Travel Bulletin 7th October 2016

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October 7 2016 | ISSUE NO 1,985 | www.travelbulletin.co.uk

Central & Eastern Europe Germany announces new campaign themes for 2017

this week

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event bulletin images from our adventure & activity showcase in Birmingham

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cruise bulletin new deals & offers to mark Plan a Cruise Month greece discover what’s new for agents to promote in 2017

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middle east hoteliers & operators unveil their latest programme additions

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EARN LOVE2SHOP Book any USA holiday between 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2016 and earn a £20 Love2Shop voucher for every booking

Top 10 USA bookers Will win a place on the

California and the Golden West FAM trip in 2017!

Book between 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2016

PLUS

NAPA VALLEY

e Tha n k s g ivin g Pr iz Every USA booking into will also enter you IN a prize draw to W

a USA hamper!

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Thai treat...

EVA Air, in conjunction with the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), hosted six UK agents on a fam trip to Taipei and Bangkok to collectively promote their products. The group, who visited a total of four hotels during their time travelling, took part in a number of activities including a visit to CKS Memorial Hall, Longshan Temple and Fort Domingo in Taiwan, before watching the sunset at Tamsui river, and a cruise down the Chao Phraya River for views of the Grand Palace, Temple of the Emerald and Wat-Arun temple. Pictured at CKS Memorial Hall in Taipei are, from the left: Jack Buchanan, Flight Centre; James Pook, Audley Travel; Spiros Maragkoudakis, A1 Travel Deals; Kieran Jones, THG Holidays; Julie Turnbull, Gazelle Travel; Kelly Brasher, Premier Holidays; and Mohini Patel, EVA Airways Corporation.

Brits losing cash on hidden holiday costs according to new research

Cover Pictures: Main - Stefan Bernsmann

Inset - Olympic Holidays

NEW RESEARCH has revealed that our holidays are costing us more than we think; over the course of the 2016 holiday season Brits overspent on summer getaways by £2.4billion due to unforeseen costs according to a survey by minicabit.

Brits are spending an average increase of nearly 10% of the original cost of a holiday down to extras such as holiday insurance, excess baggage, airport transfers, car hire and duty-free purchases, amounting to £128.14 per holiday. To provide some context to that level of spending, £2.4billion is not only virtually 10% of the total cost of a holiday added on again, it is also 9.13% of the entire spend by UK residents travelling abroad for holidays in 2015 - £26.3billion.

This week

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news a round-up of this week’s industry announcements & launches

agent bulletin new booking incentives & agent training opportunities

puzzle bulletin play Su Doku for your chance to win a £50 M&S voucher

bulletin briefing Advantage highlights the importance of embracing emerging technology

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Forking out for these extras often appears to be due to a lack of planning, as a third of respondents simply didn’t know how much they spent on extras. One of the major factors was holiday insurance, with an average £40.25 overspend on this alone. This can be attributed to part of a wider problem which was highlighted by a Gov.uk survey that 24% of UK travellers holidaying overseas in 2012 were uninsured, 48% of which were 15-24 years old.

The results also revealed that travellers of 18-24 years of age have the highest unexpected costs, racking up bills for excess baggage and duty-free purchases in particular and, in terms of UK location, Londoners splash out the most with a mean overspend of £177.62, with high roaming costs for those unable to switch off from work being a major factor in this.

event bulletin images from our adventure & activity showcase in Birmingham

london life discover what’s new in the capital this month

cruise bulletin we highlight the latest deals to celebrate CLIA’s Plan a Cruise Month

event bulletin Leeds was the location for our Cruise Showcase event

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personality bulletin find out who’s answering our quick-fire questions this week

greece operators unveil their new programmes for 2017

middle east a round-up of the latest offers from hoteliers & operators

central europe Germany announces new campaign themes for 2017

October 7 2016

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Best value post-Brexit city breaks in Europe highlighted by Travelzoo WITH THE pound recovering from a recent three-year low against the euro last month, UK consumers have voiced their concerns about the fluctuating cost of travel to European hotspots. In response to this, Travelzoo has investigated the best value post-Brexit city break destinations for 2016 to help UK travellers decide where to book.

The company's European head of communications, Louise Hodges, said: "Autumn is always a popular time for city breaks – particularly in Europe - and we know that ongoing concerns about the value of the pound against the euro are making it harder for British consumers to find an affordable European short break this year.

"The good news is we are seeing some great deals in the market for major European cities such as Paris and Berlin – and we would also urge people to consider lesser-known cities such as Krakow, Porto and Gibraltar as they are also offering good value for money."

The destinations identified as best value include Paris, Krakow, Berlin, Porto and Gibraltar, with prices in Paris leading in at £84 for a hotel stay near Montmartre including breakfast.

Condor Ferries promotes culinary getaway this autumn to Channel Islands CONDOR FERRIES is encouraging foodie fans to get away this autumn by taking the ferry journey across the English Channel to the islands of Jersey and Guernsey for this year’s Tennerfest.

Taking place from now until November 11, the annual food event offers visitors the chance to experience some of the Channel Islands’ culinary delights from fixed price menus, which start from as little as £10 per person.

Now in its 19th year, the event brings together more than 170 restaurants across Jersey and Guernsey to showcase the very best local produce and innovative cooking.

Visitors to Tennerfest will have the opportunity to meet local chefs and

take their pick from a range of cafes, bistros, gastro pubs and traditional seafood restaurants.

Prices start from £54 per person for a car and two passengers each

way to Guernsey and Jersey, with day trips to Guernsey from £30 for an adult return.

For more information visit condorferries.com

Balkan introduces new Bansko options for a Bulgarian winter break

HOT ON THE PRESS...Kate Kenward (right), executive director at AITO and Gemma Antrobus, chair of AITO Specialist Travel Agents, take a quick break to catch up with Travel Bulletin in between checking out Little Petra in Jordan ahead of the AITO and AITO Specialist Travel Agents' conference. Held from November 24-27, the conference will be a two-centre 'fam-conference', starting off at the Dead Sea and then heading for Petra and Wadi Rum to give agents and operators the opportunity to experience the destination, with a view to encourage operators to offer new programmes or variations of current programmes and for agents to sell more holidays.

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BALKAN HOLIDAYS is featuring four new hotels in Bansko, Bulgaria for winter 2016/17, along with a weekly Saturday flight with a scheduled airline from Luton to Bucharest for skiing and snowboarding in the resort of Poiana Brasov in Romania.

The four-star Hotel Zara is a new hotel in Bansko offering a range of leisure facilities including an indoor pool and children’s pool. Rooms feature a modern décor and there is a complimentary shuttle to the gondola lift. The four-star Hotel Riverside is also new to the operator’s portfolio and is located in the old town. It features an indoor pool with spa facilities, and both properties offer half-board accommodation.

Alternatively, the three-star apartments Winslow Infinity & Spa and the five-star Regnum Bansko Apart Hotel & Spa, offer quality apartment accommodation on a bed-andbreakfast basis. The suites in the Regnum offer views of the Pirin Mountains and are furnished to a high standard. The property also has a spa centre with Finnish sauna, steam bath, hammam, treatments and tropical showers.

Departures are available from eight airports including Gatwick, Heathrow, Bristol, East Midlands, Manchester, Newcastle to Sofia, Bulgaria; Stansted to Ljubljana, Slovenia and Luton to Bucharest, Romania.

For bookings see balkanholidays.co.uk/agents or call 0207543 5555.

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Music-inspired fitness at Hard Rock Hotels RCD HOTELS has announced

an exclusive partnership with global fitness leader, LES MILLS, to debut a series of fitness programs at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana and Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in early autumn, with plans to expand to Hard Rock Hotel Cancun in 2017.

In response to the growing global demand for wellness while travelling, the collaboration offers holidaymakers the opportunity to experience exercise-to-music group fitness classes on-property as part of the all-inclusive experience, as well as after the resort stay with complimentary trial access to the online streaming service LES MILLS On Demand. For details see hardrock.com

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G Adventures teams up to highlight wildlife-friendly travel G ADVENTURES has announced a new partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute to raise awareness of the importance of wildlifefriendly tourism by curating a programme of 20 wildlife trips to form the Jane Goodall Collection by G Adventures.

All trips in the collection are endorsed by renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall; The Jane Goodall Institute protects endangered species through conservation strategies that incorporate the needs of local communities, understanding that helping people saves wildlife.

Dr. Goodall has also formally given her support to the operator's Animal Welfare Policy, which covers all 700 trips and ensures the protection of all animals when travelling with the operator.

With the launch of the new programme, the company will be helping raise awareness for the Jane Goodall Institute, which supports research into the behaviour of wild chimpanzees, and community-based conservation programmes that protect chimpanzees and their forest environment.

As an example of itineraries, a 14-day Highlights of Madagascar option offers walks through ancient baobab forests in search of wild geckos, chameleons, birds and insects.

Guests will also observe lemurs, swim in canyon pools and take to the seas to spot migrating whales and dolphins. Prices lead in at £1,399 per person for a 14-day trip from Antananarivo.

For details call 0344-272 2040 or visit gadventures.co.uk

ENJOY BRITAIN’S LONGEST SUMMER. GIBRALTAR. IT’S BUSINESS AS USUAL - BRITAIN’S PLACE IN THE SUN AWAITS. With 30 degree average summer temperature, a UNESCO world heritage site offering 120,000 years of human history and only 2.5 hours from the UK, where else can you relax in the heat of the Mediterranean, enjoy the warmth of the British Gibraltarians and splash out VAT-free in Sterling?

Gibraltar. Sun, sea and history served with a very British twist For further information call: Gibraltar Tourist Board +44 207 836 0777 or download a brochure at info.london@gibraltar.gov.gi or visit www.gibraltar.gov.uk

#VISITGIBRALTAR

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£100million infrastructure improvements for Birmingham Airport BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT has announced that it is investing £100m on improvements to its facilities and infrastructure, including hold-baggage screening, self-service check-in, surface access, additional car parking and air traffic control.

The most significant programme is underway to replace the hold baggage screening system with the latest advanced baggage x-ray sortation operation, which will more than double the hourly baggage processing capacity.

Other major improvements include developing a new Drop Off car park, which will be free for 30 minutes and connected with a covered walkway to the terminal entrance. Existing car parks will also be upgraded and a new surface car park is planned.

An ambitious programme to double the number of self-service bag drop kiosks will be installed, as well as digital check-in branding to improve operational efficiency and aid passengers.

Paul Kehoe, the airport’s chief executive, said, “We have seen enormous growth at Birmingham Airport over the last few years and we are currently welcoming 11 million passengers a year through our terminal. We’re therefore making this investment to enhance operational efficiency and improve the passenger journey in time for the summer 2017 season, when we’ll welcome 15 new routes with Jet2 and anticipate in excess of 12m passengers over the next year."

