Travel Trade Europe Issue 08 by Travel Trade Publications

AGENTS!... ...A new hotel booking system has arrived!

25 FEBRUARY 2015

ISSUE 08

POSITIVE TRAFFIC AT EUROPEAN AIRPORTS SPANISH FAMILY RESORT, PORTAVENTURA IS TO WELCOME ITS FIRST FIVE-STAR HOTEL, MANSIÓN DE LUCY, WHICH HOUSES 28 ROOMS AND TWO SUITES, AND IS INSPIRED BY THE 19TH CENTURY-STYLE AMERICAN MANSIONS, ON APRIL 2.

03 DIY BROCHURE COVER AT THOMAS COOK

19 IN THIS ISSUE MARKET UPDATE

TECHNOLOGY

AIRPORTS

TOURISM BOARDS

ACCOMMODATION

RENDEZVOUS

AGENTS

TRAVEL TALK

TRAVEL CHANNELS

WHO’S MOVED

PHOTO ALBUM

NEWS & EVENTS

PORTAVENTURA GOES LUXURY

MARKET UPDATE TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS MANAGING EDITOR Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel ASSISTANT EDITOR Maria Kazeli SENIOR JOURNALIST Rita Kasziba

Aer Lingus: Long-haul Traffic Up 22 Percent Aer Lingus continued to experience increased demand on its long-haul services with traffic up 22 percent year-on-year in January.

CONTRIBUTORS Dominique Christou Ana Mladenovic

verall, the total number of travellers carried by the Irish national airline dropped 5.7 percent to 651,000 passengers. Average load factor, however, showed a surge of 2.4 percentage points to 68.9 percent, with long-haul flights delivering a 73.7 percent load factor – an increase of 1.7 percentage points compared to the corresponding month in 2013. Short-haul traffic declined 7.6 percent, mainly due to reduction in capacity which related to planned network adjustments to protect margins given seasonal demand conditions.

PRESS Maria Demetriadou Pauline Shahabian DESIGN & LAYOUT Elena Stylianou WEB DEVELOPER / IT Soteris Constantinou DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi HEADQUARTERS T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 103670 WEBSITE www.traveltradeeurope.travel EMAILS info@traveltradeweekly.travel sales@traveltradeweekly.travel editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel PRINTED IN CYPRUS Cyprinters Ltd P.O. Box 58300, CY-3732, Limassol, Cyprus Tel: +357 25 720035, Fax: +357 25 720123 Email: info@cyprinters.com

EXCHANGE RATES

Ryanair: Plus 1.3 Million Passengers

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In January, 5.98 million customers opted for Ryanair’s services, 30 percent more than in the corresponding month in 2014.

s a result, average load factor rose 12 percent to 83 percent, while annual traffic jumped eight percent to 87.8 million travellers. Kenny Jacobs, chief marketing officer, Ryanair, attributed the rising demand to the airline’s low fares and its ongoing Always Getting Better customer programme, which delivered stronger forward bookings and better-than-expected load factors across the carrier’s expanded winter schedule. “With our great new routes, increased frequencies and Business Plus service, Ryanair continues to deliver so much more than just the lowest fares in every market we operate in,” stated Jacobs.

Leeds Leaps in December 2014 As per the December 2014 HotStats report, Leeds hoteliers registered strong results with surges for the year across all key performance indicators.

Accurate as of

24/2/2015 COUNTRY

CURRENCY

1EUR=

US (USD)

Dollar

1.13

UK (GBP)

Pound

0.73

Switzerland (CHF)

Franc

1.07

Japan (JPY)

Yen

135.00

Leeds, UK

otably, RevPAR and gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) went up by 12.6 percent and 17 percent respectively, compared to the same period in 2013. Mixed performances were recorded in other departments with RevPAR declining from food and beverage, but rising 12 percent from room hire, leading to a total RevPAR increase of 6.6 percent. 25 FEBRUARY 2015

MARKET UPDATE

Record Tourism Nights in the EU

Austrian Airlines Reduces ASK

In 2014, the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments in the European Union (EU) stood at around 2.7 billion.

Having reduced its available seat kilometres (ASK) by 8.8 percent year-on-year, Austrian Airlines transported 609,000 passengers in January, 15.3 percent less than during the same period in 2014.

uropean traffic fell by 17.6 percent to 493,900 passengers, due to the sluggish seasonal demand and lower traffic from Russia. "We want to score with Mauritius [to be launched on October 29] in the upcoming winter and thus carry more passengers once againâ&#x20AC;?, said Andreas Otto, chief commercial officer, Austrian Airlines.

his is up by 1.7 percent year-on-year and is in line with a steady increase in tourist nights across the EU over the past five years. Growth was reported in the majority of the EU states, with the largest rises being observed in Latvia (up 11.1 percent), Belgium, Portugal and Greece. In contrast, the largest falls were recorded in Slovakia (down 5.5 percent), Finland and Italy.

