IssueNo.1,310 Weekof15January2018 /stanselections · 2018-03-10 · 4 Scottish Travel Agents News:...

LET USTAKE YOU CLOSER TO

THE AUTHENTIC BEAUTYOF THE WORLD

SAIL WITH US TO OVER 900 DESTINATIONS

#ThisIsSilverseaphoto by Steve McCurry

Issue No. 1,310 Week of 15 January 2018 /stanselections

Serving the Scottish travel trade for over 26 years

STAN-CoverWrap-SINGLEPAGES.indd 1 08/01/2018 15:14

CAPTURING AUTHENTIC BEAUTYWELCOME

Steve McCurry

At Silversea we believe that nothing can rival the wonder of our world. Our curious minds propel us not just to keep exploring our magnifi cent planet but mostly to experience it. Our mission is to unlock new territories, allow guests to go deeper and discover the authentic beauty of the world that we live in.

That’s why we are so proud of our partnership with Steve McCurry, the legendary photographer. He was a natural choice for us. His iconic “Afghan Girl” portrait image has captured the hearts and minds of thousands.

Steve is a born storyteller with the soul of an explorer. His unique ability to capture what is left of the authentic beauty in the world and express it with clarity and emotion is just brilliant. A McCurry image not only takes you on a journey, it inspires you to travel the world.

THE MEDITERRANEAN NORTHERN EUROPE

The Amalfi Coast, Italy

OLD WORLD VOYAGES THAT HAVE IT ALL

EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES IN STARLIT CAPITALS

The Norwegian Fjords

on select voyages

FL

IGHT

O

F F E RBOOK BY 31 JANUARY 2018ON SELECT VOYAGES

INCLUDED ROUNDTRIP BUSINESS CLASS FLIGHTS

The exclusive intimacy of our cruises doesn’t end when you step ashore. Our Northern Europe itineraries offer unmissable experiences, for example, a private concert at the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra or an exclusive event with the Royal Geographic Society in London.

Guests may choose to explore the beautiful Nordic Capitals in the Baltic, including a glamorous overnight stay in St Petersburg. Alternatively, our exclusive itineraries around the British Isles and Iceland offer a breath-taking departure and return beneath Tower Bridge in London. For truly inspiring scenery, look no further than our voyages to Norwegian Fjords and the North Cape. Or for cities of culture, voyage from Lisbon to London, via Portugal, Northern Spain, and a long, indulgent stay in Bordeaux. We recommend our culinary voyage to anyone with a love and interest for fi ne foods.

High culture, momentous historic sights, picturesque towns and villages, glorious beaches… whatever draws your guests to the Mediterranean, they will fi nd it in abundance on our cruises.

Within our Italian itineraries, guests may choose to sample the best of Italy or hidden gems of the Adriatic. In the south of France, our intimate ships call into some of the world’s most famous harbours.

Our Spanish destinations include the great city of Barcelona and the sun-drenched paradise islands of the Balearics.

Lovers of the performing arts may wish to consider our special Ballet Cruise with performances by soloists from legendary theatres or Opera Cruise, created in partnership with Accademia Teatro alla Scala.

More Voyages Available

DATE VOYAGE NIGHTS FROM/TO SHIP CRUISE ONLYFARES FROM

07 May 18 6811 13 Dublin to Barcelona Silver Muse £5,400 17 Jul 18 6819 12 Venice to Monte Carlo Silver Muse £6,390 E

AR

LY B

OO

KIN

G B

ON

US

SAV

E 10%

05 Aug 18 6821 7 Barcelona to Civitavecchia (Rome) Silver Muse £3,600

19 Aug 18 6823 10 Venice to Monte Carlo Silver Muse £5,400

29 Aug 18 6824 7 Monte Carlo to Barcelona Silver Muse £3,510

05 Sep 18 6825 7 Barcelona to Civitavecchia (Rome) Silver Muse £3,960

12 Sep 18 6826 10 Civitavecchia (Rome) to Venice Silver Muse £5,670


15 Jun 18 5815 15 Copenhagen Roundtrip Silver Spirit £8,800

24 Jul 18 5819 10 Copenhagen to Stockholm Silver Spirit £5,220 EA

RLY

BO

OK

ING

BO

NU

S

SAV

E 10%

03 Aug 18 5820 7 Stockholm Roundtrip Silver Spirit £3,420

15 Aug 18 2826 14 London (Tower Bridge) to Stockholm Silver Wind £6,930

17 Aug 18 5822 7 Copenhagen Roundtrip Silver Spirit £3,330

24 Aug 18 5823 7 Copenhagen to Stockholm Silver Spirit £3,150

31 Aug 18 5824 10 Stockholm to London (Tilbury) Silver Spirit £3,420


Venetian Society guests enjoy an additional 5% saving. Ballet. L’Ecole des Chefs. St. Petersburg Philharmonia. Venetian Society guests enjoy an additional 5% saving. Last Minute Savings.


