Selling Travel May 19
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MAY 20<strong>19</strong> • SELLINGTRAVEL.CO.UK<br />
TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR 2018<br />
WALK<br />
THIS WAY<br />
From testing hikes to gentle meanders,<br />
walking holidays are hotfooting it into<br />
tourism's mainstream<br />
Be inspired<br />
LUXURY<br />
TRAVEL<br />
Page 71<br />
how to sell...<br />
Japan<br />
Mauritius<br />
Escorted Touring<br />
Dominican Republic<br />
Ecuador and Galapagos<br />
and more...
#CTORoadshowsUK20<strong>19</strong><br />
Media Partner:<br />
www.sellingtravel.co.uk<br />
RO<br />
THE CARIBBEAN<br />
TOURISM<br />
ORGANIZATION<br />
UK TRAVEL AGENT<br />
ROADSHOWS 20<strong>19</strong><br />
ROADSHOW LOCATIONS<br />
12 June – Jersey<br />
13 June – Guernsey<br />
18 June – Edinburgh<br />
<strong>19</strong> June – Dundee<br />
20 June – Glasgow<br />
02 July – Guildford<br />
03 July – Tonbridge<br />
10 September – Nottingham<br />
11 September – Leeds<br />
18 September – London<br />
Join the Caribbean Tourism Organization and<br />
Partners for an informative evening of Networking,<br />
Fun and a delicious Caribbean-inspired Buffet,<br />
PLUS a chance to win some Great Prizes<br />
Partners:<br />
We kick off the events at 6.00pm and close at 9.30pm<br />
RSVP at:<br />
www.caribbeantravelguru.com/reg-form.html<br />
For further details call: 020 8948 0057
contents 3<br />
this issue<br />
WE TRAVEL FURTHER TO BRING YOU MORE<br />
FEATURES<br />
08 Escorted touring:<br />
Bucket list itineraries<br />
made simple<br />
18 Walking holidays:<br />
Ditch the car and reap<br />
the rewards<br />
30 Mauritius: More than<br />
just a honeymoon hotspot<br />
37 Ecuador: From animal<br />
encounters to the 'Avenue<br />
of the Volcanoes’<br />
46 Japan: Where tech meets<br />
tradition<br />
52 Dominican Republic:<br />
An adventure island<br />
64 Thailand: Actionpacked<br />
holiday ideas<br />
QUICK READS<br />
36 Introducing: Chad<br />
50 Six of the best: Theme<br />
parks for young kids<br />
MARK SNYDER<br />
37<br />
52<br />
36<br />
30<br />
64<br />
46<br />
TALKING SHOP<br />
21 News, competitions, agent<br />
opinions, fams and more<br />
DOMINICAN<br />
REPUBLIC<br />
52<br />
THAILAND<br />
64<br />
THE REVIEW<br />
56 News and a special report<br />
on Guernsey<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
71<br />
WALKING HOLIDAYS<br />
18<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
72 What is luxury?<br />
76 New beginnings:<br />
High-end new openings<br />
80 Luxury in unexpected<br />
places<br />
84 Thematic escapes<br />
88 Celebrity sells: Places<br />
inspired by famous faces<br />
90 Five rail journeys<br />
JAPAN<br />
46<br />
Please note that <strong>Selling</strong> <strong>Travel</strong>, owned and<br />
published by BMI Publishing Ltd., is not<br />
connected in any way to <strong>Selling</strong> <strong>Travel</strong><br />
e-magazine published by SMP Training Co.<br />
and based in British Columbia, Canada. The<br />
latter online publication focuses exclusively on<br />
sales skills and all aspects of professional<br />
selling within the travel and tourism sectors.<br />
To benefit from this travel industry sales<br />
training resource visit sellingtravel.net<br />
ECUADOR<br />
37<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
WINNER<br />
TRADE PUBLICATION OF<br />
THE YEAR – PRINT & ONLINE<br />
Proudly published by<br />
BMI Publishing Ltd<br />
© 20<strong>19</strong><br />
Suffolk House, George St,<br />
Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1SR, UK<br />
T 020 8649 7233<br />
F 020 8649 7234<br />
enquiries@bmipublishing.co.uk<br />
bmipublishing.co.uk<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk<br />
CEO: Martin Steady<br />
Managing Director: Matt Bonner<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
Editorial Director: Steve Hartridge<br />
Deputy Editor: Laura Gelder<br />
Staff Journalists: Jessica Pook<br />
and Sasha Wood<br />
Group Editor: Andy Hoskins<br />
Contributing Editor: Julie Baxter<br />
SALES<br />
Publishers: Steve Thompson<br />
& Sally Parker<br />
Advertising Manager: Lisa Merrigan<br />
DESIGN & PRODUCTION<br />
Senior Designer: Louisa Horton<br />
Designers: Ross Clifford,<br />
Zoë Tarrant and Caitlan Francis<br />
Production Manager: Clare Hunter<br />
Production Controller: Steve Hunter<br />
We are members of the Caribbean<br />
Tourism Organization, Visit USA<br />
Association, LATA, PATA, MENATA,<br />
SATOA, the Foreign Airlines<br />
Association and the Institute of<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> & Tourism.<br />
Whilst every effort is made to<br />
ensure accuracy, BMI Publishing<br />
cannot be held responsible for any<br />
errors or omissions.<br />
ISSN: 2056-93<strong>19</strong>.<br />
Cover image: Los Glaciares<br />
welcome<br />
Steve Hartridge<br />
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR<br />
I<br />
t was with mounting sadness and a profound sense of<br />
empathy that I followed the terrible news from Sri Lanka<br />
over the Easter weekend.<br />
Aside from the awful human toll – around 360 deaths at the time<br />
of writing – the impact on the country’s collective confidence and<br />
immediate tourism prospects will be devastating.<br />
The oft-used description of Sri Lanka as a tear-shaped island has<br />
probably never been more apt.<br />
<strong>Selling</strong> <strong>Travel</strong> has long had an affinity with this stunning island.<br />
We have written about it extensively over the years and, after the<br />
ceasefire in <strong>May</strong> 2009 which brought to an end a 26-year-old Civil War,<br />
we were the first UK travel trade magazine to visit the country.<br />
Just three weeks after the war was declared over, I stood on a glorious<br />
and empty beach at Arugam Bay, drinking in its beauty. Located<br />
towards the southern end of the east coast, even back then it was popular with<br />
independent travellers, drawn by the charms of its unspoilt,<br />
palm-fringed sands.<br />
As I chatted to agents<br />
from the UK and<br />
Ireland, monkeys<br />
flitted in the trees and<br />
hawkers selling hats,<br />
sarongs, wooden boats –<br />
even massages – strolled<br />
the beach, eager to start<br />
cashing in on this new era<br />
of peace and stability.<br />
Since those days tourism<br />
has boomed in Sri Lanka:<br />
hotels have opened rapidly<br />
and its unique range of<br />
attractions – from World<br />
Heritage sites and wildlife<br />
parks to boutique hotels in<br />
the tea-growing hill country –<br />
has become well known.<br />
Late last year the country’s<br />
tourism board launched its latest campaign, using perhaps the shortest tagline ever devised by<br />
a destination. The SO Sri Lanka brand, as intriguing as it is simple, somehow manages to capture<br />
the essence of Sri Lanka, its authenticity, diversity and its richness.<br />
In the wake of what happened at Easter, there are plenty of questions for the country’s<br />
politicians and security chiefs to answer, but when they do Sri Lanka will quickly return to being<br />
one of the planet’s most sought-after destinations. It has too much going for it not to.<br />
This publication is printed on<br />
Revivew 100 Media and Revive<br />
recycled coated, recycled paper<br />
grades that are FSC® Recycled<br />
certified and Carbon Balanced.<br />
WITH THIS ISSUE<br />
Namibia <strong>Travel</strong> Guide.... The Southern African country's tagline is 'Endless<br />
Horizons' but this doesn't convey just how varied and unique the country is:<br />
from the rocky enscarpments of Fish River Canyon – the largest chasm in<br />
Africa – to the wind-sculped sands of a desert with the largest sand dunes in<br />
the world. Discover more by reading our in-depth guide.
INVITATION<br />
UK & Europe<br />
DESTINATION NSW ROADSHOW 20<strong>19</strong><br />
LIVERPOOL: The Royal Liver Building, Pier Head - 16 <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>19</strong> from 6-10pm<br />
LONDON: Stephen Street Kitchen, Fitzrovia - 20 <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>19</strong> from 6-10pm<br />
Come along and meet Sydney and New South Wales tourism suppliers at a fun<br />
and informative event. Be in with a chance to win great prizes on the night including<br />
one of two tickets to Sydney with Qantas at each event!<br />
Don’t miss out – register now!<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk/dnswroadshow
6<br />
the big picture<br />
Manshausen Island<br />
Norway<br />
Leading light<br />
‘A harmony between people and<br />
nature’ would be a fine thing in the<br />
UK following the recent Extinction<br />
Rebellion riots, but polar explorer<br />
Børge Ousland seems to have done<br />
just that. These organic cabins sit on<br />
Manshausen Island in Norway, a<br />
protected haven that in five years<br />
intends to be climate neutral. The<br />
cabins enjoy 24-hour sun in the<br />
summer and unobstructed views of<br />
the Northern Lights in winter.<br />
offthemap.travel<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
ADVERTORIAL<br />
Innovation<br />
In style<br />
COPYRIGHT © DAMIEN LACHAS<br />
As a pioneer in the river cruise<br />
market, Europe’s largest river<br />
cruise operator, CroisiEurope<br />
Cruises, leaves nothing to chance.<br />
Whether it is having a huge variety and<br />
the best selection of worldwide cruise<br />
itineraries or assembling one of the<br />
most well-appointed fleets operating<br />
today, this innovative line leads the way<br />
in offering holidays that suit the needs of<br />
all clients.<br />
To maintain its place at the head of the<br />
pack, the Strasbourg-based cruise line<br />
continues to invest. Half of its 56 vessels<br />
are rated ‘premium class’ and many have<br />
been built specifically with itineraries in<br />
mind.<br />
Newest arrival MS Amalia Rodrigues is<br />
the perfect example. Launched in March<br />
20<strong>19</strong>, it is the sixth CroisiEurope ship on<br />
the Douro – and for ‘the river of gold’ you<br />
need a real treasure. Accommodating<br />
132 guests in 66 double-occupancy<br />
cabins, including four charming and<br />
spacious suites, the ship’s many French<br />
balconies and large picture windows<br />
make it ideal to soak up the sun and<br />
watch the Unesco-acclaimed scenery<br />
float by.<br />
Currently operating six- and eight-day<br />
sailings from the Atlantic to Spanish<br />
border, guests have the opportunity<br />
to experience colourful Porto, Teron<br />
Vega, Salamanca and Pinhao – all while<br />
enjoying the produce of the Douro’s<br />
celebrated vineyards, of course.<br />
Meanwhile, the newly refurbished<br />
MS Van Gogh is cutting a fine figure on<br />
the Rhone and Saone this summer.<br />
Tastefully decorated in a modern palette,<br />
this elegant, premium rated ship is<br />
inspired by its artist namesake, and calls<br />
at many of the places that Vincent once<br />
painted.<br />
For more French fancies, guests can<br />
also choose CroisiEurope’s MS Loire<br />
Princess, Europe’s first, intimate 90-metre<br />
paddle-wheeler that winds its way<br />
through the country’s most famous wine<br />
region. Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, Angers,<br />
and Saumur are ready to be uncorked!<br />
Sister-ships MS Elbe Princess I and II<br />
open up new possibilities, too, with their<br />
paddle-wheel technology allowing these<br />
sleek, 80-guest vessels to navigate the<br />
low waters of Germany’s heartland year<br />
round.<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> further afield and the<br />
investment continues. MS La Belle de<br />
L’Adriatique – the company’s only ocean<br />
vessel – has a small-ship feel and was<br />
built specifically to navigate tiny ports<br />
along the Croatian coast.<br />
Away from Europe, RV Indochine II has<br />
the look of the rich colonial vessels that<br />
once sailed the Mekong. It is one of few<br />
vessels that can dock in the centre of Ho<br />
Chi Minh City. And in Southern Africa,<br />
the eight cabin elegant MS African Dream<br />
continues to delight guests on unique,<br />
once-in-a-lifetime safari cruises sailing<br />
across Zambezi river Lake Kariba.<br />
Croisieurope continues to innovate<br />
on further expansions onto exotic,<br />
worldwide waterways and more<br />
refurbishments are in the pipelines<br />
for 2020 and beyond, a mark of<br />
CrosiEurope’s commitment to a sector<br />
that continues to go from strength to<br />
strength. So, watch this space… For<br />
agents, now is the time to step aboard!<br />
Learn more at trade portal: pro-uk.croisieurope.com/login-b2b
8<br />
escorted touring<br />
tour<br />
de force<br />
From African safaris and mountain treks to cultural<br />
city breaks and country-wide journeys, escorted<br />
tours are about delivering dream holidays without<br />
the hassle, says Sasha Wood<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
escorted touring 9<br />
Long gone are the days when<br />
escorted tours were synonymous<br />
with octogenarians on coach<br />
trips. All-inclusive bookings are<br />
now about helping clients of all<br />
ages seamlessly tick off bucket list<br />
destinations that might require serious<br />
planning and stressful logistics.<br />
According to most tour operators,<br />
one-off adventures and authentic<br />
experiences to far-flung destinations<br />
such as Japan, Sri Lanka, Chile and<br />
Colombia are selling well, alongside<br />
off-the-beaten track itineraries in more<br />
familiar destinations such as the USA.<br />
Not only have tours become more<br />
adventurous, experiential and exotic,<br />
they are increasingly being designed to<br />
suit different groups, from millennials<br />
and solo travellers to families and<br />
the more mature market.<br />
Wendy Wu Tours’ Head of Product, Peter<br />
Crane, says: “The challenge for agents<br />
and tour operators is that the market<br />
has become increasingly segmented as<br />
customers are becoming more aware<br />
and demanding. It encourages us to use<br />
our expertise and work a bit harder.”<br />
Tucan <strong>Travel</strong>’s Marketing Manager,<br />
Rosanna Neophytou, says the company’s<br />
response to the changing market has<br />
been to curate holidays with a less<br />
prescriptive approach: “Our tours are<br />
designed with enough free time so that<br />
people can explore but still be reassured<br />
there is a tour leader there to organise<br />
the important things,” she explains.<br />
Scenic has also adapted by introducing<br />
elements of tailoring to its group tours<br />
with Freechoice options giving greater<br />
flexibility on excursions and meals.<br />
As well as tour operators offering more<br />
breadth of product than ever before,<br />
responsible travel is becoming more<br />
mainstream as people choose to book with<br />
companies that reflect their own values.<br />
Responsible travel-focused Intrepid says<br />
it has just marked its third record year of<br />
growth, while new-on-the-scene semiescorted<br />
tour provider Large Minority is<br />
also embracing responsible travel with 10%<br />
of profits going towards its Meaningful<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> projects in various destinations.<br />
Mature travellers<br />
The market demographics may be shifting,<br />
but mature travellers are still most likely<br />
to take an escorted tour. Many operators<br />
say the over-50s are their core market,<br />
but their holiday criteria has changed.<br />
“The over-55s continue to get more and<br />
more adventurous, and we have expanded<br />
our products to cater for this. These<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
SHEARINGS<br />
Unforgettable<br />
Worldwide Adventures<br />
Our worldwide escorted tours visit all seven continents and include<br />
adventurous itineraries to Vietnam, Japan, Australia, New Zealand<br />
and even Antarctica!<br />
Trust the experts in delivering top quality, award-winning adventures.<br />
Where will 20<strong>19</strong> take you?<br />
Why choose<br />
Shearings?<br />
The UK’s largest escorted<br />
tour company<br />
Over 100 years of<br />
experience<br />
Award-winning<br />
holidays<br />
Low deposits,<br />
from £65pp ∆<br />
Up to 20kg luggage<br />
included in price †<br />
Over 600 pick up<br />
points nationwide<br />
Trusted hotels in<br />
excellent locations<br />
Over 200 destinations<br />
worldwide<br />
Flexible travel options<br />
by coach, car, air<br />
and rail
12 DAYS<br />
FROM<br />
£2,072<br />
PER PERSON<br />
17 DAYS<br />
FROM<br />
£2,842<br />
PER PERSON<br />
16 DAYS<br />
FROM<br />
£1,892<br />
PER PERSON<br />
Borneo Wilderness<br />
Touring itinerary<br />
With three included river cruises, there's plenty<br />
of chances to spot the arrary of wildlife!<br />
Visit Mari-Mari Cultural Village, take a jungle<br />
trek, visit Kinabalu National Park, visit Sepilok<br />
Orangutan Sanctuary, all the time whilst<br />
enjoying breathtaking tropical beachside<br />
resorts and rainforest.<br />
Indochina’s Rivers & Treasures<br />
Touring itinerary<br />
From the bays of Vietnam to the Rivers<br />
of Cambodia, this tour immerses you in<br />
the colour of daily life of these two vibrant<br />
countries. See Monasteries and Palaces<br />
through to The Killing Fields and local village<br />
life from floating markets to temples.<br />
Wilds of Sri Lanka<br />
Touring itinerary<br />
From the wilds of the national parks to the<br />
colonial history, tea plantations and spice<br />
gardens through to the culture of ancient<br />
temples and caves, this tour of Sri Lanka will<br />
immerse you in island life both current and<br />
ancient.<br />
16 TH JUN & 8 TH SEP 20<strong>19</strong> • 10 TH JUN & 15 TH SEP 2020<br />
HOL CODE: AW020<br />
8 TH SEP 20<strong>19</strong> • 8 TH MAR & 6 TH SEP 2020<br />
HOL CODE: AW0<strong>19</strong>A<br />
JUNE 20<strong>19</strong> – NOVEMBER 2020<br />
HOL CODE: AW034<br />
12 DAYS<br />
FROM<br />
£4,559<br />
PER PERSON<br />
9 DAYS<br />
FROM<br />
£2,135<br />
PER PERSON<br />
11 DAYS<br />
FROM<br />
£1,774<br />
PER PERSON<br />
Australia By Rail –<br />
The Indian Pacific<br />
Touring itinerary<br />
Join us on board the Indian Pacific as<br />
we follow in the footsteps of gold rush<br />
prospectors and bush pioneers. Explore Perth,<br />
discover Adelaide, cruise Sydney's harbour<br />
and see the sights from the water and join<br />
us for wine and chocolate tasting on a<br />
Margaret River Vineyard tour.<br />
SEPT 20<strong>19</strong> – MARCH 2020<br />
HOL CODE: AW028<br />
America's<br />
Rhythms<br />
Touring itinerary<br />
Experience the rhythms of the south that<br />
modern day American music was founded<br />
on. We'll visit Nashville, learn to line dance<br />
at the Wildhorse Saloon, visit Graceland in<br />
Memphis and discover New Orleans and<br />
enjoy a Jazz brunch in the Big Easy.<br />
MAY – OCTOBER 20<strong>19</strong><br />
HOL CODE: AW002<br />
India’s Golden Triangle &<br />
Tigers of Ranthambore<br />
Touring itinerary<br />
We'll show you the best of the colourful<br />
country that is India! See the Golden Triangle<br />
with its bustling cities and amazing wildlife,<br />
seek out the Bengal tigers at Ranthambore<br />
National Park, explore the 'Pink City' of Jalpur<br />
and visit the world famous Taj Mahal at<br />
sunrise.<br />
8 TH OCT 20<strong>19</strong> • 8 TH MAR & 6 TH NOV 2020<br />
HOL CODE: AW021<br />
All holidays include return flights from a wide choice of regional airports, resort transfers including airport meet & greet,<br />
welcoming accommodation throughout your tour and visits to amazing attractions and historic sites.<br />
facebook.com/groups/shearingstradeteam<br />
Need to talk to us online? Visit shearingsagent.com<br />
and talk to us via webchat<br />
Terms and conditions apply. All prices are ‘from’ prices and are based on 2 people sharing a standard twin/double room. Single/room/flight supplements may apply.<br />
Advertised prices already include any relevant saving. ∆£65 deposit is based on UK coach holidays of 2-5 days only. †On UK and European coach holidays only.<br />
Prices correct as of 16/04/20<strong>19</strong>. E&OE.
THE MOST LUXURIOUS<br />
5-STAR FULLY-INCLUSIVE<br />
ESCORTED TOURS<br />
Business<br />
Class Flight<br />
Upgrade †<br />
For only £299<br />
per person<br />
Plus<br />
FREE 2-Night<br />
Stopover ¥<br />
In a choice of<br />
incredible locations<br />
Unrivalled Luxury in Australia & New Zealand<br />
Scenic are well known as market leaders in luxury Europe river cruising, but you may<br />
not know that our roots are in escorted touring, with over 30 years of experience.<br />
Vast desert outback, rocky mountain ranges, winding ocean roads and cosmopolitan<br />
cityscapes, guests can take the Scenic route through Australia as the allure of true<br />
adventure beckons. At Scenic, we carefully handpick each and every unforgettable<br />
experience to ensure that our innovative itineraries continue to set the standard for<br />
5-star luxury touring.<br />
20-day Grand Australia<br />
Perth > Sydney<br />
Departs Oct 20<strong>19</strong> - Apr 2020<br />
From £6,695 per person<br />
18-day Royal New Zealand<br />
Christchurch > Auckland<br />
Departs Sep 20<strong>19</strong> - Apr 2020<br />
From £5,695 per person<br />
13-day Taste of South Australia<br />
Adelaide > Adelaide<br />
Departs Sep 20<strong>19</strong> - Apr 2020<br />
From £4,395 per person<br />
DISCOVER OUR ESCORTED TOURING DESTINATIONS<br />
The Americas Asia & The Far East Africa & The Middle East<br />
5-STAR LUXURY<br />
INCLUSIONS<br />
ü Return flights from<br />
UK airports<br />
ü All internal flights<br />
throughout Australia<br />
and New Zealand<br />
ü World-class hotels &<br />
Special Stays<br />
ü Scenic Enrich once-ina-lifetime<br />
experiences<br />
ü Scenic Sundowners<br />
exclusive cocktail<br />
receptions<br />
ü Scenic Freechoice<br />
excursions<br />
ü Scenic Freechoice Dining<br />
ü Fully-escorted touring<br />
ü Expert Tour Directors<br />
and local guides<br />
ü Complimentary Wi-Fi<br />
at selected hotels<br />
And of course, all tipping<br />
and gratuities<br />
Book the ultimate in luxury, call: 0808 115 0463<br />
Get in touch with your local Sales Manager at: agencysales@scenic.co.uk<br />
Terms and Conditions: Terms and Conditions: New bookings only, made between 16 March and 11 June 20<strong>19</strong>. †£299 Business Class Flight Upgrade is limited<br />
and is valid one way only on our 20<strong>19</strong>/20 Australia & New Zealand itineraries. Offer is available on qualifying flights and upgrades are subject to availability.<br />
Supplements may apply if traveling on non-specified routes and from regional departure points. Upgrades are non-transferable and no cash or credit<br />
alternative will be offered. ¥Free 2-night stopover depends on airline availability and routing, and applies to selected hotels in Bangkok and Pattaya. A small<br />
supplement will apply to other destinations, please call for more details. Offers can be withdrawn at any time and are only applicable to residents of the UK.<br />
For full itinerary, inclusions and terms and conditions, please refer to the website at www.scenic.co.uk/terms-and-conditions.
escorted touring 13<br />
ESCORTED TOUR, PERU<br />
YOUNG TIGER, INDIA<br />
customers are time rich, have good<br />
disposable income and are more active<br />
than ever. They want soft adventure, they<br />
want unique experiences but all with the<br />
comfort of knowing that a company with<br />
expertise and knowledge has organised<br />
every detail,” says Matthew Herbert, Product<br />
and Yield Director at Shearings Holidays.<br />
One way Shearings has adjusted is<br />
to introduce new small group Go By<br />
Air tours to lesser-explored regions<br />
across Europe. This includes Bulgaria,<br />
to tie in with Plovdiv being named<br />
European Capital of Culture for 20<strong>19</strong>.<br />
It also runs tours for the mature market<br />
that offer in-depth exploration of more<br />
familiar destinations. “Our most popular<br />
USA tour, The Great America Crossing,<br />
visits lots of landmarks along the way,<br />
staying in a range of accommodation<br />
that for many would feel complicated<br />
and stressful to plan,” says Herbert.<br />
Similarly Wendy Wu Tours still considers<br />
more mature travellers as its main market,<br />
but “they are increasingly looking for more<br />
adventurous, unusual and challenging<br />
trips with local experiences,” says Crane.<br />
The company has worked hard to stand<br />
out in the marketplace, differentiating<br />
its tours by including local add-ons.<br />
“We’ve added experiential moments and<br />
extras to our classic tours. For example<br />
in Cambodia, guests visit Angkor Wat<br />
with a local expert on architecture and<br />
stone masonry,” explains Crane.<br />
SELL IT: Wendy Wu Tours’ (wendywutours.co.uk)<br />
has added new dates for its sold-out 17-day Japan<br />
Uncovered journey, from £6,490pp. Shearings<br />
(shearings.com) has an Authentic Bulgaria trip,<br />
including rustic villages, Sofia and the European<br />
Capital of Culture for 20<strong>19</strong>, Plovdiv, From £1,552pp.<br />
BRAGA, ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT, NEPAL<br />
The millennial market<br />
In recent years, there’s been a rise in<br />
demand for flexible and affordable<br />
escorted tours geared towards the youth<br />
market. Tour operator Tucan points out<br />
that nowadays the youth and mature<br />
markets make up the lion’s share of<br />
passengers booking onto escorted tours.<br />
“We have a couple of main markets<br />
– the 20-30s and those that are<br />
50- plus,” says Tucan’s Marketing<br />
Manager, Rosanna Neophytou.<br />
“And within those demographics<br />
the company is seeing a steady rise<br />
in demand for destinations that are<br />
a bit more off the beaten track, such<br />
as Colombia and Myanmar.”<br />
To cater to the young solos market in<br />
particular, those who are looking for an<br />
adventurous but secure and smooth<br />
backpacker-style experience, Tucan has<br />
launched new itineraries in Central America,<br />
including one which goes from Mexico<br />
to Costa Rica via Belize and Guatemala.<br />
A little ahead of the curve, tour company<br />
G Adventures launched its small-group<br />
CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA<br />
“We’ve added experiential<br />
moments and extras to our<br />
classic tours. For example in<br />
Cambodia, guests visit<br />
Angkor Wat with a local<br />
expert on architecture”<br />
Peter Crane, Wendy Wu Tours<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
14<br />
escorted touring<br />
CHERRY BLOSSOM, JAPAN<br />
CLAIRE SWEENEY ON JUST YOU’S INDIA TOUR<br />
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, USA<br />
“Escorted tours have the<br />
largest potential for<br />
expansion, over half of<br />
travellers say they would be<br />
interested in taking this type<br />
of holiday”<br />
Matt Howard, Just You<br />
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, SAN FRANCISCO<br />
youth product, YOLO, in 2012, which<br />
buoyed passenger growth by more than<br />
85%, outpacing the operator’s other<br />
tour brands. Now relaunched as 18-to-<br />
Thirtysomethings holidays, the itineraries<br />
are the most affordable in G Adventures’<br />
portfolio, using budget-friendly<br />
accommodation such as upmarket<br />
hostels and including elements tailored<br />
to young travellers such as Big Nights<br />
Out and chances for travellers to get the<br />
most from the trip for social media.<br />
SELL IT: Tucan <strong>Travel</strong>’s (tucantravel.com)<br />
best-selling 14-day Classic Colombia tour takes<br />
travellers from Bogota to Cartagena on a trip<br />
spanning salt pans, archaeological parks and<br />
deserts. On sale from £1,217pp, excluding flights.<br />
Family adventurers<br />
People’s sense of adventure doesn’t<br />
just disappear when they have kids, but<br />
the convenience of taking an escorted<br />
tour may seem more appealing with<br />
children in tow. For families after more<br />
than a fly and flop, ballpit and buffettype<br />
holiday, tour operators are finally<br />
catching on. Adventurous trips specifically<br />
with families in mind are becoming<br />
increasingly popular, offering immersive<br />
highlights such as tuk-tuk tours, natural<br />
attractions and local exploration.<br />
Adventure travel specialist Intrepid<br />
doesn’t just accommodate families, it<br />
has gone one step further, introducing<br />
specific trips for solo parents with young<br />
children, and families with teenagers,<br />
all with adventurous itineraries to suit<br />
travellers of all ages including African<br />
safaris, a family holiday on the Inca Trail<br />
and wildlife adventures in Borneo.<br />
SELL IT: Intrepid’s (intrepidtravel.com) eight-day<br />
Kenya Family Safari covers the Great Rift Valley and<br />
includes the chance to join in the Maasai warrior<br />
jumping dance. From £1,160pp including flights.<br />
Going solo<br />
Market research giant Mintel reports that<br />
17% of UK adults had taken a solo holiday in<br />
the last five years, representing an increasing<br />
trend. As such, several tour operators have<br />
recently introduced solo tours with no single<br />
supplements, which have been extremely<br />
well received. For example, Titan chose to<br />
double its solo tours’ collection this year,<br />
adding a selection of European countries.<br />
Mercury Holidays has also launched a<br />
suite of solo tours, and in line with the<br />
recent explosion in adventure tourism<br />
some are more akin to an expedition<br />
than a holiday. Clients looking for a real<br />
challenge can book a guided adventure<br />
in the Himalayas along the famous<br />
Annapurna Circuit, consistently voted the<br />
best long-distance trek in the world.<br />
Just You is doing a roaring trade. PR<br />
manager Matt Howard says: “The future<br />
looks extremely positive and it is a<br />
tremendous opportunity for Just You<br />
and their trade partners. In the groups<br />
market, escorted tours have the largest<br />
potential for expansion as over half of<br />
travellers say they would be interested<br />
in taking this type of holiday.”<br />
SELL IT: Just You’s (justyou.co.uk) 13-day Spirit<br />
of India tour includes the Taj Mahal and going in<br />
search of tigers in Ranthambore National Park, from<br />
£2,599pp. Mercury Holidays’ (mercuryholidays.<br />
co.uk) 14-day Hiking the Himalayas’ Annapurna<br />
Trail for Solo <strong>Travel</strong>lers is from £1,399pp.<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
early bird<br />
best price<br />
Low<br />
£99PP<br />
deposit<br />
Book by<br />
28 June 20<strong>19</strong> *<br />
New Worldwide 2020 brochure is out now<br />
Booking early guarantees your customers the best price possible.<br />
If we drop the price of their holiday later on, we’ll automatically<br />
refund them the difference.<br />
£20 Lifestyle voucher<br />
for every online booking<br />
Book online at titanagents.co.uk<br />
*£99pp deposit is available on the majority of Titan holidays. £20 Lifestyle voucher for<br />
bookings between 1 April - 28 June 20<strong>19</strong>. To claim email agentincentives@titantravel.co.uk<br />
within 7 days of making the booking.