Positive Traffic at European Airports Annual passenger traffic rose 5.4 percent at Europeâ&#x20AC;˛s airports in 2014, data released by the Airports Council International (ACI) Europe shows.

assenger traffic in the Europe Union (EU) member states grew by a healthy 4.9 percent with Greece, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Belgium and Ireland significantly outperforming the EU average. Countries such as Poland, France, Germany, Austria, Latvia and the Czech Republic also all saw demand increasing throughout the year, albeit below this average. Non-EU airports also posted a dynamic surge of 7.3 percent with Serbia, Iceland, Macedonia, Georgia and Turkey all developing well above this average. 25 FEBRUARY 2015

NEWS TECHNOLOGY Czech Airlines Improves Mobile App

Carnival Launches New Shipboard App

zech Airlines boasts a new mobile application for iOS and Android operating systems, which contains a number of new features and allows clients to make reservations, purchase tickets and check in online, as well as to buy additional services such as priority seating, overweight and extra pieces of luggage, travel insurance and airport lounge entry. A so-called flexi buffer has also been added, showing available flights three days post and prior the selected date. Moreover, the app, available in Czech, English, Russian, German and French, has a number of new payment options.

arnival Cruise Lines introduced a new free mobile application that provides vacationers aboard Carnival Breeze with a variety of useful tools and information, including an innovative chat feature that allows guests to exchange messages with their travelling companions throughout the voyage for a low fee. The line is also piloting enhanced Internet access aboard Carnival Freedom, Carnival Breeze and Carnival Sunshine. Gus Antorcha, senior vice president of guest commerce, Carnival Cruise Lines, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The launch of this application and new Internet packages provides us with a strong platform for introducing additional innovations and ways to use technology to enhance our guest experience even further.â&#x20AC;?

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NEWS

PORTAVENTURA GOES LUXURY

ICAO Members Support New Flight Tracking Standard

ember states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) endorsed the adoption of a new 15-minute aircraft tracking standard during this year’s High Level Safety Conference. The recommended standard is performance-based and not prescriptive, meaning that global airlines would benefit from it using the available and planned technologies and procedures they deem suitable. According to Olumuyiwpa Benard Aliu, council president, ICAO, the system will be an important first step in providing a foundation for global flight tracking and the future implementation of the more comprehensive ICAO Global aeronautical Distress and Safety System.

Mansión de Lucy

Spanish family resort, PortAventura is to welcome its first five-star hotel, Mansión de Lucy, which houses 28 rooms and two suites, and is inspired by the 19th centurystyle American mansions, on April 2.

Eurotunnel Celebrates a Record 2014

otel Gold River, of which Mansión de Lucy used to be a part of, has also been expanded through the addition of a new section. Part of a EUR10 million investment, the 78-room Callaghan Building will welcome its first guests on June 1. To celebrate PortAventura’s 20th anniversary, new attractions have been added in partnership with Ferrari and Cirque de Soleil, including three golf courses and a beach club.

Helsinki Welcomes New Air Traffic Control Centre

The Channel Tunnel

elsinki Airport recently inaugurated a new air traffic control centre, bringing together many of the functions essential for air traffic such as approach control and area control, rescue coordination and briefing services. It is to be staffed by 180 professionals. The unit will handle both the air traffic at Helsinki Airport and that between Finnish airports, along with all flights within the country′s airspace. Another control centre operates in Tampere, but preliminary plans are to see the consolidation of all operations at Helsinki Airport.

roupe Eurotunnel, a group of companies active in the fields of infrastructure management and transport operations, has reported a seven percent growth in revenues in 2014, reaching EUR1.21 billion. Both Channel Tunnel Fixed Link Concession business and Europorte saw steady development. Jacques Gounon, chairman, Groupe Eurotunnel, stated, “Eurotunnel has had a record year in 2014, with a strong growth in all areas of its business. The year of the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Channel Tunnel has been dynamic: Eurotunnel continues to invest to maintain its leadership.” 25 FEBRUARY 2015

NEWS AIRPORTS Sheremetyevo Airport Reports Strong Passenger Numbers

EUR66.5 Million Airside Investment at Edinburgh Airport

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Sheremetyevo International Airport

heremetyevo International Airport served more than 31 million passengers in 2014, indicating a 7.9 percent growth over 2013 figures. International traffic remained at the same level as in 2013 with almost 18.5 million travellers, while domestic demand increased by 22.8 percent, exceeding 13 million passengers. Antalya, Paris, Prague, Beijing, Hurghada, Rome, New York, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Kiev and Sharm El Sheikh were among the most popular foreign destinations, while St. Petersburg, Simferopol, Sochi, Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg, Mineralnye Vody, Rostov-On-Don, Kaliningrad, Samara, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk were the most sought-after domestic routes.

dinburgh Airport announced a new GBP50 million (EUR66.5 million) airside investment programme, with works underway on the redevelopment of the its immigration and baggage reclaim facilities. The project will triple capacity for bigger long-haul aircraft. With long-haul traffic rising almost 90 percent in 2014 thanks to new routes and increased services by Qatar Airways, United Airlines, US Airways and Turkish Airlines, Edinburgh Airport embarked on this ambitious development plan whose first phase is due for delivery this summer, ahead of the launch of Etihad Airways’ first link between Scotland and Abu Dhabi.

Malta: The Third Most Internationally Connected Airport

Designs Show Gatwick to Be Most Efficient Airport

alta International Airport (MIA) ranked third among 136 airports in its class in terms of number of international connections, with over 50 destinations served this winter, according to a recent analysis by CAPA Centre for Aviation. “Our strategy is to keep forging relationships with potential operators to welcome new routes and keep making Malta more accessible,” said Alan Borg, ad interim CEO, MIA. In 2014, the airport saw a year-on-year increase of 6.4 percent in passenger traffic with over four million travellers passing through its terminal.