Issue No. 1,310 Week of 15 January 2018 /stanselections

Serving the Scottish travel trade for over 26 years

Etihad in Scotland changesThere have been some changes to the represenatation of Etihad Airways in

the Scottish market. FionaMcNicol has assumed responsibi-lities for the Scottish market and thecontinued development of the AbuDhabi operation from Edinburgh.Fiona has been based in Scotland forthe past three years.

After six years with Etihad andhaving overseen the Edinburghlaunch, Greig White has left thebusiness to pursue other interests.

Since the route launched in June2015 the airlines has seen continuedgrowth out of Edinburgh.

Social Media in Travel seminarABTA is to hold a seminar in Glasgow – Social Media in Travel. Taking placeon 14th March at a central Glasgow venue to be confirmed nearer the time,the seminar will look at how social media is changing the travel industry andwhat the opportunities are for travel businesses.

Included will be top tips for for successful social media including perfectingposts, eye-catching ads and follow-up. The seminar is sepcifically designed fortravel agents and tour operators with a number of expert guest speakers whowill include updated guidance, practical activities and case studies.

Loganair boosts Aberdeen toDurham Tees ValleyThe air route between Aberdeen and Durham Tees Valley is being boosted

after new operator Loganair announced plans to enhance the schedulefollowing positive passenger numbers in the first three months of service.

The afternoon schedule has moved back by two and a half hours, departingAberdeen at 1530 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday. Thursday departsAberdeen 1545 returning north from Durham Tees Valley at 1700. The 1300service which operates Sunday to Wednesday is now two hours later withpassengers able to travel south from Aberdeen at 1530 instead of 1300.

Kay Ryan, Loganair’s commercial director said: “The Aberdeen route hasbeen performing extremely well with excellent passenger volumes, especiallyas we are operating against a competitor and that we are a new airline tomany people in the area. Unfortunately, the Norwich – Durham route wasn’tperforming in line with expectations with no signs of improving so we tookthe decision to withdraw the service this month.”

Loganair is significantly outperforming its competitor airline and carried 66%of the route’s passengers last month.The SPAA Annual Christmas Networking Lunch

Fiona Henderson (Qatar Airways),Paul Cronje (Clyde Travel Management), Gill Maguire (Emirates

Ken Bryan (British Airways), Maggie Monteith (Traveleads)

Highlights This Issue:Glasgow Airport’s competition is back. Aspart of the competition over the comingweeks we will be showcasing a differentairline each week to bring you up to date

on routes from Glasgow Airport.See page 4 for the first opportunity to win.

Also:

Date-A-Base 2Photofile SPAA Chrismas Lunch 8Focus on Scandinavia 10On The Fly with John MacCalman 12

Jigsaw Travel in Hamilton was rewarded with Marks & Spencer’s vouchersafter seeing increased sales growth with Super Break as part of a recentincentive. Wendy Cameron from Super Break (centre) is flanked byCaitlin McGillivray, (left) and Lesley Millar (right) both Jigsaw Travel.

2 Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 15 January 2018

190-194 Main Street, Glasgow, G78 1SL Editor: Susan Harris Tel: 07710 533902 Email: [email protected] subscription information contact the above address.Published by S&G Publishing (Scotland) Ltd and delivered to every ABTA, IATA, non ABTA, agency in Scotland as well as to home workers,telesales agents, and principals based in Scotland.Printing & Typesetting: Armstrong Printing (Alloa) Ltd, 75-77 Alloa Business Centre, Whins Road, Alloa FK10 3SARegistered as a newspaper with the Post Office.The editor and publishers cannot be held responsible for any views expressed or for any mistakes or misprintsthat may occur. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publishers

2018

Mar

01 88th Annual SPAA Dinner, Glasgow

14 Social Media in Travel seminar, Glasgow

22 STAR Exhibition, Edinburgh

Apr 19 Spring Seminar & Networking Lunch, Glasgow

May

06 Magellan ship visit, Dundee

08 Travel Quiz heat, Glasgow

15 Travel Quiz heat, Edinburgh

22 Travel Quiz heat, Aberdeen

31 Travel Quiz final, Glasgow

Jun21 Columbus ship visit, Invergordon

21 Summer in the City – Summer Ball, Glasgow

Jul 13 Columbus ship visit, Greenock

Aug 23 SPAA Golf Day, Lanark

Sep06 Autumn Seminar & Networking Lunch, Edinburgh

13 STAR Exhibition, Aberdeen

Nov01 Annual Travel Awards, Glasgow

20 STAR Exhibition, Glasgow

Oct 08-10 ABTA’s The Travel Convention, Seville

Dec 06 Christmas Networking Lunch, Glasgow

Date-a-base

Viking reveals 2018 trendsViking has revealed its top five travel trends for 2018. Based on

current booking patterns and customer insight from guests travellingon its River and Ocean cruises each year, Viking has compiled thisexclusive list of where, when, how and why consumers will be travellingin the year to come.

