C The World to open its first agency in London
Juliet Dennis
West Country agency C The World is to expand into London – a year after the business was acquired by industry veteran Matt Purser. The three-branch chain will
open its fourth outlet, in a former children’s toy store in Blackheath, southeast London, in the autumn. Owner and managing director
Purser, who is also managing director of Africa & Beyond and Ski Gems, said the expansion was opportunity driven, initially by the closure of Baldwins Travel in Kent. Speaking for the first time since
acquiring C The World in September 2024, he said: “The fourth branch was never really in the plan, but what started to stir it up for me was what happened with Baldwins. I knew they had some good branches, and I was having conversations with them, but nothing came to fruition. “Then a shop came up that
was local to me and it ticked all the boxes. It is in an affluent area with the right demographic and no other local agents.” The shop will mirror C The
World’s existing branches in Bath, Bristol and Thornbury in South Gloucestershire. Three staff have already been recruited.
A fourth branch
was never really in the plan but then a shop came up that ticked all the boxes
Since the acquisition – which did not include the company’s specialist golf tour operation Tee The World – almost a year ago, Purser has reopened the Thornbury agency, which closed during Covid and restarted in the house of former owner Carolyn Park. Three staff have been taken on
in the past year, bringing the total to
Dertour’s Hotelplan acquisition given go-ahead by regulators
Swiss competition authorities have given the green light for the acquisition of Hotelplan Group by Kuoni parent Dertour after a three-month investigation. The Swiss Competition Commission announced it had approved the transaction without conditions or obligations, with the deal for the group, excluding Interhome, expected to be completed at the end of this week.
8 28 AUGUST 2025 Matt Purser
nine across the three shops. A new salary and commission structure has also been introduced. Purser, who was a founder of
Travel Trade Consultancy before becoming a director of specialist travel growth consultancy The Firebird Partnership, said trading was buoyant. “It’s going really well,” he said.
“Every branch is up on last year. We are probably lower in terms of the number of bookings, but revenue and profit are up.” Purser said there were no current
plans for further expansion, adding: “I don’t want to open shops for the sake of it.”
Audley Travel recruits Fitzell for product and operations role
Former Elegant Resorts and If Only boss Lisa Fitzell is to join Audley Travel as chief product and operations officer on October 6. The tailor-made operator hailed Fitzell’s “strong track record”. She will replace James Herbert, who moved into the new role of chief commercial transformation officer on July 1.
Royal Caribbean names 10 winners of Spectrum cruise
Royal Caribbean International has revealed the 10 winners of its Fortune Awaits competition. The contest, run in conjunction
with Travel Weekly, offered agents the chance to scoop a place on a trip to Shanghai in October, followed by a four-night cruise to Okinawa, Japan, on Spectrum of the Seas. Entrants had to complete Online
Travel Training’s (OTT) new training course about the ship, and submit a picture of themselves using Spectrum of the Seas chopsticks. Almost 300 agents have
completed the course with OTT. Ben Bouldin, president of Royal
Caribbean in China, said: “It is a money-can’t-buy experience. It will be the trip of a lifetime.” He said he was “blown away” by
how many agents had completed the training. Lucy Huxley, Travel Weekly
editor-in-chief, will join the trip, along with a member of Royal Caribbean’s UK sales team. The winners, who will fly to
Shanghai with Qatar Airways, are: Sam Griffiths, Cruise1st; Zoe Toogood, Fred Olsen Travel; Lisa Harrold, Murray Travel; Holly O’Neil, Travelbag; Laura Harvey, Holiday Elite; Kieran Eccles-Miller, Magical Traveller; James Barker, Iglu; Gemma Webster, Bolsover Cruise Club; Megan Carter, Sandy Lane Travel; and Peter Kisbee, Tui.
Jet2.com allows children under two to fly free in UK carrier ‘first’
Jet2.com has followed sister tour operator Jet2holidays in allowing children under two to travel for free, claiming a first for a UK carrier. The policy applies to all new bookings made from July 22 and children must be under two at the time of travel to qualify. In an alteration to luggage allowance, checked-in child or infant equipment will not be subject to excess baggage charges.
travelweekly.co.uk
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