Malta International Airport

Gatwick Airport

n expanded Gatwick Airport would be the world’s most efficient two-runway hub, as it was showcased by new images and an animation produced by architect Terry Farrell to support the airport’s case for a second runway. Other improvements would include self-service bag drops and electronic security gates to eliminate queues, allowing passengers to reach boarding gates just 30 minutes after arriving. “Our plan recognises that traditional methods of transferring are in decline with many passengers exploiting new options to ‘self-connect’ between a mix of low-cost short- and medium-haul, charter and long-haul flights, depending on their budget and needs,” said Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gatwick Airport.

25 FEBRUARY 2015

NEWS AIRPORTS

New Land Transactions at Zürich Airport

Wizz Air Moves to Gothenburg Landvetter Airport

lughafen Zürich, operator of Zürich Airport, and Swiss Life have certified the purchase agreement for the land of The Circle and applied to record in the land register, establishing the joint ownership structure according to the financing contracts. An excess profit of approximately CHF35 million (EUR33,5 million) pre-tax will be recognised in Zürich Airport’s income statement this year, as the gain on sale of the land for the realisation of the first phase of The Circle. The second, smaller phase will follow later on, and another purchase price payment will be due.

London City Airport Expansion Gets Green Light

ue to the permanent closure of Gothenburg City Airport, Wizz Air has permanently moved all operations to the nearby Gothenburg Landvetter Airport. The low-cost carrier currently operates 29 routes to eight countries from three Swedish airports: Stockholm, Malmo and Gothenburg. From the latter one, travellers can fly to six destinations in five different countries, including Belgrade, Budapest, Gdansk, Skopje, Tuzla and Warsaw.

he GBP200 million (EUR269 million) project that will enable London City Airport to expand its runway capacity and operate up to a permitted 111,000 annual flights, up from the current 70,000, has been approved. By 2023, the expansion programme will generate additional short-haul aviation capacity for the UK, create 1,500 new jobs and a further 500 during construction, double economic impact to GBP1.5 billion (EUR2 billion) per annum, facilitate greater levels of inward investment in East London and deliver a world-class international gateway to the capital.

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Manchester Airport Reaches Traffic Milestone

anchester Airport hit a new milestone as between January 2014 and this January, a total of 22 million travellers passed through the hub with the most popular destinations for the year being Dubai, Dublin, Tenerife, Amsterdam and Pala. Since 2010, passenger numbers at the UK’s third busiest airport increased 24 percent, while since May 2014, plus one million travellers have been registered. ”[…] Our continued addition of new routes and increased frequencies is seeing customers choose Manchester, rather than other airports,” said Ken O’Toole, chief commercial officer, Manchester Airports Group.

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NEWS TOURISM BOARDS Belarusian Culture Promoted Worldwide

Belarusian national costumes

he Culture Ministry of Belarus signed seven international cooperation agreements in 2014, according to Boris Svetlov, culture minister, Belarus. Among these is the deal with the Chinese government to set up the Belarusian-Chinese intergovernmental committee on cooperation. In addition, Belarusian culture was extensively promoted throughout 2014 with cultural and cinema days being held in several countries, and this year, 10 such events are planned worldwide, including in China. Also, the ministry is considering a cultural programme in Ecuador, following a request from the country’s embassy.

Ireland Welcomes Nine Percent More Overseas Visitors

Giant's Causeway, Ireland

Maltese Hotels to Boost Online Presence

alta Tourism Authority (MTA) and Malta Communications Authority worked together on an initiative called WebCheck to enhance online visibility for the country′s hotels. A total of 31 two-, three- and four-star hotels and guesthouses had their web image professionally assessed, and each unit received an indi-

Croatia Kick-starts the Year with Strong Promotion

he year 2014 was a strong one for Irish tourism, with the country’s Central Statistics Office confirming a growth of nine percent in overseas visitors, with 620,000 more tourists than in 2013. With overseas tourism business accounting for almost 60 percent of all industry related revenue, this is good news for the destination, remarked Niall Gibbons, CEO, Tourism Ireland. “2014 was the best year ever for visitor numbers from North America, Germany, France and Spain, as well as from our long-haul markets including Australia and New Zealand,” he added. The British market also rose eight percent, with 235,000 additional travellers.

vidual report with suggestions for improvement “With 70 percent of travellers booking their holiday or part of it online, it was increasingly important for hotels to improve their online presence to ensure they remained competitive and to be abreast of the latest trends in this ever-changing industry,” pointed out Paul Bugeja, CEO, MTA.

Lanterna Camp, Croatia

his year started off busy for the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) as the country took part in several travel and tourism exhibitions across Europe and the US in January. These included Vakantiebeurs in Utrecht, where the CNTB team focussed on promoting various camping opportunities, as well as Matka Nordic Travel Fair 2015 in Helsinki, FerienMesse in Vienna, CMT in Stuttgart, Düsseldorf BOOT, Caravana Salon in Leeuwarden, the New York Times Travel show in New York City, ALPE ADRIA tourism fair in Ljubljana, FITUR in Madrid and Slovakiatour in Bratislava.

25 FEBRUARY 2015

NEWS ACCOMMODATION

Steigenberger Hotels Enters Istanbul

Grace Restaurant Unveiled at Hotel Zoo

teigenberger Hotels will debut in a new destination with Steigenberger Hotel Istanbul Airport due to open in June 2016. Located on the European side of the city, the property will offer 210 rooms and suites, plus conferencing facilities that include an 883m² ballroom, a 1,200m² gym and spa facility, two restaurants and a lounge. Puneet Chhatwal, CEO, Steigenberger Hotels, enthused, “Our latest hotel project in Istanbul will enable us to establish a link between two continents and symbolises our consistent growth.”