16<br />
escorted touring<br />
EVEREST BASE CAMP, NEPAL<br />
Dynamic duos<br />
As escorted tours become more dynamic<br />
than ever, expedition-style holidays for<br />
duos – couples or friends – are growing<br />
in popularity. The touring market<br />
has also evolved to include semiescorted<br />
trips with a lighter touch.<br />
Wendy Wu’s Go Beyond range is much<br />
more flexible, going to lesser-visited<br />
places, with smaller group sizes and<br />
fewer inclusions. The tour operator<br />
has a new trip that travels to the<br />
borders of Tibet and Nepal, visiting little<br />
villages that no other tours reach.<br />
Adventure tour company Large Minority<br />
<strong>Travel</strong>’s scheduled Kerala and Sri Lanka<br />
trips, targeted at teams of two or three,<br />
are breaking the mould for escorted<br />
touring. Large Minority’s founder Julian<br />
Carnall says: “It’s exciting the industry is<br />
starting to pay attention to non-traditional<br />
operators in the escorted touring space. In<br />
the twn years I’ve been running adventure<br />
challenges in far-flung destinations, the<br />
demographics have changed significantly. In<br />
the early days the 20-30s were our primary<br />
demographic. Now our fastest growing<br />
segment is the over 50s. These are people<br />
who want a degree of autonomy on their<br />
semi-escorted tours; they’re seeking out<br />
unusual experiences and they’re often<br />
desiring a broader travel companion group,<br />
in terms of age and life experience.”<br />
Itineraries are semi-escorted in that<br />
the logistics are pre-arranged and<br />
there is a guide that sets challenges,<br />
targets and check-points, but teams<br />
are encouraged to use local transport<br />
such as tuk-tuks to get immersed in the<br />
destination over eight to ten days.<br />
SELL IT: Large Minority’s (largeminority.travel) Sri<br />
Lanka Challenge costs from £1,406pp and covers<br />
challenge logistics, all accommodation, daily<br />
breakfast and dinner. Agents booking trips receive<br />
10% commission. <br />
SCHEDULED FLIGHTS<br />
FROM THE UK<br />
HAND-PICKED<br />
ACCOMMODATION<br />
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:<br />
• City tours of Shanghai, Xi’an<br />
and Beijing<br />
• Xi’an’s Terracotta Warriors<br />
• The Great Wall of China,<br />
Forbidden City, Tiananmen<br />
Square and Summer Palace<br />
• The giant pandas of Chengdu<br />
• Four-night Yangtze River,<br />
sailing past the Three Gorges<br />
and Fengdu Ghost City cruise<br />
All Meals Included<br />
£49<br />
VIETNAM, LAOS<br />
& CAMBODIA<br />
LOW DEPOSIT+<br />
16-Day Escorted Tour<br />
FROM £1,999 *<br />
ESCORTED THROUGHOUT<br />
BY LOCAL GUIDES<br />
ALL EXCURSIONS AND<br />
ENTRY FEES TO SIGHTS<br />
WONDERS OF CHINA<br />
CALL 01732 775 009<br />
www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/tours<br />
SAVE £100pp<br />
off selected departures<br />
quote tour100<br />
16-Day Escorted Tour<br />
*Wonders of China: From prices applies to departures on 28/11/<strong>19</strong> & 06/02/20. A visa is required before travel. *Vietnam: From prices applies to departures on<br />
05/06/<strong>19</strong> & 17/06/20/ A visa is required before travel +Additional £200pp required 4 weeks after booking. See website for full details, terms and conditions apply. All offers<br />
are subject to availability & can be withdrawn without notice. Terms & conditions apply. Prices are per person based on 2 adults sharing. For detailed itineraries, visit our<br />
website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/tours.<br />
SOLO<br />
SOLO SOLO<br />
from £1249 * from £1449 * from £<strong>19</strong>99 *<br />
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10 DAYS<br />
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16 DAYS<br />
ESSENCE OF<br />
NORTH INDIA<br />
10 DAYS<br />
from £1399 *<br />
FROM £999 *<br />
For solo travellers looking to meet new people, we<br />
now offer a selection of tours for solo travellers<br />
only, ensuring you travel with like-minded people<br />
looking for a similar travel experience.<br />
FROM £1,799 * SOLO ESCORTED TOURS<br />
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TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:<br />
• City tours of Saigon, Hoi An<br />
and Hanoi<br />
• Overnight cruise through<br />
Halong Bay<br />
• Two-day tour of the<br />
magnificent Angkor Wat<br />
temple complex in Cambodia<br />
• Dragon boat ride along the<br />
Perfume River<br />
• The Cu Chi tunnel network<br />
13 breakfasts, 1 brunch,<br />
10 lunches & 14 dinners<br />
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*Beyond India: From prices applies to departures on 17/06/<strong>19</strong>. *Kerala: From price applies to departures on 26/09/<strong>19</strong>. *Essence of India: From prices applies to<br />
departures on 30/06/20. *Himalayas: From prices applies to departures on 01/05/20. *China: From prices applies to departures on 06/12/<strong>19</strong>. *Vietnam: From prices<br />
applies to departures on 17/06/20. *Royal India: From prices applies to departures on 04/06/20. *Wonders of India: From prices applies to departures on 26/05/20.<br />
*Peru: From prices applies to departures on 21/11/<strong>19</strong>. ALl tours will need a vias before arrival except for Vietnam and Peru.
how to sell 17<br />
RV tripping in Alberta<br />
A quintessentially Canadian experience, hiring an RV means freedom to roam Alberta’s<br />
wide-open spaces and ge t off the beaten track, says Laura Gelder<br />
Why sell it<br />
An RV-based road trip of Alberta can save<br />
money as well as offering a bespoke way<br />
to see the province. With the value of<br />
the British pound uncertain, a value-led<br />
holiday will be an attractive prospect for<br />
many, but for some the idea of being in<br />
the driving seat for their holiday will be<br />
the biggest selling point.<br />
Canada is the perfect introduction to<br />
this kind of holiday, with wide, safe roads,<br />
English-language signs, and plenty of<br />
high-quality campgrounds to choose from<br />
– although you need to book well ahead<br />
for the national parks. There’s a huge<br />
choice of RV operators in Alberta, all with<br />
multiple depots and a range of vehicles.<br />
Who to sell to<br />
An RV holiday can be tailored to almost<br />
anyone, but how it’s sold will differ. For<br />
families it’s likely the value proposition,<br />
while the kids will be excited by the idea of<br />
a mobile home. Taking it with you means<br />
that there’s no need for transfers or hotels<br />
and you can stock up on provisions and<br />
cook for yourself, saving the money you<br />
would have spent on restaurants for<br />
attractions and experiences.<br />
For couples, the romantic aspect is<br />
obvious. Really hone in on the privacy<br />
couples can expect and the chance to go<br />
at their own pace – whether that’s the<br />
prospect of sitting out under the stars<br />
every night with a glass of wine, beating<br />
PEACE AND QUIET FOR COUPLES<br />
WIDE OPEN ROADS IN ALBERTA<br />
the tourist crowds at major attractions by<br />
setting off early or the freedom to change<br />
their mind, sleep in or stay another day<br />
and change the route.<br />
Younger travellers will love the savings –<br />
it’s the best value way to spend the night<br />
inside the national parks themselves,<br />
where accommodation can stretch the<br />
budget. But do mention the fact that RVs<br />
offer the freedom to get off the tourist<br />
trail and stop at that quirky small town<br />
they pass through to take a picture.<br />
What to sell<br />
Get your clients to Calgary or Edmonton<br />
and from there the open road is waiting!<br />
For some alternatives to the well-trodden<br />
routes around Banff and Jasper, suggest<br />
the De Cho Trail, which runs north from<br />
Edmonton to High Level, half way to<br />
Yellowknife! This drive is a wilderness<br />
adventure offering the chance to spot<br />
the Northern Lights and explore historic<br />
sites which uncover the tough days of the<br />
pioneers – like Fort Vermilion Trapper’s<br />
Shack. Clients can enjoy hiking, fishing,<br />
swimming and kayaking at spots such as<br />
Fish RV Resort, explore Peace River while<br />
staying at the Hidden Lake Mile Zero<br />
Camper Park, or spot wildlife at Aspen<br />
Ridge Campground in High Level.<br />
Alternatively, head south from<br />
Calgary to the Alberta Badlands for<br />
unique weather-whipped landscapes,<br />
lakes and dinosaur fossils.<br />
Highlights are the Royal Tyrell Museum<br />
and digging for bones at the UNESCO<br />
World Heritage Dinosaur Provincial<br />
Park. Classic RV stops include Dinosaur<br />
Camping Car Park, nestled in a valley<br />
by the Red Deer River, shaded by<br />
cotton-wood trees and with its own<br />
amphitheatre, or the Ross Creek RV<br />
Park close to quaint Medicine Hat. <br />
SELL IT WITH… CANADIAN AFFAIR<br />
The 13-night Roaming the Rockies option<br />
starts from £833pp and includes one night’s<br />
accommodation at Calgary Airport with 13<br />
days in a motor home and return flights with<br />
Air Transat from Gatwick, Manchester or<br />
Glasgow (with seat selection).<br />
canadianaffair.com<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
18<br />
walking holidays<br />
fill your<br />
boots<br />
Think walking holidays are for hardened<br />
hikers? Think again. A spate of new<br />
on-foot tours include leisurely meanders<br />
with good food and boutique hotels. It’s<br />
a hot trend, says Phoebe Smith<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
walking holidays <strong>19</strong><br />
In San Diego, California, a distinct down: “We have seen bookings growing<br />
buzz fills the air. Office workers begin for the last four years,” says Steve Berry,<br />
to filter out from their buildings, Managing Director of Mountain Kingdoms,<br />
cars begin to choc up the highways, and<br />
one by one the lights start to twinkle<br />
against the skyline. But I’m watching<br />
all this chaos feeling distinctly calm.<br />
That’s because around 15.00 I made my<br />
way to Cowles Mountain, for a walk. As a<br />
keen hiker, I’ve enjoyed a host of walking<br />
holidays around the world. I’ve undertaken<br />
a two-week altitude battling trek to Everest<br />
Base Camp in Nepal; I’ve walked innto-inn<br />
along the Camino de Santiago in<br />
Spain; section-hiked chunks of the USA’s<br />
Appalachian Trail and<br />
which has offered mountain hiking trips<br />
to the Himalayas since <strong>19</strong>87 but now sells<br />
South East Asia, Central Asia, the Americas,<br />
the Middle East and Africa.<br />
But where are people going and why?<br />
“Japan has really taken off thanks to Joanna<br />
Lumley,” says Berry. “Uzbekistan is also a big<br />
surprise hit this year and again all thanks to<br />
Lumley’s programme on the Silk Road.”<br />
TV Adventurer Levison Wood, who<br />
walked through the Caucasus (Georgia and<br />
Armenia) in 2017, has impacted numbers<br />
on Explore’s trip<br />
climbed the highest<br />
to that region,<br />
“With the apparent<br />
point in Japan. But<br />
according to its<br />
it doesn’t have to be benefits to physical and Walking Programme<br />
an all-encompassing<br />
multi-day hike to<br />
mental health from<br />
walking, it’s little wonder<br />
Manager, Caroline<br />
Phillips. She<br />
make it worthwhile.<br />
says it’s led to<br />
that walking holidays are<br />
The two-hour stroll<br />
customers “looking<br />
increasing in popularity”<br />
up Cowles Mountain<br />
outside of Western<br />
was a happy add-on<br />
to a city break that<br />
Simon Wrench, Head of Marketing, Inntravel<br />
Europe for more<br />
adventurous short<br />
included the usual museums, excursions<br />
and good food. Yet, standing atop that small<br />
hill, being able to watch the cityscape fade<br />
into the horizon, against the border with<br />
haul destinations that are good value.” She<br />
adds: “Turkey and Jordan have made big<br />
comebacks in 20<strong>19</strong> and further afield places<br />
like Madagascar are also doing well.”<br />
Mexico, a patchwork of wetlands and the<br />
Pacific Coast stretching out in front, gave me<br />
an instant understanding of the place.<br />
I spoke to Californians who were out<br />
walking their dog or going for a jog – many<br />
gave me tips on where to eat or pointed out<br />
the American kestrel soaring overhead.<br />
Pitching it right<br />
So, who is going on these walking trips? It<br />
may not be who you expect. Wild Frontiers’<br />
Marketing Manager, Michael Pullman, says:<br />
“For the retired demographic, who are now<br />
staying healthier and more active for longer,<br />
walking trips are proving popular.”<br />
The rise of holidays by boot<br />
Simon Wrench, Head of Marketing at<br />
But he says there’s a growing number of<br />
young travellers interested too: “They<br />
Inntravel. says more people are discovering<br />
specialist operators. “They’re recognising<br />
that we can design holidays as much for<br />
leisure strollers as for hardened mountain<br />
hikers, where they can walk light as their<br />
luggage is transferred between hotels, go<br />
at their own pace instead of being part<br />
of a group, and where the standard of<br />
accommodation is a delight.”<br />
Andrew Turner, Head of Sales for Intrepid,<br />
adds: “Walking gives clients the chance to<br />
see a country up close, rather than from a<br />
tour bus window, local interaction, and a<br />
sense of accomplishment.”<br />
And, despite the feeling of uncertainty<br />
around Brexit, it seems that when it comes<br />
to hiking the numbers are not slowing<br />
INNTRAVEL’S WALK IN SERRA ARRABIDA, PORTUGAL<br />
© INNTRAVEL<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
20<br />
walking holidays<br />
© INNTRAVEL<br />
© INNTRAVEL<br />
SWISS MOUNTAIN VIEWS BASGO MONASTERY, LADAKH, INDIA KVALVIKA BEACH, LOFOTEN, NORWAY<br />
“That is what walking tours<br />
really offer – the chance to<br />
get off the beaten path into<br />
beautiful natural<br />
surroundings and forget<br />
about email, Twitter, Netflix<br />
and the like, and just enjoy<br />
the scenery”<br />
© INNTRAVEL<br />
Michael Pullman, Marketing Manager, Wild Frontiers<br />
HIKING ON MLJET, CROATIA<br />
want to get away from city noise and the<br />
all-pervasiveness of technology,” he says.<br />
The UK is a great starting point, with trails<br />
like the popular seven-day West Highland<br />
Way an achievable undertaking in Scotland.<br />
Europe also offers the chance to sample<br />
some great routes while a ‘sherpa’ luggage<br />
transfer service carries bags from hotel<br />
to hotel, making circular routes such as<br />
the Tour de Mont Blanc – passing through<br />
Italy, Switzerland and France – and the<br />
Camino de Santiago in Spain easy even for<br />
newcomers to hiking (offered by companies<br />
including Headwater, Explore and Ramblers<br />
Walking Holidays).<br />
For those nervous about committing to a<br />
whole week (or more) spent walking, there’s<br />
the option of self-guided ‘centred’ walking<br />
trips, like those offered by Inntravel, where<br />
the accommodation is located somewhere<br />
with plenty to do and provides the base for<br />
several walks of different levels.<br />
The itinerary is flexible and self-guided,<br />
that way if days off are required or one<br />
member of the party wants to walk and one<br />
doesn’t, there’s plenty to explore from the<br />
hotel door or the option to do nothing at all.<br />
Companies, such as Intrepid have noticed<br />
that “many clients want to combine walking<br />
with other activities such as kayaking or<br />
cycling on multi-activity trips”.<br />
Or consider adding on hiking – perhaps<br />
a section of the Amalfi Coast as part of a<br />
relaxing break to Italy. Or a visit to Jordan to<br />
see Petra and the Dead Sea, with a two-day<br />
hike and overnight in Wadi Rum.<br />
What’s new<br />
Germany: The country has unveiled 10<br />
new hiking routes for 20<strong>19</strong>. These include<br />
the foodie-themed 8km Rundweg Bussard<br />
in the Bavarian Forest, which takes in small,<br />
independent restaurants and local produce,<br />
and the art-themed TalaueKunst Weg in<br />
Stuttgart, which circles the city in 4.5km<br />
alongside rivers and half-timbered houses.<br />
Spain: Camino Ways can work with agents<br />
to take clients on the established Camino<br />
de Santiago pilgrimage’s hottest new route<br />
– the Sea of Arousa Camino Walk and Boat.<br />
It combines walking the dramatic coast of<br />
O Salnes with a boat trip across the Ria de<br />
Arousa and up the River Ulla to Padron,<br />
where the boat carrying St James is said to<br />
have first landed in Galicia.<br />
Portugal: The Algarve’s popular Rota<br />
Vicentina coastal route has been extended<br />
to include 16 new circular side trails.<br />
Recommended is the Fisherman’s Trail,<br />
which will now continue on to Lagos.<br />
Tenerife: The fifth Walking Festival takes<br />
place <strong>May</strong> 21-25 and enables participants to<br />
explore its volcanic scenery, ancient laurel<br />
forest and starlit skies on a series of routes<br />
aimed at families, couple and individuals.<br />
Where to book it<br />
WILD FRONTIERS – 020 8741 7390<br />
Walking in Northern Albania: Into<br />
the Accursed Mountains is an eightday<br />
trip following highland trails past<br />
remote mountain villages, high passes<br />
and lakes. From £845pp, including<br />
accommodation, all meals, guided<br />
excursions and transfers. wildfrontiers.com<br />
INNTRAVEL – 01653 617 001<br />
From Cape to Castle – A Journey through<br />
Portugal’s Arrábida Natural Park, is<br />
accessible from Lisbon. Vineyards, coast and<br />
castles complement cheese, wine and olives.<br />
Seven nights’ B&B from £695pp, plus some<br />
meals and luggage transfers. inntravel.co.uk <br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
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If Only... you<br />
choose to<br />
book with<br />
Emirates<br />
IF ONLY... and Emirates<br />
are offering agents the<br />
chance to win a place on<br />
a fam trip. Flights booked<br />
before June 18, 20<strong>19</strong>, from<br />
Glasgow on the A380 to<br />
Asia, Arabia, the Indian<br />
Ocean or Australasia<br />
qualify. Bookings to all four<br />
destinations receive ten entries while agents earn two<br />
entries for a First or Business Class ticket. ifonly.co/A380<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> Alberta hosts<br />
an action-packed fam<br />
including Calgary &<br />
Banff, on p25<br />
TIPTO gears up for<br />
summer roadshow dates<br />
TIPTO'S next roadshows will see events<br />
taking place in Cardiff, <strong>May</strong> 8; Swansea, <strong>May</strong> 9;<br />
Huddersfield, <strong>May</strong> 14; and Stirling, <strong>May</strong> 22. TIPTPO will also visit<br />
Exeter Racecourse on June 4 and the County Ground, Swindon,<br />
on June 5. Agents can sign up at tipto.co.uk<br />
Contents<br />
24<br />
<strong>May</strong> 16 & 20<br />
DESTINATION NEW SOUTH WALES ROADSHOW<br />
There's still time to sign up to this and meet Sydney and New South<br />
Wales suppliers. Come along to London or Liverpool and you'll enjoy<br />
a fun night with food and drink plus the chance to win two tickets<br />
to Sydney with Qantas! Register at: sellingtravel.co.uk/events<br />
Global Rocks<br />
returns<br />
THE GLOBAL <strong>Travel</strong> Group<br />
is hosting Global Rocks, a<br />
members' summer party,<br />
on July 4. Global Rocks<br />
will be a day-into-evening<br />
festival-style event that<br />
mixes a dedicated supplier<br />
marketplace with live<br />
music, networking and<br />
more. globaltravelgroup.com<br />
FOUR-SIGHT<br />
IN THE OFFICE<br />
TRAVEL PEOPLE ON THE MOVE<br />
26<br />
28<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
22<br />
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT<br />
Training, events and fam trips<br />
An ice way to celebrate<br />
Inghams celebrated its 85th year of<br />
operations by hosting a three-day super<br />
fam to Ischgl in Austria.<br />
The trip offered agents the chance to<br />
test out Inghams’ product and enjoy the<br />
in-resort service. Those in attendance<br />
included: Iglu, Ski Solutions, Interactive,<br />
Snowfinders, Baldwins, Skiline, <strong>Travel</strong><br />
Time World, Born 2 Ski, and some<br />
of Inghams’ own reservations team<br />
members. Leading the trip was Julie<br />
Franklin, Inghams’ Head of Agency<br />
Sales, who said: “The fam trip was a<br />
perfect opportunity to thank our agent<br />
partners for all their support over the<br />
years!”<br />
Agents.inghams.co.uk<br />
CTO kicks off<br />
first Roadshow<br />
Agents couldn't help but #LoveCaribbean<br />
as the CTO Roadshow made its first<br />
appearance in Cardiff on April 9, followed<br />
closely with stops in Gloucester on April<br />
10 and then Southampton on April 11.<br />
Various Caribbean representatives<br />
were on hand to give agents advice on<br />
how to sell as well as a real taste of the<br />
Caribbean with a themed buffet.<br />
The roadshow will visit the Channel<br />
Islands of Jersey on June 12 and Guernsey<br />
on June 13 before heading to Scotland.<br />
caribbeantravelguru.com<br />
Visit Seattle gets<br />
back to nature<br />
Visit Seattle hosted airline partners, tour<br />
operators, travel agents and members of the<br />
media for a VIP viewing of Chihuly: Reflections on<br />
Nature, the latest exhibition at Kew Gardens.<br />
Featuring works by Seattle-based<br />
glassblowing artist Dale Chihuly, the colourful<br />
exhibition proved the perfect backdrop for the<br />
tourist board to reveal the latest news from the<br />
destination as well as announcing a new glass<br />
art experience, Refract, showing in Seattle from<br />
October 17 to 20, 20<strong>19</strong>. The event will feature<br />
talks, tours and demonstrations as well open<br />
studios and art parties. visitseattle.org<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> Texas<br />
comes to town<br />
<strong>Selling</strong> <strong>Travel</strong> joined<br />
agents in an all-singing all<br />
-dancing Texas Takeover<br />
hosted by <strong>Travel</strong> Texas and<br />
United Airlines. Angelina<br />
Periskic from <strong>Travel</strong>bag,<br />
who is pictured with Anja<br />
Puschmann from Visit<br />
Houston and Sara Ellis<br />
from <strong>Travel</strong> Texas, was the<br />
lucky agent to win a trip to<br />
Texas. She will visit some<br />
of its popular attractions,<br />
such as the Nasa Johnson<br />
Space Centre and Texas Hill<br />
wine country.<br />
travel.texas.gov<br />
Have you enjoyed an interesting trade event or been on<br />
a trip or fam that you would like to see featured on this<br />
page? Email editorial@bmipublishing.co.uk<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
Tree top adventures<br />
Meet... EMILY RUTTER<br />
Luxury <strong>Travel</strong> Specialist at Elegant Resorts<br />
Hong Kong highlights<br />
Tour operator If Only… and the Hong Kong Tourism<br />
Board invited agents to learn all about Hong Kong with a<br />
night out in Manchester. The dinner formed part of the<br />
ongoing ‘Belong in Hong Kong’ campaign, which focused<br />
on promoting the authentic side of this eclectic city and<br />
encouraged visitors to live like a local by frequenting hip<br />
neighbourhood eateries, taking part in exciting local events<br />
and embracing the vibrant culture. The campaign also<br />
offered agents the chance to win a holiday for two to Hong<br />
Kong when they made a booking. discoverhongkong.com<br />
Taste of Barbados<br />
<strong>Selling</strong> <strong>Travel</strong> joined agents at the Taste of Barbados<br />
Roadshow to hear the latest product news and, of course,<br />
sample some traditional Bajan delicacies for a true taste of<br />
the island. Special guest Hon. Kerrie Symmonds – Minister<br />
of Tourism and International <strong>Travel</strong> – was on hand to tell us<br />
about the 'Year of the Gathering' in 2020, when Barbadians<br />
around the world will be invited home for a grand coming<br />
together. Themed holiday packages reflecting the campaign<br />
will available throughout 2020.<br />
visitbarbados.org<br />
THE RUSH OF THE RAINFOREST<br />
I’m standing at the drop-off point at Brimstone Blast, the<br />
longest and highest of five lines on my St. Kitts Zipline Tour,<br />
and I can’t help but burst into laughter! Is it nerves? Is it<br />
excitement? Who knows, but something about looking out<br />
across the vast jungle ahead makes me determined to zip<br />
through it at top speed!<br />
Our 2.5-hour tour starts at base camp located at Romney<br />
Manor. We are given a briefing on how to use our equipment<br />
and fitted with a harness and helmet before being introduced<br />
to Line 1 (Monkey Trainer), one of the more leisurely slopes.<br />
We then embark on a short off-road drive to fly the next three<br />
lines: Line 2 (The Boss), Line<br />
3 (Mango Tango), and Line<br />
4 (Brimstone Blast), which<br />
is over 76 meters above the<br />
valley floor and 411 meters<br />
in length – be sure to keep<br />
your eyes open as it offers<br />
impressive views right<br />
down to the sea.<br />
TAKE THE PLUNGE<br />
Whilst making our way<br />
through the rainforest the local guides<br />
explain all about the flora and fauna and do their best to<br />
capture that perfect Jungle Jane action shot.<br />
Of course, not everyone in our group shares my same<br />
enthusiasm for heights, but safely sandwiched between the<br />
two guides, who are both encouraging and extremely safety<br />
conscious, we all gradually build in confidence. And by the<br />
final Line 5, it’s a race to beat Derek, the oldest member of<br />
the group, down to the river pool for the chance to cool off!<br />
It's only with my feet firmly back on the ground that I reflect<br />
on what a memorable experience this has been and how I just<br />
want to do it all again! Next up the Fly and Walk Tour?<br />
Get cash incentives for your bookings at<br />
stkittsrewards.co.uk<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
24<br />
FOUR-SIGHT<br />
Our columnists<br />
Intele<strong>Travel</strong> has<br />
been criticised<br />
for being<br />
unregulated and<br />
amatuer, but,<br />
now it's got an<br />
ABTA license,<br />
is it time to stop<br />
the carping and<br />
wish them well?<br />
Sandy suns herself in<br />
Tobago<br />
James at the<br />
AmaDouro<br />
christening<br />
in Porto<br />
I'm determined<br />
that being a<br />
travel agent<br />
is seen as a<br />
profession<br />
HAVING trained ‘on the job’ in travel, rather<br />
than studying at college, I'm certainly not<br />
averse to the idea of homeworkers joining a<br />
travel company with no previous experience.<br />
We all have to start somewhere, and I think<br />
a passion for travel and a desire to learn<br />
about the industry and the world is a huge<br />
part of being a successful agent - not to<br />
mention great time management skills, being<br />
efficient, patient, friendly and having a keen<br />
eye for detail. All with a smile on your face!<br />
It's essential that we move forward as an<br />
industry and welcome new businesses into<br />
the fold, including those with a different<br />
model. It is an ever-changing playing field.<br />
However, it's also vital that new companies<br />
recognise the skills and knowledge required<br />
and train staff to a high standard to reflect<br />
well on the rest of us.<br />
I do feel our industry is misunderstood<br />
by the public, Some people think our job<br />