Key trends it has identified for the next 12 months are: DestinationRussia; The Scandinavian Love Affair Continues; Off-Season Travel;Active Over Sixties; and Set Sail on the Oceans.

Be a winner with NewmarketNewmarket Holidays has launched the latest brochure, with a

collection of air-inclusive escorted tours and holidays, a variety ofoffers and a new travel agency incentive.

To celebrate the release of Newmarket Holidays new 2018-19 Holidays& Tours Collection, the travel agency team has placed 50 gold coinsrandomly into the new brochure packs.

If an agent finds a coin, they could win £500 off a Newmarket Holiday,£250 off a Newmarket Holiday, a place on a fam trip to India or a £20Love2Shop voucher.

This campaign reintroduces the popular Golden & Platinum Ticketcompetitions of the last couple of years..”

Customers are also being enwith selected departures seeing savings of£50 per person on European holidays and £100 per person on holidaysfurther afield, including those to India, Canada and the USA.

ABTA launches Travel withConfidence campaignABTA’s 2018 Travel with Confidence national advertising campaigncoincides with the industry’s busiest sales period of the year.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of ABTA’s Travel with confidencebrand and encourage people to book with an ABTA member. It initiallytargets families and over 55s across the peak booking season, and then18-35 year olds and business travel audiences later in the year.

This year’s campaign creatives tap into the social media trend of taking‘feet selfies’ - where people post photos of their feet while on theirtravels. Images from different destinations will feature in the campaign –demonstrating the wide range of holidays and locations on offer fromABTA members.

It carries a strapline saying ‘we’re with you every step of the way,’highlighting how the benefits of booking with an ABTA member span thecustomer’s holiday from start to finish.

Allison Dow and Lauren Donachie from The Travel Bar in Blairgowriepick up an award from JTA’s David Rennie as the November agents ofthe month for the operator

Attraction World launchesJanuary ’50 Shades of Green’The final film in the trilogy 50 Shades of Grey lands in our cinemas onValentine’s Day and to celebrate two previous successful campaignsAttraction World is again launching it’s play on this with the theme ’50Shades of Green’.

Any agent making a booking can enter to win a pair of cinema tickets tosee the film at any Odeon or Cineworld throughout the country. 50 pairsof tickets are available.

Agents need to make a booking with a minimum value of£99 and emailtheir booking reference for their chance to win.

Book by 14th Feb 2018

Save£50 per person*Promo code

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*Terms & Conditions apply on all offers. Please see our website for further information. The Gold Coin competition is open to all travel agents across the UK only. Selfie photos must be submitted via Facebook to www.facebook.co.uk/Nic.Newmarket by 31st January 2018. Agents must quote their Gold Coin code to redeem their prize. All pictures submitted may be used by Newmarket Holidays for promotional use. No cash alternatives for prizes. Agents responsible for their own tax implications.

Find a coin – win a prize!Find a coin – win a prize!Find a coin – win a prize!

Order your brochure at www.tradegate.co.ukOrder your brochure at www.tradegate.co.uk

0330 160 4799 | [email protected]

Introducing our new & exciting o� ersBook to discover why Newmarket Holidays have just won “Best Escorted Tour Operator” at the BTAs, voted for by the public, for the FIFTH year in a row! Bookings made before 14th February 2018 will save up to £100 per person* on fl ight-inclusive escorted holidays or tours! Plus, customers can reserve their place for a low deposit of just £79 per person* on a huge selection of holidays.

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Austravel launches new SignatureCollection for 2018/2019Austravel has launched its new Signature Collection featuring exclusive

itineraries that include hand-picked excursions and uniqueproperties, centred around some of the most exceptional experiencesavailable across the continent. Showcasing its ability to create out-of-the-ordinary, tailor made holidays, Austravel’s new collection has beendesigned to inspire travellers to think above and beyond the typicalholiday activities and accommodation. From exploring the NorthernTerritory’s unique ‘Field of Light’ art installation to a backdrop of Uluru,to a fly-in-fly-out heli-hike on New Zealand’s Fox Glacier and a threenight Ghan rail Expedition from Darwin to Adelaide, the opportunitiesavailable are authentic, experiential and unique.

Silversea adds culinary andwine voyagesSilversea is serving up a new menu of 2018 and 2019 Enriched

Voyages featuring enhanced onboard enrichment with a culinary orwine theme, including five sailings developed in partnership with ThePeninsula Hotels.

Five exclusive voyages offer a culinary exploration of Asia enhanced bythe insider knowledge of the prestigious Peninsula Hotels. Guest chefsfrom The Peninsula Hotels will share their expertise with guests, provid -ing a truly immersive gastronomic and cultural experience of the Far East.

On Culinary Voyages Silversea chefs share their expertise through guidedmarket-to-plate excursions, special menus, cooking demonstrations anddinners highlighting regional specialities.

New Edinburghto Sofia routestartsThe easyJet service between

Edinburgh and Sofia is nowin operation, opening upBulgaria’s capital and biggestcity to passengers.