The Great Singapore Airlines’ pop-up experience tours across the UK TO CELEBRATE the launch of the Great Singapore Airlines’ Getaway campaign, Singapore Airlines and Singapore Tourism Board brought a piece of South East

Asia to the UK. The #TasteofSingapore experience included a Food Truck serving traditional Singaporean cuisine, Virtual Reality headsets whisking visitors away to the famous sights and streets of Singapore and a photo booth with a ‘choose your own Singapore adventure’ in-flight and destination backdrops to create the ideal holiday snap.

The Food Truck visited Birmingham, London, Bristol and Manchester and gave visitors the chance to try the sights, sounds and tastes of Singapore with delicious Singaporean cuisine created by renowned chef Anthony Yeoh, and meet the infamous Singapore Girls cabin crew.

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Debut ski adventure from Hurtigruten HURTIGRUTEN HAS added a new ski touring adventure to its expanding Explorer portfolio.

Taking inspiration from the Alpine Haute Routes, the new three-day Arctic Haute Route, travelling between Bodø and Tromsø, offers skiers and snow-boarders the chance to experience the remote secret slopes of northern Norway.

From Lofoten to Vesteralen, MS Nordstjernen will host the ski adventurers along the Norwegian coastline, exploring new destinations every day.

Anthony Daniels, the company's head of sales UK and Ireland, said: “We are delighted to offer our guests the chance to ski above the Arctic Circle for the first time. We know our guests are seeking truly unique experiences and the new Arctic Haute Route not only satisfies this, but also gives customers ‘ultimate bragging rights’ amongst their friends when they return home. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that only the Hurtigruten Explorer programme can deliver.”

Prices for a three-night break start from £1,031 per person and, in addition to the ski tours, the Arctic Haute Route voyage also offers excursions such as a sea eagle safari, deep-sea fishing or kayaking at an extra charge.

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• WIN £175 worth of Love2Shop vouchers with G Adventures & Amazing Thailand • FIVE SPARKLING prizes to be won with the Swarovski Crystal Worlds, Austria • £100 WORTH of Love2Shop vouchers to be won courtesy of the brand new Hard Rock Hotel opening in Tenerife • VIDEO BOX: discover PortAventura World Parks & Resorts

Visit www.travelbulletin.co.uk/ for details on the above websclusives.

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Brand USA Discovery Program launches new destination badges BRAND USA, the destination marketing organisation for the United States, has released four new destination badges on the USA Discovery Program – the official travel agent training platform for the country.

The new bespoke badges have been developed to provide users with further information on Nevada, Greater Palm Springs, Tri-Valley and San Diego.

Each badge provides an overview of the destination, with in-depth sections focusing on accommodation, food and drink, nightlife and must see/must do experiences. The new badges join a host of existing ‘Extra Learning’ materials available on the site, as well as ten experiential specialist badges, including music, culture & heritage, fly/drive and the great outdoors.

In celebration of the new additions, an incentive to win one of two GoPro cameras is currently running for any user who passes the Regional Expert badge by October 31. The first badge that all agents must take to become certified USA Specialists, the Regional Expert badge, provides agents with a robust overview of the nation and its territories.

For details see usadiscoveryprogram.co.uk

Elite Islands Resorts extends free-ofcharge wellbeing menu ELITE ISLANDS Resorts Group, a collection of beachfront resorts in the Caribbean, is to launch new fitness and mindfulness options to its growing menu featuring free of charge wellbeing activities for guests.

Resort activities for the group include daily yoga, hiking and watersports, all included in the price of a stay.

The new additions to the 'Inside and Out' wellbeing activities menu, launching at St James’s Club & Villas and Galley Bay Resort & Spa Antigua this month and additional locations from January 2017, will be added to the daily activities schedule given to guests on check in. They include a 20-minute floatfit CARIBBEAN aquabase class for a HIIT workout; a Caribbean Colour Me Calm Club; four-day Mindfulness Colouring and Sketch Club Workshops; and a Smart Sun Protection Guide and bespoke advice by Ultrasun and resort team members.

Paula Whitehead, the company's European MD, said: "From the launch of our mobile free beaches eight years ago, we add ideas that encourage guests to maintain or begin wellbeing habits on holiday that benefit them long after their stay with us. We always do this in a way that allows them to pick and choose how and when without that boot camp vibe. Our new additions make it even easier for guests to take care of mind and body during their stay.”

Hayes & Jarvis is offering a seven-night holiday to Antigua with prices from £1,999 per person and savings of £404 per person. Departing on May 16, 2017, the trip includes a seven-night stay at Galley Bay Resort and Spa by Elite on an all-inclusive basis, transfers and flights from Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic.

To book or for more information call 01293-762456 or see hayesandjarvis.co.uk

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LILY Y BEACH RESORT T & SPA Complimentary Nights (Stay 7 Pay 6 OR Stay 12 Pay 10) Va alid for stays between 01/11/16 - 23/12/16 6 Early booking offer winter 2016/17 Book any room type 60 days in advance and receive ive Early Booking Discount on room rates and extra person supplement pplement including g Platinum Plan meal plan p Discount not applicable on Green Tax a Combinable with Complimentary Nights offer e and Kids Free only offer Valid for stays between 01/11/16 - 23/12/16 and 05/01/17 - 23/12/17

ANGSANA VELAV VA ARU - LAND VILLAS Book an ny y rroom oo om type b by y 30/11/16 and receive special discoun nt on room rates including breakffast Valid for stays between 01/11/16 -31/03/2017 17 EARLLY BOOKING OFFER WINTER 2016/17 Book any room type 45 days in advance for minimum four(4) r(4) nights and receive eive a discount on Bed&Breakfast room rate eApplicable cable for extra person sharing supplement Valid for stays between 24/12/16 - 27/12/16 and 09/01/17 - 31/03/17

BAN NDOS ISLAND RESORT T & SPA Early Booking offer – Winter 2016/17 Book by 31/10/16 3 and receive a discount on room rate including breakfasts Minimum stay of 7 nights required to qualiffy Discount not applicable on Green T Tax ax Valid ffor stays between 10/01/17 - 30/04/17

MEDHUFUSHI ISLAND RESORT T Book Beach Villa (Semi-Detached) OR Beach Villa OR Wa Water Villa and recei receive discount rate es Valid for stays between 20/04/16 - 31/10/16 Earlly Bookin ki g Offfer Win i ter 2016/17 Book k 45 days in advance for a minimum stay of 7 nights and receive discount on Half Board room rate per room per stay Valid for stays between 01/11/16 - 30/04/17

SRI LANKA - MAURITIUS - SEYCHELLES - INDIA - UAE - CARIBBEAN Over 230 hotels and a selection of tours available on our website Including exclusive offers for Winter 2016/17 and Summer 2017

www.osborneandebel.com All above offers are subject to availability.

TTer erms & Conditions Apply

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IAG & Qatar Airways team up to offer more choice to passengers QATAR AIRWAYS and British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG) have announced a joint business agreement which will come into effect on October 30.

The joint business will benefit customers by offering a wider choice of flights, an enhanced network (a more seamless travel experience between the UK, Asia, Middle East and Africa), greater choice of fares and superior benefits for members of their frequent flyer programmes.

The joint business will see the two airlines code-sharing on all non-stop flights between the UK and Doha, to offer customers a combined route network which will serve more than 70 destinations. Between the airlines’ hubs of London and Doha the new partnership will offer seven daily non-stop services in both directions.

Willie Walsh, IAG’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted to announce this joint business with Qatar Airways which is one of the world's premier airlines. This agreement will benefit customers by giving them access to more destinations through Qatar Airways’ extensive network. It will also allow us to provide easier journeys with better aligned schedules, more frequencies and improved flight transfers. This partnership follows the commercial agreement with IAG Cargo signed two years ago and enhances our relationship with Qatar Airways further.”

Luxury Gold offers 15 new itineraries in Worldwide 2017 programme LUXURY GOLD has launched its Worldwide programme for 2017, featuring 15 new itineraries, nine new countries, two new continents and a voluntourism extension for the first time.

Building on the success of its first year of operation, the operator's 2017 portfolio will now feature 38 escorted journeys, delivering private VIP experiences across Europe, North and South America, India, Southeast Asia and Australasia. The 15 new luxury itineraries include trips to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, all for the first time.

All itineraries in Australia and New Zealand will travel in small groups with a maximum of 20, in Southeast Asia with a maximum 26, and selected departures in Europe will operate with a maximum of 24

guests, for those customers looking for a more intimate experience.

Guests will stay in properties renowned for their exceptional quality, style, location and service including the Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor in Cambodia, The Langham in Sydney, The Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, the Capri Palace Hotel & Spa in Italy, The Milestone Hotel in London and the Belmond Copacabana Palace in Brazil.

As an example of prices, an 18day Inspiring IndoChina leads in at £6,825 per person based on two sharing, and visits Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Highlights include a fresh perspective of Angkor Wat, led by a renowned scholar; meeting a former Cambodian soldier who fought the Khmer Rouge; a private visit to the UNESCO site of the Imperial City of Hue before it opens to the public; and a traditional water puppet

performance.

For details see luxurygoldvacations.com

Virgin Trains targets flyers between London and Edinburgh

TIME OUT...Flagging up October half-term breaks and autumn escapes from £89 to Emma Pearce (left) from Thomas Cook in Abington is Bourne Leisure's Gemma Wilks.

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VIRGIN TRAINS on the East Coast is offering flyers between Edinburgh and London discounted travel in a bid to encourage more people to forget the plane and take the train.

Standard Class tickets have been reduced to £15 each way and First Class tickets are £30 each way, with 20,000 discount codes available.

Customers can get discount codes between now and November 3 and have until November 10 to book tickets, for travel between now and December 16. Discount codes are also available for other destinations in Scotland on Virgin Trains’ East Coast route.

For more information see virgintrainseastcoast.com/planerelief

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Booking incentives ●

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AtlAntis, PArAdise island and the nassau Paradise island Promotions Board (nPiPB) are giving agents the chance to earn up £45 for each booking made at the resort.

Agents can earn £10 per booking for Atlantis Beach and Coral towers, £15 per booking for royal towers and £25 per booking for stays at the luxurious Cove or reef. Plus, nPiPB is offering all agents an additional £20 reward for every booking made to the destination. to start earning, agents need to make a booking with a minimum fournight stay and register it at atlantisbahamasrewards.com before november 30. All bookings made for travel up until december 31, 2017 are valid and rewards will be earned with each booking registered. Agents who register and log their bookings will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a five-night stay for two adults at Atlantis royal towers including breakfast for travel during 2017. the runner up will win two 12-month adult passes giving unlimited entry to all sealife Aquariums and sanctuaries in the UK, including the sealife london Aquarium.

