognition – not only for their professional performance but also for their wider efforts to support partners, their teams, customers and communities. The AAA ceremony will take


place as always at London’s Park Plaza Westminster hotel in line with all relevant government guidance and will be supported for the first time by headline sponsor Virgin Atlantic. Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief of


Travel Weekly Group, said: “We thought long and hard about the return of the UK’s leading travel agency


awards after its postponement in 2020 as all agents are worthy of recognition for the efforts during the pandemic, but after consulting with readers and partners we felt it was right to celebrate the travel trade as it emerges from the most difficult period in its history.” Lee Haslett, Virgin Atlantic vice-


president of global sales, said: “We are delighted to partner with Travel Weekly on these prestigious awards and look forward to September 16 when the amazing work done by so many agents throughout the past year


will be recognised and celebrated.” i Full details, pages 10-13


‘Exciting day’ as UK cruise restarts Travel Weekly reporters


The first cruises in UK waters for 14 months set sail last week as progress was made for the return of Alaska sailings and European river cruise from this summer. MSC’s new flagship MSC Virtuosa


departed Southampton on its maiden voyage, a south coast mini cruise – the first of 21 ships, deployed by 16 lines, to begin operations in British waters. Speaking on board to Travel


Weekly, MSC Cruises UK and Ireland managing director Antonio Paradiso said: “We are so happy to see our lovely customers back on this beautiful ship after 14 months of hard work. We’re finally here.” Describing the “emotional


travelweekly.co.uk


and exciting day” when guests returned, he said: “Things are finally happening.” In the US, President Joe Biden


signed a bill allowing the resumption of Alaska cruising this year, with Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises planning to resume operations from Seattle from July, with Norwegian Cruise Line following in August. Biden’s authorisation of the


Alaska Tourism Restoration Act on Monday allows ships to sail in the US state without stopping in Canada, which stands between Alaska and the state of Washington in the Pacific northwest. Canada has banned cruise travel until 2022 due to Covid.


MSC Virtuosa


but stressed the importance of adhering to health and safety guidelines. Progress has also been made


towards the resumption of European river sailings this week, with lines announcing cruises on the Danube, Rhine, Seine, Douro, Gironde, Rhône and Po this summer. Uniworld, A-Rosa and


Ships will still need approval from


the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention due to the Framework for Conditional Sail Order, which remains in effect until November. Carnival chief executive Arnold


Donald said the planned Alaska return was “great news for cruising”


CroisiEurope all plan June resumptions, while AmaWaterways and Scenic are due to return in July. Chris Townson, Uniworld’s


managing director for the UK and Ireland, said: “We’re hopeful Italy and France will be on the government’s


green list at some point in June.” i Cruise Restart, page 8 i News You Can Use, page 20


27 MAY 2021 7


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