The inaugural flight last monthmarked the beginning of the twiceweekly service which op erates onTuesdays and Saturdays.

Chief Executive of EdinburghAirport Gordon Dewar said:“The beginning of this route isanother positive step forScotland’s busiest airport as weadd another city to our roster,which is already im pressive.Sofia’s stunning scenery andslopes will cater for those look -ing for a city break as well asavid skiers, and easyJet haveagain shown foresight in work -ing with us to provide this forpassengers.”

Emirates saysHello 2018 withexclusive faresEmirates’ Hello 2018 fare sale is

on until 31st January, offeringspecial deals on Economy classand Business class flights fromGlasgow Airport to populardestinations for British travellers.

The special sale includes eightdestinations across Emirates’global network, for travel by 30thNovember including Dubai from£369, Bangkok from £459,Singapore from £499, Perth from£629 and Brisbane from £679

From welcoming its 100th A380,to announcing refreshed interiorsfor its B777 aircraft and a refur -bished A380 Onboard Lounge tointroducing Newark via Athens,Phnom Penh and Zagreb to itsglobal network, Emirates con -tinues to expand both its fleet andits product, maintaining its role asan industry leader and to exceedpassenger’s expectations.

Over the coming weeks we will be showcasing a different airline partner each week and bringing you up to date info on fantastic routes from Glasgow Airport!

HOW TO ENTERTo enter, simply send your answer to the following question to [email protected] by 15.04.18 to be in with a chance of winning.

WIN TWO RETURN FLIGHTS TO FRANKFURT OR MUNICH WITH LUFTHANSA FROM GLA

THIS WEEK WE ARE FEATURING LUFTHANSA • New! Fly to Munich year round and Frankfurt from

summer 2018 with Lufthansa from Glasgow.• Connect to destinations across the world when flying

from Glasgow with Lufthansa.• Lufthansa offer WiFi on all flights.• With Lufthansa meals and drinks are included.

Winners will be announced later on in April. Please contact us for full competition and prize terms and conditions.

Q How many flights a week does Lufthansa operate from Glasgow to Munich between October 2017- March 2018?

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Happy New Year to you all and Ihope you had a wonderfulChristmas break. We are well intothe January peak sales period and Ihope you are all busy making lots ofgreat bookings.

To help with any short breakenquiries, SuperBreak is offering arange of FREE added-value offers. Agreat hook for you all to offerpotential customers looking tobook, deals include a free Thamessightseeing cruise, free hotel nightsand a free bottle of Prosecco.

Available for bookings betweennow and 31 January, FREE offers are:

� FREE Thames River Rover hop-on,hop-off sightseeing cruise with alltwo-night London bookingsworth £18.50pp. Travel before 31March 18.

� FREE bottle of prosecco on all UKtwo-night dinner deal bookings.Travel before 31 March 18.

� FREE nights at hundreds ofoverseas hotels availableincluding three for two and fourfor three offers.

We know that short break bookingsare an impulse purchase andproviding agents with some addedvalue offers at this busy time of yearcan really help close the deal.Everyone loves to feel they aregetting something free so I urge youall to start shouting about it!

Here’s to a great 2018 everyone!

Ramsay and Stewart dominateJet2 awardsJet2holidays has detailed a number of new initiatives for independent

travel agents as it pledged to strengthen its partnership approach toworking with them during its annual VIP independent travel agentconference in Tenerife.

The UK’s second largest tour operator took 250 agents to the Hard RockHotel in Tenerife, where it outlined a number of brand new ideasdesigned specifically for independent travel agents to help them attractcustomers, increase sales, and grow their businesses.

Scottish award winners at the conference were:

Top Seller for Jet2holidays Group Bookings – Ramsay World Travel,Dundee; Top Seller for On Tour – Ramsay World Travel, Dundee; TopSeller for Jet2holidays from Edinburgh Airport – Ramsay World Travel,Dundee; Top Seller for Jet2holidays from Glasgow Airport – StewartTrave, The Forge, Glasgow; Jet2holidays Best Performing Travel AgencyChain (up to 10 branches) – Ramsay World Travel; Jet2holidays BestOverall Branch (part of a chain) – Stewart Travel, The Forge, Glasgow

ABTA’s Travel Trends Reportreveals trends and destinationsto watchThe demand for holidays is set to remain strong in 2018 according

to a new report from ABTA – The Travel Association. Factors such assqueezed budgets, responsible travel and the desire to try newdestinations are expected to impact travel trends over the next 12months.

ABTA Travel Trends 2018, which is based on market information andconsumer insights, features the trends set to influence holidaymakers’habits in the year ahead and reveals the 12 ‘Destinations to watch’ for2018.

The report highlights that despite wider economic issues, holidays are stilla spending priority for UK consumers. New industry figures reveal thatbookings for next summer are tracking 5% above last year.

Research also shows that three in ten people plan to spend an increasedamount on travel next year, up 6% from last year.