Agents BooKing a holiday to the neapolitan rivera this month with inghams italy will receive £25 per booking. the incentive runs until october 31. newmArKet HolidAys has issued its new 2017 Coach Brochure featuring scenic breaks, theatre and concert trips, royal and historic visits, sporting events, garden and flower shows, plus festive breaks. Agents booking an escorted coach tour for a customer by october 31 will be entered into a prize draw to win the holiday that they booked on behalf of their customer. the more bookings an agent makes the more chances of them winning a holiday for two.

AmAwAterwAys HAs relaunched its trade-facing loyalty scheme which rewards travel agents and homeworkers for every booking they make. the scheme offers ten prizes from a bottle of Champagne for one booking, a FitBit for four bookings, a £100 shopping voucher for six, a luggage set for eight bookings and the top prize, a cabin for two on one of the company's european river cruise ships for ten bookings. to receive a card email rewards@amawaterways.com or call 0800-520 2251.

Prestige HolidAys has teamed up with Air transat, rocky mountaineer, Fairmont Hotels and destination Canada to offer agents the opportunity to win monthly prizes plus the chance to win the grand prize draw of a week’s holiday for two. the incentive runs until February 28, 2017, during which time all bookings made with the operator (include a travel component with any incentive partners) will be entered into the prize draw. the four partners will also be offering monthly prizes.

AGENT TRAINING ●

A new level of the engaging and interactive agent training programme, ‘DSD Doubles’, has been launched by DoSomethingDifferent.com. The programme is a quick, easy and fun way for agents to learn about the tours, trips and attractions on sale – along with getting to know the company's team.

The experience provider saw more than 1,000 agents take part in stage one of the programme, and stage two has modules on the team, city break activities, inspirational tours and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. To participate visit dsdoubles.com

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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is encouraging agents to book onto one of its free onboard training days this month to enable them to experience the product first-hand. The next training days take place on Black Watch on October 12 and October 31, both in Edinburgh. Agents will receive one-to-one product training and sales tips from senior members of the sales team, as well as presentations and tours, plus the chance to win a free mini-cruise. To register see fredolsencruises.com/travelagentcentre, call 01473746164 or email cruise.sales@fredolsen.co.uk

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Largest ski programme launch from Jet2.com to more than 600 resorts JET2.COM is set to launch its largest ski programme, with an additional 115,000 seats to more than 600 ski resorts, on top of a new partnership and ski carriage offer.

Weekly flights will operate to eight top ski destinations - Geneva, Grenoble, Lyon, Salzburg, Turin, Verona, Andorra (Barcelona) as well as Sofia in Bulgaria which is new for 2016/17.

The carrier has also announced that customers can check in 22kg of ski carriage allowance for just £1 and has partnered with Snow Factor Braehead which is located ten minutes from Glasgow City centre. The partnership means that passengers are able to receive 20% off Snow Factor ski passes and get some practice in before jetting off to hit the slopes. For further information or to book visit trade.jet2holidays.com

Cox & Kings launches new tours in Latin America for 2017 COX & KINGS has introduced a number of new tours in Peru, Brazil, Costa Rica and Panama for 2017.

The revamped 'Peru in Luxury' tour offers guests the chance to explore Peru travelling to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca with an itinerary designed to combine the country’s ancient, colonial and scenic highlights. The 11-day, nine-night tour leads in at £3,895 per person based on two people sharing.

Alternatively, a 'Brazil, Wildlife and Waterfalls' holiday includes a focus on the diverse natural wonders of Brazil by exploring the Pantanal region to spot monkeys, capybaras and giant anteaters before experiencing the thundering waters of Iguacu Falls. Prices lead in at £2,695 based on two people sharing. For details see coxandkings.co.uk.

A DONE DEAL...The Association of Group Travel Organisers (AGTO) has become a member of The Tourism Alliance, whose purpose is to identify and develop policies and strategies to raise standards and promote quality within the industry and work with and lobby government on all key issues relevant to the growth and development of tourism and its contribution to the economy.

Pictured marking the announcement is Mike Bugsgang (left) from AGTO and Kurt Janson from The Tourism Alliance.

NEWS BITES ● ALEXA PRIVATE Cruises, an exclusive luxury two-berth, one cabin luxury vessel located on the Indonesian Archipelago, is available for hire. Highlights include a gourmet chef, a massage therapist, PADI & SSI accredited diving instructor, access to a range of watersports, open air cinema, 'under the stars' sleeping option and bespoke personalised itineraries. The vessel is bookable from £2,665 per night depending on the route and season. For details see alexaprivatecruises.com ● COSTA RICA has been named as the happiest country in the world by the Happy Planet Index (HPI) published by the New Economics Foundation. ● DUBAI PARKS and Resorts has announced that daily ticket prices will be available to purchase from October 31. Pre-purchased standard adult tickets will range from £49 to £68 (AED 240 – 330) for a oneday single park ticket, and from £98 to £182 (AED 480 – 890) for a multiple parks multiple days ticket. The destination is comprised of three theme parks - Bollywood Parks Dubai, MOTIONGATE Dubai, and LEGOLAND Dubai, together with the LEGOLAND Water Park. ● AIRLINE BRANDS are more likely to build brand experiences that encourage customer loyalty compared to those in retail and telecoms, according to new research from independent design agency Rufus Leonard. Singapore Airlines (96) is the brand that scores the highest across all sectors based on a maximum score of 140 and an ‘all sector average’ of 80. Overall, the airline sector performs the best with Singapore Airlines (96) Emirates (90) and Virgin Atlantic (87) leading the way. ● VISIT KENT and Shepherd Neame have teamed up in a new prize draw to offer a year’s supply of beer. Details at visitkent.co.uk/beerfor-a-year ● FROM OCTOBER 24-28, Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, will be opening an hour early so visitors can get into the spirit of Halloween from 09:00 through to 17:00. For details call 01422330069 or visit eureka.org.uk ● NOTTINGHAM IS building on the success of last year’s debut Nottingham October Festival month to offer a bigger programme of events this year. Nottingham City Council has joined forces with Experience Nottinghamshire, Galleries of Justice, Broadway, Hockley Hustle, GameCity and CAMRA to bring the city alive in October.

More than 20 festival and major events will be taking place throughout the month, including a Caves Festival. For details see experiencenottinghamshire.com/october

Flybe announces summer 2017 schedule from Doncaster Sheffield FLYBE HAS announced its 2017 summer schedule from Doncaster Sheffield featuring ten routes with an additional 35,000 seats on sale and a total choice of up to 96 flights a week across its UK and mainland Europe network. It includes the two new Euro City routes to Dublin and Dusseldorf that will operate for the first time this winter and which are being carried through to next summer; flights to other Euro City destinations, namely Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris; the continuation of its popular sun routes to Alicante, Faro and Malaga; and daily flights to Jersey and peak summer flights to Newquay.

Tickets are available at flybe.com from £29.99 one-way including taxes for travel from March 26 to August 13, 2017.

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puzzlebulletin

Su Doku

Where Am I?

Win a £50 M&S voucher in the travelbulletin Su Doku prize puzzle Number: 038

A➠

B➠ C➠

D➠ Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the 3 x 3 squares contains the digits 1-9.

Once you have completed the puzzle, simply identify the numbers that relate to the letters, A, B, C and D then e-mail the solution, with your name, company name, and full postal address plus phone and ABTA number if applicable to: competition@travelbulletin.co.uk Closing date for entries is Thursday, October 13th. Solution and new puzzle will appear next week.

The winner for 23rd September is Emma Smith, Hays Travel Torquay, Devon.

September 23rd Solution: A=9 B=1 C=7 D=8

Crossword

Translating as ‘cotton castle’, this natural UNESCO site features brilliant white travertine terraces and warm pools hanging from the rim of a steep valley. It is also the site of the ruins of the Greek-Roman city of Hierapolis.

Fill in the crossword to reveal the mystery location highlighted by the green squares.

Number: 038

Across 1. Flag carrier of Israel (2,2) 3. Mercure Hotels are part of this group (5) 8. Capital of Swaziland (7) 9. The Three Gorges Dam spans this river (7) 11. Narita, Tokyo international airport code (3) 12. Airline with its HQ in Warsaw (3) 14. Good Morning Britain presenter, ____ Reid (7) 16. Capital of Kenya (7) 18. Shearings and Leger offer tours of this WW1 battlefield (5) 19. Welsh football hero, Gareth ___ (4)

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Down 1. She is The Girl on the Train, showing at 5 Down (5,5 ) 2. Capital of Jordan (5) 4. The UK's specialist aviation regulator (3) 5. Cinema chain (5) 6. This airline may soon be offering direct flights from Perth to London (6) 7. Paris tourist district, home to the Sacre Coeur (10) 10. London train and tube station (6) 13. Call sign, sounds like a dance (5) 15. Currency of Nigeria (5) 17. Douglas is the capital, initially (3)

For the solution to the Crossword and Where Am I? Please see page 38 October 7 2016

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JAMAICA VIBES…The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) hosted its first Jamaica Travel Market trade show last month at the Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa to offer agents the opportunity to meet with Jamaican suppliers and resorts. Tourism to Jamaica has grown by an average of 26% over the last three years from the UK and Irish market and both Jamaica’s newly elected minister of tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, and director of tourism, Paul Pennicook, were on hand to meet with attendees and share news of resort developments and island offerings. Pictured at the awards evening dinner are, from the left: Paul Pennicook, JTB; Laverne Walker, Sackville Travel; David Burling, TUI; Sarah Gatt, Kuoni; Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism; Elizabeth Fox, JTB; and Mark Van Der Velt, Expedia.

Greece’s Sani Dunes’ adult-friendly hotel set for June 2017 launch GREECE'S SANI Resort is expanding its extensive choice of suites and rooms with a new adult-friendly hotel, Sani Dunes, set to open at the end of June 2017.

The new destination will offer a private beach; indoor and outdoor heated pools; an exclusive spa with six private treatment rooms, including a couples suite with private steam bath; a special Thai massage cabin; fitness studio and gourmet restaurants. In addition to a range of leisure activities, the hotel will offer a selection of activities exclusively for teenagers, making it the ideal place for grown-up, intimate escapes and a relaxed beach holiday backdrop for families with children above the age of 12.

Norwegian reveals its cheapest summer 2017 flights to the US NORWEGIAN HAS put on sale its summer 2017 lowcost flights to the US from £149 one-way.

The carrier has made 360,000 transatlantic seats available for travel next summer from Gatwick as the airline continues to introduce new Boeing 787 Dreamliners, one of the world’s most modern aircraft.

The airline is also growing its fleet of 787 Dreamliner aircraft which offer two classes – Premium and Economy.

Flights from Gatwick to Boston start from £149, to New York, Lauderdale-Miami and Orlando from £179 and to San Francisco and Los Angeles from £199.