Steigenberger Hotel Istanbul Airport

esign Hotels’ Hotel Zoo Berlin welcomed Grace Restaurant, following the launch of Grace Bar in November 2014. Adding a finishing touch to the buzzed-about property on Kurfürstendamm, the restaurant features an airy dining room which oozes laid-back sophistication, with a menu which marries Asian and Italian influences with modern German musings. A young, ambitious team leads the kitchen, playing with international flavours without overpowering the fine ingredients.

Grace Restaurant

MARITIM Hotels to Open in Mallorca

New Sumy Property for Premier Hotels & Resorts

U MARITIM Hotel Galatzó

he four-star MARITIM Hotel Galatzó in Mallorca is set to open on March 1, with 172 rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, two restaurants, three bars, a 1,400m2 spa and eight rooms for meetings, conferences and private parties. Mark Spivey, director of international sales, MARITIM Hotels, commented, “We are happy to return to Mallorca with this property as it complements the existing MARITIM portfolio and provides all of the facilities expected by our leisure and business guests while staying on the island.”

krainian hotel chain Premier Hotels & Resorts celebrated a new hotel opening in Sumy by converting the former Shafran Hotel & Restaurant into Premier Hotel Shafran. “Shafran Hotel and Restaurant is already renowned [in the city] – this is the best guests’ reference for us as an operator. On the other hand, we behold the potential for the development in this property, and we are sure that our cooperation will not keep us waiting for the yield,” said Iryna Sidletska, general director, Premier Hotels & Resorts.

Premier Hotel Shafran

25 FEBRUARY 2015

AIR NEWS Wizz Air Cements Its Position in Macedonia

Bulgaria Air Codeshares with airberlin

Baku, Azerbaijan

AZAL Provides Regional Link between Baku and Berlin

Nuremberg, Germany

NIKI to Serve Brussels from Bratislava Bratislava, Slovakia

izz Air will add a third Airbus A320 aircraft to its Skopje base on June 29 to serve five new twiceweekly routes from the Macedonian capital: Friedrischshafen, Hamburg, Nuremberg, Oslo and Barcelona. The new aircraft will allow Wizz Air to boost capacity on its existing routes from Skopje, and the carrier will also launch operations from Macedonia’s second airport in Ohrid on July 1. John Stephenson, executive vice president, Wizz Air, commented, “[Expanding our Skopje fleet and adding Ohrid to our route network] is expected to create more local jobs as well as further stimulate tourism in Macedonia.”

ulgaria Air, through its new partnership with airberlin, now offers a greater choice of flights in Germany, as well as to Scandinavia and the US, enabling travellers to benefit from the extended flight programme and connections on European and longhaul routes. Thanks to the new codeshare agreement, passengers can fly from Sofia via Berlin to Düsseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Chicago, New York, Miami and Abu Dhabi.

IKI’s connection from Bratislava to Brussels will start operating in October, offering passengers from Slovakia direct access to the oneworld network in Brussels. Flights will be offered from Monday to Friday, with an additional connection on Sundays. Travellers from Slovakia will also be able to take advantage of short shuttle services between Bratislava and Vienna, enjoying access to the complete NIKI network via the Austrian capital, that also offers links to airberlin and Etihad Airways flights.

Lufthansa Adds to Canary Island Routes

zerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has announced new scheduled flights from Baku to Berlin, effective from May 2. The twice-weekly services to the German capital will be offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The flight schedule was structured to provide convenient connections for travellers from Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Georgia and beyond.

25 FEBRUARY 2015

ate October will see Lufthansa launch a new weekly service from Munich to Fuerteventura, as well as flights to Tenerife, with both destinations being served by an Airbus A321 with 200 seats in a two-class configuration. In winter, flights to Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria, will also be resumed. “For the first time, Lufthansa customers will be able to reach these three large islands in the Canaries within a matter of hours. Even during the winter months, passengers will thus have a choice of 15 attractive holiday destinations,” Thomas Klühr, member of the board, finances and Münich hub, Lufthansa.

NEWS AIR airBaltic Links Tallinn and Berlin

Iberia Expands in Latin America

n May 6, airBaltic will launch a new direct, four-weekly service between Tallinn and Berlin. “By improving links between the Baltic capitals and European cities, airBaltic is strengthening its position as a truly Baltic airline,” commented Martin Gauss, CEO, airBaltic. “In addition to our existing Tallinn-Paris route launched last year, travellers from Tallinn will be able to benefit from a new direct connection to the heart of Europe and onwards to the south, which we can offer together with our code share partner airberlin,” he added.

Berlin Cathedral

Havana, Cuba

panish carrier, Iberia will resume operations to Havana, Cuba, on June 1, with five weekly flights, and it will start thrice-weekly flights to Colombia’s Cali and Medellin on July 3. On both routes, Iberia will deploy its new Airbus A330s, equipped with fresh interiors including business class seats that unfold into flat beds, spacious economy seating, entertainment on demand, plus Wi-Fi and GSM connectivity. “The changes made in Iberia in the past several months allow us not only to return to Cuba, but to operate new flights to new destinations in Latin America, such as Cali and Medellin,” said Luis Gallego, chairman, Iberia.

asyJet has agreed to consolidate its full operation at London’s Gatwick Airport to its North Terminal by autumn 2016. Carolyn McCall, CEO, easyJet, confirmed, “As our largest base, Gatwick is of huge importance to easyJet both strategically and for the millions of our passengers who travel through the airport every year. “Alongside the consolidation to one terminal, we also plan to continue to grow at Gatwick through increasing our destinations, further improving our schedule and by deploying larger aircraft as we replace smaller [Airbus] A319s with 180 seat A320s and, from 2017, A320neos.”