Based on the best insider knowledge and market trends, ABTA hasidentified its 12 ‘Destinations to watch’ for 2018. These includeArgentina, Malta, St Lucia, Turkey, Germany, Montenegro, and Nepal.

Bourne Leisurerewardsagents withincentiveBourne Leisure has introduced

an incentive that celebratesthe January Sales and offers thechance to ‘bag a deal’ with earlybooking discounts for customersand prizes for agents.

Agents have the chance to winweekly prizes including £100Love2Shop vouchers and anexclusive personal shoppingexperience with Bourne’s veryown fashionistas National AccountManager, Louise Tansey or SalesExecutive, Gemma Wilks.

All agents have to do to be in witha chance of winning, is book aButlin’s, Haven or Warner LeisureHotels 2018 break between nowand 5th February. In addition,throughout the five weekcampaign Louise and Gemma willbe giving away a further 300goodie bags during their storevisits, offering agents theopportunity to bag a cuddlyBrainz and a £5 Love2Shopvoucher.

Inghams agents completingtraining bookmore revenueInghams has hailed its new bespoke e-learning portal The Academy,

which launched this year, a huge success as it reveals that agentswho completed modules have booked 22% more revenue than thosewho haven’t yet registered.

Since its launch in March, which was created to give agents the toolsthey need to speak knowledgably about Inghams’ Ski and Lakes &Mountains programmes via a range of engaging video and interactivecourses, The Academy has seen over 1,250 travel agents registered.

The greatCMV sailCruise and Maritime Voyages

has a sale running until 31stJanuary.

On over 30 selected summercruises, customers can receive anextra 10% New Year Bonus on topof savings of up to 40%. Forwinter 2018/19 cruises, there are50% reductions on offer.

Head of Marketing at CMV, MikeHall said “After the Christmasbreak the serious business ofgetting bargains in the sales orbooking the annual holidaybegins. We have combined thetwo. Most CMV passengers preferto book early and get the cabin oftheir choice and do not want ittaken up by someone else. It isjust like a box of chocolates, youneed to be quick or the best havebeen eaten!”


The SPAA Christmas Networking Lunch

Earn T2 Rewards for the following bookings made between 01 January - 28 February 2018

Once you have made a qualifying booking please email [email protected] within 7 days of booking to claim your additional T2 Rewards. Please include the following information: name, address, booking reference,

lead name, travel dates and T2 Rewards card number.

THE UK’S 100% TRADE ONLY TOUR OPERATORTo book call Travel 2 FREE... Cruise - 0800 0224 301 Tours - 0800 0224 302 Reservations - 0800 0224 182

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Redesign forthe iconicRoyal HotelSet to be complete in spring2018, famed Danish architectArne Jacobsen’s only hotel, theRadisson Blu Royal Hotel,Copenhagen, is in the final stagesof its extensive renewal andmodernisation. The famouslandmark is undergoing a majorredesign and the meeting space,the new Café Royal Restaurant,the lobby and most of the guestrooms are already renovated.

The Royal Hotel, today known asRadisson Blu Royal Hotel, was aforerunner in many ways when itopened in 1960. It was Denmark’sfirst skyscraper and is recognisedas the world’s first designer hoteland the only hotel designed bythe famous architect Arne Jacobsen.

New air trafficrecords met inFinlandIn Finland, Finavia’s airports haveattracted a record number ofpassengers this year. In the firsthalf of 2017, there were in total of10,958,075 passengers. Thisrepresents a 7.9% growth whencompared to the previous year.

Helsinki Airport, the largest ofFinavia’s 21 airports, recorded atotal of 9,034,244 passengers inthe first quarter of 2017. Thisrepresents 8.6% growth year-on-year. The passenger numbers inboth the first and second quarterexceed the previous year’sperformance. In fact, the first halfof 2017 was the busiest ever atHelsinki Airport.

In the second quarter, passengernumbers at Helsinki Airport wereup by 10.8% compared with thesame period in the previous year.At Finland’s second largest airportin Oulu, passenger volume wasdown 16.6% due to a runwayrefurbishment. This allowed Kemi-Tornio Airport in Lapland to in-crease traffic by 78.1%. In Lapland,Kittilä Airport also achieved amore than 70% year-on-yearincrease in passenger volumes inthe second quarter of 2017.

DFDS named World’s LeadingFerry OperatorDFDS has been named the ‘World’s Leading Ferry Operator’ at theWorld Travel Awards for the seventh year.

DFDS operates a comprehensive passenger route network, including fourroutes from the UK to Europe via Dover-Dunkirk, Dover-Calais,Newhaven-Dieppe and Newcastle-Amsterdam. It also offers routes inScandinavia and across the Baltic Sea, including a cruise ferry servicefrom Copenhagen to Oslo and services from Germany to Lithuania,Sweden to Lithuania and Sweden to Estonia.