consists of hitting a few keys and going on<br />
free holidays (we wish!). I'm determined that<br />
being an agent is seen as a profession and<br />
we're recognised as experts in our field.<br />
If trained well, this new generation should<br />
endorse the importance of agents and the<br />
role we play in turning dreams into a reality.<br />
Holidays are precious, and each customer is<br />
an individual needing expert advice and care.<br />
If Inteletravel can provide it, I think there’s<br />
room for all of us. So let’s welcome those<br />
who want to be part of this fantastic industry.<br />
On a personal note, I've just booked a<br />
holiday to Skiathos for June and I can't wait!<br />
IT WOULD be very hypocritical of me to<br />
deny any new entrant into the travel industry<br />
when, like so many other home workers, I<br />
started with GoCruise as a franchisee with<br />
plenty of business, sales and marketing<br />
experience but no actual travel trade<br />
experience.<br />
I wonder to what degree the opposition<br />
to Intele<strong>Travel</strong> is due to a certain tendency<br />
by some to equate the word 'homeworker'<br />
with 'amateur' or 'part-timer', when in fact<br />
many homeworkers, including several of<br />
my colleagues, are incredibly successful,<br />
professional and high-earning full timers.<br />
As long as new entrants are correctly<br />
bonded, operate within a correctly<br />
constituted umbrella organisation and work<br />
There are no<br />
short cuts to<br />
being a<br />
successful<br />
travel agent!<br />
in an honest manner with the appropriate<br />
training, then they have to be welcomed. But<br />
there are no short cuts to being a successful<br />
travel agent!<br />
In other news, I was honoured to attend<br />
the christening of the AmaDouro, the new<br />
AmaWaterways ship based in Porto, with<br />
Advantage CEO Julia Lo Bue-Said, who<br />
became the line’s first ever UK Godmother.<br />
I enjoyed great food and excellent local<br />
wines, not to mention the odd glass of port!<br />
The Douro is such a growth area for river<br />
cruising. Ships are nearly always fully booked,<br />
with demand from the USA as well as the UK.<br />
Porto is also perfect for a city break!<br />
THE FAMILY BUSINESS<br />
Anneka Desrosiers<br />
Southern Cross <strong>Travel</strong>,<br />
East Sussex<br />
THE CRUISE SPECIALIST<br />
James Hill<br />
Go Cruise, Cruise specialist,<br />
Worcestershire<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
FOUR-SIGHT<br />
25<br />
Our columnists<br />
It only provides<br />
further<br />
opportunities<br />
for my business<br />
to grow<br />
WHEN I see other agents moaning about<br />
Intele<strong>Travel</strong> being granted an ABTA license,<br />
I think, great! The reason why? They aren’t<br />
focusing on their own business and,<br />
meanwhile, that provides me with a fantastic<br />
opportunity to grow my own.<br />
This doesn’t just apply to obsessing about<br />
Intele<strong>Travel</strong>, it applies to anything you focus<br />
your time and attention on that you can’t<br />
affect or change.<br />
When looking at Intele<strong>Travel</strong> gaining this<br />
endorsement, only two things can really<br />
happen: the first is that they excel in selling<br />
great holidays and the second is that they<br />
provide poor service and advice and sell bad<br />
holidays. Either one of these only provides us<br />
opportunities, but we can’t control which one<br />
happens so why focus on it?<br />
If they sell great holidays then it builds<br />
customers' trust in booking protected<br />
holidays through professional agents - and<br />
especially homeworkers, which is only good<br />
for my business. If they provide poor service<br />
and advice then it only highlights how good<br />
our customer service is, which is great.<br />
Therefore, I only see Intele<strong>Travel</strong> providing<br />
further opportunities for my business to<br />
grow and won’t worry about the big picture<br />
of them de-valuing travel agents.<br />
The internet is a much bigger killer of that<br />
(but that’s a topic for another day!)<br />
As for us, we're still riding the wave from<br />
speaking on stage at the Global <strong>Travel</strong><br />
Conference in Orlando, where we even had<br />
the chance to mingle with Stephen Mulhern!<br />
THE ONLINE AGENCY<br />
Ben & Hugh<br />
Venture <strong>Travel</strong>, Mold,<br />
North Wales<br />
I'VE HEARD quite a lot of chat about<br />
Intele<strong>Travel</strong> but I must admit I hadn’t really<br />
heard of them before. It seems they have<br />
been going for 25 years and their website<br />
states: "a full-time career opportunity or a<br />
side interest that pays". Well, that’s quite a big<br />
canvas! Also, you don’t have to be qualified<br />
or have any training. I would have thought<br />
anyone wanting their own business might be<br />
concerned about risk, but then again, is it a<br />
chance to dip your toe in the water? It will be<br />
interesting to see what happens – if anything!<br />
I always think it’s either all or nothing in<br />
travel, either everything happens at once or<br />
nothing at all. A classic case in April: Notre-<br />
Dame catching fire, a coach crashing in<br />
Madeira and then, to cap it all, the bombings<br />
in Sri Lanka with more than 360 people killed.<br />
I can’t help but wonder about all the money<br />
that has been promised to Notre-Dame<br />
and what will happen with Sri Lanka. Those<br />
millionaires won’t think to donate to the<br />
latter, will they? I am afraid I am one of those<br />
people that think humans and animals are<br />
more important than buildings. Buildings can<br />
be rebuilt but unfortunately people cannot. I<br />
hope this won't deter people from holidaying<br />
in Sri Lanka – it is such a beautiful country<br />
and will need all the help it can get.<br />
I think, all things considered, it’s going<br />
to be a good year. People are fed up with<br />
politics and they will go on holiday whatever<br />
happens - and that's something to be<br />
positive about!<br />
I always say: Your mind is like a parachute –<br />
it functions only when it's open.<br />
People will<br />
go on holiday<br />
whatever<br />
happens<br />
THE HOME WORKER<br />
Sandy Murray<br />
Sandy's <strong>Travel</strong> Escapes<br />
Ben & Hugh at the<br />
GTC in Orlando<br />
Anneka just booked a<br />
break in Skiathos<br />
Next month<br />
our columnists<br />
will talk about:<br />
Sustainable<br />
travel. Is it on<br />
their agenda?<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
26<br />
IN THE OFFICE<br />
with Michael Murphy - Not Just <strong>Travel</strong><br />
From pandas & the Pope to travel sales<br />
Having spent seven years<br />
working at Edinburgh Airport,<br />
Michael Murphy describes why<br />
he swapped his air-side job to become a<br />
homeworker for Not Just <strong>Travel</strong>.<br />
"I've always had an interest in travel and<br />
working at the airport gave me my first taste<br />
of the industry and the logistics behind<br />
people going on holiday – something that<br />
has proved handy in my current role.<br />
"During my seven years there I had the<br />
pleasure of boarding the Pope and was<br />
present to welcome giant pandas Tian<br />
Tian and Yang Guang on their journey to<br />
Edinburgh Zoo!<br />
"However, I always felt a desire to learn<br />
more about the world and become more<br />
involved in travel, which is why I decided to<br />
become a franchisee of Not Just <strong>Travel</strong>."<br />
Supply chain<br />
"I've been a travel consultant<br />
for just over two years and<br />
having the support from<br />
a company such as Not<br />
Customers want<br />
more than ever<br />
included in<br />
the price<br />
Just <strong>Travel</strong> has been<br />
invaluable. As they<br />
are an independent<br />
company, I have the<br />
freedom to sell the<br />
holiday that is right<br />
for my clients and for a<br />
competitive price.<br />
"I work with over 450 suppliers, from<br />
leading brands such as Thomas Cook, Kuoni<br />
and First Choice to more specialist companies<br />
for those that want something a bit different.<br />
"Working from home allows me to give<br />
clients that extra attention, and as I'm dealing<br />
direct it gives them added confidence that I<br />
am always contactable.<br />
"I'm finding all-inclusives are<br />
on the up, with customers<br />
wanting everything from<br />
luggage, meals and flights to<br />
Airline woes<br />
transfers, carry on bags and<br />
even hotel check-in included<br />
within the holiday price. I'm<br />
also selling more tailor-made<br />
holidays, to customers looking<br />
for that personal touch."<br />
"Customers are becoming more demanding,<br />
but with tighter budgets - which can be tricky<br />
to live up to. I've had clients come to me with<br />
a five-star package but wanting to pay the<br />
price of a two-star holiday - I'm afraid it just<br />
doesn't add up!<br />
"The number of airlines going bust is<br />
another worry for agents. Since 2017 <strong>19</strong><br />
airlines have collapsed, which leaves an air of<br />
uncertainty when booking low-cost carriers."<br />
Exploring the unknown<br />
"I make an effort to attend as many events<br />
as possible – they are the next best thing to<br />
having actually visited the destination.<br />
"I enjoy researching destinations that I<br />
know little about, but recently returned from<br />
a trip to India where I was enchanted by the<br />
temples and friendly people. Having been<br />
there, I would definitely recommend India<br />
for those looking to immerse themselves in a<br />
culture and enjoy an authentic experience."<br />
notjusttravel.com/michael-murphy<br />
Far East Holidays<br />
0208 585 4020<br />
holidays@travelpack.com<br />
fr£1639pp fr£1899pp fr£1029pp<br />
9nts, Bangkok, Elephant Hills & Phuket 7nts, Keemala Phuket 7nts, Centara Anda Dhevi Resort & Spa Krabi
agents talk<br />
27<br />
<strong>Selling</strong> <strong>Travel</strong> listens<br />
This month #agentstalk about...<br />
Get social with us: <strong>Selling</strong><strong>Travel</strong> <strong>Selling</strong><strong>Travel</strong>mag @sellingtravmag<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> Agent rants & raves<br />
This month Jenny Jackson asked you: "How generous and appreciative are the<br />
companies you work for?" Here are some of your replies<br />
Agents<br />
overheard<br />
Jenny Jackson<br />
Founder of Luxury<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> Guru<br />
“Last year I celebrated 10<br />
years at the same shop. I<br />
was rewarded with an all<br />
expenses paid three-night<br />
trip to Prague, for both myself<br />
and my partner.”<br />
“I just did a £178k booking<br />
and got a very nice gift from<br />
Gold Medal.”<br />
“I get lovely little morale<br />
boosters: scented candles,<br />
chocolates, Champagne, etc."<br />
"We have an incentive to<br />
take the whole company<br />
to Mauritius if we hit the<br />
two-year target – but if we<br />
hit it in one year we all fly<br />
Business Class too! I wouldn’t<br />
work or do anything else now,<br />
the company appreciate every<br />
single one of their staff.”<br />
“For my 25th year award<br />
I got flowers, Champagne a<br />
commemorative glass globe<br />
and £250 of Love2Shop<br />
vouchers”<br />
“I work for Hays <strong>Travel</strong> and<br />
they have been great. We were<br />
rewarded when the company<br />
made one billion and if you<br />
work for 10 years or more<br />
you get a long service award<br />
plus a gift and dinner.<br />
Also every time you make<br />
a high-value booking you are<br />
recognised and they send a<br />
thank you.”<br />
"Any of my colleagues will<br />
agree our boss shows us<br />
appreciation 365 days a year.<br />
Very flexible, approachable<br />
and extremely generous. We<br />
are all very lucky."<br />
"Client asked:<br />
If I go to Spain<br />
after we leave the EU<br />
will they speak<br />
Spanish to me rather<br />
than English?"<br />
“A client<br />
complained<br />
their hotel in<br />
India had only<br />
Indian food...<br />
but they wanted<br />
a fry up”<br />
“When finalising an itinerary<br />
I informed the client she had<br />
a night in transit. She<br />
replied: 'Which hotel in<br />
intransit are we staying at?”<br />
Canada Tours<br />
0208 585 4020<br />
holidays@travelpack.com<br />
fr£1639pp fr£2239pp fr£4499pp<br />
14nts, The Wild West 15nts, Rockies Trail 7nts, The Canadiana
28<br />
TRAVEL PEOPLE<br />
on the move<br />
VLADISLAV SAVELIEV<br />
MEET...<br />
Sherwin Arends<br />
New Trade Training<br />
Relations Officer<br />
What are South African<br />
Tourism’s core values?<br />
To contribute meaningfully<br />
to the growth of the South<br />
African economy through<br />
empowerment and<br />
enabling local businesses<br />
to create authentic<br />
experiences. In short, being<br />
proudly South African,<br />
which is important to me.<br />
What's your focus?<br />
As Trade Training Relations<br />
Officer I plan to support<br />
the wider trade team and<br />
strengthen SAT’s current<br />
relationships, whilst<br />
also establishing new<br />
relationships with key trade<br />
anda stakeholders.<br />
HELEN TATE &<br />
STEPHANIE ROBERTSON<br />
TO: <strong>Travel</strong> Trade Sales Executives,<br />
Canadian Affair<br />
Helen will cover sales in<br />
the south west of England,<br />
whilst Stephanie will drive<br />
sales in northern England.<br />
The new team members<br />
will report to <strong>Travel</strong> Trade<br />
Manager, Jane Fraser, who<br />
was appointed in<br />
February. The team will<br />
continue to develop its<br />
trade engagement<br />
programme which<br />
launched six months ago.<br />
VLADISLAV SAVELIEV &<br />
PIERRE HERNANDEZ<br />
TO: UK Central & North Sales<br />
Developer & UK South account<br />
manager, PONANT<br />
Vladislav Saveliev will grow<br />
key accounts in the south<br />
of the country while Pierre<br />
Hernandez will develop<br />
relationships in central<br />
and northern UK. Their<br />
main objectives will<br />
include spreading the<br />
word about PONANT's<br />
new product, including its<br />
partnership with National<br />
Geographic Expeditions.<br />
SUKIE RAPAL<br />
TO: Head of River Cruise, Fred.\ River<br />
Cruises, part of Fred. Olsen <strong>Travel</strong><br />
Sukie's primary focus will<br />
be on growing Fred.\ River<br />
Cruises’ General Sales<br />
Agent brands which<br />
include Amadeus River<br />
Cruises, American Cruise<br />
Lines and Pandaw;<br />
alongside the Volga Dream<br />
and Far Horizons of India<br />
for whom they act as<br />
preferred sales agents.<br />
Sukie will also explore new<br />
opportunities online and<br />
through the trade.<br />
What's new for the trade?<br />
We will run our annual<br />
one-stop shop SAT School<br />
again in 20<strong>19</strong>. We also plan<br />
to increase our presence<br />
within the UK and Ireland,<br />
running further training<br />
events, roadshows,<br />
workshops and hosted<br />
agent fam trips in the<br />
destination.<br />
What's your top SA tip?<br />
Walking tours are a great<br />
way to find out more about<br />
local culture. Often tours are<br />
led by local guides who have<br />
a great relationship with the<br />
community and know all the<br />
local hotspots too.<br />
LISA MUSCHAMP<br />
TO: Caribbean and Mexico Business<br />
Development Manager, AMG<br />
Lisa will act as a national<br />
brand ambassador on the<br />
road visiting tour operators,<br />
consortia and travel<br />
agents on behalf of AMG’s<br />
clients across St Lucia,<br />
Barbados, Mexico,<br />
Bahamas, Jamaica,<br />
Dominican Republic and<br />
Antigua. Lisa has over 25<br />
years of experience in<br />
travel business development,<br />
including the role of<br />
Trade Sales Manager,<br />
South of England & South<br />
Wales at Jetset.<br />
NISHA BEAN<br />
TO: Head of Sales for the North,<br />
First Class Holidays<br />
Nisha will be looking after<br />
all First Class Holiday agent<br />
partners in the north and<br />
will continue growing<br />
current relationships as<br />
well as developing new<br />
ones. Nisha has previous<br />
experience at <strong>Travel</strong> 2,<br />
Jetset and Hays <strong>Travel</strong>. She<br />
will be working closely with<br />
Katie Daniels, who was<br />
also recently promoted to<br />
Head of Sales for the<br />
South.<br />
BECKY BAUMBACH<br />
TO: Business Development Manager,<br />
APT<br />
The appointment of Becky<br />
marks APT's 'complete'<br />
trade team which has<br />
expanded from three<br />
members to six. Becky's<br />
primary role will be to<br />
support UK agents based<br />
in the south west. The new<br />
team will support agents<br />
throughout the UK, which<br />
currently makes up<br />
two- thirds of all sales.<br />
Becky has more than 10<br />
years’ experience in travel.<br />
Have you just got a new job and want agents to know about it? We'd love to hear about it.<br />
Email: editorial@bmipublishing.co.uk<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
ON LOCATION<br />
29<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> Alberta’s Winter Business Trip<br />
Cityscape to 'bubble' lake<br />
From exploring Calgary’s urban<br />
playground to skiing, snowshoeing and<br />
even flying across mountains to explore<br />
frozen ‘bubble’ lakes, Alberta certainly<br />
proved an adventure for intrepid agents<br />
who joined a recent winter fam trip<br />
hosted by <strong>Travel</strong> Alberta.<br />
Starting in Calgary, the agents enjoyed a<br />
walking tour where they learned all about<br />
the ways of Calgarians and the city's rich<br />
tradition of art and architecture.<br />
The group then climbed one of its most<br />
iconic landmarks: the Calgary Tower. The<br />
more adventurous had the chance to ‘step<br />
out into space’ by trying out the glass floor<br />
observation deck, which is 36 feet long and<br />
more than four feet wide – apparently it can<br />
hold the weight of three hippos though!<br />
Their feet firmly back on land, the group<br />
visited Calgary Zoo, one of the top zoos in<br />
the world for conservation research and the<br />
best way to learn about Canada’s bears and<br />
cougars without a face-to-face encounter.<br />
Leaving the city behind, the group<br />
transferred to the snowy town of Banff,<br />
where they picked up SkiBig3 passes to use<br />
across three resorts: Banff Sunshine, Lake<br />
Louise Ski Resort and Mt. Norquay.<br />
The spectacular views of mountains,<br />
glaciers, lakes and forests made partaking in<br />
winter sports a must – even for novices.<br />
The agents enjoyed more than 3,300<br />
acres of skiable terrain, ranging from gentle<br />
beginner runs to extreme<br />
mountain piste at Sunshine;<br />
4,200 acres spread across<br />
four mountain faces at<br />
Lake Louise, one of the largest ski resorts in<br />
North America; and learned that Mt. Norquay<br />
offers the only night skiing in Banff, including<br />
a fully-lit terrain park for boarders.<br />
They also tested their skills in<br />
Jasper's Marmot Basin, which<br />
offers 45cm of natural snow from<br />
November through to <strong>May</strong>.<br />
Away from the slopes the agents<br />
were treated to the ultimate<br />
high in the form of a Rockies Heli<br />
Canada Bubbles Tour. They flew to a<br />
snowshoeing location in the Rockies and<br />
then experienced the Abraham Lake ice<br />
bubbles – a natural phenomenon which sees<br />
methane gas bubbles freeze under the lake<br />
surface to stunning effect.<br />
Also for non-skiiers, a Johnston Canyon ice<br />
walk presented a great opportunity to get<br />
close-up to a natural wonder. The agents<br />
walked among the gigantic pillars of ice with<br />
views into the gorge below before arriving<br />
at Upper Falls – a glittering tower of ice that<br />
rises 30 metres above human heads!<br />
Following what was quite the active<br />
itinerary, there was just enough time to relax,<br />
unwind and reflect at the Kananaskis Nordic<br />
Spa, complete with a relaxation lodge, five<br />
outdoor pools, five steam and sauna cabins,<br />
and massage therapists. The perfect way to<br />
ease away those boot aches.<br />
“Alberta in the winter is truly spectacular<br />
and dare I say it's even more beautiful than<br />
summer,” said Laura Kirton of First Class<br />
Holidays. “A personal highlight of mine was<br />
taking a helicopter over the top of Rockies<br />
to get that amazing birds-eye-view – it was<br />
simply breathtaking.”<br />
From top: Abraham Lake;<br />
Beauvert Lake view - Jasper Park<br />
Lodge; posing by the Banff sign;<br />
Maligne Canyon Ice Walk<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
30<br />
mauritius<br />
rounder<br />
all<br />
After a strong 2018 celebrating 50 years<br />
of independence, this year sees new<br />
resorts and renovations. Clare Walsh<br />
looks at five ways to sell Mauritius<br />
LOCAL EXPERIENCES WITH SALT OF PALMAR<br />
A<br />
hotel revolution is underway<br />
that is transforming Mauritius’<br />
accommodation portfolio.<br />
Veteran resorts such as LUX* Grand<br />
Gaube, One & Only Le Saint Géran and<br />
Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa have all<br />
undergone extensive refurbishments,<br />
while fresh new brands such as SALT, part<br />
of the Lux Collective, have also moved in.<br />
This instagram-ready concept hotel<br />
located on the east coast has homed in<br />
on the trend for enriching experiences<br />
and is ideal for clients looking for<br />
holidays that offer cultural authenticity<br />
without compromising on luxury.<br />
The hotel’s farm supplies its food, bikes<br />
and cars are available for exploring and<br />
guests can take part in a ‘skills swap’ with<br />
locals. SALT believes this enables guests<br />
to ‘connect at a deep level with the people<br />
who make places’ and ‘take home more<br />
than a tan’.<br />
For clients on a budget, three-star<br />
Veranda Tamarin Hotel opened in<br />
November, while Thomas Cook is targeting<br />
a new audience for the traditional package<br />
holiday - winter will see the opening of<br />
its first long-haul hotel in Turtle Bay. With<br />
beachside swim-up rooms, a yoga pavilion<br />
and swimming platform at the end of a<br />
natural lava pier, it will target the premium<br />
market.<br />
Another new arrival is Anantara<br />
Mauritius. Located just 15 minutes from<br />
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International<br />
Airport, the resort will be situated near<br />
to prime snorkelling spot Blue Bay<br />
Marine Park. It will feature 164 rooms<br />
and suites with eight luxury pool villas<br />
to be added in the first half of 2020.<br />
Competition is high in Mauritius<br />
and as a result the resort offerings<br />
are constantly evolving.<br />
In addition, a plethora of activities<br />
across the island affords agents the<br />
opportunity to sell Mauritius to a variety<br />
of clients. Here I suggest five different<br />
approaches to recommend to clients.<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
mauritius 31<br />
For family time<br />
Far from being the preserve of<br />
starry-eyed loved-up couples and<br />
honeymooners, Mauritius has developed<br />
a strong family offering with several<br />
resorts featuring excellent facilities.<br />
Six of Beachcomber’s eight properties<br />
on the island have kids’ clubs with an<br />
extensive programme of activities.<br />
At the five-star Paradis Beachcomber,<br />
children can get involved with waterskiing,<br />
glass-bottom boat trips, golf<br />
and even have their own restaurant!<br />
This resort classifies guests up to the<br />
age of 17 as children, enabling agents<br />
to sell value and substantial savings.<br />
Mauritius also appeals to multigenerational<br />
families. At the five-star<br />
Long Beach, premium all-inclusive stays<br />
enable guests of all ages to indulge.<br />
It is situated on the longest beach in<br />
Mauritius and features five restaurants,<br />
sports, a kids club, spa and pools.<br />
A further benefit for families is<br />
that direct overnight flights keep<br />
disruption to a minimum, while a<br />
time difference of just three hours<br />
ensures jetlag needn’t be a concern.<br />
Casela World of Adventures in the west<br />
of the island is a superb option for a family<br />
day trip. With an exceptional amount of<br />
activities such as Segway tours, camel rides,<br />
canyoning and zip-lining, it also offers a<br />
quad biking safari where visitors will come<br />
face to face with big cats and giraffes.<br />
For total relaxation<br />
Relaxation comes with the territory in<br />
Mauritius and resorts consistently go the<br />
extra mile to look after their guests.<br />
Shangri-La’s Le Touessrok Resort &<br />
Spa in the east offers the ultimate in<br />
luxurious relaxation. It’s three beach<br />
villas feature staff and a personal chef<br />
available around the clock, with private<br />
limousine transfers from the airport.<br />
ONE&ONLY LE SAINT GÉRAN<br />
A NEW VISION OF CONTEMPORARY LUXURY IN THE HEART OF NATURE<br />
84 Lushury Rooms - 4 Beach Suites - 2 Beach Suites Family - 2 Beach Villas -<br />
Lush garden, outside shower and bath in all room categories -<br />
1 infinity pool (excluding private ones) - 2 Restaurants<br />
and 1 Bar - Spa with organic products by Thémaé<br />
FEEL THE PULSE<br />
Untitled-5 1 24/04/20<strong>19</strong> 12:58
32<br />
mauritius<br />
It’s the only resort in Mauritius to have its<br />
own private island and the resort recently<br />
introduced five beach cabanas offering<br />
a ‘Dine by Design’ experience complete<br />
with private butlers. Guests also have<br />
the option of relaxing with an outdoor<br />
massage next to the Indian Ocean with<br />
treatments from Carita and Decleor.<br />
For culture vultures<br />
Mauritius’ capital, Port Louis, has<br />
plenty of treasures for those seeking a<br />
culture fix away from the sunshine and<br />
splashing around in the Indian Ocean.<br />
Highlights include Government House<br />
and La Place D’Armes Square, along with<br />
the UNESCO-listed Apravasi Ghat, where<br />
immigrant labourers from India first landed.<br />
Once the sightseeing has been done,<br />
suggest clients sample some tasty street<br />
food. The city is quickly gaining a reputation<br />
as a foodie hot spot with its diverse<br />
influences represented in eclectic dishes.<br />
Keeping with the foodie theme,<br />
One&Only Le Saint Géran invites guests<br />
to join their executive chef for a ‘Shop,<br />
Cook & Eat’ experience. Starting with a<br />
visit to the local Flacq Market to learn<br />
about the island’s produce and shop<br />
for local groceries, this is followed by<br />
meeting local fisherman and seeing their<br />
catch. Once back at the resort, guests<br />
are taught how to use their ingredients<br />
to cook a Mauritian-inspired meal.<br />
In the south of the island, Mahebourg<br />
is the first capital of Mauritius and<br />
known for its local market, museums,<br />
fortifications and historic battles<br />
between the French and British.<br />
Resorts such as Anantara are well placed<br />
for visiting these areas of the island with<br />
Mahebourg reachable in just 15 minutes.<br />
HERITAGE LE TELFAIR<br />
Mauritius-focused Attitude Hotels has<br />
a unique concept running through all its<br />
properties on the island named ‘otentik’<br />
– meaning ‘authentic’ in Mauritian.<br />
Despite being an all-inclusive , the<br />
brand wants its guests to experience the<br />
island. An example activity guests can<br />
book is dinner in a Mauritian home, as a<br />