To book or for more information see norwegian.com

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Low-rise contemporary accommodation will comprise 80 Junior and Panorama Junior Suites, as well as 56 double and family rooms, all furnished with handcrafted Mediterranean touches. Several suites will also offer terraces, balconies or private gardens.

Guests will be able to take full advantage of the resort's range of sports and activities, with six tennis courts, a basketball court, beach volleyball and mini football, as well as watersports including windsurfing and water skiing.

Nightly rates start from 129 euros (approximately £111) per room, per night).

For details or to book see saniresort.gr or call 0800-949 6809.

Uniworld introduces new golf excursions AS PART of its 2017 Europe & Russia programme, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has unveiled two new golf excursions in France. Both are exclusive to guests on the new S.S. Joie de Vivre sailing the ‘Paris & Normandy’ itinerary from March 2017.

Golf enthusiasts can visit the 18-hole Golf de Rouen MontSaint-Aignan in Rouen on day three of the cruise and the 18hole Golf d’Etretat, spread over the cliff-tops above the bay of Étretat, on day four, and all golf equipment is provided free of charge.

The new golfing activities are part of the line’s ‘Go Active’ programme which offers guests a range of onshore excursions focused on fitness and wellbeing. Other ‘Go Active’ excursions featured on the 2017 ‘Paris & Normandy’ itinerary include cycling in Giverny; hiking to Richard the Lionheart’s 12th Century stronghold, Château Gaillard; and cycling along the Seine’s Left Bank in Paris. Prices start from £2,489 per person.

The programme also introduces two new itineraries, the ten-day ‘Paris & Impressions of the Seine’ and the ten-day ‘Rhine-Main Discovery & Munich’, a special themed cruise exploring Germany’s Jewish heritage.

Meanwhile, to celebrate the launch, the company is encouraging agents to share selfies on social media encompassing their ‘joy of living’ using the hashtag #MyJoyOfLife by October 31 for the chance to win a £150 Red Letter Days voucher.

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NOW NO OW O ON NS SAL SA AL LE EF FRO RO RO OM M

UUK K BBASE ASEES B BIRMI NGHA AM

NNEEW EW FOR FOR SSUMME UMMER ''17 1177 DESTINA ATION

MON

TUES

WED

4

Lanzarote

FRI

SAT

4

4

4

Fuerteventura Tenerife

THUR

4

4

Alicante

4

Girona

4

Malaga

4

Reus

4

4 4

4

4

4

4

4

4

28-Oct-17

02-Apr-17 -

29-Oct-17

31-Mar-17 -

30-Oct-17

01-Apr-17 -

28-Oct-17

31-Mar-17 -

19-Nov-17

28-Apr-17 -

30-Oct-17

30-Mar-17 -

30-Oct-17

29-Apr-17 -

28-Oct-17

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27-Apr-17 -

29-Oct-17

4

31-Mar-17 -

30-Oct-17

29-Apr-17 -

28-Oct-17

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30-Mar-17 -

29-Oct-17

4 4

4

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4

4

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BOOK FOR O JUST

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*

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bulletinbriefing

Industry Insight by...

Man & machine: Colin O Neill, business development director of Advantage, highlights the importance of embracing new technology...

T

HIS MONTH’S article is dedicated to technology and the importance of viewing emerging technology as a friend not a foe. The theme of MAN & MACHINE is the recently announced title of the 2017 Advantage Conference which takes place at the Club Med Resort in Provence during the middle of May next year.

The key elements of the conference will consider the huge power and potential that can exist if humans are able to harmonise emerging technology for their benefit.

I attended a technology conference recently and, as you would expect, the agenda was dominated by the advent of artificial intelligence - from driverless cars to hotel robots. And whilst this may create danger signals for taxi drivers and hotel porters, the sentiment should be very much around accepting that these advancements are going to happen and to work out how best to use them to your advantage.

As an organisation, we consider that the single biggest strength of the organisation is the people in it.

The independent travel trade has a strong tradition for producing business entrepreneurs with the drive and personality to make the most of the opportunities that they have; this is why we have so many businesses in Advantage that are very different from one another as essentially they are fashioned in the image of their owner.

And a very key point should not be forgotten; the consumers of these new technological wonder gadgets will be humans - to consider that human interaction is

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potentially in danger here, is clearly wide of the mark.

Our conference will aim to make clear, practical and ambitious connections between humans and machines, to provide optimism and hope rather than anguish and despair.

We have also recently announced our first keynote speaker for the conference - Sir Chris Hoy. At Advantage we have a developed the enviable reputation for bringing conference delegates some excellent keynote speakers. I am confident that Chris will provide inspiration to all of our conference delegates. And carrying on with the theme of the conference, I can think of no better example of how the collaboration of man, Chris and machine, his bicycle, can work together to go faster and further than humans have ever done before.

A final thought on people if I may, on September 30 we held an event that was new for Advantage, The Big Celebration Lunch. As the name suggests, this was an opportunity to celebrate all that is good in the independent agent community. Whilst we did present a number of awards to our members and preferred business partners, the emphasis on the day was one sharing our collective success; many of our preferred business partners hosted tables and invited their own star members to be at the event.

It was a great event and seeing so many people (we had more than 200 guests) enjoying and applauding the success of others, I think there is still a place for humans in a world increasingly dominated

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

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UUK K BAS BASSES SES

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4

Malaga

4

Reus

4

Ibiza

4

4

4

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31-Mar-17

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28-Apr-17

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4

29-Apr-17

4

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30-Apr-17

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4

5-Apr-17

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*Te erms and conditions apply.

BO OOK FOR R JUST

£6 60 DEP POSIT PER PERSON P

*

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eventbulletin

Agents with a penchant for adventure got exactly that when Travel Bulletin took its Adventure & Activity Showcase to the Park Regis in Birmingham last week.

Exploring some of the most exciting and diverse places on the planet, agents got the chance to speak directly with operators and tourist boards, enjoy some great food and round off the evening with a chance to win some fabulous prizes…

ANDARA & ANDORRA…Pictured from the left: Fiona Newby, Sandra Mutter and Dave Allen, all from Andara Travel, discover more about Andorra from Georgina Oakley of Andorra Tourism.

IN THE BAG…Katey Geohaghon (left) from Luxe Life and Travel wins a Botswana goodie bag from the tourism board’s Dawn Wilson.

QUINTESSENTIAL QUEBEC…Caroline Maincent (left) from Tourisme Quebec presents Sarah Tait from Click Travel with a two-night stay in Sacacomie Lodge, Quebec along with goodies including spa access, a shoulder bag and a pair of gloves.

SPA SURPRISE… Lucy Jones from Do Something Different delights Simon Hurley from Click Travel with the prize of a spa day for two.

ADVENTURE TIME… Byron Davis from G Adventures presents Kate Copland from Travel Counsellors with a £500 tour voucher.

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EXODUS EDUCATION… Dan Jackson (right) from Exodus Travel provides the latest operator updates to, from the left: Amy Clarke and Suzanne Kimberley, Co-Operative Travel; Sharon Keavnet, Inspired Travel; and Sue Todd, Designer Travel.

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#TBShowcases

OH GOODY…Queenie Li (right) from United Travel wins a Sandos & Marconfort Hotels and Resorts goodie bag from the hotel group’s Eva Rubio.

Video Sponsor

TENNIS PRO… Charlotte Hughes (right) from Broads Travel was the winner of a pair of Head Tennis Rackets gifted by Mark Warner’s Julie Franklin.

Photography Sponsor

BOTSWANA BRIEF… Dawn Wilson from Botswana Tourism takes to the floor to educate agents on the destination’s diverse tourist offering.

TABER TALK…From the left: Neil Torbell and Nicola Torbell from Freeway Travel and Meri-Katre Siim and Natalie Hyman from Holidaysplease chat with Suzel Taber-Shaw from Taber Holidays.

CZECH IT OUT… Justin Asquith from Click Travel wins a Czech goodie bag filled with authentic gifts and a bottle of Czech wine from Czech Tourism’s Katarina Hobbs.

CZECH CRYSTAL…Amy Clarke from Co-Operative Travel wins a crystal vase, courtesy of David Vitásek from Czech Airlines.

TECH TREAT…Sharon Keaveney from Inspired Travel wins a FitBit Alta from Mark Walter of Hurtigruten.

Want to get in on the action?

Travel Bulletin will be hosting its Escorted Tours showcase in London on November 14. Agents interested in attending can secure their place by emailing gemma.reeve@travelbulletin.co.uk www.travelbulletin.co.uk

October 7 2016

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●

Hotel Updates With hotels in locations across London - including Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Leicester Square and South Kensington - Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotels is inviting guests to spend a Sunday exploring London before settling down to a two-course dinner for two followed by a relaxing overnight stay. This newly introduced Sunday Soirée package is priced from £149 including dinner for two, a Sunday night stay and breakfast on Monday morning. Visit radissonblu-edwardian.com/sleepysundays This autumn, Jumeirah Carlton Tower is celebrating its 1960s beginnings with a ‘Sixties Knightsbridge Style’ exhibition in collaboration with Harrods and a Swinging Sixties Afternoon Tea which will both run until November 20.

The launch coincides with the opening of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s headline exhibition ‘You Say You Want A Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966-1970’ and as a hotel member of the V&A, the hotel is offering guests an exclusive tea and ticket package for £55 which includes the Swinging Sixties Afternoon Tea, a glass of Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne and a ticket to the V&A exhibition. Visit jumeirah.com/sixties-style

Throughout this month Hilton London Metropole will be inviting guests to tuck into fresh and sustainable fish at the hotel’s contemporary Fiamma restaurant in celebration of National Seafood Week (October 7-14). Showcasing the company’s long-term commitment to the responsible sourcing of fish, the Hilton London Metropole team has compiled a tantalising menu of signature dishes which – in keeping with organiser Seafish’s objective – aims to “encourage more people, to eat more fish, more often.” Prices start from £20 for two courses or £25 for three courses, while items can also be ordered à la carte. Visit londonmet.hilton.com

●

Attraction News

The LEGO Group will be unveiling its new UK flagship store in Leicester Square on November 17. Dominating the two levels of the store will be a LEGO Big Ben made from more than 200,000 bricks as well as a variety of other large models. The store will feature exclusive product sets, hands-on building areas and building demonstrations, and will also introduce a new tea-loving mascot.

The SEA LIFE London Aquarium is putting a spotlight on some of the oceans’ scariest creatures this Halloween with 'spooky sea' clues located around the attraction and themed talks and feeds throughout the week.