Canopy byHilton launchesNorthernLights packageCanopy by Hilton Reykjavik

City Centre has launched aspecial Northern Lights package,ensuring that guests have the great-est chance to witness the spectacleon their visit to this city. The offer isavailable to guests from now untilmid-April, with the winter monthsbeing the best time of the year towitness this phenomenon.

As part of the new package, guestsstaying in any room or suite canreceive a 20% discount for aNorthern Lights tour and compli-mentary admission to AuroraReykjavik, the Northern LightsCentre, where they will be givenan insight into the history behindthis natural wonder. The hotel alsooffers an optional wake-up call ifthe lights are visible during thenight, ensuring that no guestmisses out.

Located in the heart of the city,Canopy Reykjavik is designed asan extension of its location onHverfisgata Street, with localdesign influences and naturalmaterials used throughout theproperty’s architecture anddesign. The on-site Geiri Smartrestaurant serves Icelandic disheswhile there is also a coffee shop, adelicatessen bistro and bar.

Weddings inLaplandThose looking to marry inwinter can head to FinnishLapland for a ceremony with adifference. The snow contrastedwith the dancing Northern Lightsand the glow of a fireplace makesfor a truly romantic occasion.

Some of the favourite weddingvenues in Lapland includeNorthern Lights Ranch on theoutskirts of Levi which is debutingfive new Sky View Cabins, theSnowVillage in Kittilä where

Vows can be exchanged in abeautiful snow chapel and LevinIglut perched on a fell 10kmoutside of Levi.

Hot happenings in Denmark 2018Denmark is renowned for its constant innovation, whether in culture,

architecture or gastronomy, and 2018 is set to be no exception,with new restaurants, attractions and works of art set to open all over thecountry.

From Noma to Legoland, some of Denmark’s most famous names haveexciting events happening this year.

With is official inauguration in May, the new BLOX building will housethe Danish Architecture Centre/Danish Design Centre and create a newvenue for Copenhagen..

Copenhill – the artificial ski slope and recreational hiking area that is setto open in the autumn of 2018 – will be built on top of Copenhagen’snew green waste management centre.

Copenhagen’s famous Tivoli Gardens is celebrating its 175 anniversarythis year and will be open from 2nd to 25th February for the first time.Meanwhile, opened in late 2017, Tivoli Corner is a new development forthe northwest corner of Tivoli Gardens, designed to connect theamusement park with Copenhagen’s city centre.

In Aarhus The Salling Rooftop, a roof terrace with a café and urban oasison the roof of the Salling department store in the centre of Aarhus, hasbeen a huge success since its opening in 2017.

Early this year, Aarhus will get its eagerly anticipated light-rail networkserving some 51 stops in the Aarhus area.

Sweden celebrates recordnumber of UK visitorsVisit Sweden is celebrating a hugely successful year for the UK market.

The past year has seen UK visitor numbers to Sweden soar, a wealthof new campaigns, new tourism products and the launch of three newflights from the UK.

Annual figures from Visit Sweden show that UK traveller bed nights hit arecord number of 857,570 in 2016. With 600,170 UK traveller bednights recorded in 2013, this represents a 43% increase in the space ofjust three years. Visit Sweden anticipates further growth this year – thelatest statistics show that UK traveller bed nights to Sweden betweenJanuary and August 2017 hit 617,227, an increase of more than 12,000on 2016’s record figures. This growth makes the UK Sweden’s fourthlargest inbound tourism, with the country seeing strong investment fromthe UK travel industry.

Proving that UK visitors are looking for new experiences off the beatentrack, a new route between London Gatwick and the lesser known regionof Jämtland Härjedalen in northern Sweden, gateway to Sweden’s prem-ier downhill ski resort of Åre, was launched by easyJet at the end of2016.

THE SIGN OF A PERFECT HOLIDAY, EVERY TIME

115 HOLIDAYS TO 60 COUNTRIES

*for full terms and conditions see www.travelsphere.co.uk

FOR TRADE AND MARKETING SUPPORT CONTACT TRADE SALES ON 01858 588 406 OR EMAIL [email protected]. FOR BROCHURES VISIT TRADEGATE

GUARANTEED DEPARTURESAny tour date featured in the brochure

is 100% guaranteed to depart as promised*

GUARANTEED PRICE MATCH Find a better price for an identical holiday as the one

booked with us and we’ll match it and give an extra £100*

GUARANTEED PRICE PROMISEGet the best price for booking early

or we’ll refund the difference*

UNRIVALLED GUARANTEES FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS

Holiday of a lifetime, every time.


Happy New Year from everyone atTravelcube.

So, what have we got going on inJanuary? Read on to find out…

Discover the Americas…andWIN a luxury break to NewYork! We’re kicking off 2018 with a massive prize draw tohelp bring in 2018 with a bang. Book your USA hotels withTravelCube and you can win a luxurious break at thefabulous 5-star Lotte New York Palace Hotel, includingreturn flights for 2 people. Every hotel booking made tothe USA between 15 January – 28 February 2018 will beentered into the prize draw so get booking USA with usnow!!