guest of one of its ‘Family Members’ (staff)<br />
and to share a typical Mauritian meal.<br />
For hopeless romantics<br />
Mauritius is an iconic wedding and<br />
honeymoon destination - and for<br />
good reason. With soul-stirring views<br />
and a level of luxury that’s hard to<br />
top, it’s become adept at providing<br />
world-leading romantic holidays.<br />
Many resorts offer bespoke wedding<br />
and honeymoon packages with a<br />
dedicated wedding coordinator.<br />
Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness<br />
Resort has recently introduced a wedding<br />
package at its newly restored <strong>19</strong>th century<br />
Heritage Le Chateau. Surrounded by a<br />
2,500-hectare nature reserve, couples can<br />
choose to get married in the grounds, on<br />
a private beach or in a glass marquee.<br />
Honeymooners are often drawn to<br />
Mauritius by the promise of dreamy<br />
days on white sands lapped by cerulean<br />
waters. But resorts now also recognise<br />
the value of experiential holidays.<br />
FAMILY FRIENDLY BEACHCOMBER RESORTS<br />
“Suggest clients sample<br />
some tasty street food. Port<br />
Louis is quickly gaining a<br />
reputation as a foodie hot<br />
spot with its diverse<br />
influences represented in<br />
eclectic dishes”<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
34<br />
mauritius<br />
SHANGRI-LA’S LE TOUESSROK RESORT & SPA<br />
“At the newly-restored <strong>19</strong>th<br />
century Heritage Le<br />
Chateau,surrounded by a<br />
2,500-hectare nature<br />
reserve, couples can choose<br />
to get married in the<br />
grounds, on a private beach<br />
or in a glass marquee”<br />
‘OTENTIK’ ATTITUDE HOTELS & RESORTS<br />
BUBBLE LODGE ILE AUX CERFS<br />
At Beachcomber resorts, honeymooners<br />
can enjoy a complimentary romantic<br />
experience such as the use of a minimoke<br />
(car) to explore the island, a<br />
parasailing tour over Grand Baie or a<br />
speedboat outing on the Eastern lagoon.<br />
There are also unique accommodation<br />
options for those looking for something a<br />
little different. Last year saw the expansion<br />
of semi-transparent eco-domes from<br />
Bubble Lodge, enabling couples to sleep<br />
under the stars immersed in nature.<br />
Three domes opened on Île aux<br />
Cerfs, off Mauritius’s east coast with<br />
plans for more in 20<strong>19</strong> in Bois Cheri.<br />
For action and adventure<br />
Mauritius is an island made for<br />
exploring and adventurers will have<br />
plenty to keep them busy.<br />
An exhilarating ride through the forest<br />
canopy is promised on the world’s third<br />
longest zip line. At 1.5km long, it’s a<br />
real treat for adrenaline junkies and is<br />
set in the beautiful Vallee des Couleurs<br />
nature park – a perfect setting for<br />
reducing the heart rate afterwards!<br />
Canyoning at Tamarin Falls isn’t for<br />
the faint-hearted but if scrambling over<br />
rock faces, abseiling down waterfalls<br />
and jumping into lagoons appeals, this<br />
is definitely worthy of the bucket list.<br />
Located in the southwest of the island,<br />
it’s a beautiful spot suitable for beginners.<br />
Also located in this part of Mauritius<br />
is Black River Gorges National Park.<br />
With 6,500 hectares of natural beauty<br />
packed with walking trails, it’s a haven<br />
for nature lovers. The forested plateaus<br />
and gorges may even afford lucky<br />
explorers a glimpse of monkeys.<br />
Many visitors flock to Mauritius<br />
for its beautiful waters, its 330km of<br />
coastline encircled by a dazzling coral<br />
barrier reef offer superb snorkelling<br />
and diving opportunities.<br />
One of the most popular dives is<br />
the Cathedral located off Flic-en-Flac,<br />
while at Gunner’s Coin clients will be<br />
treated to displays of large parrotfish<br />
and an ethereal underwater world.<br />
Mauritius is an above-par destination<br />
for golf, with ten 18-hole courses. Ile<br />
aux Cerfs golf course – reached by a<br />
short small-boat boat crossing – has<br />
natural features like volcanic outcrops,<br />
lakes and tropical trees, while Gymkhana<br />
Golf club is the oldest on the island.<br />
So Sofitel Mauritius offers a luxury<br />
experience with its spa and butler service<br />
for suites and villas, but is located on the<br />
wilder south coast, near an 18-hole golf<br />
course and the Frederica Nature Reserve<br />
which has 4WD trails and mountain biking.<br />
Where to book it<br />
TURQUOISE HOLIDAYS –<br />
01494 678400<br />
Book a seven-night stay at LUX* Belle Mare<br />
between <strong>May</strong> 11 and October 15 20<strong>19</strong> and<br />
receive a 45% discount - plus kids under<br />
12 stay free with parents. Prices start<br />
from £4,<strong>19</strong>5 for a family of four including<br />
private transfers and international flights.<br />
turquoiseholidays.co.uk <br />
MAURITIAN DANCE<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
Air Mauritius new A330neo is coming to<br />
London – All ights from <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>19</strong><br />
BUSINESS<br />
Full at Business Class seats<br />
State of the art entertainment system<br />
Individual 15.4 inch HD LED screens<br />
All seats have aisle access<br />
ECONOMY<br />
More personal space with 18 inch wide seats<br />
31 to 33 inch seat pitch with 30 degree recline<br />
Individual 11.1 inch HD LED screens<br />
More spacious cabin including ambient lighting<br />
In both cabins enjoy the warm Mauritian welcome, an excellent choice of food<br />
styled on the multicultural essence of Mauritius and friendly on board service<br />
For more information:<br />
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8834 5800 Email: UKReservations@airmauritius.com<br />
Web: www.airmauritius.com Trade web: www.airmauritius.biz<br />
Air Mauritius Training Site: www.airmauritiusacademy.com
36<br />
introducing<br />
Chad<br />
Pioneering UK operators are among the first to open up a little-known<br />
Central African nation that is attracting adventurous travellers, writes Mark Stratton<br />
The young boys’ faces glisten with<br />
sweat as they dance under the Sahelian<br />
sun. They pogo in unison, chanting<br />
mesmerizing songs and pulling<br />
exaggerated faces to reveal the whites<br />
of both their teeth and eyeballs, the<br />
truest signs of classical male beauty in<br />
Wodaabe society. They are watched by<br />
gyrating young women with kohl-edged<br />
eyes who have come to choose a man.<br />
Chad’s Gerewol celebration occurs<br />
every October. The Wodaabe nomadic<br />
tribespeople congregate to watch the<br />
bachelor males sing and dance in the<br />
hope of being selected by the women for<br />
marriage or a night of passion.<br />
I was among just 30 tourists camping<br />
amid the savannah grassland to watch this<br />
genuine cultural celebration.<br />
On the map<br />
If you look at the travel advice on the<br />
Foreign and Commonwealth Office website,<br />
it’s apparent why Chad, one of Africa’s<br />
largest countries, receives so few visitors.<br />
Over the decades it has battled with<br />
banditry, terrorism and poverty, keeping it<br />
off the tourist radar. Yet during two visits<br />
over the past year I never felt anything less<br />
than secure. Chad’s combination of Saharan<br />
landscapes and national parks is not going<br />
unnoticed as a handful of pioneering UK<br />
tour operators – such as Native Eye and<br />
Undiscovered Destinations – now offer a<br />
range of itineraries to this niche destination.<br />
The FCO still warns against all but essential<br />
travel for much of the country, so it should<br />
be recommended only to those with a real<br />
sense of adventure.<br />
THE DETAILS<br />
TIME ZONE: GMT+1<br />
CURENCY: Central African<br />
Franc. £1 = 760XAF<br />
VISAS: Required and must<br />
be purchased before travel.<br />
There is no embassy in the<br />
UK so seek the help of a<br />
specialist agency.<br />
Getting there: airfrance.com,<br />
ethiopinanairlines.com<br />
Languages: Arabic, French and<br />
several tribal dialects<br />
Climate: Rains April-<br />
September, hot and dry<br />
October-March.<br />
BOOK IT: Native Eye covers<br />
both the Gerewol festival and<br />
Ennedi Mountains in an epic<br />
DANCING AT THE GEREWOL CELEBRATION<br />
Chad's capital, N’Djamena, has several<br />
international-class hotels, such as a<br />
Hilton, but otherwise is a little dilapidated.<br />
However, every Sunday afternoon there<br />
is an unmissable spectacle of street<br />
horseracing when Arab thoroughbreds tearup<br />
an improvised circuit.<br />
The Gerewol itself lasts one week and<br />
most UK operators use the services of<br />
a long-standing Italian DMC called Spazi<br />
d’Avventura, who have contacts with the<br />
22-day adventure. Priced from<br />
£5,599pp, it includes return<br />
flights from Paris, meals,<br />
transport, camping and hotel<br />
stays, the capital N’Djamena,<br />
a four-day stay with the<br />
Wodaabe for Gerewol and a<br />
tour of the Ennedi Mountains.<br />
nativeeyetravel.com<br />
LIONS NEAR TINGA<br />
AN ARAB THOROUGHBRED<br />
Wodaabe and will drive guests by 4WD to<br />
where the gathering nomads congregate.<br />
Gerewol can be doubled up with one of<br />
Chad’s other two great highlights: a trip to<br />
the Ennedi Mountains or Zakouma National<br />
Park. Deemed the natural and cultural<br />
masterpiece of the Sahara Desert, Ennedi is<br />
designated a UNESCO World Heritage site<br />
famed for its ancient rock art.<br />
Its rare wildlife includes barbary sheep and<br />
desert crocodiles that bury themselves away<br />
and hibernate without water for months<br />
waiting for the rains.<br />
Zakouma National Park is a two-hour<br />
flight, in a small Cessna aircraft. Here I saw<br />
great knots of pelicans choking its main<br />
river, cheetahs with new cubs, over 50<br />
lions in five prides, a rare striped hyena at<br />
night, and was stared at by elegant nosey<br />
Kordofan giraffes, a rare sub-species of the<br />
more familiar southern African variety.<br />
Chad may never become a fixture like<br />
Kenya yet for adventurous travellers this is<br />
offbeat Africa in technicolour brilliance. <br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
ecuador 37<br />
call of the<br />
wild<br />
From the Galápagos Islands to the Amazon<br />
Rainforest, Ecuador boasts unique and<br />
varied landscapes, says Adam Coulter<br />
P<br />
art way along the street which<br />
encircles the bay in Puerto<br />
Ayora, on Santa Cruz Island,<br />
there is a small harbour, mainly for<br />
fishing boats, and just above that<br />
is a tiny open-air fish market.<br />
I am walking towards it on this, my first<br />
day in the largest town in the Galápagos<br />
Islands, when I notice – or rather hear –<br />
some sort of a commotion in the distance<br />
around the market.<br />
It sounds like a frantic barking, mixed<br />
with birds squawking.<br />
As I get nearer I can make it out – a<br />
sealion, beside the fish counter.<br />
Just like a big dog, its head leans over<br />
the edge, desperate to get hold of the<br />
scraps being thrown to the birds; several<br />
pelicans stand beside the sea lion, waiting<br />
for their moment. It strikes me as a scene<br />
out of a cartoon, and also the only place<br />
on earth where a scene like this would be<br />
an everyday occurrence.<br />
A few yards further on and a pair of<br />
marine iguanas lay sunbathing on the<br />
pavement; I have to step round them as<br />
they have no intention of moving for me.<br />
And at the jetty, where I am catching<br />
the boat to the Finch Bay Hotel, a huge<br />
heron sits on the quayside, from where<br />
he watches me impassively.<br />
I have never visited anywhere else in the<br />
world where animals are so indifferent<br />
towards or less afraid of humans, and this<br />
is just my first day in the Galápagos!<br />
ISLA BARTOLOME, GALÁPAGOS<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
London – Santo Domingo<br />
Discover Santo Domingo with Air Europa<br />
on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for<br />
the most unique flying experience.<br />
Daily flights from London Gatwick.<br />
All flights are via Madrid.<br />
For more information, please call 020 8016 4455 or visit www.aireuropaexperts.com
ecuador 39<br />
THE CAPITAL OF QUITO<br />
“Ecuador is best visited<br />
during our spring and<br />
summer months, when days<br />
in the Andes are warm,<br />
sunny and dry”<br />
Laura Rendell-Dunn, Journey Latin America<br />
The might of a microcosm<br />
This year marks 60 years since the<br />
Galápagos Islands became a National<br />
Park and the establishment of the Charles<br />
Darwin Foundation (darwinfoundation.org).<br />
The foundation, which is based in the<br />
capital Puerto Ayora and is one of the<br />
few places you can see the islands’ most<br />
iconic animal, the Galápagos Tortoise, will<br />
be commemorating the milestone with<br />
events throughout 20<strong>19</strong>, including the<br />
release of a film in November.<br />
The Finch Bay Galápagos Hotel<br />
(finchbayhotel.com) will open a new spa this<br />
summer, complete with gym equipment<br />
and two treatment rooms on the ground<br />
floor and a yoga room on the second<br />
floor with views over the bay.<br />
Mashpi Lodge, which lies in the heart<br />
of the Choco-Andean Cloud Forest,<br />
three hours north of Quito, is creating<br />
a Scientific Station for guests to learn<br />
about this unique biosphere and the<br />
ongoing conservation efforts in the<br />
region. In addition, work starts this year<br />
to double the size of the protected area<br />
in which the lodge is built, from 2,500<br />
hectares to 5,000 ha.<br />
Why not experience the country by<br />
train? While train travel is not a common<br />
form of exploration and travel in Latin<br />
America, Ecuador has a luxury train<br />
called Tren Crucero (trenecuador.com),<br />
which is an ideal way to see the stunning<br />
scenery in style and comfort. Latin Routes<br />
(latinroutes.co.uk) offers this as part of its<br />
Ecuador tours.<br />
Ecuador is like South America in<br />
miniature – you can visit the Amazon,<br />
the coasts, colonial cities and the Andes<br />
mountains, all in one country.<br />
Says Laura Rendell-Dunn, PR and<br />
Business Development Manager at<br />
Journey Latin America: “Ecuador is best<br />
visited during our spring and summer<br />
months, when days in the Andes are<br />
warm, sunny and dry”.<br />
The Amazon<br />
The Amazon offers a unique insight into<br />
the region, its people, and its wildlife.<br />
Fly to Coca, just 25-minutes from Quito,<br />
and venture into the rainforest. Most<br />
stays in Ecuador are lodge-based and will<br />
be a fully-inclusive, incorporating guided<br />
walks, canopy walks, night treks, canoe<br />
trips, visits to local communities and<br />
piranha fishing.<br />
Animals that can be spotted include<br />
various species of monkeys, pink<br />
dolphins, jaguars and capybaras, as well<br />
as plenty of birdlife.<br />
Says Jess Dennison, Head of Trade<br />
Relations, Journey Latin America: “The<br />
Cloud Forest is just a two-and-a-half hour<br />
drive from Quito, the capital, and is home<br />
to more than 1,500 species of birds as<br />
well as jaguar, sloth, howler monkey,<br />
puma and spectacled bear”.<br />
The Andes<br />
Around 200 miles south of Quito, you’ll<br />
find the ‘Avenue of the Volcanoes’, a<br />
breathtaking landscape of seven peaks<br />
rising to more than 17,000 feet. One<br />
of the best ways to see the Andes is by<br />
train, as Alexandra Waterhouse, <strong>Travel</strong><br />
Consultant, Journey Latin America,<br />
HUMMINGBIRD, ANTISANA IN THE ANDES<br />
SWINGING ABOVE THE JUNGLE, BAÑOS<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
40<br />
ecuador<br />
PICTURE CAPTION<br />
SALLY LIGHTFOOT CRAB, GALÁPAGOS<br />
MASHPI LODGE IN THE CLOUD FOREST<br />
COLONIAL CUENCA<br />
explains: “Ecuador’s newly restored<br />
rail network now allows you to discover<br />
the verdant beauty of rural Ecuador and<br />
its tiny traditional hamlets. However, if<br />
your clients is short on time or the dates<br />
don’t fit, fans of rail travel and spectacular<br />
scenery should at least do the worldfamous<br />
Devil’s Nose section of railway<br />
that zig-zags its way impossibly down a<br />
near-vertical Andean mountainside.”<br />
The Coast<br />
Ecuador borders the Pacific and has more<br />
than 1,000 miles of coastline, where you’ll<br />
find the country’s biggest city, Guayquil<br />
(see below). The coast is largely unspoilt<br />
and is popular with backpackers and<br />
surfers, many of whom are drawn to the<br />
party town of Montanita. The coast varies<br />
in terms of geography and climate: lush<br />
and wet in the Esmereldas province in<br />
the north, to more arid and humid in the<br />
southern part.<br />
The Galápagos Islands<br />
There are not many places in the world<br />
that can truly be described as unique, but<br />
the Galápagos is such a place.<br />
Lying a two-and-a-half drive from<br />
Guayquil, the Galápagos Islands are top<br />
of many people’s bucket list and a mustvisit<br />
for anyone touring Ecuador. This<br />
pristine natural wilderness is one of the<br />
few places in the world where animals<br />
are genuinely unafraid of humans. They<br />
are either indifferent to your presence or,<br />
in the case of the sealions, will naturally<br />
interacting with you.<br />
Tourism is strictly monitored and<br />
controlled and the only way to see<br />
the islands is by boat. There are a<br />
large number of operators offering<br />
different tours and routes, the longestestablished<br />
is Metropolitan Touring<br />
(metropolitantouring.com), which also owns<br />
the Finch Bay Hotel. It operates the<br />
Isabela 2, Santa Cruz 2 and La Pinta ships.<br />
The Cities<br />
Quito is the capital of Ecuador and<br />
famously lies right on the equator,<br />
allowing you to step from one<br />
hemisphere to another. It’s chilly up here,<br />
lying some 9,350 feet above sea level and<br />
has a year-round temperature of just 16C.<br />
It’s small, too, with just 1.4m inhabitants,<br />
but has an abundance of architectural<br />
heritage and is, in fact, a UNESCO World<br />
Heritage Site. It takes a day or two to get<br />
acclimatised to the altitude so be careful<br />
not to walk too far or too fast when you<br />
first arrive.<br />
Guayquil is the biggest city in Ecuador,<br />
with around 2.5m inhabitants. Founded<br />
in 1538, the city played a key part in the<br />
history of the region: it was here that<br />
Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin met<br />
to map out the future of an independent<br />
South America. It is the nation’s most<br />
important port, but it’s not really a tourist<br />
spot despite attempts to spruce it up. For<br />
most visitors it’s the jumping off spot for<br />
a trip to the Galápagos or to the party<br />
town of Montanita in the north.<br />
In the south of the country you’ll find<br />
the beautiful whitewashed university city<br />
of Cuenca. Sitting at a lofty 8,400 feet<br />
above sea level, the city centre has been<br />
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site<br />
due to its colonial heritage and many<br />
historic buildings.<br />
Where to book it<br />
LATIN TRAILS<br />
A nine-day Ecuador and Galapagos<br />
trip is from £6,744.65pp based on two<br />
sharing. The price includes transfers,<br />
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local driver and guide, three nights at<br />
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latintrails.com
With more than 20 years’ experience, Latin Trails specialises in organising customised tours and unique<br />
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Visit USA News<br />
THIS MONTH'S TOP STORIES FROM VISIT USA MEMBERS • VISITUSA.ORG.UK<br />
PHOENIX<br />
RISING<br />
OUT WEST<br />
American<br />
Airlines has<br />
launched a new<br />
year-round<br />
service between<br />
Heathrow and<br />
Phoenix Sky<br />
Harbor<br />
International<br />
Airport. The<br />
morning<br />
departure<br />
complements the<br />
existing<br />
afternoon flight<br />
to Arizona's<br />
capital city that<br />
is operated by<br />
transatlantic joint<br />
business partner,<br />
British Airways.<br />
americanairlines.<br />
co.uk;<br />
batraveltrade.com<br />
New Broadway Temptations<br />
Broadway Inbound, specialists for U.S. theatre tickets, is alerting the<br />
trade to the latest stage productions showing in New York.<br />
Tootsie, Bettlejuice, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the<br />
Temptations, Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Harry Potter and the<br />
Cursed Child all join the company’s Broadway Collection this year.<br />
Tootsie, the musical adaptation of the <strong>19</strong>82 film, is playing at the<br />
Marquis Theatre, and Bettlejuice, the stage version of the Tim Burton<br />
film, is wooing audiences at the Winter Garden Theatre.<br />
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, the legendary<br />
Detroit soul quintet, opened at the Imperial Theatre in March while<br />
fans of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film will want to catch Moulin Rouge! The<br />
Musical when it opens at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on July 25.<br />
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, with its theatrical witchcraft and<br />
wizardry, has been playing at the Lyric Theatre since last April.<br />
broadwaycollection.com<br />
Rocky success<br />
Colorado's Rocky Mountain<br />
National Park recorded its<br />
largest-ever visitation levels last year.<br />
The 4,590,492 visitors that dropped by<br />
moves it among the top three most<br />
visited national parks in the country,<br />
after the Great Smoky Mountains and<br />
Grand Canyon National Park.<br />
colorado.com<br />
Norwegian's 14<br />
Norwegian has launched new<br />
services to Miami and San<br />
Francisco while its summer service to<br />
Seattle has also recommenced. From<br />
Gatwick, Norwegian operates 14 flights<br />
to 12 U.S. destinations. Earlier this year<br />
it became the first low-cost airline to<br />
offer free wifi on long-haul flights, with<br />
more than 50% of its fleet expected to<br />
offer in-flight connectivity by 2020.<br />
norwegian.com/uk<br />
Surf's up at Hyatt<br />
The Hyatt Regency<br />
Huntington Beach has<br />
completed a renovation of all 514 guest<br />
rooms. Other innovations this summer<br />
at a hotel that is a popular stop on<br />
Southern California driving itineraries<br />
include oceanfront pop-up cabanas<br />
and sunrise beach yoga classes.<br />
surfcityusa.com; hyatt.com<br />
BLOG The USA is packed with iconic<br />
cities, picturesque small towns and the<br />
world’s best theme parks –but some of its<br />
most exciting sights are its natural<br />
assets. From Alaska to Maine you’ll<br />
discover canyons, beaches, mountains,<br />
deserts, forests and wildlife ranging from<br />
humpback whales to grizzly bears.<br />
More Blog content at visitusa.org.uk/Blog<br />
Look out for our Visit USA (UK) online <strong>Travel</strong> Update for the pick of members' news
SPOTLIGHT<br />
ON...<br />
Visit North Carolina<br />
DUNCAN MCCUBBIN,<br />
UK REPRESENTATIVE<br />
CRUISE AMERICA RV RENTALS HAS<br />
ADDED NASHVILLE TO ITS 30-PLUS LINE-UP<br />
OF NORTH AMERICAN DEPOTS. THE<br />
COMPANY OFFERS A CHOICE OF FOUR<br />
DIFFERENT-SIZED VEHICLES. cruiseamerica.com<br />
LOOKING FOR<br />
A TICKET TO A<br />
GREAT U.S.<br />
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Check out our<br />
airline/airport<br />
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Aer Lingus Ltd •<br />
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Air Lines •<br />
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Norwegian •<br />
Singapore<br />
Airlines • United<br />
Airlines • Virgin<br />
Atlantic • Bradley<br />
International<br />
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Connecticut)<br />
Georgia's latest screen test<br />
Georgia, a state long popular among crews filming movies, TV shows and<br />
adverts, will again be showcased on the silver and small screens in a<br />
number of high-profile productions over the coming months.<br />
Avengers: Endgame, the fourth and final saga of the superhero film<br />
series, was released in the UK on April 25. The movie was shot largely at<br />
Pinewood Atlanta Studios – the largest purpose-built studio outside<br />
Hollywood – in Fayette County, Georgia.<br />
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence filmed the third Bad Boys film in<br />
Atlanta, and keep an eye out for Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg in<br />
Zombieland 2, filmed in Macon, and Kevin Hart and Dwayne ‘The Rock’<br />
Johnson who stayed in Atlanta during the filming of Jumanji 3.<br />
Forrest Gump (Atlanta), Baywatch (Tybee Island), and The Hunger<br />
Games trilogy – the Atlanta Motor Speedway provided the site of the<br />
Quarter Quell chariot parade – were also shot in the Peach State.<br />
exploregeorgia.org<br />
What are the main benefits<br />
of your Visit USA<br />
membership? It gives us<br />
profile among the travel<br />
trade and consumers and<br />
provides opportunities to<br />
network with tour operators<br />
and the media.<br />
Do you support Visit USA's<br />
many annual activities?<br />
We support a lot of them,<br />
like the agent roadshows in<br />
October and the Unite Visit<br />
USA trade day in March. It<br />
is important to be out there,<br />
doing – and being seen<br />
doing – activities like these.<br />
How well do travel agents<br />
know North Carolina?<br />
There's always more to be<br />
done but over the past six<br />
years or so we have been<br />
raising awareness of the<br />
state in the UK, explaining<br />
its diversity and how it fits<br />
into a Southern driving tour.<br />
Tell us about that diversity.<br />
You can go from sea level to<br />
the highest mountains in<br />
the eastern USA in around<br />
just 500 miles. We have the<br />
Outer Banks, a 130-mile<br />
stretch of barrier islands,<br />
English history, and great<br />
cities like Asheville,<br />
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Do you have a memorable<br />
North Carolina experience?<br />
Last year I stayed in a log<br />
cabin near Waynesville.<br />
There was a thunderstorm,<br />
which illuminated the<br />
dancing patterns of fireflies<br />
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visitnc.com<br />
Subscribe to the Visit USA (UK) online <strong>Travel</strong> Update at visitusa.org.uk
46<br />
japan<br />
land of<br />
the rising<br />
fun<br />
Japan’s unique culture has many<br />
facets and fascinations. Lisa Young<br />
picks out some itinerary ideas<br />
targeted to key interests<br />
I<br />
feel like I’m in a spaceship but I’m<br />
actually touring one of Japan’s<br />
main sports venue. You might<br />
think I’m exaggerating, but read on.<br />
Sapporo Dome, primarily used for<br />
baseball and football, will host England and<br />
Tonga when they play their first match in<br />
the Rugby World Cup this September but<br />
from where I’m standing there’s no pitch,<br />
just a wooden floor. So where’s the grass?<br />
My guide, beaming with pride, answers by<br />
directing his glance outside, to where the<br />
turf field grows year-round, through rain,<br />
shine, snow – and earthquakes! But how,<br />
you may ask, does it get into the stadium?<br />
The pristine 120m x 85m field (weighting<br />
8,300 tons) rises like a hovercraft before<br />