On October 31, the scaly Fish Witch will also be making a special appearance to cook up a cauldron full of spooky fun for visitors. Entry prices are from £19.50 per adult and £14.50 for children aged three to 15. This Halloween the attraction has partnered with Wicked the musical to celebrate its tenth anniversary, and visitors can win a family ticket to see the musical by entering the competition at visitsealife.com/london

During October 22-30, the witches from Wicked will be taking over Ripley's Believe It or Not! London to brew up a green child-friendly Halloween experience. Costumes and props will be exhibited and face painters will be on hand to turn little apprentices into characters from the show, whilst modellers will craft balloons into broomsticks, witch hats and other Wicked themed items for kids to take home. Young explorers can take on an interactive trail with clues hidden throughout the attraction to be rewarded with a pick 'n' mix treat plus the chance to win tickets to see Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Visit ripleyslondon.com

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Need d to brush up on your Canada know wledge?

Wan nt to sell Canada a more efffec ctively?

Wan nt a chance to ta ake part in the Cana ada Mega FA AM? ?

© Niagara Parks Commission

© Banfff Lake Louise To ourism/Paul Zizka

Check k out our NEW Canada a Specialist Program, where you can become a certified rtified expert on Canada and take advantage of exclusive benefits.

© To ourism Saskatchewan/Greg Huszar

Visit www.canadaspecialist.co.uk to become a c certified Canada Specia alist!

#ExploreCanada

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cruisebulletin

This month marks the start of Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) Plan a Cruise Month campaign, which celebrates the variety of cruise options and the worldwide destinations and experiences to be had on a cruise. Many leading cruise lines and CLIA members are offering exclusive deals and value-added offers on ocean and river cruise holidays for 2016/17 for the duration of the campaign (until October 31). We’ve rounded up a selection of the best of them…

© Banfff Lake Louise To ourism/Paul Zizka

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new improved Free at Sea promotion lets guests choose a free gift when booking a cruise of five nights or longer departing any time after January 1, 2017. Guests can then take their pick between the Free at Sea offerings including a free premium drinks package, free speciality dining package, free internet package or free spending money (increased to $200 for a limited time only). Choose one when booking an Inside Stateroom or Studio, two in an Oceanview, Balcony or Mini-Suite and receive all four in a Suite or The Haven.

See ncl.co.uk/offers/free-at-sea Treat a loved one with Celebrity Cruises’ buy-one-getone-half-price offer when booking an eligible Ocean View stateroom or above on selected 2017 European sailings.

The offer also includes a free classic drinks package for the first and second guest and the third and fourth guests will receive 25% off the cruise fare plus a non-alcoholic drinks package. See celebritycruises.co.uk/learn/familyfriendly-cruising

CroisiEurope is supporting Plan a Cruise Month with a 5% discount on all cruises for 2017. As an example, clients can opt for an eight-day hiking cruise and discover a new way to experience the beauty of Spain or explore Europe’s last wild river, the Loire Valley on a river cruise around Europe. See croisieurope.co.uk

Paul Gauguin Cruises has announced a special offer of $100 per person onboard credit, which will be valid on bookings throughout the month-long campaign. Clients booking a 2016, 2017 or 2018 sailing on the Paul Gauguin will receive a $100 per person shipboard credit, which can be used for spa treatments, to buy souvenirs or to book shore excursions. The line is also offering included airfare from Los Angeles on all Paul Gauguin itineraries. Details at pgcruises.com Cruise & Maritime Voyages is offering savings of up to 30% off the full price of a cruise plus buy-one-get-onehalf-prices on winter 2016/17 and summer 2017 cruises.

Book during Plan a Cruise Month and the first person gets up to 30% off and the accompanying sharing passenger will pay just half that amount. See cruiseandmaritime.com

Book a cruise for 2017 with Seabourn and save on sailings around Europe, Asia, Alaska, Australia, Caribbean, Canada and New England. Clients can enjoy a complimentary veranda for an Ocean View Suite upgrade or $1,000 per suite shipboard credit for Penthouse and Premium Suites.

Details at seabourn.com

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During River Cruise Week (October 17-23) guests can save up to £100 per couple on Shearings’ 2017 river cruises and receive half-price cabin upgrades on its Chartered river cruises using the quote ‘TCR639’. The company is also giving agents the chance to earn £25 per passenger for every river cruise booking that they make between October 1-30. Agents should send their booking references to sales.support@shearings.com with the title River Cruise Incentive in the subject line before November 11 to qualify. Details at shearings.com Experience a Taste of Bordeaux with AmaWaterways on a 13-night cruise, spending two nights in Paris, followed by a seven-night cruise roundtrip from Bordeaux, ending with two nights in the Loire Valley and one night in Paris. The full price per person is £2,133 reduced for Plan a Cruise Month to £1,066.

Additional deals on winter 2016 itineraries around Normandy, the Danube, the Rhine and Vietnam and Cambodia are offered, with savings of up to £1,133.

See amawaterways.co.uk

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PONANT PRIZE…Ponant's Stephen Winter presents Sue Dillion from Travel Counsellors with a bottle of fine French wine.

WINE WINNINGS…Winning a bottle of Moet and a box of chocolates is Lynne Hammond (right) from Marion Owen Travel, courtesy of Suzanne Sharples from USAirtours.

NCL WIN…Kay Sanderson from Footloose wins a bottle of Champagne from Nigel Rankin of Norwegian Cruise Line.

TALKING RIVIERA…It’s all eyes on Nichola Gaunt (second from right) of Riviera Travel as she presents to a table of attentive agents.

A wave of excitement was growing last week at The Queens Hotel in Leeds as Travel Bulletin sailed up to present its Cruise Showcase event. Through a combination of networking and presentations, agents got to discover more about the huge variety of cruise lines, ships and destinations on offer, with some delicious food, fun games and fantastic prizes thrown in for good measure….

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CONSTANT DELIGHT… Uniworld’s Dave Chidley presents Rebecca Smith of Constant Travel with a £50 M&S voucher.

REGENT REWARD…Jo Richards from Tivoli travel wins a L'Occitane gift bag and a bottle of Prosecco from Regent Seven Seas’ Eric Williamson.

TAUCK TREAT… Sulimen Patel of Freedom to Travel won a bottle of Champagne from Eleni Soards of Tauck.

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PAMPER PACKAGE…Dawn Quinn (left) from Scenic and Emerald Waterways presents Zoe Webb from Trailfinders with a Marriott pamper package for two.

TEA FOR TWO… Daniel Steabler (left) of Cruise & Maritime Voyages presents Mike Garratt Brady of Velo Cruise with a traditional afternoon tea for two.

GIFTING G…Debbie McNally (left) from Travel Counsellors is presented with a tour book and £500 worth of G Adventures tour vouchers by Travel Bulletin’s Gemma Reeve.

CLIA SAILING…Megan Saunders from CLIA takes to the stage to relay the latest trends in the cruise industry.

VIKING LOOT…Norma McAtear (left) from Not Just Travel wins a £50 Love2Shop voucher, along with an Erik the Viking and a Viking cook book from Viking Cruises’ Jenny Wade.

GREAT GIFT…Vivienne Skenkin (left) from Great Rail Journeys presents Karen Rowlands of Total Travel with a bottle of bubbly.

Fancy joining in the showcase fun?

Travel Bulletin will be hosting its Escorted Tours showcase in London on November 14.

Agents interested in attending can secure their place by emailing gemma.reeve@travelbulletin.co.uk

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

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Enjoy the Western Caribbean with a seven-night cruise holiday from July 2–9, 2017 on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. Prices start at £2,479 per person based on two sharing an Interior stateroom. The voyage takes in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Haiti, Jamaica and Mexico. For more deals and offers visit royalcaribbean.co.uk/cruise-deals /all-in Book a luxury river cruise with APT by the end of this month to offer clients savings of up to 50% per person on two 2017 departures. The 15-day Wonders of Bordeaux & Rhone trip will follow the Garonne River from the Atlantic Coast via the Mediterranean to Lyon, considered the gastronomic centre of France. Prices for the new 15-day cruise, departing Bordeaux on March 23 or June 1 start from £2,947 per person. The cruise calls at Cadillac, Pauillac, Blaye, Bourg, Libourne, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, Arles, Avignon, Viviers, Grignan, Tournon, Belleville and Lyon, where passengers disembark. See aptouring.co.uk Agents who make a booking for any 2017/18 Europe or Asia river cruise with APT this month will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win one of four iPad minis. The cruise specialist will also be giving agents the chance to enjoy one of its luxury European river cruises for themselves with all qualifying October bookings being entered into a further draw at the end of the month to win a 2017 seven-day holiday. See aptouring.co.uk Uniworld is offering savings on cruises visiting the Christmas markets of Europe including, Cologne, Vienna and Frankfurt. The eight-day itineraries set sail from December 12-19 and represent savings of up to £965 per person. Visit uniworld.com/uk Avalon Waterways is offering savings of up to £1,350 per person on its most popular 2017 European river cruises. The range includes river cruises from seven-21 nights on a selection of Europe’s rivers including the Rhine, Danube, Moselle, Main, Seine, Saone, Rhone rivers, Dutch Waterways as well as festive Christmas themed cruises. Discounted prices start at £1,150 per person for the eight-day ‘A Taste of the Danube’ cruise. Customers making a booking during the month of October will also receive a free case of premium wines with Virgin Wines worth £140. Details at avalonwaterways.com

Clients taking an eight-day luxury river cruise from Amsterdam to Strasbourg departing on June 28, 2017 with Scenic can pay £1,920 per person, representing a saving of £1,125 per person when booking throughout October. Details at scenic.co.uk Take a cruise with Carnival to get an extra $25 on board credit for a three- to five-day cruise or $100 credit for a six- to 15-day cruise.

Details at carnival.co.uk/CCLUKHome/Content/CruiseDeals/Cruisedeals To celebrate Plan a Cruise Month, Holland America Line is giving guests up to $300 on board spending money per stateroom when booking at Ocean-view room or above on select sailings around Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and Italy. Visit hollandamerica.com Voyages of Discovery is offering guests the opportunity to win one of three complimentary VIP packages on any cruise booked during October in addition to any current offer available on the cruise that is selected. The VIP packages include a chilled bottle of French Champagne, handmade truffles and a platter of canapés on embarkation, an invitation to the Captain’s table for dinner on one of the ship’s gala nights or a complimentary bottle of house wine with dinner every night of your cruise. See voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk Thomson Cruises is offering a 16-night Caribbean Horizons cruise on Thomson Dream from £1,100 per person. It departs from Malaga and visits Funchal, Madeira; Basseterre, St Kitts; St John’s, Antigua; Road Town, British Virgin Islands; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos and Montego Bay, Jamaica. It departs on November 13 from Gatwick, and further deals include Mediterranean and Adriatic cruises for less than £800 per person and Italy for less than £650 per person. See thomson.co.uk/cruise

P&O Cruises is offering extra on board spending money on a choice of Select Price holidays valid on outside cabins and above, plus customers will only be required to pay a 5% low deposit.