Transaero to Serve Prague

Air Serbia to Connect Belgrade and Singapore

ir Serbia expanded its codeshare partnership with Etihad Airways to offer services between Belgrade and Singapore via Abu Dhabi. Dane Kondić, CEO, Air Serbia, said, “Enhancing connectivity and increasing choice for our guests reinforces our strategy to build the region’s leading airline, with a wide network of attractive destinations.” In addition to Abu Dhabi and Singapore, the deal covers eight other destinations on Etihad Airways’ network: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Kuwait, Bahrain, Colombo and the Seychelles.

Singapore

easyJet to Strengthen Its Gatwick Operations

ransaero Airlines is to launch daily services between Moscow and Prague, effective from March 29. The new route which will be operated with a Boeing 737NG with Wi-Fi access. The move is deemed as an important step forward in developing links between the two countries as Transaero Airlines has been operating direct flights to Pardubice since 1996, while today it flies to the Czech city from both Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 2014, Transaero Airlines’ passenger traffic to the Czech Republic has seen a nine percent year-on-year rise.

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RENDEZVOUS TRAVEL TRADE EUROPE: What are Lufthansa Group’s plans for the year in terms of new products and network expansion? HARRO-JULIUS PETERSEN: [This] will be the year of ‘Lufthansa Premium Quality’ with the introduction of the new premium economy class, a totally newly constructed product and not comparable to the premium economy products of other airlines. This product gives high hopes for more sales especially in the marine business. It will be a year with focus on innovation and product enhancement. For the group’s member airlines, fleet renewals and the completion of a number of major refurbishment projects should provide state-of-the-art aircraft cabins and five-star in-flight travel comfort. The first quarter of the year will see Lufthansa conclude the installation of its new first class throughout its long-haul fleet; the second quarter will witness the completion of the new business class installation programme; and the third quarter will see the new premium economy available on all of Lufthansa’s intercontinental aircrafts. All the new long-haul aircraft of which Lufthansa will take delivery will have all the new cabins already installed. And the modernisation of the long-haul fleet will be further pursued [in the coming months] with the arrival of two more Airbus A380s and four new Boeing 747-8s. Also slated for delivery are a further Boeing 777F for Lufthansa Cargo and 10 short- and medium-haul aircraft of the Airbus A320 family. At the same time, Lufthansa Group is continuing to expand its route network with new and attractive destinations. [...] New in Lufthansa’s flight timetable are, [amongst others,] Seville in southern Spain and Iceland from the hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. Bodrum and Cagliari are two existing seasonal destinations that are now connected to Frankfurt for the first time. During summer, Lufthansa will be serving Glasgow for the first time from Munich. There will also be additional flights on existing Spanish connections from Frankfurt to Málaga, Palma de Mallorca and Valencia as well as from Munich to Bodrum. [...] Lufthansa continues to expand its network also in the US. For the very first time in its history, Lufthansa will offer 25 FEBRUARY 2015

Q & A with Harro-Julius Petersen

DIRECTOR OF PASSENGER SALES, GREECE AND CYPRUS, LUFTHANSA

AS LUFTHANSA GROUP CONTINUES TO CAPTURE A SIGNIFICANT SHARE OF THE CONTINENT’S AVIATION MARKET, HARRO-JULIUS PETERSEN, DIRECTOR OF PASSENGER SALES, GREECE AND CYPRUS, LUFTHANSA, TALKS ABOUT THE STRATEGIC STEPS THAT WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURE SUCCESS. service to the Tampa Bay area. The new nonstop service from Frankfurt will begin on September 25. Furthermore, Lufthansa will offer direct flights to popular holiday destinations in Mexico, the Maldives and Mauritius, as of the end of the year. TRAVEL TRADE EUROPE: The transfer of the Düsseldorf - Zürich route marked Lufthansa Group’s step to operate all domestic and European

routes under Germanwings. What is the ultimate goal? HARRO-JULIUS PETERSEN: Indeed the first Germanwings flight from Düsseldorf to Zürich marks the successful completion of what is to date the biggest project to make the Lufthansa Group more competitive. [...] The positioning of the new and significantly larger Germanwings has been a resounding success.