travelling inside at a speed of four metres a<br />
minute, via some retractable seats.<br />
Japan has developed an exhilarating<br />
prowess at all things technological and<br />
new, while preserving a traditional culture<br />
renowned for its courtesy and orderliness.<br />
Take Sapporo, Japan’s fifth-largest city<br />
and the capital of its most northerly island<br />
Hokkaido – it’s home to this futuristic<br />
stadium but equally proud of being<br />
the birthplace of miso-based ramen.<br />
For culture collectors<br />
If it’s tradition rather than tech that your<br />
clients yearn for, the mountainous Kii<br />
Peninsula, an hour’s drive south of Osaka,<br />
is the spiritual heartland of Japan. For<br />
centuries, pilgrims have walked the mossy<br />
cobbles and forest floor. The most sacred<br />
Shinto shrines can be found here, including<br />
Ise Jingu, and Mount Koya, home of Shingon<br />
Buddhism. The Grand Shrine is the most<br />
revered site and receives over six million<br />
pilgrims and tourists a year.<br />
The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route is also<br />
here. This sacred walkway is one of only<br />
two UNESCO-protected pilgrimages, and<br />
connects a number of religious sites.<br />
A descent to the pretty coast of Ago Bay in<br />
Shima City (Mie Prefecture) to visit the Ama<br />
free-divers is a 2,000-year-old treat. The<br />
Ama are women who free-dive daily to fish<br />
for seafood. Grilled delights include spiny<br />
lobsters, turban snails and noble scallops.<br />
Sell it: A 12-night Pilgrim’s Path tour takes in the<br />
Kumamo Kodo is £3,140pp for ryokan (traditional<br />
inn) accommodation, in a shared twin room<br />
(insidejapantours.com)<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
japan 47<br />
For food & drink enthusiasts<br />
Hokkaido is famous as the birthplace of<br />
Japanese beer. Sapporo Beer, one of the<br />
most popular brands, has been brewed<br />
in Sapporo since 1877. Its Beer Museum<br />
(sapporobeer.jp) opened in <strong>19</strong>87 in a former<br />
brewery from the Meiji period, and offers a<br />
free 20-minute tour.<br />
Exploring the Japanese street food scene<br />
is a sensory overload. In Kyoto, the Nishiki<br />
Market is the best place to delve into<br />
Japan’s succulent street food, from udon<br />
noodles, tofu doughnuts and tofu ice cream<br />
to akafuku mochi (red bean sweets).<br />
In Kyoto, tea ceremonies are popular, yet<br />
are often overlooked for being too cliched.<br />
However, they’re linked with Zen and<br />
meditation, and, when practised properly,<br />
offer peace as well as refreshment.<br />
It’s worth spending one evening at a local<br />
izakaya – an informal tapas-style restaurant<br />
where you can get karaage (Japanese-fried<br />
chicken), gyoza (dumplings), tasty tsukune<br />
yakitori (minced chicken on skewers) and<br />
sake for about £7.<br />
Sell it: Book tea-related performances and<br />
explanations (in English) from £55pp for a<br />
60-minute session at tea-kyoto.com<br />
For wellness & relaxation<br />
Onsen culture, involving bathing in a<br />
natural hot spring, is deep-rooted in Japan.<br />
Yunomine Onsen is a rustic hot-spring<br />
village nestled in the middle of the Kii<br />
Peninsula Mountains.<br />
It is home to Tsuboyu, the only hot spring<br />
registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site<br />
and the oldest onsen in Japan. A private,<br />
black-wood cabin can accommodate two<br />
people for 30 minutes.<br />
Shinrin-yoku, or forest therapy, is a branch<br />
of Japanese medicine and which consists<br />
of absorbing the forest atmosphere, with<br />
the option of lying a tree-branch bed and<br />
listening to your flute-playing guide.<br />
SNOW MONKEY
48<br />
japan<br />
LISA YOUNG<br />
AMA DIVERS COOKING<br />
SKIING SEASON IN NAEBA<br />
“Escape the crowds of<br />
Kyoto and discover the rural<br />
way of life by visiting Lake<br />
Biwa. Connect with the<br />
locals by helping them make<br />
mochi – a sweet dessert that<br />
requires pounding rice flour<br />
with a huge mallet!”<br />
David Peat, Japan Specialist, Audley <strong>Travel</strong><br />
Close to Kyoto is the lovely small town<br />
of Arashiyama and another important<br />
temple, Tenryū-ji, but its beautiful bamboo<br />
forest walk is a great bathing spot where<br />
early risers can catch the sunrise reflecting<br />
through the tall trees.<br />
Sell it: Wendy Wu’s 11-day Sapporo & Snow<br />
Monkeys tour is from £4,990pp and includes<br />
Sapporo’s famous Snow and Ice Festival, bathing in<br />
onsen with snow monkeys, and Kyoto and Tokyo<br />
For the adventurous<br />
It is a two-hour train ride from Tokyo to the<br />
snowfields of Naeba in Niigata Prefecture.<br />
The Naeba Prince Hotel is a sprawling<br />
complex that looms over the base of the<br />
mountain. Naeba offers great conditions<br />
for beginner to expert skiers; there’s plenty<br />
of groomed runs, backcountry skiing and<br />
some extreme powder conditions.<br />
The Iya Valley is a beautiful mountainous<br />
area on Shikoku Island, accessible by<br />
ferry from Hiroshima. With its gorges,<br />
mountains, stunning coastlines and crystalclear<br />
rivers, it is the perfect location for<br />
cycling, watersports and exciting vine rope<br />
bridges that you can hike up to.<br />
There are cycling tours all over the<br />
country, but specifically in Kyushu on the<br />
southern island (Freedom Treks, from<br />
£511pp) and into the Noto Peninsula north<br />
of Kanazawa (Oku Japan, from £1,270pp).<br />
SUIZENJI GARDENS IN KUAMOTO<br />
For wildlife & nature lovers<br />
On a wintery day, there’s one wildlife<br />
experience that should be a must on<br />
every itinerary. Jigokudani Monkey Park in<br />
Yamanouchi (Nagano Prefecture) is known<br />
globally for its 200+ resident Japanese<br />
macaque, or snow monkeys who descend<br />
from their forest home to warm their<br />
bodies in the onsen (hot spring).<br />
One of the most spectacular areas of<br />
Hokkaido is Onuma Quasi-National Park. At<br />
the foot of Mount Komagatake, it includes<br />
Onuma, Konuma, Junsainuma and other<br />
lakes. October is the time to see the park’s<br />
autumnal leaves. Alternatively, board a<br />
small ice-breaker and set sail for the ice<br />
flows of the Nemuro Strait to photograph<br />
Steller’s sea eagles or head south, close to<br />
Taiwan, and dive off the coast of Ishigaki<br />
Island to see giant Pacific manta rays.<br />
THE KUMANO KODO TRAIL<br />
Sell it: G Adventures offers a 13-day trip from Osaka<br />
to Tokyo called Hike, Bike and Kayak Japan from<br />
£2,804pp (gadventures.co.uk)<br />
Stay: Hakodate-Onuma Prince Hotel is located in<br />
the national park Rrices from £65 (princehotels.<br />
com/hakodate) <br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
ISC-<br />
VER<br />
JAPAN’S LARGEST<br />
5-STAR AIRLINE *<br />
ANA is Japan’s largest 5-Star airline, awarded Skytrax’s<br />
highest accolade for the seventh consecutive year.<br />
ANA flies daily from London Heathrow Terminal 2<br />
to Haneda, Tokyo’s most central airport.<br />
From Haneda, ANA connects you with 40 domestic<br />
and 24 international routes, including a daily<br />
flight to Sydney.<br />
We Are Japan.<br />
ana.co.uk<br />
#WeAreJapan<br />
30<br />
LONDON-TOKYO<br />
*<br />
By passenger numbers across all Japanese carriers
50<br />
six of the best<br />
theme parks<br />
for young kids<br />
Sasha Wood visits some top theme parks – with their fairytale<br />
and fantasy worlds full of fun and thrills – to suggest to<br />
clients with small travellers with big imaginations<br />
Motiongate,<br />
Dubai<br />
Blockbuster<br />
filmmaker<br />
Lionsgate’s answer<br />
to Universal<br />
Studios, this park<br />
borrows from the<br />
movies to create rides that kids will love.<br />
Attractions and roller-coasters are inspired by<br />
the stories and characters from animated<br />
favourites such as Madagascar, Shrek, The<br />
Smurfs and How to Train Your Dragon.<br />
motiongatedubai.com<br />
Efteling,<br />
The<br />
Netherlands<br />
This charming<br />
fairytale land in the<br />
Netherlands brings<br />
children’s stories<br />
like Tom Thumb,<br />
Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel to life with<br />
magical forests, mythical creatures, talking trees,<br />
musical toadstalls, wishing wells and gingerbread<br />
cottages. Alongside funfair rides for little ones are<br />
family-friendly coasters and water rides.<br />
efteling.com<br />
Tivoli<br />
Gardens,<br />
Denmark<br />
This green park in<br />
Copenhagen,<br />
without the plastic<br />
found at theme<br />
parks, is ideal for<br />
families. A 100-year-old wooden roller-coaster<br />
and attractions themed around the tales of Hans<br />
Christian Andersen adds a vintage feel, but the<br />
gardens are regularly being renewed and five<br />
new rides will be added this year.<br />
tivoli.dk/en<br />
LEGOLAND,<br />
Florida<br />
Aimed at kids aged<br />
two to 12,<br />
LEGOLAND Florida<br />
in Winter Haven is<br />
one of several Lego<br />
theme parks across<br />
the globe. It has over 50 rides and attractions<br />
that appear to be constructed entirely from Lego<br />
blocks. Family-orientated attractions such as the<br />
Build-a-Raft river are popular, and there’s a<br />
waterpark to keep kids cool in the tropical heat.<br />
legoland.com/florida<br />
Disneyland<br />
Paris,<br />
France<br />
At Europe’s bestknown<br />
theme park,<br />
just hours from the<br />
UK, the whole<br />
family can enjoy<br />
rides such as Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates<br />
of the Caribbean. Then there’s the iconic<br />
Sleeping Beauty Castle and the chance to meet<br />
legendary characters including Mickey Mouse,<br />
Minnie, Pluto and Goofy.<br />
disneylandparis.com<br />
Europa<br />
Park,<br />
Germany<br />
Germany’s largest<br />
theme park, in<br />
Rust in the southwest,<br />
has over<br />
100 attractions.<br />
Divided into zones themed around 15 European<br />
countries, it gives families the chance to<br />
embark on a cross-continental odyssey. A new<br />
water park extension, Rulantica, will open later<br />
this year.<br />
europapark.de<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
advertorial<br />
Florida fun<br />
Built for kids, LEGOLAND® Florida Resort is the<br />
ultimate holiday destination for children aged two to<br />
12, boasting more than 50 LEGO® rides, shows and<br />
attractions, plus a five-acre LEGOLAND® Water Park.<br />
Your clients will need at least two to three days to enjoy all the<br />
rides and shows, plus they could easily spend an entire day in the<br />
waterpark, which includes a lazy river, tube slides, body slides, a<br />
wave pool and an interactive DUPLO® Safari water-play structure,<br />
so encourage them to extend the fun by staying overnight.<br />
Let the good times go on ...and on<br />
Accommodation options include the luxury five-star<br />
LEGOLAND® Hotel, which is just 130 child steps from the<br />
park entrance, or alternatively you can book a lakeside<br />
bungalow at the LEGOLAND® Beach Retreat, which has a<br />
complimentary shuttle service to the park. In 2020, a new<br />
hotel, the Pirate Island, will open. Encourage your clients to<br />
book their accommodation early to avoid disappointment.<br />
Top rides include the LEGO® MOVIE Masters of Flight, where<br />
little ones can join Emmet & Wyldstyle on a flying adventure<br />
aboard a triple-decker couch in THE LEGO® MOVIE WORLD.<br />
Other big draws are LEGO® NINJAGO The Ride, where you<br />
get to blast animated fireballs, lightning and more at a gallery<br />
of villains, and The Great LEGO® Race, a roller-coaster ride<br />
where you enter a virtual race against LEGO® Minifigures.<br />
New for this year is Bricksburg, part of LEGO® MOVIE<br />
WORLD, which brings the hit LEGO MOVIE to life through<br />
new attractions, character experiences and more.<br />
We will entertain you<br />
Not to be missed is Heartlake City, which includes a mini<br />
shopping mall, musical fountain, interactive musical show<br />
and Mia’s Riding Adventure disc coaster. Alternatively, enter<br />
a martial arts kingdom in LEGO® NINJAGO WORLD and<br />
become a ninja in your own LEGO® NINJAGO® adventure.<br />
Things you might not know about LEGOLAND® Florida is<br />
that it boasts the only water ski show in the world with LEGO®<br />
costume characters on skis, kids can bring their own Minifigures<br />
to trade with staff (called Model Citizens), and almost all of<br />
our incredible events are included in the ticket price.<br />
The LEGOLAND® Florida Resort trade team is<br />
available via email to answer any questions.<br />
Contact LLFR.TradeSales@LEGOLAND.com
52<br />
dominican republic<br />
Life’s not a<br />
Beach<br />
Chloe Govan reveals the diverse secrets of the Dominican<br />
Republic beyond it’s glorious beaches and all-inclusive resorts<br />
HUMPBACK WHALE<br />
CROSSING THE BAY, SAMANA<br />
CABLE CAR, PUERTO PLATA<br />
Iam perched 1,000ft above the<br />
ground, at the peak of one of<br />
the Dominican Republic’s most<br />
majestic mountains, preparing to take<br />
flight. Thankfully, this is no perilous<br />
bungee jump and I am safely anchored<br />
to a swing. Still, as I sail high in the sky,<br />
my heart is pounding.<br />
I clench my eyes closed and feel a rush<br />
of nervous adrenalin. When I open them,<br />
I am greeted by bright blue sky above and<br />
the undulating emerald green panoramas<br />
of the Caribbean countryside far below.<br />
As the vertigo fades, I enjoy the visual<br />
feast. Not for the first time during my<br />
trip, I realise that this is no typical island,<br />
nor is it just for couples whispering sweet<br />
nothings against a lullaby-like soundtrack<br />
of gently crashing waves.<br />
It sounds a cliché but the Dominican<br />
Republic (or DR) really does have<br />
something for everyone. As the<br />
panoramas spread out before me, I begin<br />
to picture what my next activity might be.<br />
Adventure lovers<br />
DR has some of the most diverse<br />
landscapes in the Caribbean, with<br />
waterfalls, mountains, mangrove lagoons,<br />
fishing villages and colonial towns.<br />
Despite its growing mainstream<br />
popularity, it is definitely a place for those<br />
seeking to go beyond the beaches. For<br />
whilst, say, regional rivals Saint Lucia and<br />
The Bahamas will likely always appeal<br />
primarily to honeymooners, DR is ideal for<br />
those tourists who don’t neatly fit into any<br />
‘niche interest’ category.<br />
As Sonja Rogers, Marketing Executive<br />
for the Dominican Republic Tourist Board<br />
points out, the island is well geared to<br />
cater for “families, adventure seekers,<br />
independent travellers and nature lovers”.<br />
Plus, thanks to the launch of the brandnew<br />
two-million-dollar spa at the five-star<br />
Eden Roc Cap Cana Resort, the Dominican<br />
Republic is also building a reputation for<br />
health and wellness holidays.<br />
The opportunities for adventure are<br />
huge, from treetop yoga classes and<br />
beachfront horse-riding to ziplining,<br />
parasailing and quad-biking.<br />
And for wildlife devotees, Carrier Product<br />
Manager Jenny Basham recommends<br />
Samana, “where you can see the migration<br />
of 4,000 humpback whales, or mating<br />
season.” For other quirky adventures,<br />
she suggests “taking a helicopter trip to<br />
the cigar factories, rum distilleries and<br />
chocolate factories”.<br />
Twin-centre breaks are also rising in<br />
popularity, with Miami, for example, just a<br />
two-hour flight away.<br />
Top experiences:<br />
Montana Redonda: This mountain<br />
hotspot offers panoramic views of<br />
the landscape below via an adrenalinpumping<br />
swing at its summit. A new<br />
highway has opened up tourism<br />
opportunities in the rural Miches - often<br />
described as “the most photogenic town<br />
you’ve never heard of”. Package day<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
dominican republic 53<br />
TOBACCO PLANTS<br />
FRESHWATER POOL<br />
LOS HAITISES NATIONAL PARK<br />
DAMAJAGUA FALLS<br />
CULTURAL SHOW, SANTO DOMINGO<br />
ZIPLINE INTO THE GREEN<br />
MONTAÑA REDONDA<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
54<br />
dominican republic<br />
HORSE TREKKING THE INTERIOR<br />
ABSEILING DOWN A WATERFALL<br />
“Rewards await for<br />
those venturing<br />
beyond the beach, so<br />
arrange an<br />
action-packed<br />
itinerary to attract<br />
repeat customers”<br />
tours include a session on the swing,<br />
buggy rides in the countryside and<br />
horseback riding on a virgin beach.<br />
Off-Road Quad Biking: A typical tour<br />
will begin at Punta Cana, before<br />
venturing off-road through tropical<br />
rainforest, passing sugar and banana<br />
plantations. Cyclists often stop at an<br />
organic farm for tastings of local chocolate,<br />
coffee and rum, and visit the Taino<br />
Ecological Park to discover the heritage of<br />
the indigenous islanders of Christopher<br />
Columbus’s era. They can also take a dip in<br />
a cave, before ending at Macao Beach, one<br />
of the most picturesque in the country.<br />
Wine Tourism: Growing grapes in<br />
this hot, humid climate is<br />
challenging, but Ocoa Bay has successfully<br />
created the region’s first major winery.<br />
Known as the ‘Napa Valley of the<br />
Caribbean’’ it boasts 27 acres of organic<br />
grapes, totally free from pesticides. Guests<br />
can tour the vineyards, eat in its restaurant<br />
and visit the tasting room and clubhouse.<br />
For those interested in sustainable<br />
tourism that gives something significant<br />
back to the community, it also grows<br />
lemon verbena, which helps locals become<br />
self-sufficient by making and selling soap.<br />
Spa Pampering: The luxury spa at<br />
Eden Roc Cap Cana opened in April<br />
with two treatment rooms, a gym with<br />
personal trainer, a yoga area and a bar<br />
offering tropical juices and smoothies. One<br />
treatment pumps oxygen molecules<br />
directly into the epidermis to re-energise<br />
over-wrought city dwellers’ skin.<br />
What’s new?<br />
Accommodation: The new Club Med<br />
hotel, Miches (clubmed.co.uk), is set to open<br />
before the end of 20<strong>19</strong> with four theme<br />
villages: ‘Archipelago’ for honeymooners,<br />
‘Caribbean Paradise’ for young couples<br />
or single-sex groups who love nightlife,<br />
‘Emerald Jungle’, an adults-only escape,<br />
and ‘Explorer Cove’, with a huge range of<br />
kids’ club activities, for families. The resort,<br />
which is already taking bookings, will be on<br />
Playa Esmeralda, on the north-east coast.<br />
Tourism talk<br />
“Last year we welcomed 185,929 UK<br />
visitors, a 5.6% increase over 2017 .<br />
“Having attended a number of consumer<br />
travel shows, we found that many of<br />
the people we spoke with were wanting<br />
to ‘experience the destination’, visit our<br />
national parks and cultural spots and<br />
engage in adventure activities.<br />
“Other attractions include a visit to Santo<br />
Domingo, which has buildings that date to<br />
the 1500s – that’s older than Havana!<br />
“For a beach holiday combined with<br />
city life, visit Puerto Plata, which has the<br />
largest collection of preserved <strong>19</strong>th century<br />
Victorian-style buildings, street art, beaches,<br />
kite-surfing, a cable car and more.”<br />
Sabrina Cambiaso, Director, Dominican<br />
Republic Tourist Board<br />
Where to book it:<br />
CARRIER; 0161 492 1354<br />
A seven-night stay in a luxury Poolside<br />
Suite at the Eden Roc Cap Cana hotel is<br />
from £2,935pp including return flights,<br />
private transfers, selected meals and a spa<br />
massage treatment.<br />
carrier.co.uk<br />
BARRHEAD TRAVEL; 0808 273 1568<br />
Seven nights all-inclusive at Playa Bachata<br />
resort, close to Ocean World Park for<br />
swimming with dolphins, starts at £997pp.<br />
barrheadtravel.co.uk <br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
Book by 31 <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>19</strong><br />
SAVE 50%<br />
on adults, teenagers & kids at select AMResorts*<br />
for stays between 01 September 20<strong>19</strong> – 30 April 2020<br />
CONTACT YOUR PREFERRED TOUR OPERATOR FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK<br />
Costa Rica | Curaçao | Dominican Republic: Cap Cana • La Romana • Puerto Plata • Punta Cana | Jamaica: Montego Bay<br />
Mexico: Akumal • Cancun • Cozumel • Huatulco • Isla Mujeres • Ixtapa • Los Cabos • Nuevo Vallarta • Playa Mujeres<br />
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*Terms & Conditions Apply. *Limited availability
56<br />
the review<br />
Etihad offers<br />
free Abu Dhabi<br />
stopovers<br />
ETIHAD Airways is running<br />
a free two-night stopover in<br />
Abu Dhabi for travel before<br />
mid-July.<br />
On offer to those booking<br />
flights to and from all<br />
Etihad destinations via<br />
the UAE capital is a choice<br />
of 15 hotels including the<br />
Intercontinental Abu Dhabi<br />
and Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi,<br />
Le Meridien Abu Dhabi,<br />
Crowne Plaza and Radisson<br />
Blu Yas Island Hotel.<br />
The free stopover applies<br />
to bookings made online<br />
through etihad.com or via a travel<br />
agent from April 10 to June<br />
15, for flights between April<br />
21 and July 15 20<strong>19</strong>. Agents<br />
booking online should select<br />
a multi-city flight. They will<br />
then be directed to the<br />
stopover booking page.<br />
flights.etihad.com/en/<br />
freestopover<br />
Tui River Cruises set sail<br />
BY JESSICA POOK<br />
AGENTS can now book a 2020<br />
river cruise with TUI after the<br />
operator purchased three<br />
passenger ships.<br />
TUI River Cruises offers<br />
personalised adult-only packages<br />
with a range of excursions, board<br />
type, cabins and cocktail choices.<br />
The cruise line is also gifting<br />
£120 credit to put towards any<br />
shore excursion bookings.<br />
When booking a TUI River<br />
Cruise, clients now have the<br />
option to choose their board<br />
basis – whether that’s full-board<br />
plus with wine, beer and soft<br />
drinks included with meals, or<br />
selecting the premium drinks<br />
package, cabin type and favourite<br />
cocktail in the lounge. They can<br />
also book a private balcony suite.<br />
More choice is offered through<br />
a variety of excursions such as<br />
sightseeing tours with a local<br />
expert or a bike tour.<br />
The recently revamped ships<br />
will offer romantic á la carte<br />
dining areas as well as casual<br />
dining, plus entertainment. Tips<br />
and service charges are included<br />
in the price and TUI’s support line<br />
is available 24 hours a day.<br />
Chris Hackney, Managing<br />
Director of Cruise for TUI UK [&]<br />
I said: “We’re very proud to be<br />
known for the friendliest service,<br />
exciting itineraries and great<br />
value for money when it comes<br />
to our ocean cruises and we look<br />
forward to bringing this to TUI<br />
River Cruises.”<br />
tui.co.uk<br />
Ski Independence<br />
gives agents a lift<br />
TAILOR-MADE ski specialist<br />
Ski Independence is running<br />
an incentive for agents<br />
selling its Winter 20<strong>19</strong>/20<br />
programme.<br />
Agents making a Ski<br />
Independence booking<br />
between now and November<br />
15 20<strong>19</strong> will put themselves<br />
in the frame to win a threenight<br />
B&B stay for two at<br />
the iconic five-star Hotel Les<br />
Barmes de l’Ours, located<br />
at the foot of the famous<br />
Bellevarde Olympic ski run<br />
in Val d’Isère, France. Also<br />
included are flights, ski<br />
passes, rental equipment<br />
and lessons.<br />
To enter the competition,<br />
agents should email their<br />
booking references to<br />
marketing@ski-i.com<br />
with the subject line<br />
“WIN BARMES” by Friday<br />
November 15. ski-i.com<br />
New deal for Osborne & Ebel<br />
TRADE-FRIENDLY wholesaler<br />
Osborne TRADE-FRIENDLY & Ebel has wholesaler a special<br />
deal Osborne for & the Ebel Sheraton has a special Full<br />
Moon deal for Resort the Maldives. Sheraton Five Full<br />
nights Moon start Resort from Maldives. £375pp Five on<br />
a nights full-board start from basis, £375pp, including on a<br />
return full-board speedboat basis, and transfers. including<br />
For return travel speedboat <strong>May</strong> 1 to September transfers.<br />
30 The 20<strong>19</strong>. deal The is for resort travel is a <strong>May</strong> short 1<br />
to boat September transfer 30, from 20<strong>19</strong>. Male The Airport resort with is a excellent short boat access transfer to<br />
from great Male diving Airport, spots, with pristine excellent beaches access and to great F&B diving options. spots,<br />
pristine For details beaches contact: and sales@osborneandebel.com<br />
great F&B options. F<br />
JetBlue sets sights on UK transatlantic flights<br />
U.S. airline JetBlue plans to start<br />
flights betwen London and New<br />
York and Boston from 2021.<br />
The airline says it is currently<br />
evaluating which London airport<br />
it will fly to, but the UK will be<br />
the carrier’s first-ever European<br />
destination.<br />
JetBlue hopes to operate multiple<br />
daily flights from both east coast<br />
USA cities, with the new routes<br />
being served by the long-range<br />
version of the Airbus A321.<br />
jetblue.com<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
Kempinski looks to UK<br />
ATMOSPHERE KANIFUSHI MALDIVES<br />
FESTIVE SEASON & 2020 NOW ON SALE!<br />
Book 60 days prior and receive 15% Discount on Rates!<br />
PLUS Book now for a minimum of 7 Nights and receive<br />
50% OFF Return Seaplane Transfers!<br />
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01 Nov <strong>19</strong> – <strong>19</strong> Dec <strong>19</strong> and 01 <strong>May</strong> 20 – 31 Oct 20<br />
BY STEVE HARTRIDGE<br />
A DELEGATION from Kempinski<br />
Hotels, including managers and<br />
hoteliers from several of its 75<br />
five-star hotels and residences<br />
worldwide, visited London to<br />
update the trade on the latest<br />
developments from Europe’s<br />
oldest luxury hotel group.<br />
Owned by the Bahraini<br />
Royal Family, the Genevaheadquartered<br />
hotel group<br />
hopes to build greater awareness<br />
among UK leisure and business<br />
travellers and bookers, said<br />
Bernold Schroeder, Kempinski’s<br />
Chief Operating Officer Europe.<br />
“We are very well known in<br />
other European countries and<br />
the USA, but we want to grow<br />
our UK business. For some of<br />
our hotels, such as Kempinski<br />
Hotel Bahía in Estepona, Spain,<br />
the UK already accounts for<br />
around 65% of our guests…and<br />
the UK is our top-performing<br />
market at the San Clemente<br />
Palace Kempinski in Venice.<br />
“Croatia and Dubai are<br />
also strong in the UK but our<br />
challenge is to raise awareness<br />
of other hotels in our portfolio,<br />
in places like China, Cuba and<br />
Kenya,” added Schroeder.<br />
The group’s newest hotel, The<br />
Capitol Kempinski, opened in<br />
Singapore late last year.<br />
In China, the Kempinski Hotel<br />
Hangzhou (pictured) is set for a<br />
July opening, while the Dominica<br />
Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski<br />
will become the Caribbean<br />
island’s first-ever five-star<br />
property later this year.<br />
kempinski.com<br />
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PLUS FAMILY OFFER<br />
Up to 2 Kids stay for FREE with parents<br />