Secure a booking for a 12-night Canary Islands cruise on Ventura departing on November 27, 2017 for £39.95 per person. Based on an outside cabin, the Select Price starts from £799 per person to include £250 on board spending money per cabin. The price includes round the clock kids' clubs, full board meals and entertainment on board. See pocruises.com

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There’s £5,000 worth of prizes to be won in the Big Fred. Olsen Giveaway this CLIA Cruise Month Fred. Olsen’s biggest giveaway - two winners every day of October Prizes include Apple Watches and iPad Minis, plus much more Entry is simple via the Fred. Olsen Travel Agent Centre Starts 1st October 2016

To find out how to enter and for a full list of prizes, visit www.fredolsencruiselines.com/TravelAgentCentre

As they say, you’ve got to be in it to win it!

All bookings must be made between 1st & 31st October 2016 inclusive. All bookings must be logged on the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Travel Agent Centre website on the same day that the booking is made to qualify as an entry. Winners and prizes will be selected at random each day in October and announced on the Travel Agent Centre. Winners will also be contacted directly by phone and e-mail. Prizes will be sent out on recorded delivery. Prizes will be allocated by F.OCL and include: 4 x Apple Watch (Sport), 4 x Apple Watch (Space), 4 x iPad Minis, 4 x £150 Red Letter Day vouchers, 4 x £100 Ticketmaster vouchers, 12 x £50 Capital Bonds vouchers, 30 x £25 Capital Bonds vouchers. Prizes are non-transferable, no cash alternative. If we are unable to make contact with a winner, we will elect a new winner. E&OE.

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personalitybulletin

Andy Facer Account director, Bermuda Tourism Authority

On weekends I like to...

I have recently become a father to a beautiful baby girl called Madison. Most weekends are currently spent catching up on sleep we’ve lost during the week or going out and introducing Madison to new sights and sounds.

How do you relax?

Really enjoy socialising with friends, listening to music and playing on my Xbox when I have time.

What’s your favourite gadget?

I’m a bit of an Apple freak so I love my new apple watch.

What's your favourite movie or TV programme?

I’ve just finished the final season of Breaking Bad (I know, I’m really behind the times!), so we have just started getting into Better Call Saul.

What is the last picture you took on your phone?

Nearly all of the photos on my phone are now of my daughter and her entertaining facial expressions.

What's the best compliment you've received?

Someone recently thought I was 30 they were either drunk or after a free holiday to Bermuda..

My greatest strength is...

I love working under pressure and to tight deadlines.

My one weakness is....

The next Apple gadget.

What gives you the greatest satisfaction?

Making people laugh.

What skill would you like to master?

Currently top of my list would be putting a screaming infant to sleep.

Who is your celebrity crush?

Sandra Bullock back in the day, probably Sienna Miller now.

Who would you most like to be seated with on an aeroplane?

My wife as that generally means I’m travelling on holiday and not for work.

I'm very nervous about Madison’s first experience on a plane.

Which fictional character do you most liken yourself to?

Peter Pan, the boy that never grew up, though I’m sure fatherhood has aged me!

HorseShoe Bay beach, Bermuda

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October 7 2016

If you could change one thing in the industry what would it be?

The starting salaries in the industry can be quite low and it’s sad to see good people, who could be stars of the future leaving the industry for more money in another industry.

What's the best thing about your job?

I love looking after a destination that offers such diversity, there really is something for everyone. Great beaches, golf, activities, food and wonderful people.

What is your top travel tip?

I always travel with a multiplug.

There’s nothing more frustrating than getting to your hotel room and there are only one or two electrical sockets! How are you meant to charge your MacBook, iPhone, iPad and Apple watch without one?

Where’s your next holiday to?

With the arrival of the little one, we have a week booked in Centre Parcs in January.

What other companies/organisations have you previously worked for?

Traveljunction.com, Thomas Cook and Hilton.

Where currently ranks highest on your travel wish list?

Hawaii and Thailand.

What do you love about the travel industry?

It’s a great industry with great people. There is lots of diversity and each day presents a new challenge.

Anything else that you’d like people to know about you?

Not about me, but do take some time to read up on Bermuda, it’s very different to what you might expect!

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Domes Noruz Chania debut from Autograph Collection AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION Hotels recently welcomed its second property in Greece with the launch of Domes Noruz.

The new adult-only hotel which opened in Chania on the northwest coast of Crete is the sister hotel to Domes of Elounda.

It features a selection of 83 rooms and suites including those with pool and sea views, to those offering private outdoor baths or plunge pools.

Most rooms also offer views across the naturally sanded beachfront on the lapis Cretan Sea. Visit domesnoruz.com for further details.

NEW TO its portfolio, Olympic Holidays is offering a seven-night stay at the Domes Noruz Chania from £999 per person based on two travelling with an early booking discount of up to £259 per person for bookings up to December 31. The package includes bed-and-breakfast accommodation in an upbeat retreat, pool view with plunge pool and flights from Gatwick. Departures are available on May 16, 2017. Visit olympicholidays.com

Kos welcomes return to tourist popularity following last year's refugee influx

by PAUL SCUDAMORE AFTER LAST year’s refugee crisis catapulted Kos into the newspaper headlines and TV news footage, tourism to the island took a huge hit.

This year the situation is very different, with the torrent of migrants reduced to barely a trickle, if at all, and a surge in arrivals of tourists, particularly from the UK, who are delighted to get back ‘their’ island.

Kos is not a huge island - driving its length takes less than an hour – but it is steeped in history and culture which act as a background to all that makes a Greek island holiday special, such as the tavernas, beaches, hospitality of the locals and a wide range of accommodation choices.

Most popular is the range of selfcatering based apartment hotel rooms, which a small group of UK travel agents viewed on a recent fam trip hosted by the Greek National Tourist Office in the UK and Olympic Holidays. Most are rated three-star, but there is also a range of regular four- and five-star hotels such as the Kipriotis Panorama Hotel &

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Suites at Psalidi near Kos town, the Michelangelo Resort & Spa at Agios Fokas, the Sentido Carda Beach at Kardamena and the nearby Akti Palace.

Most accommodation is ideally suited to families, but there is one adults-only gem of a property, the five-star boutique Aqua Blu at the northern tip of the island a short distance from Kos town. The choice of rooms and suites ranges from those with a balcony, a shared private pool or an exclusive private pool. Facilities include a spa, large outdoor pool, first-class restaurant for evening dining, bar and easy access to the local sandy beach.

Away from the hotels there is much to do and see, such as several archaeological sites in Kos town and at Asklepion, the Basilica of Agios Stefanos at Kefalos at the south of the island, the tranquil Plaka woods where wild peacocks roam, and villages such as Zia near the peak of Mount Dikeos.

The island is also renowned for its wines, including those produced by the

trip-off-the-tongue Triantafyllopoulos winery and vineyards which offer wine tours and tastings (see koswinery.gr).

As examples of Kos packages by Olympic, a seven-night self-catering stay in a studio room at the three-star Denise Apartments costs from £349 including flights from Manchester next May, while a seven-night stay with breakfast at the Aqua Blu costs from £839 with flights from Gatwick in May. The operator offers agents three ways to make a booking – on Viewdata, by phone on 020-8492 6792 or at olympicholidays.com

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That moment they have been waiting for

Award winning holidays from

£549 Mark Warner’s award-winning holidays Mark Warner’s sporty ingredients and relaxed approach are the reason so many of our guests return time and time again.

Much of our success is attributed to our staff and their dedication to providing outstanding customer service.

Every moment matters

A Mark Warner holiday includes: Sailing & windsurfing with tuition • Tennis • Mountain biking Fitness programmes • Flights • Transfers • Board options • Childcare from 2 years* • Evening crèche • Kids’ entertainment

Call us on 0333 305 7267 www.markwarner.co.uk/agents

Learn more about us at

Follow us

www.markwarnerexpert.co.uk

MW Holidays Trade

MWHolidaystrade

Greece | Sardinia | Corsica

T&cs The lead in price of £549 relates to 3rd May 2017 at Lakitira. Offers are subject to availability and can change at any time. Offer excludes infants. Can’t be offered in retrospect, Mark Warner booking conditions apply. *Childcare from 4 months – 2 years is chargeable.

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greece

Corfu reaps rewards of accommodation range – and The Durrells effect THE ISLAND of Corfu is reaping the rewards of years of consistent quality when it comes to satisfying the needs of British visitors, whether it is self-catering in a villa, a hotel stay or camping, writes Paul Scudamore.

It is also benefitting from the ITV television success of The Durrells, a new series of which is currently being filmed on the island.

The range of accommodation is as wide as possible, as are the

locations - from night-life renowned Kavos in the south, to the sophistication of the north-east 'Kensington-on-sea'.

Hotels range from all-inclusive to five-star luxury – one of which is the Eva Palace (pronounced Ayva by the locals), which is one of the familyowned Grecotel Hotels & Resorts chain. With its neighbour and sister five-star property the Imperial, it is at Kommeno Bay, a short drive from the airport and Corfu Town and has

a range of 225 rooms including 51 in bungalow style accommodation and six ultra-luxury villas, each with a private pool.

The adults-focused property is featured exclusively by TUI in its Thomson Platinum collection, with prices from around £650 for a week on a half-board basis including flights. The property can also be booked direct.

See evapalace.com/special.offers for more information.

Jet2holidays introduces Halkidiki for 2017 AS PART of its largest summer programme to date, Jet2holidays has launched Halkidiki as a new destination for next year.

Spread across three peninsulas known as the ‘three fingers’, the region of Halkidiki is surrounded by the waters of the Aegean Sea and arguably offers some of the best scenery in Northern Greece.

Flights to the region commence in May and will operate weekly from East Midlands, Edinburgh and Leeds, with twiceweekly flights from Manchester.

For those seeking rest and relaxation, the operator recommends the Achtis Hotel in the resort of Afitos, complete with a lagoon-style swimming pool and set in six acres of landscaped ornamental gardens with fish ponds and leisure facilities.

A seven-night bed-and-breakfast stay at the boutique hotel, departing from Leeds Bradford on June 6, 2017, leads in at £699 per person based on two sharing including 22kg baggage allowance and transfers.

Visit jet2holidays.com for more information.

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greece Neilson opens 53-room, adult-only Buca Beachclub for next summer NEW FOR summer 2017, Buca Beachclub is the first Beachclub from Neilson to open exclusively for adults on a permanent basis.

The boutique property features 53 rooms and sandy bay views, and is adjacent to the popular Messini Beachclub located next door. Here a plethora of inclusive activities are available for holidaymakers who like to keep active with seven courts available to tennis lovers and opportunities for sailing, cycling, mountain biking and wind-surfing. There are also activities specific to Buca Beachclub including an adult-only yoga area.

