island. Tour operators were quick to welcome
the change, and the Sri
Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau went on to announce plans for a £5.5 million joint marketing campaign across 10 countries, including the UK. Latin America took the spotlight in London as Lata (the Latin American Travel Association) held its biggest-ever trade show, attracting 144 exhibitors from the region to a three-day event at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea Football Club. The event was rebranded to Lata Expo for 2020.
JULY
Operators used low deposits to boost forward sales to the US. The trade reported buoyant enquiry levels but admitted there was “nervousness” about booking. USAirtours, Newmarket Holidays and Funway Holidays were among those offering £99 deposits in the late sales period. Tui Airways unveiled an online
tool to discover the most and least popular destinations across the UK. The site, Where Does the UK Holiday?, revealed people from Bristol were the most likely to go on a long-haul holiday. Wendy Wu Tours appointed
STA Travel boss Glen Mintrim as UK managing director and added five holidays to its 2020-21 Japan programme, including Taiwan and South Korea for the first time. Travel 2 introduced seven itineraries in the Far East and said Cambodia was its bestselling destination in the region. If Only introduced Canada to its 2020-21 brochures, with a focus on luxury and experiential travel, but Virgin Atlantic announced it was dropping its Saint Lucia service after 21 years.
AUGUST
Business lawyer and former Silversea boss Amerigo Perasso was appointed chief executive of Abercrombie & Kent Group, while Funway Holidays managing director Melissa Tilling stepped down after 11 years. Carla van der Giesen, vice-president and general manager of sister company Travel Impressions International, took up the role of leading parent company Apple Leisure Group Vacations’ entire operation in Europe, including Funway and Travel Impressions. Caribbean operators said sales were
“bouncing back” two years on from hurricanes Maria and Irma, despite holiday price rises of 10% to 15% said to be a result of Brexit. Caribtours said revenues were up around 12%, and brought out its first collection of boutique hotels as it marked its 40th anniversary. Dominica, one of the worst-hit islands, reported a 59% year-on- year increase in UK visitor numbers between January and June. It expected further growth as Funway Holidays added 10 hotels on the island. Sandals said average selling prices were 8% up and sales of its in-house tour operator, Unique Caribbean Holidays, were 15% up. British Airways announced it would be increasing flights to Saint Lucia next summer following Virgin’s decision to drop the route.
SEPTEMBER Colombo, Sri Lanka
Hurricane Dorian, the first major hurricane of the 2019 season in the Caribbean, became the most powerful tropical cyclone on record to strike the Bahamas, with the most severe damage being done to the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama. In the South Pacific, Travel 2
added Samoa for the first time, ° 66 November 2019
travelweekly.co.uk
Angkor Wat, Siam Reap, Cambodia
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PICTURES: ADRIAN POPE; SHUTTERSTOCK
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