The goal is to offer more choices and quality products at attractive prices on the point to point route network. All in all, Germanwings has taken over 115 routes from Lufthansa in recent months, with the biggest number of routes, 52, at Düsseldorf Airport, bringing the airline into a market leader at the non-Lufthansa hub German airports. TRAVEL TRADE EUROPE: The group has also recently announced the creation of Eurowings. Tell us a bit more about this new airline. HARRO-JULIUS PETERSEN: The new Eurowings is our response to one of the major challenges confronting Europe’s airline industry, [which is competition from the rapidly-growing low-cost carriers in the point-to-point travel segment, not only in Germany but throughout Europe, too]. Our recipe for success is an innovative concept with substantially lower costs combined with the strengths, skills and expertise of Lufthansa Group, offering outstanding value for money and the strongest quality, reliability and safety credentials. With the new Eurowings brand, Lufthansa Group is entering new markets in the price-sensitive leisure travel sector, thereby safeguarding its leading position in its home markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. Further routes will also be added to the Eurowings network, operated from a new Eurowings base outside Germany, in the course of the year. Only recently it has been announced that Vienna will be the first base of Eurowings outside Germany. For the new European operations the present Eurowings fleet will be replaced with up to 23 Airbus A320s [up until] March 2017. [...] In addition to its European network, the new Eurowings will also begin to add long-haul services to its low-fare product range from the end of the year onwards, in collaboration with GermanTurkish airline Sun Express. The first intercontinental destinations to be served will include points in Florida, Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean. [...] As with the already-successful Germanwings concept, the new Eurowings long-haul products will offer customers a choice of best, basic and smart fares. Home base for the new long-haul fleet will initially be Cologne/Bonn Airport, one of Germany’s best catchment areas.

NEWS AIR Czech Airlines to Add New Liverpool Service

Austrian Airlines to Serve Odessa

Estonian Air Facilitates Insurance Purchases

stonian Air teamed up with If P&C Insurance to enable its customers to add ticket and travel insurance to their flight bookings with a single click. This way, travellers can have their tickets insured in case of a missed flight, and can enjoy a wide-covering travel insurance policy valid worldwide. “To ensure our customers with relaxed business or vacation trip, Estonian Air and If P&C Insurance have worked out a convenient way to purchase ticket and travel insurance at the time of booking the flight via our website,” said Indrek Randveer, chief commercial officer, Estonian Air.

LOT Teams Up with CarTrawler

urther enhancing customer experience, LOT Polish Airlines has chosen CarTrawler as its exclusive car rental partner, enabling travellers to book ground transportation via the carrier’s website or the co-branded online platform, with access to more than 1,300 car rental agents in over 30,000 locations across 174 countries. “Introducing a ground transportation proposition is for LOT another step towards becoming a one-stop shop offering the right product and service at the right time in a simple way, so our customers’ travel experience can be fully personalised and enhanced,” said Magali Olive, executive director, ancillary revenue and loyalty programmes, LOT Polish Airlines.

Liverpool, UK

tarting March 30, Austrian Airlines will fly to Odessa in Ukraine four times per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. “Ukraine continues to be one of the most important markets for Austrian Airlines in Eastern Europe, not to mention the fact that most of these passengers transfer to other flights in our network to destinations in Western Europe, the Middle East or on North Atlantic routes,” commented Andreas Otto, chief commercial officer, Austrian Airlines.

zech Airlines is to connect Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Prague on May 18, marking the carrier′s first UK destination. Flights will depart on Mondays and Fridays, to serve both leisure and business passengers. Andrew Cornish, CEO, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, commented, “Our research shows that significant volumes of passengers already travel between the Liverpool City Region and Prague, but have to fly from other UK Airports. This new service will now mean that the region’s passengers will now be able to travel with the convenience of flying from their airport of choice.”

Norwegian Boasts Continued Traffic Growth

orwegian carried more than 1.6 million passengers in January, five percent more than in the same month in 2014. Load factor surged 5.2 percentage points to 80 percent, while total capacity was up 13 percent. Expressing pleasure at recording higher load factor in a low season month, Bjørn Kjos, CEO, Norwegian, said, “The increase in traffic growth is mainly due to a stronger focus on the European market, along with a considerable growth in our long-haul operation.” This year, the carrier will take delivery of a total of 10 brand new Boeing 737-800s and one Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

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AGENTS NEWS

TUI UK & Ireland Raises EUR1.66 Million for Charity

UI UK & Ireland collected GBP1.25 million (EUR1.66 million) for charity in 2014, exceeding all expectations. In addition, the company celebrated 25 years of working with the Family Holiday Association (FHA), an organisation that provides short breaks in the UK for disadvantaged families. Besides FHA, charities that benefitted from the donations included Born Free Foundation, Pump Aid, Sail4Cancer, Cancer Research UK, Stroke Association and others. Caroline Kitcher, director of human resources, TUI UK & Ireland, said, “We are overwhelmed by the amount of money raised [in 2014] and recognise the need to continue raising the bar. We are already working on beating this, [this year].”

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Vacalians Group Acquires Canvas Holidays

amping holiday expert, Vacalians Group has acquired Canvas Holidays from Wyndham Vacation Rentals UK. Founded 50 years ago in the UK, Canvas Holidays was the first company to offer package camping holidays and is currently one of the leading tour operators in the camping sector. Commenting on the transaction, Olivier Ganivenq, chairman, Vacalians Group, stated, “The strong reputation of the Canvas Holidays brand, its extensive distribution networks, its complementary offer and the synergies between our activities represent major assets as we look to further strengthen our international development, while consolidating our positions on a market that is becoming increasingly structured.”

ABTA Adds Five New Partners

DIY Brochure Cover at Thomas Cook

he Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has welcomed five new ABTA Partners into its membership. Among these are KRE Corporate Recovery and Willis Management, both offering financial services, and Rentaa Scoota, Champagne-Marne Tourism Board and Hospitality Industry Integrates Services, all specialising in tourism services. ABTA currently has over 1,200 members representing some 5,000 shops and offices.

