Cover Stars returns in positive times A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Travel Weekly has hosted some of the travel industry’s most senior leaders at two executive dinners in the past week, and the upbeat mood at both was striking. While the conversations were off the record, I can confirm guests
representing the UK’s biggest operators, retailers and suppliers were universally bullish about the prospects for the peak season, with some projecting another record summer. One of the few areas of concern was the potential for strong sales and customer service to be undermined by issues at airports that are out of the trade’s control (page 5). But there was hope that the disruption seen at Manchester over the weekend would prove to be a one-off and that other issues highlighted after last year’s ATC meltdown would
have been resolved in time for the spike in departures over the next two months. While our executive dinners are focused on industry leaders, the attention of this week’s issue is most certainly on the travel agents serving customers on the frontline. Travel Weekly’s flagship Cover Stars competition first ran in 2010, and in the following decade we showcased 120 of our readers with front-page photoshoots and interviews. When we were approached by Jet2holidays last year to rekindle the competition, we felt the time was right for its return – and I am delighted our partnership will continue into 2025. You can find out more about this year’s amazing VIP trip to Cyprus on page 12, and I would encourage you all to enter as we continue to put our incredible readers at the heart of everything we do.
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS NEWS
New trade-only operator set to launch 4 Demand not hit by Euros and weather 4 Airport disruption raises fears for peak 5 Baldwins sets up franchise; Royal tie-up 6 NCL to host Aqua fam; Carnival results 8 Special Reports
The Hotlist
More than 100 guests attend event in London revealing the winners of this year’s Hotlist awards pages 22-25
Photo: Sarah Lucy Brown
Silversea launches Silver Ray, Lisbon 9 Atas Summit 2024, London
Entries open for Cover Stars 2025 comment
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Jet2, Not in the Guidebooks, JG Travel 15 Jules Verne, Audley Travel
FRONTLINE AAAs 2024 preview Simon Applebaum, Gold Medal
FRONT COVER AND THIS PAGE: Steve Dunlop;
silverphotography.ru; Seabourn; Shutterstock/Gunter Nuyts, Dmitry Molchanov, Pixel-Shot
travelweekly.co.uk FOLLOW US: @travelweekly 16 Scenic, P&O Cruises, Celestyal, Riviera 18
10 12
Jacqueline Dobson: Ad ban is shocking 14
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
OHosted two T ravel
Weekly executive dinners – one with the outgoing and incoming VPs of Royal Caribbean EMEA and the other with easyJet’s outgoing and incoming CEOs.
ORecorded webcasts with NCL president David Herrera, Baldwins Travel’s Nick Marks and Celestyal Cruises’ Janet Parton.
ODressed up in a posh frock for a day at Royal Ascot with Carnival Cruise Line.
Your Stories Paul Tavener, Marvellous Escapes
close-up
Barnstaple Travel, Brilliant, Uniworld 30 competitions
Win trips to Mexico, Alaska and more 31
DESTINATIONS cruise
Expedition: Get up to speed with this growing sector, from Antarctica to Galápagos 32
Citizen Science: Q&A, Marcos Goldin 38 Rail and Sail: A perfect pairing in Italy 41 Rivers in Autumn: Ports without crowds 48 Africa
Safari: Agents roar approval on Newmarket Holidays fam trip to South Africa 54
26
agent diary Andrea Smith: Hail the breadth of choice 28
›’Efficiencies key to decarbonisation’ 62 ›’Clean fuels pose big challenges’ 63 ›’UK aviation must stem demand’
BUSINESS NEWS Westminster Energy Conference:
64 travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 27 JUNE 2024 3
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