In addition, the restaurant offers a newly refurbished a la carte restaurant with a mixture of air-conditioned and al fresco dining with mountain views.

Prices start from £739 per adult for seven nights based on two adults sharing a club twin or double room on club board with flights, transfers and most activities included.

Planet Holidays introduces new accommodation options to programme for 2017 PLANET HOLIDAYS will be further expanding its Greece programme for 2017 adding Kefalonia Grand in Argostoli, Kefalonia; the Red Tower in Lefkas; SESA Boutique Hotel on the outskirts of Preveza facing Kanali Beach; the Mystery Skiathos Luxury Residence; the Skopelos Village in Skopelos; the Domus Renier Boutique Hotel in the centre of Chania’s historic Ventian port; the Romondi Boutique Hotels – the Palazzo and Estate in the heart of the medieval old town of Rethymno, Crete; and the Porto Kea Suites on the island of Kea. Naxos, which was introduced by the operator this year, will also be added to, with more accommodation options including the Antony Suites, Andros which will be introduced in 2017 to the brand’s lesser-known islands collection.

On Greece’s northern mainland of Halkidiki, the operator is adding the Mirragio Thermal Spa Resort which has a ‘Kids Planet’ club that caters for children aged from four months to teenagers.

Planet Holidays expands it Greece programme for 2017

The Eagles Hotel & Spa in Ouranoupolis, Athos in Halkidiki, which is already featured by the operator, will also be adding villas for 2017.

Harry Kyrillou, director for the company, said: “Greece continues to attract Brits as a holiday destination, as not only does it offer great value but there are a multitude of different types of holidays available, including the ever popular Greek island-

hopping. Agents looking to provide those clients that have ventured to many of the larger islands, a tempting list of the lesser known, smaller islands can do just that. As a Greek AITO specialist, we’ve made these islands easier to access by introducing eight this year and adding five more to our 2017 programme.”

Call 01438-841270 or visit planetholidays.co.uk for more information.

New seven-day Euphoric Aegean cruise from Celestyal Cruises

DOMES OF Elounda has launched a new range of authentic experience packages enabling guests to learn how to cook Cretan style. The experience takes guests to the community of Kritsa on the Lassithi mountains where they will learn the methods of traditional Cretan pie-making before heading to Panagia Kera, a Byzantine Church with frescoes dating from the 14th century, followed by a traditional meal at a local tavern. Prices start from £92 per adult and £46 for children aged four to 12 years. Visit domesofelounda.com

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CELESTYAL CRUISES has put together a new seven-day cruise that takes in some of Greece’s best loved islands and ancient cities.

Sailing on the Celestyal Nefeli, guests will start with the monuments and museums of Athens before heading to Nafplion. The cruise then continues to Souda, where passengers will visit the town of Chania to explore its Venetian Harbour and its narrow shopping streets and waterfront restaurants.

The cosmopolitan Mykonos is also included on the itinerary, where passengers will disembark to experience the island’s nightlife and bars. Historical Rhodes, the crystal clear beaches of Cesme and the famous sunsets of Santorini provide the ending to the journey through the Aegean Sea, and the operator is offering its ‘Euphoric Aegean’ itinerary from £772 per person on full board with departures from April to October 2017.

Visit celestyalcruises.com for more information.

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ANANTARA HOTELS, Resorts & Spas is to make its debut in the Sultanate of Oman this autumn with the opening of Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort in the north east of the country and Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara in the southern province of Dhofar. Set in the rocky contours of the Saiq Plateau on Oman's fabled Green Mountain, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort is perched 2,000m above sea level on the curving rim of a canyon, making it the highest five-star resort in the Middle East and one of the highest in the world. Visit anantara.com for details.

MSC adds Abu Dhabi’s Sir Bani Yas Island to winter itineraries FROM DECEMBER, guests cruising the Arabian Gulf on MSC Fantasia will be able to spend a day at Abu Dhabi’s Sir Bani Yas Island.

MSC Cruises and the Abu Dhabi Ports Authority have worked together to create a ‘beach oasis’ that the cruise line will have exclusive access to when its ships call at the island.

The one-and-a-half-mile stretch of golden sand is on a smaller island, connected to the main island by a wooden boardwalk, and offers hundreds of palm trees, shaded cabanas and more than 2,000 sunbeds. Other beachside facilities include a private space for the line’s Yacht Club guests, an Aurea Spa, a dedicated kids’ area complete with parents’ pergola, sports facilities including tennis and beach volleyball, an Arabian tent offering arts and crafts made by local communities and a lounge space with a bar and live music.

A range of cooking stations and beachside barbecues will also offer international favourites and local specialities, with drinks available from six beach bars. Ship food and drink services, such as the Allegrissimo drinks package, will extend to the island.

The island is also home to the region’s largest wildlife reserve, the Arabian Wildlife Park, home to more than 13,000 indigenous and endangered animals, including Arabian oryx, gazelles, giraffes, hyenas and cheetahs. The line is offering specially designed excursions to allow guests to see the park and the wildlife up close, including a horse-riding tour, a 4x4 safari-style game drive, and a dhow tour around the island.

The ship’s first seven-night, round-trip cruise departs from Abu Dhabi on December 4 and calls at the island the following day before continuing to Doha, Bahrain, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Prices start from £899 per person including flights with Etihad Airways.

Jumeirah Al Naseem opens in Dubai this December JUMEIRAH AL NASEEM, Madinat Jumeirah’s newest hotel, will open in December.

The hotel marks the completion of the luxury resort and the final chapter in the Jumeirah Group’s transformation of a stretch of Dubai’s coastline into a major touristic destination The name ‘Al Naseem’, which means sea breeze in Arabic, reflects the location of the hotel on the shoreline of the Arabian Gulf - offering views over Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and its unique inside-out design.

The hotel aims to show a different side of Dubai and appeal to luxury travellers who like to explore and may not have considered Dubai before. The resort’s fourth hotel will feature ten restaurants and bars, four pools, a turtle sanctuary and 430 rooms and suites complete with walk-in rain showers, floor-to-ceiling windows and private outdoor terraces offering direct access to Dubai’s longest stretch of private beach.

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Follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia IT HAS been 100 years since Lawrence of Arabia first arrived in Jordan as this month marks the centenary of the Great Arab Revolt.

The event brought about a united Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the young, then unknown, British officer T.E. Lawrence to the country where his military prowess earned him the moniker Lawrence of Arabia. Throughout his time in Jordan, Lawrence wrote of his war experiences in Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

Today, the Hashemite Kingdom offers breathtaking sights and historical wonders to be discovered and, some 100 years later, travellers can follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia to uncover their very own great Arab adventure in Jordan.

Cox & Kings offers Lawrence of Arabia experiences with tailormade itineraries led by an expert professor of archaeology, Dr Faulkner, who has led many T.E. Lawrence excavations in Jordan. Tours start from £1,896 per person for seven nights.

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New escorted options from Cox & Kings

BEAUT Y HAS AN ADDRESS

COX & KINGS has launched its Middle East brochure for 2017,

featuring a comprehensive programme of escorted group tours and private tailor-made travel options to the Middle East, including a new Royal Academy of Arts expert-led group tour to Iran.

Michael Fleetwood, the operator’s Middle East product manager, said: “During a turbulent time for the Middle East, our clients are still travelling in good numbers with Iran being especially popular – proving that there is still interest in the impressive sights of the region.”

In response to the increase in demand, the company has launched ‘Iran: Persian Palaces & Gardens’, run in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Arts. This 15-day group tour focuses on the art and architecture of the region, explored with an expert lecturer as well as a local tour manager. Highlights include the Persian palaces at Persepolis and Pasargardae, the Zoroastrian fire temples and Isfahan, as well as off-thebeaten-track areas such as Kerman, Rayen and Mahan. Prices are from £4,495 per person including flights with British Airways, with two departures in 2017.

The 11-day ‘Treasures of Persia’ group tour also uses the direct BA flight to Tehran, with prices from £2,495. It includes highlights of Iran with ten departures in 2017 to choose from.

Visit coxandkings.co.uk/middle-east to see the full programme.

Regent features Iran’s Golestan National Park in newly launched tours REGENT HOLIDAYS has been featuring Tehran and the main cities of Iran for several years, but from next year the programme will include eco-lodge stays in Golestan National Park and a tiny guest house in the remote northern village of Garmeh.

One of the new tours for 2017 is the 14-day ‘Highlights of Northern Iran’, which begins in the northern city of Tabriz before heading east to the mountainous Azerbaijan province, bringing opportunities to explore traditional villages, drive along the Caspian coast, explore the Golestan National Park and the Dasht-e Kavir desert, finishing in Isfahan, 340km south of Tehran.

Beyond the cities, the accommodation offered throughout the tour comes with no frills but does bring the opportunity for explorers to get to know Iranians and to understand their way of life. In the village of Masouleh, guests stay overnight in a local house; in Golestan National Park, home for the night is an eco-lodge; in Damghan, between the mountains and the desert, there’s a homestay; and in Garmeh, a guesthouse will offer a warm welcome to visitors.

Prices start from £3,385 per person based on two sharing, including flights with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, breakfast accommodation, most meals, transfers and tours with an English-speaking driver/guide.

For more information visit regent-holidays.co.uk or call 0207666 1244.

OMAN 10nts FROM

£1,075

Oman and Thailand Oman Air flights

RRRRR Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort in stunning Oman

RRRRR Evason Hua Hin – Thailand’s royal resort

Call 0141 955 4000 Visit agents.ifonly.net Prices are per person and valid for stays in June 2017, includes flights from London, 3nts at Al Waha and 7nts at Evason Hua Hin, breakfast daily, private car transfers and airport taxes. Book by 15 October 2016.

Subject to availability.

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middleeast

FERRARI WORLD is the first Ferrari based theme park in the world featuring the world’s fastest roller coaster, advanced racing simulators, driving and scenic experiences and a broad range of attractions to appeal to all ages. Admission tickets to the park cost from £64 for an adult or child aged four-11 years. Agents booking a Bronze ticket through Attraction World can pass on the addedvalue offering of a free ticket to Yas Waterworld to their clients, worth £59 per person.

RAK TDA unveils latest tourism statistics & plan for continued growth THE RAS AL KHAIMAH Tourism Development Authority (RAK TDA) has reported another strong month of growth from its July tourism figures, reflecting the emirate’s rising position as a top tourism destination for international travellers.

Compared to last year, tourism from Europe to the UAE’s northernmost emirate has grown by 45%, led by strong growth from Germany and the UK. The number of UK visitor arrivals grew by 33.2% in 2015 and the number of nights that Brits stayed at Ras Al Khaimah’s hotels has increased by 25.6%.