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the ched fin u a n Co Al ABT el with ine in l v p a a r T 14? e str denc mber 20 e Dec

homas Cook launched an initiative offering customers the chance to upload their holiday photos and create their own brochure covers which they can share with friends via social media. As Carl Hallam, search engine optimisation and content manager, Thomas Cook UK & Ireland, explained, the Real Good Times campaign aims to evoke special memories and the Be A Brochure Cover Star takes this one step further by creating an environment where customers can share their special memories and create their very own bespoke brochure cover.

TRAVEL TALK

BURCU ALIN Sales manager, Pegasus Airlines

We anticipate that more guests will travel between Budapest and Istanbul

We have tackled major refurbishments and taken strategic decisions

“Since July 2014, when we launched our flights to Budapest, we have flown 23,000 guests to the destination [where Pegasus Airlines was named the Best Newcomer Airline in the low-cost category at the eighth Annual Hungary Aviation Awards]. With our Budapest – Istanbul flights, we are investing in both the Turkish aviation sector as well as strengthening the economic and cultural ties with the Budapest market. [...].”

“Today, NH is a group in the midst of transformation with the ambition to become the top choice in the urban hotel segment on product and service. In this first year [of our transformation], we have tackled major refurbishments and taken strategic decisions which are enabling us to make our hotels more profitable, improve our positioning and generate better guest feedback, while at the same time paying off corporate debt.”

FEDERICO GONZÁLEZ TEJERA CEO, NH Hotel Group

Passenger traffic at European Union airports [...] outpaced economic performance

The hotel meets the needs of both business and leisure travellers

DORIS SCHAEFGEN General manager, AC Hotel Paris Le Bourget Airport

“We are excited to welcome guests to AC Hotel Paris Le Bourget, [which joins AC Paris Porte Maillot, opened as AC Hotel’s first Parisian property in June 2014] in this multicultural and vibrant city. With its convenient location and extensive facilities, the hotel meets the needs of both business and leisure travellers to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable stay.”

OLIVER JANKOVEC Director general, Airports Council International Europe

“2014 was a generally good year for Europe’s airports and what really stands out is the fact that passenger traffic at European Union airports significantly outpaced economic performance. This shows just how resilient the demand for air transport is and reflect how much consumers and businesses rely on air connectivity. […] [This year] started pretty well and while air traffic growth might soften in the coming months, there are no immediate signs of current trends reversing.”

TRAVEL TALK IS YOUR SPACE – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

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TRAVEL CHANNELS

EIB Supports Airbus Innovations The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Airbus Group signed a EUR500 million finance contract in support of the aircraft manufacturer’s innovation, research and development programmes in Europe.

he deal aims to promote the development of innovative products to reduce the aviation industry’s environmental impact and offer effective solutions that will directly impact aeronautical design and production, in particular by improving aircraft aerodynamics and optimising passenger comfort and safety. This sector is one of the key priorities of EIB, which in 2014 alone provided nearly EUR2 billion in support of projects of excellence in France.

Harald Wilhelm, chief financial officer, Airbus Group (left) and Philippe de Fontaine Vive, vice president, EIB

JW Marriott Launches JW Voices for Women in Mexico

JW Marriott Mexico City

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W Marriott Mexico City recently hosted around 100 female business leaders from across the country to celebrate the debut of JW Voices for Women, a programme designed in partnership with Vital Voices to advance opportunities for women in Mexico and globally through mentoring. “Marriott’s co-founders were J.W. and Alice Marriott, a husband-wife team who ran a root beer stand in Washington, D.C. in 1927. Alice was our first chef and accountant, so women have always been at the heart of our business,” said Mitzi Gaskins, vice president, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts.

Raising Awareness for Female Pilots

round 63 percent of women said they were put off a career as an airline pilot when they were growing up for many reasons, and by being told it was a man’s job, according to a recent British Airways poll. The airline launched an awareness campaign to attract more female pilots to the industry with TV presenter and pilot, Carol Vorderman. This year, British Airways will be recruiting pilots, including those new to flying through its cadet training scheme, the British Airways Future Pilot Programme. Emily Lester, first officer, British Airways, said, “[The British Airways Future Pilot Programme] is an ideal route into an incredibly rewarding career for both men and women.”

Ryanair Boasts Impressive Customer Statistics

yanair has released its December 2014 customer statistics, showing that 85 percent of over 36,000 flights arrived on time, less than one complaint was made per 1,000 passengers, less than one bag complaint was recorded per 1,000 customers and that over 99 percent of all complaints were answered within seven days. Robin Kiely, head of communications, Ryanair, said, “All Ryanair customers may now bring a small second bag on board, make faster bookings and register their details on our easier to use website and brand new app, travel with mobile boarding passes, enjoy ‘quiet flights’ and allocated seating, and use their personal electronic devices at all stages of their flight [...].”

WHO’S MOVED

JOHN FLOWER

PHILIPP WEGHMANN

John Flower has been named general manager of Oceandusk Group’s three companies, including Oceandusk Global Wholesale travel, Apartmentstay and Groupstay. With over 20 years of experience in the industry focussing on both front and back of house, Flower will be responsible for expanding the group further to cater to the clients’ developing needs, while maintaining consistently high levels of service. Flower started his career as a retail travel consultant, quickly working his way up to the world of wholesaling. He then held various positions such as destination specialist and business development manager, while most recently he worked as a sales support and projects manager for GTA.