Also, checkout our 2018 Discover the Americas brochure.It is packed full of hand-picked hotels and services plus‘Like a Local’ knowledge from our destination-based teamon what they recommend your clients should do whenvisiting their cities. Go to HYPERLINK "http://travelcube-marketing.com/discover/" http://travelcube-marketing.com/discover/ to discover more.

Are you ready for a bit of January Madness? Forthe month of January, we’re giving you the chance tomake your customers seriously happy with some stunningoffers, in some of the world’s most booked destinationsacross the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East &Africa. Some of the Hot offers include:

5* Corinthia Hotel, Budapest – Up to 30% off

4* Novotel Sydney Rockford Darling Harbour, Australia –Stay 3 nights, save 20%

5* Kalima Resort and Spa, Phuket, Thailand – Up to 58% off

5* The Peninsula Bangkok – Up to 20% off

5* Banyan Tree, Mahe Island, Seychelles – Up to 20% off

5* The Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas, Las Vegas – Stay 3nights, save 15%

3* Dunes Inn – Sunset, Los Angeles – Exclusive rate

For full info go to europe.travelcube-marketing.com/january-madness/

NH Hotels, Barcelona – Special Offer – Get up to25% off on bookings made up to 31 January 2018 toparticipating NH Hotels in Barcelona. There are norestrictions to the travel period. So that’s great rates andsome fabulous locations…what’s not to like!

New Year, New Brand! If you haven’t already noticed,we’ve had a bit of makeover for 2018 and launched ournew TravelCube brand. We hope you like the fresh, modernlook.

Check out all our Hotel offers, Transfers & Sightseeingoptions at www.travelcube.com/uk

Miya GilritchieRegional Account ManagerTravelCube07971 183 [email protected]

Bermuda Pink Sale now onThe Bermuda Tourism Authority has launched its annual Pink

Sale, offering up to 50% off hotel stays during spring, autumnand winter.

The Bermuda Pink Sale is in association with several touroperators at the following hotels: Cambridge Beaches, Grotto BayBeach Resort; Royal Palms Hotel; Hamilton Princess & BeachClub; Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort & Spa; Coco Reef; TheReefs and Fairmont Southampton.

The hotels will offer discounts of up to 50% on all bookings madebetween now and 23rd January.

Carrier shifts focus ofJanuary campaignCarrier has unveiled its January marketing campaign: THE ONE. The

new concept this year is focused on helping customers and agentslooking for “the one holiday, the one experience... the one not like allthe others”.

The tour operator’s annual peaks campaign supports travel agents with amulti-faceted approach, reassuring agents that Carrier is THE ONE forthem during this crucial booking period.

Carrier has produced a curated edit of luxury holiday options and strongtravel offers for the coming year, and presented them all in one place.This is divided into six collections such as ‘the one for a sense of place’,‘the one for adventure’, ‘the one for family’ and ‘the one for specialoccasions’.

Airline loyalty programmes first kicked on 1stMay 1981 with off with American’sAAdvantage and very quickly they werefollowed by United’s Mileage Plus. It was thepost deregulation era in the USA and mostairlines were quick to keep up theircompetitive edge with their own schemes.

At the same time codeshare partnershipsdeveloped enabling airlines to co-operate onroutes fares and services. It took asurprisingly long time for worldwide alliancesto develop mainly due to lack of “Open Skies”agreements.

Five airlines initially created Star Alliance asthe first global aviation partnership back in1997. The aim was on a worldwide basis toprovide seamless service for customers of themember airlines and benefits like free loungeaccess and upgrades for the more frequentfliers.

One World followed on 1st February 1999

and SkyTeam was the third global allianceformed in June 2000.

It was not an easy task to try and align eachset of flight schedules, ticketing, baggagehandling frequent flyer schemes to fit onpartner carriers.

For the airlines the cost savings can be sub-stantial as they can share terminals andhandling with partner airlines at major hubs.For the passengers the alliances offer“seamless” service to most part of the worldand the ability earn and spend frequent flyerrewards on partner airlines.

Two of the major Middle East airlines areunaligned to any worldwide alliance.Emirates and Etihad chose to have selectivecodeshare partners on a worldwide basisrather than join in a global partnership.

For travel agents the three major groups havemost excellent websites when it comes toplanning and pricing a Round the World Trip.

ON THE FLYTwenty years of Stars in Alliance

with John MacCalman

Air Astana willbe one oflargest AirbusA320neo familyoperatorsAir Astana, the flag carrier of

Kazakhstan, is destined tobecome one of the largest A320neoFamily operators in Central Asiaand CIS over the next three years.

The airline became the firstoperator of this type in the regionin 2016 and the fleet will grow to17 aircraft by 2020. Air Astanawill then operate 6 A320neo, 7A321neo and 4 A321neo LRtypes. All aircraft will be acquiredon operating lease basis in accord-ance with agreements that weresigned for 11 aircraft in 2015 and6 aircraft in 2017.