Valid for all stays between 01 Jun – 31 Jul <strong>19</strong><br />
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sellingtravel.co.uk
58<br />
the review<br />
G Adventures gets<br />
ready to explore in<br />
Northern Peru<br />
G ADVENTURES has a new<br />
touring option to northern<br />
Peru as interest grows in this<br />
lesser-explored region.<br />
The nine-day Explore<br />
Northern Peru trip will take<br />
in the country’s natural<br />
wonders such as Huascaran,<br />
Peru’s tallest mountain and<br />
Gocta, one of the world’s<br />
tallest waterfalls nestled<br />
in the cloud forest of<br />
Chachapoyas.<br />
Hiking to the waterfalls<br />
takes around three hours<br />
through fields and cloud<br />
forest where you can see<br />
colourful butterflies, wild<br />
orchids and the Spatuletail<br />
Hummingbird or a Gallito de<br />
las Rocas, Peru’s national bird.<br />
Also included is the<br />
archaeologically rich coastal<br />
town of Chiclayo. Prices for<br />
the tour start from £1,597pp.<br />
gadventures.co.uk<br />
Airport rise for Costa Calida<br />
BY SASHA WOOD<br />
A NEW airport serving Spain’s Costa<br />
Calida coast is set to significantly<br />
boost tourism, according to<br />
Murcia’s tourist board.<br />
With a larger capacity than the<br />
previous regional airport at<br />
San Javier, the new airport has<br />
connections to 22 destinations<br />
in six countries with more routes<br />
planned. Ryanair, Easyjet and Jet2<br />
are among the airlines that have<br />
moved operations to the airport.<br />
Jet2 has confirmed two new<br />
services connecting London<br />
Stansted and Birmingham with<br />
Murcia, flying three times a week<br />
from summer 2020. Regular<br />
flights are already operating<br />
to the airport from all over the<br />
UK including London Gatwick,<br />
Stansted, Luton, Leeds, Glasgow,<br />
Bournemouth, Bristol and<br />
Manchester.<br />
A spokesperson for the Instituto<br />
de Turismo de la Región de Murcia,<br />
said: “The new airport provides<br />
many more flight options. It will<br />
make a huge difference to the<br />
region and will make it even more<br />
attractive for UK holidaymakers.<br />
New flight routes and services are<br />
being added all the time so it is an<br />
exciting future for our region.”<br />
The number of UK visitors to<br />
Murcia jumped in the first two<br />
months of 20<strong>19</strong>, with a 30%<br />
increase on the same period last<br />
year. More than 400,000 Brits<br />
visited Murcia in 2018.<br />
murciaturistica.es/en<br />
IN BRIEF<br />
ADVANTAGE <strong>Travel</strong><br />
Partnership, the UK’s largest<br />
consortia of travel agents, has<br />
launched four ‘content<br />
initiatives’ to “help agents<br />
inspire, educate and engage<br />
their customers, as well as<br />
further improve their own<br />
member communications”.<br />
The focus on content<br />
marketing includes<br />
destination videos, a print<br />
and digital magazine and<br />
Facebook Live sessions.”<br />
advantagemembers.com<br />
NORWEGIAN has began<br />
operating its non-stop<br />
service beteen Gatwick and<br />
Rio de Janeiro. Outbound<br />
flights depart London at<br />
12:00, arriving in Rio at<br />
<strong>19</strong>:25, and the inbound<br />
flights leave Rio at 22:25 and<br />
arrive at Gatwick at 13:35.<br />
The service is operated by a<br />
Boeing 787 Dreamliner,<br />
norwegian.com/uk<br />
ATHENS, Vienna, Lisbon,<br />
Sofia and Dubai top the list<br />
of destinations that have<br />
seen the biggest increase in<br />
UK visitor numbers from<br />
Stansted, according to the<br />
latest figures from the<br />
London airport. The airport<br />
serves over 28 million<br />
passengers a year.<br />
stanstedairport.com<br />
<strong>Travel</strong>pack<br />
Funway’s fun new deals<br />
Canada-Journey through<br />
the Clouds<br />
Nine nights, Canada<br />
Rocky Mountaineer Tour,<br />
from £3999pp including<br />
flights, accommodation,<br />
Silverleaf service and<br />
activities for travel<br />
between 25 <strong>May</strong> <strong>19</strong> - 30<br />
Jun <strong>19</strong>. For full itinerary<br />
details call 0208 585 4020<br />
FUNWAY HOLIDAYS has launched<br />
a new weekly sale called ‘WTF’<br />
(What the Funway) offering<br />
discounts and special offers on<br />
its range of beach holidays, spa<br />
retreats, city breaks and multicentre<br />
trips in destinations across<br />
the world. The tour operator will<br />
release new deals every Monday,<br />
distributing them to travel agents<br />
in its UK network, and featuring<br />
them online at: funway4agents.co.uk<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
the review: cruise 59<br />
Cruise Update<br />
Cruise smashes 2m mark<br />
CRUISE NEWS IN BRIEF<br />
ANDY HARMER,<br />
CLIA UK &<br />
Ireland Director<br />
THE cruise industry is<br />
committed to sustainable<br />
travel through innovations<br />
that help to ensure clean air,<br />
clean water, preservation<br />
of marine ecosystems and<br />
sustaining local destinations.<br />
This is essential as no single<br />
industry relies more on our<br />
planet’s oceans and seas,<br />
the pristine beauty of the<br />
world’s harbours and seaside<br />
communities than ours.<br />
CLIA has partnered with The<br />
Donkey Sanctuary to back<br />
its new campaign to protect<br />
working donkeys and mules<br />
in holiday hotspots. The “In<br />
Their Hooves” campaign<br />
encourages travellers to<br />
stop and think before riding<br />
donkeys or mules and assess<br />
whether they are being<br />
treated well. This includes<br />
checking they have access<br />
to fresh water and suitable<br />
shelter from the sun. And no<br />
animal should have to carry<br />
a load of more than 100kg.<br />
The cruise industry also<br />
encourages guests to be<br />
environmentally conscience<br />
whilst on holiday in<br />
order to leave a smaller<br />
environmental footprint –<br />
such as by packing oceanfriendly<br />
sunscreens and<br />
reusable water bottles.<br />
Both river cruise and ocean<br />
cruise companies have<br />
pledged to reduce or ban the<br />
use of plastics which pose a<br />
high risk to marine life.”<br />
cruiseexpertss.org<br />
BY STEVE HARTRIDGE<br />
THE number of ocean cruises<br />
taken by UK and Irish passengers<br />
topped two million for the first<br />
time in 2018, according to the<br />
latest industry figures.<br />
“Passing the two million mark is<br />
significant. It shows that cruising<br />
has become a mainstream<br />
holiday choice for the British and<br />
Irish,” said Andy Harmer, UK &<br />
Ireland director for Cruise Lines<br />
International Association (Clia).<br />
The 2,009,000 ocean cruises<br />
taken represents a 2% yearon-year<br />
increase – and despite<br />
concerns over Brexit Clia is<br />
confident cruising’s popularity will<br />
remain robust in 20<strong>19</strong>.<br />
“Cruising is a little bit protected<br />
in that bookings tend to be made<br />
a long way in advance,” said<br />
Harmer. “In addition, there is<br />
always something of a ‘halo effect’<br />
around new ship launches.<br />
“We are also encouraged by the<br />
fact that nine out of 10 cruisers<br />
said they will take another cruise<br />
during the next year.”<br />
The average age of cruisers<br />
remains 57, with the over-50s the<br />
fastest growing demographic.<br />
The average duration of a<br />
cruise – 10 days – remains largely<br />
unchanged. However, there was<br />
a growth last year in both 14-day<br />
cruises – up 18,000 or 5% – and<br />
shorter ‘taster cruises’, which<br />
were up 24%.<br />
The Central and Western<br />
Mediterranean, Northern Europe<br />
and Baltics comprise almost 70%<br />
of all cruises taken by Brits.<br />
Princess Cruises happy to talk South Pacific with Tahiti return<br />
PRINCESS Cruises has<br />
announced a return to Tahiti for<br />
autumn 2020, using the 670-guest<br />
Pacific Princess.<br />
Its French Polynesia<br />
programme, consisting of five 10-<br />
day sailings, is now on sale. The<br />
round-trip voyages from Tahiti<br />
include overnight calls in the<br />
capital Papeete and Bora Bora, as<br />
well as a late-night stay in Raiatea.<br />
Additional ports of call include<br />
Huahine, Rangiroa, and Moorea.<br />
FRENCH expedition<br />
cruise line Ponant has taken<br />
delivery of its eighth vessel,<br />
Le Bougainville. The ship<br />
is the third of its Ponant<br />
Explorers series, and has 92<br />
staterooms and suites, all<br />
with balconies.<br />
Le Bougainville features<br />
the ‘Blue Eye’ underwater<br />
salon, which looks out into<br />
the water through speciallylit<br />
portholes. Le Bougainville<br />
will be officially launched in<br />
June and will operate in the<br />
Med this summer.<br />
ponant.com<br />
SEABOURN is to operate<br />
two dedicated Wellness<br />
Cruises, in Arabia and the<br />
South Pacific, in association<br />
with best-selling author Dr<br />
Andrew Weil. The sailings<br />
in 20<strong>19</strong> and 2020 will<br />
feature input from an array<br />
of health practitioners and<br />
feature meditation and yoga<br />
sessions.<br />
seabourn.com<br />
LUXURY river cruise line<br />
Avalon Waterways has<br />
launched cruise-only pricing<br />
options across its Europe<br />
and Worldwide programmes<br />
for the first time to give<br />
agents more flexibility to<br />
create bespoke packages.<br />
avaloncruisies.co.uk<br />
Tony Roberts, Princess Cruises’<br />
Vice President UK and Europe,<br />
said: “With its volcanic and coral<br />
islands, the French Polynesia is<br />
always a popular destination for<br />
holidaymakers.<br />
“Pacific Princess, is a smaller<br />
ship so guests can enjoy a more<br />
intimate voyage around these<br />
remote islands.”<br />
Prices for the October 5 2020<br />
departure start from £1,649pp.<br />
princess.com<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
60<br />
the review: news in focus...<br />
Popular Island channels<br />
VisitGuernsey is working more closely with the travel trade to drive new business to<br />
the island, says Linsey McNeill<br />
Flight-lift<br />
The island’s tourist board started speaking<br />
directly to travel agents this year, as well as<br />
talking to them through its collaboration<br />
with tour operators.<br />
VisitGuernsey’s Marketing Manager Trade<br />
and Media Relations, Wendy Pedder, said<br />
so far the feedback from the trade has<br />
been great: “We’ve really enjoyed having the<br />
face-to-face contact with them,” she said.<br />
“It’s been really useful for us to hear their<br />
thoughts on Guernsey and to find out about<br />
what their customers want. This helps us<br />
tailor our activity.”<br />
Activities carried out so far this year<br />
include a series of <strong>Selling</strong> <strong>Travel</strong> Dialogues,<br />
talking to an audience of agents in Glasgow,<br />
Leeds and Gatwick.<br />
In Glasgow, VisitGuersney was promoting<br />
a new Loganair flight. “There are also new<br />
routes from Heathrow, Bournemouth,<br />
Liverpool, Newquay and Southend, so we’ve<br />
been busy making sure agents know this,”<br />
added Pedder.<br />
Set-jetting<br />
Premier Holidays’ Short-Haul Manager<br />
Beverley Scarr said the flights, plus the 2018<br />
romantic drama, The Guernsey Literary and<br />
Potato Peel Pie Society, and niche products<br />
such as gin tasting at the Bella Luce hotel,<br />
were driving new business to the island.<br />
“We’ve seen a significant increase in sales<br />
to Guernsey for 20<strong>19</strong>, with Easter and<br />
August proving popular for families. We’re<br />
also well up year-on-year for summer travel<br />
compared to last year,” said Scarr.<br />
All-season sells<br />
Rachael Kellard, Prestige Holidays’ Closer to<br />
Home Product Manager, said it was also an<br />
excellent touring destination.<br />
“About one third of our bookings to<br />
Guernsey also include stays on Sark or<br />
Herm or both,” she explained.<br />
VisitGuernsey has been promoting its<br />
cruise product, letting cruise agents know<br />
about its new shore excursion programme<br />
“We are seeing<br />
fantastic early sales<br />
from agents attracting<br />
new customers to the<br />
Channel Islands”<br />
Gill McCarthy, Airways Holidays Sales Director<br />
and its tender port. In addition, it’s pushing<br />
out of season visits.<br />
“Part of our work is about educating<br />
people to realise that spring and autumn<br />
in Guernsey are fantastic and show them<br />
some of the reasons why,” added Peddar.<br />
“Summer is incredible and with our long,<br />
sandy beaches will always be popular, but<br />
we want people to come and enjoy activities<br />
like coastal walking in the spring, when the<br />
flowers start to bloom.<br />
“We also want to raise awareness about<br />
our year-round events, which provide an<br />
incentive to visit outside summer – In April/<br />
<strong>May</strong> our famous Heritage Festival, the<br />
Literary Festival in <strong>May</strong> - which attracts<br />
heavyweights from the international literary<br />
scene - spring and autumn walking festivals<br />
and a Floral Festival, all of which makes use<br />
of the mild climate to showcase Gunersey’s<br />
beauty away from peak season.”<br />
BOOK IT WITH….<br />
• Premier Holidays (trade.premierholidays.<br />
co.uk) has four nights in Guernsey, priced<br />
from £445pp, with travel by ferry from<br />
Poole, or £545pp with flights from Gatwick.<br />
It includes B&B accommodation at Bella<br />
Luce Hotel with a free gin tasting workshop.<br />
• Airways Holidays (airwaysholidays.com)<br />
has four nights for the price of three at the<br />
St Pierre Park Hotel & Golf Resort, offering<br />
a saving of up to £186 per couple. Including<br />
flights departing on <strong>May</strong> 2 it’s from £375pp.<br />
• Prestige Holidays (prestigeholidays.<br />
co.uk) has three nights’ B&B at the Duke of<br />
Richmond hotel, with return flights from<br />
Southampton and transfers, from £384pp.<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
your<br />
CARIBBEAN NEWS<br />
THIS MONTH’S TOP STORIES FROM THE CARIBBEAN<br />
MEET THE CTO MEMBER<br />
DEBBIE CLEARY<br />
Managing Director<br />
of Clear Marketing<br />
QWHAT don’t readers<br />
know about Clear<br />
Marketing? Readers will<br />
know our resorts as they<br />
are always in demand –<br />
Bodyholiday, Rendezvous,<br />
Sugar Beach, Sea Breeze<br />
Beach House, to name a<br />
few. The hidden gem being<br />
the island of Nevis – we try<br />
and keep this one quiet as<br />
its too special to share!<br />
QWHAT are the<br />
benefits of being a<br />
CTO member? It ensures we<br />
are kept up to date on what<br />
is happening in the region<br />
through regular meetings<br />
and events. The agent<br />
training opportunities are<br />
excellent too.<br />
QWHAT CTO activities<br />
do you get involved<br />
in? The CTO keep us<br />
very busy – so as many<br />
as possible! Agent<br />
roadshows, both in the<br />
UK and overseas, gives us<br />
access to some great travel<br />
professionals, allowing<br />
us to spread awareness<br />
of our resorts in St Lucia,<br />
Barbados, Tobago, Mexico<br />
and Nevis.<br />
QWHAT’S your<br />
Caribbean tip?<br />
Never claim to know the<br />
Caribbean until you have<br />
explored each island. They<br />
are all completely unique<br />
– the flora and fauna, food,<br />
culture, history and people.<br />
Tobago’s new training programme is the go to agent platform<br />
Tobago treats when you train<br />
TOURISM Tobago is offering agents the chance to win<br />
one of ten goody bags upon completion of the island’s<br />
new online training programme.<br />
The Tobago specialist platform, available at<br />
tobago101specialist.co.uk, includes six modules which<br />
support the island’s recent ‘unspoilt, untouched and<br />
undiscovered’ rebranding. Modules include: Tobago’s Eco<br />
Adventures & Nature, Local Culture, People & Heritage<br />
and Sea & Beaches, amongst others. Agents will also<br />
receive selling tips, sample itineraries as well as<br />
opportunities for incentives and fam trips.<br />
The goody bags include a multiinternational<br />
adapter, charger<br />
cables and battery pack. To win,<br />
agents need to complete the<br />
training and log their details<br />
on My Booking Rewards.<br />
tobagorewards.com<br />
Anguilla is riding a wave<br />
don’t miss<br />
THE<br />
Anguilla<br />
Tourist<br />
Board (ATB) is<br />
celebrating record<br />
breaking tourism<br />
figures following<br />
its best performing<br />
January. Overall,<br />
stopover arrivals at the beginning of the<br />
year increased by 22% across all international<br />
markets and arrivals from the UK were up<br />
almost 50% from January 2016, the previous<br />
best performing year.<br />
ivisitanguilla.com<br />
The CTO UK<br />
Roadshow heads to<br />
Scotland on June 18,<br />
<strong>19</strong> and 20. RSVP at<br />
caribbeantravelguru.<br />
com<br />
The trade head to SMART<br />
CREATIVE WRITING<br />
FOR SAINT LUCIA<br />
Clients interested in<br />
learning a new skill can now<br />
book onto a creative writing<br />
retreat in Saint Lucia. Running<br />
over seven nights in November<br />
this year, the week-long writing<br />
course will be held by editor<br />
Victoria Pepe at luxury boutique<br />
hotel, East Winds. The course is<br />
aimed at people who are keen to<br />
improve their writing skills in a<br />
beautiful setting. Caribtours is<br />
offering 25% off when booked<br />
by June 30, 20<strong>19</strong>. eastwinds.com<br />
EDEN ROCK TO<br />
REOPEN IN 20<strong>19</strong><br />
Eden Rock in St Barths<br />
is due to reopen on November<br />
20, 20<strong>19</strong> following a two-year<br />
renovation. The hotel will<br />
showcase newly-designed villas<br />
and suites along with a new bar,<br />
restaurant and spa concept.<br />
Located directly on the beach,<br />
the resort now has three sea<br />
view rooms located in the Sand<br />
Bar area as well as three suites<br />
on ‘the Rock’- two of which have<br />
private swimming pools. The<br />
entire property has also been<br />
redesigned and refurbished.<br />
oetkercollection.com<br />
THIS month St.<br />
Martin/St. Maarten<br />
will host its annual<br />
regional tradeshow<br />
(SMART), from<br />
<strong>May</strong> 21 - 23, 20<strong>19</strong>,<br />
at the Sonesta<br />
Maho Beach<br />
Resort Casino and<br />
Spa. The event will feature 15 speakers for<br />
workshops and masterclasses focused<br />
around ‘Innovation & Realisation’ with topics<br />
including social media strategy, increasing<br />
customer satisfaction and environmental<br />
practices. shta.com/SMART<br />
HOTTEST NEWS<br />
caribbean.co.uk<br />
Sign up to the CTO’s training programme at caribbeantravelguru.com
traveluni.com<br />
Training, competitions, events<br />
GDS | TRAINING | REWARDS<br />
THIS MONTH'S TOP STORIES <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>19</strong><br />
Food for thought<br />
NEWS<br />
Henna<br />
Win a GoPro<br />
Henna, Incentive a natural reddish brown dye derived from powdered<br />
leaves, has been with used by Qatari Qatar women for cosmetic purposes<br />
for hundreds of years. It is still widely used today to decorate<br />
the skin with beautiful intricate patterns, especially for<br />
Tawash Qatar I<br />
occasions such Modules: as weddings 5 and other celebrations, and as<br />
a hair dye.<br />
AGENTS who complete the TAWASH Qatar online<br />
training programme by August 31s have the chance<br />
to win one of two GoPro HERO7 cameras or one<br />
of three £100 Amazon vouchers.<br />
By completing the five modules: The<br />
Essentials, What Makes it Special, What to See<br />
In and Around Doha, What To See Outside<br />
of Doha and<br />
What To Do,<br />
agents will learn<br />
all about Qatar's<br />
visa regulations,<br />
customs, traditions<br />
as well as its top<br />
sporting events and<br />
how best to explore<br />
the capital and<br />
beyond. To become<br />
a Qatar specialist,<br />
agents can register at<br />
tawashqatar.com<br />
Quick Quiz<br />
Are you a SAGA<br />
Expert?<br />
1. Gratuities are<br />
included in all<br />
SAGA cruises<br />
TRUE / FALSE<br />
2. Optional<br />
travel insurance<br />
is included on<br />
all European<br />
and Med<br />
holidays<br />
TRUE / FALSE<br />
sagaagent.co.uk/trade<br />
Answer 1.True 2: True<br />
Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel &<br />
Spa, Mallorca, has launched<br />
two new culinary concepts.<br />
Chef Javier Soriano will create<br />
signature Spanish dishes at Es<br />
Fanals with weekly menus inspired<br />
by seasonal ingredients.<br />
Meanwhile Cap Roig Brasserie<br />
now offers Mediterranean cuisine<br />
in a casual environment, using<br />
locally sourced produce. The resort<br />
will also host a Guest Chef series<br />
where the work of four skilled chefs<br />
from the island is showcased<br />
through the season. jumeirah.com<br />
Music weekenders<br />
NEWS<br />
Clients can enjoy a weekend<br />
of live music from £79pp<br />
when booking a Butlins holiday in<br />
<strong>May</strong> or June.<br />
Available across all three resorts<br />
in Bognor Regis, Minehead and<br />
Skegness, themes range from<br />
Absolute 80s Weekender, 90s<br />
Reloaded, Soul Weekender and<br />
Back to the 2000s.<br />
All Live Music Weekend breaks<br />
are hosted across multiple<br />
indoor venues with decade<br />
themed party breaks, big arena<br />
shows, festival experiences or<br />
even famous sporting events.<br />
BourneLeisureSales.co.uk<br />
Pearling<br />
traveluni.com<br />
Pearl diving was one of the main sources of livelihood for
Training courses to help travel agents and advisers sell more!<br />
Working in partnership<br />
Late dates for agents<br />
News<br />
New for Newmarket<br />
Holidays' agent website is a<br />
dedicated 'Lates' page that gives<br />
agents ready access to departures<br />
in the upcoming quarter and offers<br />
limited-availability discounted<br />
prices and an easy booking system.<br />
The development is part of a<br />
consistent drive to handle discounts<br />
on late availability and to ensure<br />
that agents have full access to<br />
these offers.<br />
Richard Forde, Head of Trade<br />
Sales, said: “The lates market is of<br />
increasing importance and the<br />
feedback highlighted that agents<br />
wanted a place to go to find<br />
everything departing within a<br />
certain date span. The new portal<br />
does this – and more."<br />
newmarketholidays.co.uk<br />
New 2020 brochure<br />
News<br />
VIP door-to-door service,<br />
themed sailings for music<br />
and wildlife lovers, and free cabin<br />
upgrades are all included in Saga's<br />
new 2020 Winter Sun & River<br />
Cruise Collection brochure.<br />
Additional itineraries on the Rhine<br />
- one of which is a music cruise<br />
featuring special guest John Suchet,<br />
of Classic FM - and on the Danube,<br />
as well as a Grand Tour of the Elbe<br />
are now included along with a new<br />
portfolio of hotels such as Hotel<br />
Turquesa Playa, Terrine; Pebbles,<br />
Malta, and Sun Palace Albir, Spain.<br />
Agents can take advantage of free<br />
cabin upgrades on selected 2020<br />
river cruises aboard Amadeus Royal,<br />
MS Carmen, MS Bellejour and Dutch<br />
Melody and VIP door-to-door<br />
service on all 2020 river cruises.<br />
saga.co.uk<br />
incentive<br />
St. Kitts Specialist I Modules: 4<br />
St. Kitts extends<br />
booking bonus<br />
THE ST. KITTS Tourism Authority has extended its My Booking<br />
Rewards Peaks Campaign until <strong>May</strong> 31, with agents able to<br />
cash in with every booking they make.<br />
Agents can earn a £30 bonus when they join the St. Kitts<br />
Agents Reward Programme and make a new booking including<br />
flights and a minimum of seven nights' accomodation.<br />
An additional £15 will be<br />
rewarded for booking the<br />
Ocean Terrace Inn, a four-star<br />
boutique hotel just a short<br />
distance from the capital<br />
city of Basseterre. Agents<br />
must log their bookings at<br />
stkittsrewards.com.<br />
Learn more about St. Kitts,<br />
including how to get there,<br />
how to explore the island,<br />
where to stay, where to<br />
dine and tips on how to<br />
sell at stkittsspecialist com<br />
COURSE LIST<br />
A-Z of available<br />
courses<br />
ABTA<br />
Alaska<br />
Beaches Resorts<br />
Bourne Leisure<br />
Butlins<br />
Centara Hotels &<br />
Resorts<br />
Cirque de Soleile<br />
Costa Rica<br />
Elegant Hotels<br />
Essential Detail<br />
Fiji<br />
Finland<br />
Flanders<br />
Fort Myers & Sanibel<br />
Haven Hotels<br />
Hawaii<br />
Heritage Resort<br />
Jerusalem<br />
Jumeirah Hotels<br />
& Resorts<br />
Journey Beyond<br />
Las Vegas<br />
Macao<br />
Malaysia<br />
Melia Hotels &<br />
Resorts<br />
New York city<br />
New York state<br />
Newmarket Holidays<br />
Ontario<br />
Qatar<br />
Railbookers<br />
SAGA<br />
Saint Lucia<br />
Sandals Resorts<br />
Serenity Holidays<br />
Seychelles<br />
Simon Malls<br />
St Kitts<br />
Thailand<br />
TIPTO<br />
US Airtours<br />
Veranda Resorts<br />
Windjammer Landing<br />
Hotel<br />
traveluni.com<br />
powered by
64<br />
active thailand<br />
in a<br />
Rush<br />
Beyond its fabulous beaches and dreamy islands,<br />
Thailand has much more to offer active visitors, says<br />
Jo Gardner, who goes in search of some adrenaline<br />
surges – Thai-style<br />
It’s six in the morning and this<br />
kayak tour seemed like a good<br />
idea when I booked it. But,<br />
with the alarm ringing in my ear, I am<br />
thinking I might just stay in bed. After<br />
all, you can kayak anywhere in Thailand,<br />
right? But this region is different.<br />
Once known as Ban Soup – meaning<br />
‘house of the dead bodies’ after a <strong>19</strong>44<br />
epidemic killed much of the population –<br />
the resurrection of Khao Sok National Park<br />
into Thailand’s secret garden is nothing<br />
short of miraculous. Today many ecotourism<br />
operators work hard to ensure<br />
the national park remains protected.<br />
One of the reasons is the forest<br />
surrounding the lake, which is rich in<br />
wildlife: as well as deer and wild boar,<br />
there have been reported sightings<br />
of the elusive wild Asian elephant, the<br />
cloud leopard and the Malayan tiger.<br />
Our guide has been monitoring a family of<br />
white-handed gibbons in the hope that we’ll<br />
catch a glimpse. Having stopped paddling,<br />
we wait patiently, oars resting on our laps.<br />
But the beasts elude us, so we kayak on,<br />
pushing our paddles through the deep-blue<br />
lake to a high-pitched jungle soundtrack.<br />
Just 20 minutes on the water and I’m wide<br />
awake, despite the hour, blood pumping<br />
through my veins as the natural high kicks<br />
in. Who needs coffee?<br />
I am enjoying the same natural highs that<br />
an increasing number of visitors to Thailand<br />
are now looking for – going beyond the<br />
beaches to jump on bikes, hop-foot it up<br />
mountains and jump out of planes.<br />
The Thai landscape may remain timelessly<br />
spectacular, but with more and more toecurling<br />
activities on offer, the way we are<br />
enjoying it is changing.<br />
Seaside escapades<br />
Stand-up Paddle Boarding: Most of<br />
Thailand’s islands offer stand-up<br />
paddle boarding (SUP). Start by determining<br />
the kind of experience your client is after – a<br />
first-time session on a calm sea or<br />
something a little less tame? Phuket has a<br />
number of companies offering SUP while<br />
even the smaller islands often offer sunrise,<br />
sunset or night-time paddles.<br />
Diving: With the Gulf of Thailand on<br />