Philipp Weghmann has been promoted to executive vice president of Europe at Preferred Hotel Group. He has been tasked with driving the company’s efforts in the region, overseeing the strategic direction and evolution of the group and managing a team of 35 associates. Prior to this, he served as area managing director of Latin America and Caribbean. Weghmann, who has been in the industry for 14 years, joined Preferred Hotel Group in 2006 as regional director for the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean, and in less than five years, he increased the region’s membership from seven to 57 members. Previously, he spent two years with HOTUSA Hotels, where he managed the group’s business development in North America, Europe and North Africa.

KATIE BENSON

TOM FLANAGAN

Katie Benson has assumed the position of general manager of Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London. Benson joins Jumeirah Group from Langham Group, where she most recently served as CEO and executive director of Langham Hospitality Investments and regional vice president for the Americas and Caribbean for Langham Hospitality Group. Prior to that, she combined her role as regional vice president for the Americas and Europe with the position of managing director at Langham London. Over her 30-year career in the industry, Benson also worked as managing director of two further Langham hotels in Melbourne and Hong Kong, and held several senior executive positions for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in the Middle East, Australia and China.

Tom Flanagan continues as area vice president for the Nordics at The Rezidor Hotel Group. Based in Stockholm, he will be responsible for more than 60 hotels in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Flanagan has been with the company since 1999. After gaining experience as service manager at Radisson Blu Hotel, Scandinavia Copenhagen and front office manager at Radisson Blu Hotel Beijing, he became hotel operations manager at The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Manama. He then continued as hotel manager at Radisson Blu Hotel Hamburg, general manager at Radisson Blu Hotel Galway and district director in Turkey, Azerbaijan and China, before working as area vice president in Eastern Europe and Russia.

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PHOTO ALBUM

Take a Shot! Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to. Send your photos to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel Because a picture is worth a thousand words...

Through its On Deck initiatives Holland America Line donated EUR3.78 million to fight cancer

Swissôtel Amsterdam is offering something you will not find at other hotels; the selfie stick

An amateur boxing club in Drumchapel will benefit from new equipment thanks to a recent funding boost from Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund

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Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, visited easyJet to mark GBP4 million (EUR5.4 million) raised in partnership with UNICEF

Wizz Air gave 56 kids who had never flown before, the opportunity to fly around Macedonia

NEWS & EVENTS EVENTS English Heritage Brings History to Life

nglish Heritage kicks off the spring season with a nationwide programme of living history, family activities and expert-led tours. Highlights of the seasonal activities include a series of family Easter adventure quests, exploring the history behind iconic places, St George’s Day pageants and marking England’s national day. In addition, various popular events will also return, such as the medieval melees, living history encampments and dramatic equestrian displays. English Heritage has also recently celebrated the listing of 14 of the finest post-war office buildings across the country following its project to assess commercial buildings from 1964 to 1984.

Lithuania’s Appeal Highlighted at ADVENTUR

he 12th edition of the annual exhibition of the State Department of Tourism (SDT), Buy Lithuania 2015 took place from January 23 – 25 alongside ADVENTUR international tourism, travel and active leisure exhibition. Deeming this year’s event unique, Jurgita Kazlauskienė, director, SDT, highlighted that

Lithuania was awarded with the third place among 10 most recommended places to visit this year by Lonely Planet. “This month our country has become the newest member of the Eurozone and common currency will undoubtedly facilitate travel options around Lithuania and make them more attractive for many tourists,” she added.

EVENTS ITB BERLIN March 04 – 08 www.itb-berlin.de Destinations, tour operators, booking systems, carriers, hotels and other suppliers are all present at one of the largest European tourism fairs.

ROMANIAN TOURISM FAIR Bucharest, Romania March 12 – 15 www.targuldeturism.ro Organised by Romexpo twice a year, the event allows local companies to present their latest tourism offers.

Worldwide Events to Gather Travel Elite in Interlaken

W Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa

orldwide Events has revealed that the PRIVATE Leisure Forum will take place between October 4 – 8 in the Alpine resort of Interlaken, Switzerland. The programme will be hosted by the five-star VictoriaJungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, a member of Leading Hotels of the World and will gather around 90 luxury travel suppliers and 200 elite buyers from the leisure travel industry. Richard Barnes, managing director, Worldwide Events, commented, “The very high-end of the luxury market needs a small, exclusive event like this that brings together the key players in the industry to build and strengthen relationships and secure quality business.”

INTERNATIONAL SKI TRAVEL MARKET Davos, Switzerland March 23 – 24 www.istm.co.uk An exclusive event, bringing together up to 80 European and North American resorts, tourist boards, private sector ski properties and inbound ski travel suppliers.

The Need for Digital Strategy Highlighted by CEOs

etween January 28 – 30, the Global CEO Summit in London gathered more than 130 CEOs or those of equivalent positions from across the world. The need for a digital strategy dominated the proceedings at the networking event. Speaking to media after the event, Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah, said that an effective digital strategy and digital marketing can ensure better growth prospects for the GCC’s USD1.3 billion (EUR1.14 billion) meetings and exhibitions industry. While addressing the increasing customers’ requirements, digital infrastructure and technology will also result in reducing costs and improving processes, added Al Midfa.

KAZAKHSTAN INTERNATIONAL TOURISM & TRAVEL FAIR (KITF) Almaty, Kazakhstan April 22 – 24 www.kitf.kz KITF was launched in 2001 and is now a leading travel event for inbound and outbound tourism in Kazakhstan.

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