The delivery of the new gener-ation A320neo Family aircraft willallow for an overall increase ofcapacity by up to 40% over thenext three years.

A LIFE OF LUXURY IN NATURE’S PARADISE

EXTRAORDINARY SIGHTS FROM JUNGLE TO CITY

The Mekong Delta, Vietnam Paradise!

ASIA THE CARIBBEAN

on select voyages on select voyages

UPGRADE TO BUSINESS CLASS FOR AN EXTRA £1,100PP

£599PP ROUNDTRIP ECONOMY FLIGHTS

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY BOOK BY 31 JANUARY 2018

COMPLIMENTARY SHORE

EXCURSIONIN EVERY

PORT

FLIGHT OFFERON SELECT VOYAGES

UPGRADE TO BUSINESS CLASS FOR AN EXTRA £700PP

£299PP ROUNDTRIP ECONOMY FLIGHTS

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY BOOK BY 31 JANUARY 2018

COMPLIMENTARY

SHORE EXCURSIONS

FLIGHT OFFERON SELECT VOYAGES

From the stars above the jungle canopy to the bright lights of big cities, there is plenty to dazzle and amaze in this selection of Asian voyages.

Guests may choose to explore the Sultanate of Brunei, taking a river safari beside the mangroves and seeing the fun-loving orang-utan in its natural habitat. Or perhaps they’ll depart from Singapore and spend two exciting nights in Myanmar where grand colonial architecture meets the informal and vibrant local way of life.

The epic beauty of Vietnam radiates from the heights of its sacred temples and pagodas, through picturesque acres of rice terraces right down to the perfect beaches that line its shores. And for those who love the city life, Hong Kong offers an astonishing cultural melting pot where guests can lose themselves among the historic sights. Bangkok is a vibrant fun-loving city with an altogether different fl avour. Invite your guests to experience its charm on an iconic tuk-tuk ride or in the perfect tranquillity of a Buddhist temple.

With the gentle sounds of music and a chilled glass of champagne, guests can set sail on a luxury Caribbean cruise like no other. Lush jungles, white, sandy beaches and a laid-back lifestyle are all just a day’s sail away. With each new Caribbean island more spectacular than the one before, it is hard to know where to begin.

There is nothing quite like island living. From gentle sea breezes to stunning natural vistas, thundering waterfalls and long ribbons of beach, everything falls into place as your guests unwind and let go in paradise.

Sailing through the Caribbean and Central America, whether your guests want to attend a mixology seminar in San Juan, snorkel the crystal-clear waters of St. George’s, or simply live like a local in Les Saintes, the choice is theirs.

Alternatively, they may choose a cruise that starts in Florida and heads for Mexico’s fabulous Cozumel island – spotting starfi sh and turtles while drift diving.


22 Feb 18 3805 9 Singapore to Hong Kong Silver Shadow £4,600 03 Mar 18 3806 10 Hong Kong to Singapore Silver Shadow £4,900 13 Mar 18 3807 12 Singapore Roundtrip Silver Shadow £4,600 25 Mar 18 3808 9 Singapore to Hong Kong Silver Shadow £4,400 03 Apr 18 3809 11 Hong Kong to Singapore Silver Shadow £5,300 14 Apr 18 3810 11 Singapore to Hong Kong Silver Shadow £4,900 25 Apr 18 3811 15 Hong Kong to Tokyo Silver Shadow £7,400 More Voyages Available


18 Feb 18 2806 7 San Juan Roundtrip Silver Wind £3,200 25 Feb 18 2807 10 San Juan Roundtrip Silver Wind £3,400 11 Mar 18 2809 7 San Juan Roundtrip Silver Wind £2,900 13 Mar 18 6805 9 Fort Lauderdale Roundtrip Silver Muse £3,500 22 Mar 18 6806 13 Fort Lauderdale to San Juan Silver Muse £4,800 23 Mar 18 2811 7 San Juan Roundtrip Silver Wind £3,100 30 Mar 18 2812 7 San Juan to Fort Lauderdale Silver Wind £3,000


Bridge Sailing. Gentlemen Hosts on board to accompany solo travellers. Last Minute Savings. Venetian Society guests enjoy an additional 5% saving.

Excludes voyage 2806


Visit Silversea.com/terms-and-conditions for complete Terms and Conditions.

#ThisIsSilversea

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR FOR RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL 0207 340 0700VISIT: Silversea.com | EMAIL: [email protected] TRAINING: silverseaacademy.comORDER YOUR BROCHURES THROUGH trade-gate.co.uk

Amanda MiddlerRegional Sales ManagerScotland & Ireland

+44 (0)7961 997 561

[email protected]

Catherine Bradley

Inside Sales Support

+44 (0) 20 7340 0700

[email protected]

YOUR TEAM

Luke ClarkeNational Development, Training & Events ExecutiveUK & Ireland

+44 (0)7984 309 945

[email protected]


IssueNo.1,310 Weekof15January2018 /stanselections · 2018-03-10 · 4 Scottish Travel Agents News:...

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