the east and the Andaman Sea on the<br />
west, there are chances to dive all over<br />
Thailand. Choose from reef diving, wreck<br />
diving or open ocean seamounts. Once<br />
down, divers can see manta rays and whale<br />
sharks in the open waters, and seahorse,<br />
frogfish and crustaceans around the reefs.<br />
Surfing: The west coast of Thailand<br />
gets swell from the southern<br />
monsoons, making it a great area for surfing<br />
– Nai Harn Beach, Kamala Beach, Kalim<br />
Beach and Nai Yang Beach on Phuket all<br />
have swells of up to three metres. Surfing<br />
has become so popular on the island that it<br />
hosts an annual surfing competition.<br />
Sell it: Hayes & Jarvis offers a seven-night B&B stay<br />
at the Haadtien Beach Resort in Koh Tao, from<br />
£1,069pp, including flights and transfers. The resort<br />
has its own dive centre where guests can qualify for<br />
their PADI. hayesandjarvis.co.uk<br />
National parks and nature<br />
Hiking: From pristine rainforests to<br />
towering, mist-enveloped mountains,<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
active thailand 65<br />
Thailand’s landscape is ripe for exploring on<br />
two feet. The country can also point to over<br />
100 national parks. Visit Sri Phang Nga to<br />
hike past cascading waterfalls, swim<br />
through lakes and navigate untamed<br />
undergrowth using a bamboo cane.<br />
Cycling: Bike tours are a popular way<br />
to see hidden parts of Thailand while<br />
getting fit in the fresh air. Organised cycling<br />
tours are easy to find and can be a four-hour<br />
excursion or 14-day trip on wheels and<br />
range from road trips to mountain biking,<br />
cycling coast paths or jungle tracks.<br />
Kayaking: With its calm, shallow<br />
(and warm) waters, kayaking is the<br />
perfect activity for soft-adventurers. Most<br />
islands have operators offering kayaking<br />
tours, be it a one-hour beginner’s lesson or<br />
a full day on the water. For the more<br />
adventurous, choose a jungle tour – where<br />
you will kayak through rapids – or a sea<br />
cave tour.<br />
Sell it Intrepid <strong>Travel</strong> offers a 12-day Hike, Bike and<br />
Kayak tour, priced from £1,152pp, It includes train<br />
travel, 11-nights’ accommodation, some meals, a<br />
two-day cycling tour, a three-day Hilltribe Trek and<br />
a two-day kayaking trip. intrepidtravel.com<br />
Extreme sports<br />
Whitewater rafting: With differing<br />
grades of difficulty and framed by<br />
stunning scenery, Thailand’s fast-flowing<br />
rivers offer plenty of opportunities for<br />
whitewater rafting. The majority of tours<br />
take place around Chiang Mai – which is hilly<br />
– but other areas are beginning to attract<br />
adventure operators. Suggest Nan on the<br />
border of Laos, Phang Nga between Phuket<br />
and Krabi or Chanthaburi in the south.<br />
Bungee jumping: Activities don’t get<br />
much more extreme than jumping<br />
headfirst off a cliff with a rope attached to<br />
your ankles. Visitors looking to bungee<br />
should head to the islands of Ko Samui,<br />
Phuket, Pattaya – which offers the highest<br />
jump in the country at 60-metres – or the<br />
X-Centre in Chiang Mai.<br />
Skydiving: Pattaya is also home to<br />
the only full-time skydiving zone in<br />
South East Asia, making it a popular spot for<br />
adrenaline junkies. Participants take a<br />
“One of my most<br />
memorable experiences<br />
in Thailand recently was<br />
a Segway tour around<br />
Chiang Mai. Gliding up<br />
the streets of this<br />
exciting city was just<br />
brilliant”<br />
Charlotte, Thailand, Malaysia & Borneo Specialist,<br />
Audley <strong>Travel</strong><br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
66<br />
active thailand<br />
20-minute scenic flight up to 13,000 feet<br />
and then jump with an instructor, falling at<br />
125mph for approximately 60 seconds until<br />
the shoot is pulled at around 5,000 feet.<br />
Scenery on the way down includes beaches,<br />
The Gulf of Thailand and Pattaya city.<br />
Sell it: G Adventures has a 14-day round trip from<br />
Bangkok called Hike, Bike and Kayak, priced from<br />
£1,239pp. It includes cycling tours of Kanchanaburi<br />
and Ayutthaya, a hill tribe trek in Chiang Mai and<br />
snorkelling and kayaking in Ao Nag and Ban Laem<br />
Sak. gadventures.co.uk<br />
Urban adventures<br />
Rock climbing: Bangkok – with its<br />
hot, humid climate and polluted air<br />
– isn’t ideal for outside exertions. Instead,<br />
suggest active clients visit an indoor<br />
climbing centre, the perfect activity for<br />
those itching to be active during a city stay.<br />
There are five climbing wall centres in and<br />
around the city, ranging from spacious<br />
outlets with cafes and kids’ areas to smaller<br />
centres for well-versed climbers.<br />
Wakeboarding: Bangkok isn’t just<br />
about sights, food and shopping –<br />
adventure also awaits. For wakeboarding,<br />
head to Taco Lake in the Bang Nai district or<br />
Thai Wave Park in the Rangsit district.<br />
Rather than being pulled by a boat, cables<br />
heave willing boarders across the water at<br />
timed intervals.<br />
Diving with sharks: Want to surprise<br />
your clients? You might not associate<br />
Bangkok with scuba diving, but at Sea Life<br />
Ocean World visitors can pay to get in a tank<br />
and dive alongside sharks with a trained<br />
guide. Swim beside a whole host of<br />
predators and other aquatic species – and<br />
no previous experience is necessary.<br />
Sell it On The Go Tours has a three-hour Experience<br />
Real Bangkok by Bike tour from £24.95pp, including<br />
hotel transfers, bike hire, a helmet, local guide,<br />
bottled water and snacks. onthegotours.com
Readers Offers<br />
0800 6<strong>19</strong> 0900<br />
holidays@touchdown.co.uk<br />
Discount on <strong>Travel</strong> Insurance<br />
please visit our website.<br />
For up to date arrivals sign /<br />
www.touchdown.co.uk<br />
Luxury Collection<br />
Additional 20% discount on our travel<br />
insurance for industry staff<br />
● Kids go FREE - up to 3 kids insured free per insured adult<br />
● Selection of adventure sports covered, terms and conditions apply<br />
● Additional add-ons available such as cover for winter sports<br />
Bookable online using promo code TDMAY<br />
www.touchdown.co.uk/insurance<br />
or call 0330 400 1316<br />
New policies only. Discount not applied to optional extras and cover for pre-existing<br />
medical conditions. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount code<br />
Limited offer - must be booked by 31st <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>19</strong>. Terms & Conditions apply<br />
Touchdown is a trading style of <strong>Travel</strong>brands Ltd. <strong>Travel</strong>brands Ltd travel insurance is arranged and<br />
administered by Insure & Go Insurance Services Ltd. <strong>Travel</strong>brands Ltd is an introducer appointed<br />
representative of Insure & Go Insurance Services Ltd for <strong>Travel</strong> Insurance. Insure & Go Insurance Services<br />
Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number 309572) with<br />
registered address: 1 Victoria Street, Bristol Bridge, Bristol, BS1 6AA. Registered in England and Wales<br />
(Company no. 04056769)<br />
Ocean Cruises<br />
from<br />
£109 BB<br />
Cape Fahn - Koh Samui<br />
Thailand - New luxury property on its own private island<br />
Turtle Beach<br />
Barbados - FREE child places & instant confirmation<br />
Paradise Sun<br />
Seychelles<br />
£125 AI<br />
£125 HB<br />
£155 BB<br />
The Datai - Langkawi<br />
Malaysia - FREE night offer, non motorised water sports,<br />
complimentary nature walks, spa & food credits.<br />
Ozen by Atmosphere<br />
Maldives<br />
Many other resorts available, please call for more details.<br />
River Cruises<br />
£270 AI<br />
from<br />
7 night Copenhagen to Stockholm<br />
11 Jul <strong>19</strong> - Silver Spirit<br />
Vista Suite<br />
Copenhagen, Tallinn, St. Petersburg (3 nights),<br />
Stockholm (overnight).<br />
£1799<br />
All-Inclusive Lifestyle: All-Inclusive ultra-luxury suite accommodation, butler<br />
service in every suite, all beverages, gratuities, port charges, taxes and more.<br />
£669<br />
7 night Western Mediterranean<br />
11 Aug <strong>19</strong> - Oasis of the Seas ®<br />
Balcony<br />
Barcelona, Palma, Marseille, La Spezia (Florence/Pisa),<br />
Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples (Capri/Pompeii), Barcelona.<br />
from<br />
£815<br />
7 night Captivating Rhine<br />
25 <strong>May</strong> <strong>19</strong> - AmaPrima<br />
Outside<br />
Amsterdam (overnight), Cologne, Rudesheim,<br />
Ludwigshafen, Strasbourg, Breisach, Basel.<br />
£935<br />
9 night Legendary Danube<br />
14 Jul <strong>19</strong> - Avalon Impression<br />
Balcony<br />
Prague (overnight), Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg,<br />
Passau, Vienna (overnight), Budapest (overnight).<br />
7 night Panoramic Mediterranean<br />
16 Aug <strong>19</strong> - Sirena<br />
Balcony<br />
Monte Carlo, Antibes, Toulon, Ciudadela (Menorca),<br />
Corsica, Portofino, Porto Santo Stefano,<br />
Civitavecchia (Rome).<br />
Staff's family may travel independently.<br />
£949<br />
7 night The Enchanting River Douro<br />
10 Aug <strong>19</strong> - MS Gil Eanes<br />
Porto (overnight), Guimaraes, Regua,<br />
Agent offer<br />
from £80 Full Board<br />
Couples only<br />
Based on a 5 nights stay, travelling in June & July.<br />
Hotel prices are per person per night and based on 2 adults sharing unless otherwise stated. Cruise prices<br />
are per person and include all taxes and port charges. Offers subject to availability and maybe withdrawn<br />
without notice. Terms & conditions apply.<br />
Vega De Terron, Salamanca, Barca dAlva, Ferradosa,<br />
Pinhao, Lamego, Porto.<br />
Staff's family & friends may also travel at these rates.<br />
Book with confidence<br />
ACCREDITEDAGENT<br />
£799<br />
Outside
68<br />
48 hours in<br />
Dubai<br />
Take two days in this superlative desert metropolis and make sure they are a<br />
Thursday and Friday for a perfect mix of culture and hedonism, says Laura Gelder<br />
BURJ KHALIFA; DUBAI'S SPICE SOUK<br />
DOWNTOWN DUBAI<br />
COFFEE AND CULTURE<br />
Day 1: Art, viewpoints & views<br />
Morning: Shun the shops for a<br />
day of culture – yes, it is possible!<br />
Start with Alserkal Avenue, once<br />
an abandoned marble factory. If it wasn’t<br />
for the searing heat bouncing off the metal<br />
walls of this arty warehouse district, you<br />
might think you were in East London.<br />
Grab a coffee in A4 Space, a Brooklyn<br />
loft-styled community space full of young<br />
locals tapping earnestly at Apple laptops.<br />
How long you spend here admittedly<br />
depends on how much you love art<br />
but, as somewhat of a philistine, even<br />
I was impressed<br />
with the range<br />
on display, from<br />
Arabic calligraphy<br />
to an unsettling<br />
installation involving<br />
a dead goat in a<br />
neon hula hoop.<br />
Grab lunch in one<br />
of the cafes like<br />
plant-based Wild and<br />
the Moon.<br />
Afternoon/evening: Head to the<br />
historic Al Bastakiya district, with<br />
its pretty sand-coloured buildings<br />
which are older than the Emirate itself and<br />
still sport traditional and ornate wind<br />
towers, an ancient, eco-friendly form of air<br />
conditioning we should all go back to.<br />
Here, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for<br />
Cultural Understanding does exactly what<br />
it says on the tin, inviting tourists in for a<br />
meal and a chat, where they can ask their<br />
Emirati hosts any burning questions they<br />
might have about the local culture – ‘Open<br />
doors and open minds’ is the motto.<br />
Over some Arabic coffee and dates,<br />
our hosts, sisters Dahlia and Jasmin,<br />
take questions ranging from how dating<br />
works to why women wear black ("It's<br />
more modest, doesn't show dirt and<br />
it’s fashionable - duh"). The fesity pair<br />
certainly challenge preconceptions and,<br />
whatever you make of it, it's an interesting<br />
way to spend an afternoon.<br />
After this, head to the world's<br />
highest building for dinner and drinks.<br />
Atmosphere in the Burj Khalifa isn't at the<br />
top, but quite frankly it's so high you won't<br />
notice. The wood-panelled venue sits 442<br />
metres in the sky looking over the alien ant<br />
city of Downtown Dubai.<br />
Day 2: History & brunch<br />
“The air is hot and stifling<br />
as you chug along the creek,<br />
but the low-rise skyline,<br />
dominated by mosques<br />
rather than skyscrapers, is<br />
refreshing”<br />
Morning: Head to Old Dubai and<br />
hop aboard one of the traditional<br />
Arabic boats, or abras, to cross<br />
the creek. The air is hot and stifling as you<br />
chug along, but the low-rise skyline,<br />
dominated by mosques rather than<br />
skyscrapers, is refreshing.<br />
A far cry from the designer boutiques<br />
of the malls, the<br />
fragrant Spice Souk<br />
sees locals haggling<br />
over hessian sacks<br />
of saffron and rose<br />
buds in a hazy<br />
atmosphere and<br />
the Gold Souk’s<br />
all-out bling is<br />
even more inviting<br />
thanks to the icy<br />
blasts from its air-conditioned shops.<br />
If time allows, stop at the Dubai Museum<br />
in Al Fahidi Fort, the oldest building in the<br />
UAE. Its corridors are like a timeline from<br />
Dubai's tribal village past to the Sheikh’s<br />
mind-boggling future vision.<br />
Brunch: And relax, you've earnt<br />
an afternoon of hedonism. On<br />
Friday there are hundreds of venues to<br />
choose from but I can vouch for Prime 68,<br />
the JW Marriott Marquis's art deco-styled<br />
steak house and a temple to gluttony. It<br />
was only half-way through the meal that I<br />
realised we were going to be served<br />
everything on the A4 menu, and all paired<br />
with an alcoholic drink. Cheers! <br />
BOOK IT WITH GOLD MEDAL<br />
The five-star JA Lake View Hotel opens<br />
September 20<strong>19</strong>. Return flights with<br />
Emirates from Gatwick and three nights B&B<br />
in a resort view room between September<br />
1-<strong>19</strong> 20<strong>19</strong> is from £879pp for two adults<br />
sharing (saving £630pp). goldmedal.co.uk<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
A new destination<br />
OPENING SOON<br />
Opening in September 20<strong>19</strong>, JA Lake View Hotel is the third property<br />
within JA The Resort, Jebel Ali Beach, Dubai, making it Dubai’s<br />
largest experience resort. With 348 rooms and suites, three outdoor<br />
pools, four dining destinations driven by a Michelin-star chef and<br />
five meeting rooms, this 5-star hotel will add another level<br />
of unforgettable experiences to modern travellers.<br />
For bookings or more information, please contact us on +971 4 814 5800<br />
or reservations.jaresorts@jaresorts.com
70<br />
the light stuff<br />
the quirky side of travel<br />
Spirit of Lapland<br />
The world's northernmost bar debuted<br />
for one day in March after the team<br />
behind Blue Arctic Dry Gin launched an<br />
expedition to the North Pole.<br />
The plan was to open a pop-up offering<br />
a life-time's supply of the Finnish gin to<br />
anyone courageous enough to reach it,<br />
but weather conditions meant the team<br />
fell short of their target and couldn't share<br />
co-ordinates with booze-loving explorers.<br />
But they are planning to try again in 2020.<br />
Meanwhile, for those dreaming of<br />
snowy landscapes, the soothing sounds<br />
of Lapland – the tinkling of reindeer bells,<br />
the crunching of snow underfoot, the<br />
gentle rustle of Arctic pines and crackling<br />
of Inuit campfires – are now available to<br />
download on Spotify:<br />
lapland.fi/visit/sound-of-lapland<br />
Puppy yoga<br />
Yoga bunnies can now practise their<br />
downward dog pose in the company<br />
of four-legged friends after the launch<br />
of puppy yoga at the Runnymede on<br />
Thames Hotel and Spa. From <strong>May</strong>,<br />
the Surrey hotel will host hour-long<br />
beginners' yoga classes accompanied by<br />
a pack of adorable Shih Tzu puppies, said<br />
to enhance the mood-elevating effects of<br />
the ancient practice. runnymedehotel.com<br />
The mystery of the<br />
missing barbie<br />
One of Edinburgh's top tourist<br />
spots on the historic Royal Mile has<br />
launched a campaign to find its<br />
Tartan Barbie doll, which mysteriously<br />
disappeared from the haunted<br />
subterranean street recently. The<br />
barbie is the stuff of tour guide<br />
legend, given to Real Mary Kings Close<br />
by a psychic to appease the resident<br />
ghost. realmarykingsclose.com<br />
Top 5... adventurous<br />
alternatives to sunbathing<br />
According to WeSwap, 26% of Brits<br />
travelling abroad (and 39% of millennials)<br />
now prefer action and adventure activities<br />
over sun and sangria. The top adrenalinfuelled<br />
experiences for travellers with a<br />
taste for danger are...<br />
1 Bungee jumping in China<br />
2 White-water rafting in Zambia<br />
3 Skydiving in Nepal<br />
4 Rock climbing in Morocco<br />
5 Scuba diving in Indonesia<br />
THE JUNE 20<strong>19</strong> ISSUE OF SELLING TRAVEL WILL FEATURE: Borneo • Catalonia • Hong Kong • New Zealand • South Africa • Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia • Tobago •<br />
wellness in the Indian Ocean • Plus: a river cruise special<br />
CONTACT US: editorial@bmipublishing.co.uk ONLINE reviews • blogs • features • incentives • interviews<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
inspiring<br />
LUXURY<br />
What is luxury? • New high-end product • Luxury in unexpected places •<br />
Premium themes • Celebrity-inspired escapes • Rail journeys<br />
Ikos Resorts
72<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
WHAT IS LUXURY?<br />
The concept of 'luxury' has evolved from bowing waiters and bling to<br />
something just as likely to mean a depth of feeling or memorable experience,<br />
says Debbie Ward<br />
Six Senses and Kirker are among a<br />
growing number of tour operators<br />
who now deliberately avoid using<br />
the word 'luxury', believing it has become<br />
devalued by overuse.<br />
Luxury has certainly become allencompassing;<br />
a catch-all concept<br />
covering everything from a personal<br />
butler on a cruise ship to a private plunge<br />
pool and in-suite massage at an African<br />
safari lodge to an overwater villa on an<br />
exclusive Indian Ocean island.<br />
But luxury has come to mean so<br />
much more and the time is ripe for an<br />
alternative, more all-encompassing<br />
phrase. Perhaps 'richness of product<br />
and experience', well matched to an<br />
individual’s tastes or needs, is more<br />
suitable. Here are some other lifeenriching<br />
terms to consider.<br />
Barefoot luxury<br />
Whether your clients are the high-powered<br />
rich or the less well-heeled the right<br />
setting to unwind is key. ‘Barefoot luxury’<br />
and ‘rustic chic’ have come to describe<br />
the pared-back settings where your<br />
Champagne cocktail could be served from<br />
a driftwood bar. This often sits well with a<br />
greater focus on eco-credentials and with<br />
the wellness trend to ‘digital detox’ – a<br />
good sell for stressed-out clients.<br />
Six Senses once used the strapline ‘No<br />
shoes, No news’ though it now prefers to<br />
highlight its local connections and strong<br />
eco credentials.<br />
Vice President of Marketing and<br />
Communications Julia Gajcak says:<br />
“Upscale travellers are looking for<br />
authenticity and want to immerse<br />
themselves in a destination and its culture.<br />
They don't want formal surroundings and<br />
fancy ceremonious dinners… or need to<br />
acquire objects or status symbols, but<br />
instead want to collect great memories.”<br />
She believes rich experiences and quality<br />
content, unique settings, and innovative<br />
design, are key, along with service that is<br />
comfortable, inclusive and inviting.<br />
Experiential travel<br />
The latest buzz phrase is experiential<br />
travel, as clients increasingly look for<br />
greater depth to their holidays. In its 20<strong>19</strong><br />
Trends Report, Kuoni noted a demand<br />
for holidays with a learning focus, from<br />
cooking to photography to dance.<br />
Those with higher disposable income are<br />
also more likely to be able to tap into some<br />
of the world’s greatest adventures.<br />
Simon Lynch, Director of Sales and<br />
Business Development for Abercrombie<br />
& Kent, says: “Whilst our clients continue<br />
to want a certain level of luxury at night,<br />
we’ve found that during the day they value<br />
experiences. Such as, for example, gaining<br />
unique insider access to iconic attractions,<br />
learning how to make pasta with a<br />
Michelin-starred Italian chef in Naples or<br />
accessing a remote part of the Amazon to<br />
meet a local tribe.”<br />
Safari is the classic example of<br />
an experience-rich holiday that<br />
is traditionally pegged to luxury<br />
accommodation, but not all once-in-alifetime<br />
journeys and bucket list ticks are<br />
in locations with five-star hotels. Don’t<br />
underestimate a client’s willingness to<br />
‘rough it’ if the pay off is special enough.<br />
Abercrombie & Kent features Kayapo<br />
Camp, with an opportunity to spend<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
LUXURY TRAVEL 73<br />
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Abercrombie & Kent in Egypt; Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma, Zambia; Kuoni reports demand for 'learning holidays'; Kirker offers Venice by private water taxi<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
74<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
ABOVE: Six Senses Kaplankaya<br />
time with a Brazilian tribe. Its camp<br />
has exclusive access for several weeks, a<br />
private chef and many amenities, but it<br />
would not be classed as classic ‘luxury’.<br />
Lynch adds: “Our clients want to invest<br />
their money into creating exceptional<br />
memories that the ordinary traveller<br />
just doesn’t experience. Our tip for<br />
agents would be to invest the time in<br />
understanding the client’s interests, and<br />
then tailor the perfect experience.”<br />
Exclusivity<br />
It’s easy enough to track down a five-star<br />
hotel, but the real value an agent can add is<br />
being able to identify and access exclusive<br />
treats and special events. Operators with<br />
concierge services or niche specialisms<br />
can prove particularly helpful.<br />
“For today's clientele, luxury travel<br />
means authentic experiences which<br />
have been curated specifically for their<br />
individual needs,” says Kirker Director,<br />
Ted Wake. “It is finding an elegant<br />
pathway to the right experiences in a<br />
chosen destination. In particular, this<br />
often involves private guides and tailormade<br />
itineraries, where the customer<br />
is encouraged to visit a particular<br />
museum or performance that they didn’t<br />
know existed and wouldn’t have found<br />
out about without their travel agent’s<br />
encouragement.”<br />
Kirker’s examples of added value for the<br />
culturally-minded include dinner with a<br />
musician about to perform a concert, and<br />
linking artists’ museums and birthplaces<br />
in the same region.<br />
“These are not necessarily expensive<br />
arrangements but they are enriching. They<br />
also help agents demonstrate that they<br />
care about providing a unique service.”<br />
Cash rich, time poor<br />
In this fast-moving world we live in,<br />
most people find themselves increasingly<br />
short on time. So although a fortnight in<br />
Mauritius or Namibia may well be within<br />
a client's budget, it might not fit in with<br />
their working patterns.<br />
Even the special occasion market is<br />
experiencing the trend, with ‘minimoons’,'<br />
– whereby newlyweds take a short luxury<br />
holiday – showing a spike in recent years.<br />
Keeping tabs on quality short-haul<br />
options will help agents. For instance,<br />
Elegant Resorts and Wellbeing Escapes<br />
note that high-profile European spa<br />
openings like Six Senses’ Kaplankaya in<br />
Turkey and Euphoria on the Peloponnese<br />
peninsula are helping meet demand for a<br />
short break immersion in wellness.<br />
Operators’ concierge services can<br />
also save clients time by pre-booking<br />
restaurants and tickets.<br />
They may also be able to help them<br />
queue jump at popular attractions. Private<br />
driver-guides, offered by the likes of Cox<br />
& Kings, Abercrombie & Kent, Kuoni,<br />
Regent Holidays and Indus Experiences,<br />
can help make travel seamless and<br />
maximise clients’ time and interests.<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
CRYSTAL<br />
WHERE LUXURY IS PERSONAL<br />
WELCOME TO THE<br />
WORLD OF CRYSTAL<br />
Voted the World’s Best more times than any<br />
other hotel, resort or cruise line in history,<br />
Crystal Cruises is more than just a luxurious<br />
way to explore the world. It is an adventure,<br />
opening up the globe just for you. Whether by<br />
Ocean, River or Yacht, we are taking luxury<br />
travel further than ever before. Crystal – Where<br />
Luxury is Personal .<br />
BOOK A BALCONY STATEROOM OR<br />
ABOVE ON THIS CRUISE AND<br />
YOU CAN CHOOSE BETWEEN<br />
FREE FLIGHTS OR $1000 PER<br />
STATEROOM ONBOARD SPEND<br />
MEDITERRANEAN ARTS<br />
BARCELONA TO ROME | CRYSTAL SERENITY<br />
3 OCTOBER 20<strong>19</strong> | 7 NIGHTS | VOYAGE OCY<strong>19</strong>1003-07<br />
Cruise Only Fares From<br />
Verandah Stateroom (B3 Grade)<br />
Penthouse with Verandah (PH Grade)<br />
from £2,538 per person<br />
from £4,362 per person<br />
Itinerary Highlights:<br />
Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, Monte Carlo (overnight),<br />
Florence (overnight), Rome.<br />
2018<br />
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CALL:<br />
020 7399 7601 www.crystalcruises.co.uk<br />
ABTA No.V8548<br />
Fares are per person, cruise only in UK sterling based on double occupancy in the specified stateroom grade for the first two full-fare guests in stateroom and include port, security and handling charges, which vary by departure. All fares, offers and<br />
itineraries are subject to change and availability and can be withdrawn at any time. Free flights offer is valid for new bookings only made between 1 April & 15 <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>19</strong>. Free flights are in economy class with British Airways from London. Regional flights<br />
will incur a supplement and are subject to availability and routings. The Crystal Confidence Promise has stringent terms and conditions – for a copy of these please email sales@cruiseportfolio.co.uk. The $1000 per stateroom onboard spend applies to<br />
double occupancy only. Solo occupancy staterooms will receive $500 and no extra onboard credit is available to third berths. These offers are bought to you by The Cruise Portfolio. The prices shown here or elsewhere may have changed by the time you<br />
come to book your holiday. Prices, discounts, supplements and special offers advertised in the brochure or elsewhere may be withdrawn or changed at any time. Prices may go up or down. You should contact your travel advisor for up to date prices and<br />
charges before booking, call us on: 020 7399 7601 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk. The fares are available to new bookings only and are only available to UK & Eire residents. Restrictions apply. See crystalcruises.co.uk for complete terms and conditions.