Haitham Mattar, CEO of the tourism development authority, said: “This time last year, we had just embarked on a transformational 12 months for Ras Al Khaimah. We released the first ‘Tourism Strategy’ for the emirate - a three-year roadmap for delivering our new vision, and since then we have made impressive strides in initiating strategic partnerships with airlines and tour operators.”

Commenting on a new tourism strategy to help boost visitor numbers from a wide range of source markets, Mattar said: “We have implemented a new leadership structure to deliver on our strategy, and we are working in close partnership with our hotel and government stakeholders.

"We have gained considerable momentum and this will only continue as we focus our efforts to invest in our tourism offering, which emphasises Ras Al Khaimah’s natural assets, luxurious indulgence and a range of activities for different types of travellers, complemented by our authentic Arabian history, heritage and culture.”

RAK TDA aims to attract one million visitors to the emirate by the end of 2018. Opening this year will be a series of new tourism products centred on Jebel Jais, the highest mountain in the UAE, which will offer the world’s longest zipline and a five-star mountain camp and viewing deck, as well as a busy calendar of sporting, leisure, cultural and business events.

For more information visit rasalkhaimahtourism.com

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Photographer Barbara Neumann via the German National Tourist Board

e

Tallinn additions from SuperBreak Tourist office announces themed campaigns for Destination Germany until 2020 THE GERMAN National Tourist Office UK and Ireland (GNTO) has announced its tourism campaign themes for 2017 up until 2020.

They include the culmination of the Luther Decade – celebrating 500 years since the reformation, the International Garden Show (IGA) in Berlin and documenta 14, one of the most important highlights of the arts world. Also new for 2017 is the campaign for ‘Feeling Fearless’ accessible travel and looking further ahead, culinary Germany and Bauhaus.

Since the start of the Luther Decade campaign in 2008, the tourist board has placed an increasing emphasis on cultural tourism. Events in 2017 will include new art exhibitions, installations, cultural tours and cultural shows. There are also eight Luther sightseeing and walking routes in Germany, available in more than 30 languages. A Luther ‘European Roadmap’ is also new and, from November through to May 2017, 70 European towns and cities will (for 36 hours each) celebrate local connections to the history of the reformation.

Continuing the cultural tourism theme, the tourist office will be promoting documenta 14 in Kassel, one of the most prestigious events of the arts world and which takes place only every five years.

Another highlight for next year will be the IGA in the Berlin-Marzahn district, which will provide new tourism opportunities for city break packages, trips for gardening fans or as a base to discover Germany’s other garden highlights.

‘Feeling Fearless’ is part of the tourist board’s ongoing campaign for accessible travel, also known as ‘BarrierFree’.

The new accessible travel holiday guide promotes adventure activities for people of limited mobility, sight or other physical disabilities and can be viewed at germany.travel/barrierfree Klaus Lohmann, director of the GNTO UK and Ireland, said: “Accessible travel in Germany is known as ‘BarrierFree’ – this means we are trying to make holidays in Germany free of the restrictions, obstructions or barriers to enjoy it as many ways as possible. Germany is open to all and our new webpage is designed to open up ideas for what you can do – not what you can’t - whether it’s cycling, tackling a climbing rope course in a forest, or skiing.

So whether or not you’re feeling fearless, have a look at the ideas and suggestions on our website. A very warm welcome awaits you and we hope our new page will encourage everyone to break down those barriers and to try something new in Germany.”

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

SUPERBREAK HAS added two new hotels in Tallinn to its portfolio of properties in the Estonian capital city, bringing the total now featured to seven.

The four-star L’Ermitage Hotel is located in downtown Tallinn and within a few minutes from the Old Town.

Ideal for a short break, it offers an a la carte restaurant, sauna, Jacuzzi and free Wi-Fi. A three-night break in late October costs from £264 per person including breakfast and flights from Stansted.

The three-star Metropol Hotel is also well situated to explore the city, located a ten-minute walk from the 13th century Tallinn Town Hall and 1km from Tallinn’s Old Town. The hotel has a café and lobby bar, restaurant and karaoke bar plus free Wi-Fi. A three-night breakfast stay in late October costs from £252 including flights from Stansted.

For more information call 01904-436000.

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Blue Air announces flights to Transylvania BLUE AIR is adding two new routes to its UK network, connecting Birmingham and Luton to the city of Cluj-Napoca, in the heart of Transylvania.

The airline will commence flights from Birmingham to Cluj-Napoca from December 16, operating on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from Luton on March 26, 2017 on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

The region of Transylvania is one of the most spectacular in Romania, with Cluj-Napoca being its unofficial capital. The city offers a diverse cultural scene with events such as the Transylvania International Film Festival and Transylvania Jazz Festival, and landmarks that date to Saxon and Hungarian rule.

Excluding hold baggage, prices with the airline start from £24.99 oneway including all taxes.

Meanwhile, the airline is to launch four new routes from Liverpool John Lennon airport next summer - to Rome, Milan, Hamburg and Alicante.

For further information call 01293-874985, email blueair@flightdirectors.com or see blueairweb.com

Travel Bulletin is published by Alain Charles Publishing (Travel) Ltd University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London, SW1W 0EX Tel: 020-7834 6661 Printed by: Buxton Press Subscriptions are £125 p.a. £195 overseas ISSN: 0956-2419

puzzlesolutions

@TravelBulletin

Crossword: Across: 1. EL AL, 3. ACCOR, 8. MBABANE, 9. YANGTZE, 11. NRT, 12. LOT, 14. SUSANNA, 16. NAIROBI, 18. SOMME, 19. BALE. Down: 1. EMILY BLUNT, 2. AMMAN, 4. CAA, 5. ODEON, 6. QANTAS, 7. MONTMARTRE, 10. EUSTON, 13. TANGO, 15.

NAIRA, 17. IOM. Highlighted Word: OMAN

TravelBulletin

Where Am I?: Pamukkale, Denizli Province in Turkey

We asked our staff the following question this week:

Which kitchen gadget(s) have you bought but NEVER used?

Jeanette Ratcliffe PublisherRatcliffe Jeanette jeanette.ratcliffe@travelbulletin.co.uk Publisher My 'O' level chemistry teacher - he made the jeanette.ratcliffe@travelbulletin.co.uk subject fun and was the first teacher to treat A salad spinner. us like adults.

Lauretta Wright Editor lauretta.wright@travelbulletin.co.uk lauretta.wright@travelbulletin.co.uk My professor at university. He predicted me a Turkey baster & flour 2:2 in my degree, so sprinkler.

I had to get a 2:1 to prove him wrong. And I did.

Adam Potter Adam Potter Editorial Assistant Editorial Assistant adam.potter@travelbulletin.co.uk adam.potter@travelbulletin.co.uk

Ramekins - can't be dealing with small servings.

Mr Morrell for philosophy and ethics - mind blown!

Paul Scudamore

Contributing Editor Paul Scudamore Contributing Editor post@travelbulletin.co.uk post@travelbulletin.co.uk Deep fat fryer (me) and a spiralizer (wife)

John Bowen (Bowen the Art) who taught me perspective and inspired me to sketch and Simon Eddolls paint.

Sales Director Simon Eddolls simon.eddolls@travelbulletin.co.uk Director ISales have used it a few times but the pasta maker simon.eddolls@travelbulletin.co.uk gets little use xxxx

Tim Tim Podger Podger Account Manager - Far East tim.podger@travelbulletin.co.uk Mr Davis made RiceHcooker thingy.learning fun, interesting and rewarding

Bill Coad Account Manager Manager Account bill.coad@travelbulletin.co.uk bill.coad@travelbulletin.co.uk I can't think that far back....

Spiralizer

38 38

October 7 2016 September 30 2016

Matt Gill SeniorGill Account Manager Matt matt.gill@travelbulletin.co.uk Senior Account Manager xxxx matt.gill@travelbulletin.co.uk Egg poacher - does that count as a gadget?.

Matthew Weinreb Matthew Weinreb Sales Executive matthew.weinreb@travelbulletin.co.uk Sales Executive Mr Tillon: "Even if you don't believe in god, the Ten matthew.weinreb@travelbulletin.co.uk Commandments are still a good rules to live by"

Kathryn Kathryn Frost Frost Sales Executive kathryn.frost@travelbulletin.co.uk xxxx

Gemma Reeve Gemma Reeve Events & Sales Administrator Events & Sales Administrator gemma.reeve@travelbulletin.co.uk gemma.reeve@travelbulletin.co.uk My GCSE maths teacher - he was the first teacher to prove if you haveI ause passion for what you do, you I don't that understand... them all! will be successful!

Nicky Valsamakis Nicky Valsamakis Design Design Team Team Leader Leader nicky.valsamakis@travelbulletin.co.uk xxxx Candy Floss Machine & Cart KuKoo

Miriam Miriam Brtkova Brtkova Designer Designer miriam.brtkova@travelbulletin.co.uk miriam.brtkova@travelbulletin.co.uk One of the art teachers - her art was incredible.

Vacuum Sealer

Lucia Mathurin DesignMathurin Apprentice Lucia lucia.mathurin@travelbulletin.co.uk Design Apprentice All of my teachers...I’ve learnt a lot from eah one

lucia.mathurin@travelbulletin.co.uk A George Foreman Grill

Nelly Mendes Nelly Mendes Production Production production@travelbulletin.co.uk production@travelbulletin.co.uk My maths teacher with her excellent numeracy skills.

www.travelbulletin.co.uk www.travelbulletin.co.uk

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ALGARVE 5+ Conrad Algarve

£142

per couple per week

B&B

EARLY BOOKING OFFER

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ALGARVE 5+ Pine Cliffs Hotel, Luxury Collection B&B Book before 31 Oct.

7 nights from £755pp

7 nights from £590pp

Departs Gatwick 21 Nov

Departs Gatwick 21 Nov

4+ Barcelo Corralejo Bay

SAVE

£77

per couple per week

B&B

GRAN CANARIA 5+ Hotel Lopesan Villa del Conde Resort B&B

EARLY BOOKING OFFER

EARLY BOOKING OFFER

Book before 31 Oct.

Book 60 days prior to travel.

7 nights from £681pp

7 nights from £896pp

Departs Manchester 10 Dec

Departs Gatwick 21 Nov

GRAN CANARIA 4+ IFA Faro

per couple per week

EARLY BOOKING OFFER

Book 45 days prior to travel.

FUERTEVENTURA

£299

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£142

£61

B&B

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FREE NIGHT OFFER

Book 60 days prior to travel.

per couple per week

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MADEIRA 4+ Madeira Panoramico Hotel

per couple per week

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£319

per couple per week

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7 nights from £444pp

7 nights from £652pp

Departs Manchester 9 Dec

Departs Manchester 11 Dec

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PRIVATE TRANSFERS INCLUDED

5030

16:34