76<br />
LuXuRy TRAVeL<br />
NeW BeGINNINGS<br />
Gorgeous George<br />
SouTH AFRICA<br />
New to design Hotels and epitomising<br />
the trend for reflecting local culture is<br />
this 32-room boutique hotel in downtown<br />
Cape Town. It's housed across two<br />
heritage buildings which also provide a<br />
platform for established and emerging<br />
South African artists and designers. Sell<br />
it on its spectacular rooftop pool, bar<br />
and restaurant and sleek industrial style.<br />
gorgeousgeorge.co.za<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
LuXuRy TRAVeL 77<br />
Four Seasons Private Jet<br />
eVeRyWHeRe<br />
Four Seasons' Private Jet, an<br />
A321LR neo, will take flight in 2020<br />
offering the widest and tallest<br />
cabin in its class. With 48 custom<br />
handcrafted Italian leather seats,<br />
the spacious interior encourages<br />
guests to socialise thanks to personal<br />
ottomans and a lounge area where<br />
Four Seasons artisans will stage<br />
workshops. Book an eight-country<br />
trip covering Seattle, Kyoto, Bali,<br />
the Seychelles, Rwanda, Marrakech,<br />
Bogota, the Galapagos and Miami at:<br />
fourseasons.com/privatejet<br />
Daydream Island Resort<br />
AuSTRALIA<br />
Reopened in April after a<br />
Aud$100million refurbishment,<br />
this Whitsunday Islands resort has<br />
expanded its Living Reef – a 200m<br />
free-form lagoon wrapping itself<br />
around the stylish buildings and<br />
home to diverse marine species<br />
and corals. A marine biologist is<br />
on-hand to explain the wonders of<br />
the reef. daydreamisland.com<br />
Ikos Resorts<br />
GReeCe<br />
Starting this season, guests staying in<br />
Ikos’ deluxe Collection suites will be<br />
treated to personalised touches like<br />
their favourite in-room drinks and<br />
snacks, all of which they can tailor<br />
in advance, plus the services of a<br />
deluxe Concierge who will organise<br />
everything from spa treatments to<br />
candlelit beach dinners.<br />
Available at Ikos oceania and Ikos<br />
olivia in Halkidiki, Ikos dassia in<br />
Corfu and the new Ikos Aria opening<br />
on Kos in <strong>May</strong>. ikosresorts.com<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
78<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
Parklane, a Luxury<br />
Collection Resort & Spa,<br />
Limassol<br />
Cyprus<br />
The first Marriott in the country,<br />
Parklane has just opened, set<br />
in landscaped gardens of olive,<br />
citrus and palm trees. There's a<br />
300-metre beach and four pools<br />
- three outdoor and one indoor,<br />
including one for adults only. All<br />
52 suites have teak-decked private<br />
pools. marriott.co.uk<br />
Dream Yacht Charter<br />
The Islands of<br />
Tahiti<br />
Sell this new five-night all-inclusive<br />
yacht-based holiday in the Tuamoto<br />
archipelago. Visitors get their own<br />
captain and private chef plus six<br />
ensuite cabins. Cruise blue lagoons<br />
and explore villages and coconut<br />
plantations. dreamyachtcharter.co.uk<br />
Gran Meliá Sancti Petri<br />
SPAIN<br />
Following a four-year refurbishment,<br />
this five-star has just re-opened<br />
as a Gran Meliá. It's located on the<br />
beachfront of La Barrosa, Cádiz,<br />
close to five golf courses. Its lavish<br />
facilities include a wellness centre<br />
with Roman thermal baths, Hamman<br />
and Finnish sauna and the Michelinstarred<br />
Alevante Restaurant.<br />
melia.com<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
FLY IN COMFORT THIS SUMMER<br />
WITH VIETNAM AIRLINES<br />
Non- stop daily flights between the UK and Vietnam operated by<br />
787-9 Dreamliner.<br />
Convenient onward connections via Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to a<br />
comprehensive network of over 50 destinations within Vietnam,<br />
Indochina, Asia and Australia.<br />
Offering Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class<br />
cabins.<br />
Summer Schedule 20<strong>19</strong> 31 March 20<strong>19</strong> - 26 October 20<strong>19</strong><br />
Origin Destination Flight No Departure Arrival Frequency<br />
London<br />
Heathrow<br />
Departure/arrival times may vary.<br />
Hanoi VN54<br />
1110 0450<br />
London<br />
Hanoi VN55<br />
0100 0740<br />
Heathrow<br />
London<br />
Heathrow<br />
Ho Chi<br />
Minh City<br />
Ho Chi London<br />
Minh City Heathrow<br />
(Next Day)<br />
Tue, Thu, Fri,<br />
Sun<br />
Tue, Thu, Fri,<br />
Sun<br />
VN50 1110 0530 Mon, Wed, Sat<br />
(Next Day)<br />
VN51 0025 0740 Mon, Wed, Sat<br />
www.vietnamairlines.com<br />
+44 (0) 203 263 2062<br />
vietnamairlines
80<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
LUXURY IN UNEXPECTED PLACES<br />
IN A CARAVAN<br />
Greater Palm Springs’ Hotel Paseo is the<br />
first luxury hotel to open in the retro-desert<br />
city in over 30 years, but its guests can opt<br />
to stay in a restored <strong>19</strong>50s Airstream trailer.<br />
hotelpaseo.com<br />
DANIEL COLLOPY<br />
AMONG WILD<br />
HORSES<br />
Retire to a top-end tipi at<br />
Nevada’s Mustang Monument<br />
and experience the atmosphere<br />
of America's Old West without<br />
compromising on comfort –<br />
and knowing you’re supporting<br />
America’s last wild horses.<br />
mustangmonument.com<br />
UP A CRANE<br />
A former coal crane in Copenhagen is now a<br />
hipster one-room hotel, THEKRANE. Each stay<br />
includes a concierge to pick you up at the airport<br />
and wait on you, breakfast, a BMW or bike to<br />
explore, wine or bubbles and spa access.<br />
thekrane.dk<br />
BENEATH THE GROUND<br />
Turkey’s Cappadocia is characterised by its<br />
‘fairy chimneys’, whimsical rock formations<br />
which have housed people since the Bronze<br />
Age and now welcome tourists thanks to<br />
boutique boltholes like Elkep Evi Cave Hotel.<br />
elkepevi.com.tr<br />
ALL AT SEA<br />
Just off Portsmouth, UK, are<br />
two Napoleonic forts-turned<br />
boutique hotels: No Man’s<br />
Fort has 23 rooms, five bars,<br />
a rooftop hot tub and firepit<br />
while the intimate eight-suite<br />
Spitbank Fort is available for<br />
exclusive use. You can also book<br />
for a day trip with lunch.<br />
solentforts.com<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
LUXURY TRAVEL 81<br />
IN A PUMPHOUSE<br />
Once a hydro-electric station, now a luxury wilderness retreat,<br />
these two industrial buildings on Lake St. Clair in Tasmania,<br />
Australia, have been transformed! The Pumphouse is 250<br />
metres out onto the glacial lake, with a wood-burning stove and<br />
understated décor. pumphousepoint.com.au<br />
UNDER THE OCEAN<br />
Manta Resort on Pemba Island in Zanzibar has an<br />
Underwater Room anchored to the ocean floor. The sealevel<br />
deck has a lounge and bathroom and a staircase<br />
leads guests down to the glass-paneled bedroom, with<br />
360-degree views of the ocean and spotlights to attract shy<br />
night creatures. themantaresort.com<br />
UP IN A TREE<br />
In the quiet forests that flank<br />
Sweden’s Lule River Valley,<br />
Treehotel has seven different<br />
rooms, including the UFO, bird’s<br />
nest and Mirrorcube. It is featured<br />
by UK operator, Carrier.<br />
treehotel.se<br />
AT A CLIFF EDGE<br />
Perched on a rocky canyon 2,000 metres<br />
above sea level in Oman’s Al Hajar<br />
Mountains, and crafted like an ancient fort,<br />
Alila Jabal Akhdar is a breath of fresh air<br />
after the desert. alilahotels.com/jabalakhdar<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
82<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
ULTRA-COOL<br />
Deep in the Finnish Arctic Circle, Igloo<br />
Hotel Kakslauttanen’s thermal glass<br />
domes are a unique way to spot the<br />
Northern Lights between December and<br />
January. Onsite is the world’s largest<br />
smoke sauna, to counteract the -30<br />
degree temperature outside. Other<br />
accommodation includes cosy log cabins<br />
with a fireplace and a sauna and, if you<br />
dare, a real ice igloo. kakslauttanen.fi<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
AUTHENTIC MEMORIES &<br />
MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES<br />
Deep in the Peruvian Amazon, Delfin Amazon Cruises<br />
will take you into one of the world’s largest protected<br />
flooded forests, the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.<br />
Visit us online for more information:<br />
www.delfinamazoncruises.com<br />
Untitled-1 1 09/07/2018 18:13<br />
Possibly one of the andaman’s most beautiful islands.<br />
85 luxurious villas • 3 ozonated pools (excluding private ones)<br />
signature dining establishments & bars • world-acclaimed anumba spa<br />
club del mar for chilling • personalized sea and land experiences<br />
to-die-for-views complimentary<br />
www.theracha.com<br />
Untitled-2 1 26/03/20<strong>19</strong> 09:54
84<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
THEMATIC ESCAPES<br />
Luxury comes in many guises and environments. Debbie Ward picks four<br />
ways to sell a high-end holiday<br />
CRUISING<br />
Rhine Class style, Crystal Cruises<br />
Despite moving into the mainstream of travel in recent<br />
the years, the luxury lines continue to innovate.<br />
The Mekong, which flows through China, Mynamar,<br />
Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, is among the<br />
hottest areas – and Uniworld's new Mekong Jewel will<br />
step things up in 2020.<br />
In Europe, foodie clients will enjoy Crystal Bach’s new<br />
gastronomy-focused boutique Rhine Class service.<br />
New expedition mega yacht Scenic Eclipse sets sail<br />
for the Northwest Passage and Antarctic this summer,<br />
carrying two helicopters and a submarine.<br />
For vintage class, consider Star Clippers’ tall ships,<br />
in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, South East Asia and<br />
Panama Canal. AmaWaterways' Rivers and Rails of<br />
Africa trip mixes safari, accessed by ship, with Victoria<br />
Falls to Pretoria on Rovos Rail.<br />
And watch out for five-star hotel brand Ritz-Carlton,<br />
launching cruises in 2020.<br />
SAFARIS<br />
Safari has long been the archetypal luxury adventure<br />
holiday, with clients retreating from the wild bush<br />
to fine dining and king-sized beds. Recent openings<br />
include the exclusive Nyamatusi Mahogany in Mana<br />
Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, with just two tented<br />
suites and two family suites.<br />
In Namibia, private villa The Nest at Sossus has<br />
innovative buildings resembling weaverbirds’ nests.<br />
Audley has a private escorted tour in Namibia, with a<br />
chance to see desert-adapted elephants at Damaraland.<br />
Safari is not all about Africa. Troubled Sri Lanka’s Yala<br />
National Park has the highest concentration of leopards<br />
in the world, with luxury accommodation added in<br />
recent years (offered by Cox & Kings).<br />
In Brazil, meanwhile, Journey Latin America and<br />
Audley offer the opportunity to track jaguars in the<br />
Pantanal wetlands. In Rwanda, seeing gorillas is a costly<br />
but unforgettable experience. For whale watching,<br />
Lekkerwater Beach Lodge from Natural Selection is<br />
positioned above a hotspot in South Africa’s Western<br />
Cape. It has just seven standalone luxury rooms.<br />
Chena Huts, Uga Resorts<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
A LITTLE ME TIME<br />
BEGINS IN BERMUDA<br />
FEEL WORLDS AWAY AT OUR EXCLUSIVE BEACH CLUB<br />
BOOK NOW | CALL 001-800-441-1414 | VISIT THEHAMILTONPRINCESS.COM OR CALL YOUR PREFERRED TRAVEL PARTNER<br />
Quote PAVR to enjoy our ‘Fairmont Saver Offer’ and enjoy 30% off our daily rate (for a minimum 2 day stay and must include a Friday or Saturday Night).<br />
Minimum advance purchase 21 days. Offer valid until December 31, 20<strong>19</strong>.
86<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
ISLAND ESCAPES<br />
A full-service resort set in a turquoise sea, a private<br />
hideway or a place for an exclusive house party - island<br />
retreats can mean different things to different clients.<br />
The Maldives, with its one island-one-resort concept,<br />
is famed for its overwater bungalows, but it’s not the<br />
only option.<br />
Song Saa, featured by Elegant Resorts and others, has<br />
brought the overwater bungalows concept to Cambodia.<br />
With 27 pool villas and popular with honeymooners, it<br />
spans the ‘sweetheart islands’ Koh Bong and Koh Ouen,<br />
a 45-minute speedboat transfer from Sihanoukville.<br />
Closer to home, Elegant Resorts features Tagomago,<br />
one of a handful of private islands in Spain. The<br />
hideaway sits just off the coast of Ibiza, boasting a fivesuite<br />
mansion, a bird sanctuary, a lighthouse and little<br />
else. Guests can make use of a private chef, hire a yacht<br />
and arrive by helicopter, should they wish.<br />
Perhaps the most famous among private islands is<br />
Necker in the BVIs. Richard Branson’s island retreat is<br />
now back on sale following restoration after hurricane<br />
Irma. Caribtours, Elegant Resorts and Inspiring<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> Company are among operators that feature<br />
Necker, which is not just available in its entirety - on<br />
‘celebration weeks’ rooms can be booked individually.<br />
Song Saa, Cambodia<br />
SPA & WELLNESS BREAKS<br />
Demand for wellness-specific travel is growing.<br />
Asia, the home of meditation, yoga, Thai massage,<br />
Ayurveda and other traditional therapies, has long been<br />
the favoured destination. Operators’ best-selling spa<br />
hotels include Chiva Som and Kamalaya in Thailand,<br />
Ananda in the Himalayas and Como Shambhala in Bali.<br />
All offer tailored programmes for detox, yoga, weight<br />
management, de-stressing and more.<br />
European newcomers include Euphoria on Greece's<br />
Peloponnese peninsula and Six Senses’ Kaplankaya in<br />
Turkey, where the spa includes a salt grotto.<br />
‘Vinotherapy’ treatments at Six Senses Douro Valley<br />
include the Complete Grape Rejuvenation, featuring<br />
grape pulp exfoliation and a ‘vineyard soak’ wrap.<br />
In the Caribbean, St Lucia’s BodyHoliday is famous for<br />
its all-inclusive fitness programmes.<br />
The Middle East has a range of opulent spas with<br />
treatments using local ingredients, like camels’ milk,<br />
dates and spices at Abu Dhabi Edition or gold and<br />
liquorice at Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah in Oman.<br />
In Japan ‘forest bathing’ means a restorative<br />
immersion in nature. Specialist operator Wellbeing<br />
Escapes can advise on leafy hideaways with hiking trails.<br />
Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Oman<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
Paradise is closer<br />
than you think<br />
m/s Paul Gauguin<br />
Visit islands beyond the ordinary – Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea,<br />
Huahine and Taha’a – in comfort and style on this award-winning<br />
luxury small ship.<br />
With heartfelt hospitality always on board, every destination feels<br />
like home.<br />
• Spacious oceanview accommodations<br />
• All meals, plus complimentary room service<br />
• All onboard beverages, including beer and select wines and spirits<br />
• All onboard gratuities for room steward and dining staff<br />
• All shipboard entertainment<br />
• Exclusive access to our private beach and motu<br />
For further information or to make a booking, please contact your<br />
preferred <strong>Travel</strong> Agent or call 020 7399 7691 www.pgcruises.com<br />
ABTA No.V8548
88<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
CELEBRITY SELLS<br />
For many, scrolling Instagram has replaced browsing brochures<br />
for holiday inspiration, and a celebrity is the ultimate<br />
endorsement, says Laura Gelder<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
LUXURY TRAVEL 89<br />
EMMA WILLIS IN THE...<br />
MALDIVES<br />
ROBERT RINDER AT...<br />
HEMINGWAYS WATAMU<br />
Mentioned in our Maldives feature last<br />
month was the trend for ‘buddymoons’,<br />
where you take your family or friends on<br />
your honeymoon. TV presenter Emma<br />
Willis and husband Matt from pop band<br />
Busted renewed their vows after ten<br />
years last November and had a second<br />
honeymoon at Kandima Maldives – taking<br />
the kids and parents too. Luckily the resort<br />
has plenty to keep all ages occupied, such as<br />
snorkelling, tennis and parasailing, which<br />
Emma tried out herself. kandima.com<br />
Otherwise known as Judge Rinder, of reality<br />
TV court case and Strictly Come Dancing<br />
fame, Robert is a passionate advocate for<br />
Kenya and recently stayed at Hemingways<br />
Watamu. Sitting on the coast of the Watamu<br />
Marine National Park, with a white-sand<br />
beach, the hotel had a multi-million-dollar<br />
transformation last year. Activities include<br />
diving, exploring the Arabuko-Sokoke<br />
Forest (home to elephants), or just snacking<br />
on crispy Lamu crab claws and sipping<br />
cocktails. hemingways-collection.com<br />
DAVID GANDY IN...<br />
COLORADO<br />
JOURDAN DUNN IN...<br />
GRENADA<br />
LIZ HURLEY IN...<br />
INDIA<br />
Imagine having Liz Hurley for a<br />
mother. Any embarrassment over her<br />
high-profile lovers would quickly be<br />
forgotten if you got to celebrate your<br />
birthday with mum at an exclusive spa<br />
hotel in the foothills of the Himalayas.<br />
That’s exactly what 17-year-old<br />
Damien got this April. The actress<br />
and model posted various selfies of<br />
their trip to The Ananda, showing off<br />
an impressive wardrobe of swimwear<br />
and catapulting this wellness retreat<br />
into the spotlight. anandaspa.com<br />
When not posing in his pants for M&S,<br />
model David Gandy loves to travel. In an<br />
interview in The Telegraph he said his<br />
favourite hotel was Dunton Hot Springs, a<br />
posh cabin in an 1800s ghost town deep<br />
in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. The<br />
all-inclusive, five-star resort is exquisitely<br />
furnished, with hand-hewn log cabins,<br />
a saloon offering fine dining with local<br />
produce, miles of hiking trails and soothing<br />
hot springs that can be enjoyed year-round.<br />
duntonhotsprings.com<br />
English Supermodel and actress Jourdan<br />
Dunn celebrated her 28th birthday at<br />
Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel in the<br />
Caribbean's Grenada recently. She was<br />
joined by an all-girl all-model squad<br />
consisting of Leila Nda, Imaan Hammam,<br />
Riley Montana (whose birthday it also was),<br />
Cindy Bruna and Ophelie Guillermand. The<br />
girls bikini shots were picked up by The<br />
Telegraph, Vogue, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar,<br />
Daily Mail, Hello and many others.<br />
calabashhotel.com<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
90<br />
LUXURY TRAVEL<br />
4<br />
FIVE RAIL JOURNEYS<br />
SEVEN STARS KYUSHU. This plush<br />
all-suite train travels Japan’s southernmost<br />
main island, representing its seven prefectures.<br />
The elegant interior is a blend of Japanese and<br />
Western, old and new. Lounge car Blue Moon<br />
has sofas, swivel chairs and live piano music or<br />
you can grab a spot of sushi in the Jupiter<br />
dining car after stopping at an onsen.<br />
THE BELMOND EASTERN & ORIENTAL<br />
EXPRESS. Epitomising the old-world glamour<br />
of travel, this train journeys between<br />
cosmopolitan Bangkok and Singapore or Kuala<br />
Lumpur. Guests are cosseted in green and gold<br />
carriages with cherrywood panelling, Thai silks<br />
and Malaysian embroidery, and dine on fine<br />
cuisine as they pass lush jungle and temples.<br />
3<br />
5<br />
THE BLUE TRAIN. In 20<strong>19</strong> South Africa’s<br />
famous luxury train reinvented its Cape Town<br />
to Pretoria journey for a two-night ‘slow travel’<br />
trip. For 2020, its one-way Hoedspruit safari<br />
trips will be available as a three-day<br />
round-trip, with sunrise and sunset game<br />
drives and a boma dinner under the stars.<br />
ROCKY MOUNTAINEER. This classic<br />
Canadian journey is the most luxurious way to<br />
see the Rockies, and its GoldLeaf Service is the<br />
pinnacle of high-end. This year it's added new<br />
bi-level carriages with glass-dome windows for<br />
viewing the lake and mountain scenery and a<br />
separate area for gourmet dining.<br />
THE GHAN. Crossing the spine of Australia<br />
between Darwin and Adelaide, guests on this<br />
iconic train are safe from the searing heat of<br />
the red desert while they sip a cool Aussie<br />
Chardonnay in the lap of luxury. Experiences<br />
include cruising the Nitmiluk Gorge to learn<br />
about ancient Indigenous rock paintings.<br />
1<br />
2<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
8:32AM<br />
The moment the soul of the<br />
Maldives found you.<br />
Generous villas with understated<br />
echoes of the many cultures<br />
of the Maldives. An untouched<br />
diving destination, on the<br />
largest lagoon in the Maldives,<br />
shimmering with cerulean<br />
light. Fairmont Maldives artfully<br />
connects nature to the soul and<br />
the result is unforgettable.<br />
Gateway to your perfect Maldives<br />
moment.<br />
fairmont. com/maldives
Namibia<br />
With free-roaming wildlife, other-worldly<br />
landscapes, towering sand dunes and the continent’s<br />
largest canyon, Namibia is a Southern African jewel<br />
YURI ARCURS<br />
Essential<br />
details<br />
Discover one of the world’s<br />
special destinations by reading<br />
our dedicated Namibia guide.<br />
There’s a map for planning a<br />
tour, accommodation and<br />
wildlife suggestions –<br />
and more!
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