Wizz Air to launch Aberdeen to Gdansk Win a

Issue No. 1,195 Week of 26 January 2015
www.scot tishtravelagent sn ew s
.c o
.u k
Wizz Air to launch Aberdeen
to Gdansk
LAH Travel in West
Kilbride was awarded
'Agent of the Month' by
SuperBreak for the
month of November.
SuperBreak was
impressed with the
agent's use of Facebook
to promote its short
break offers, plus its
increase in sales.
Pictured receiving her
certificate is Linda Hill
of LAH Travel (right) and
Wendy Cameron,
SuperBreak.
W
izz Air has announced a new scheduled service between Aberdeen and the Polish city of Gdansk, which will start operating on
19th June. The new route announcement is the latest in a series of
moves by the airline to reinforce its position as the largest operator in
Gdansk, and the only direct flight between Aberdeen and Poland.
Wizz Air’s Daniel de Carvalho said: “Aberdeen is the 107th Airport in
the Wizz network. We are delighted to fly from our second Scottish
airport and look forward to carrying many passengers on our new
Gdansk route.” The service will start from Aberdeen on 19th June as a
twice weekly service, on Mondays and Fridays, and will be operated
with a 180 seat Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline is currently putting the
finishing touches to their flight timings.
Win a weekend rugby break in London
I
n celebration of Etihad's new Edinburgh route starting
8th June, the airline is giving away two pairs of
weekend hospitality tickets to the 6 Nations Scotland
against England international match on 14th March in
London to Scottish agents including flights to London.
/stanselections
Highlights This Issue:
The prize includes match-day hospitality and tickets to
the game. Agents from Scotland will also have complimentary flights between Edinburgh to London.
Any Etihad flight booking made by 28th February allows
entry and details should be submitted to marketinguk@
etihad.ae with the subject line ‘Scotland’ along with
Two agents and a friend will stay in the Millennium
name and contact details.
Gloucester Hotel in Kensington with luxury chauffeur
1818 STAN Half Page FRONT 100x191_Layout 1 08/01/2015 15:22 Page 1
Flights booked from Edinburgh count twice in the draw.
transfers to the stadium.
WIN tickets to Las Vegas
4
Reflections with Bill Munro
4
New Wave campaign winners
5
Focus on Canada
7-8
Focus on Germany
10-13
Focus on Bermuda
14-16
Bermuda 1/2 price sale
15
Scenic Cruising Holidays from
Edinburgh Leith, Rosyth and Dundee
Ship
From
Cruise Title
Nights
Price from
29 Mar
Magellan
Dundee
Majestic Fjordland
7
£499pp
05 Apr
Magellan
Dundee
Easter Fjordland
7
£499pp
Save up to 50% and an amazing new
25% single supplement offer on Magellan
cruises!
12 Apr
Magellan
Dundee
Majestic Fjordland
6
£429pp
24 Jun Marco Polo
Leith
Iceland & Northern Isles
11
£989pp
These great value Saver Fares are available now!
Book by 28th February 2015. However, availability
is limited; when they’re gone, they’re gone!
05 Jul
Marco Polo
Leith
Scottish Isles & Faroes
6
£589pp
11 Jul
Marco Polo
Leith Baltic Cities & St Petersburg
12
£1089pp
23 Jul
Marco Polo
1
£69pp
Magellan joins the CMV fleet!
New to the CMV fleet in 2015 will be the
impressive Magellan. Combining expansive,
comfortable surroundings with stylish entertainment and delicious cuisine, ‘adult only’ Magellan
offers a more contemporary style still retaining a
feel of intimacy and personal attention.
Alongside Marco Polo, Magellan will be cruising
from Dundee – a new departure port for us.
2015 marks a special 50th Anniversary Year for
Marco Polo which includes cruises from Leith
and Rosyth.
■ Agency Sales: 0844 414 6140
■ Brochures: www.trade-gate.co.uk
Departs
Rosyth
Overnight Mini Cruise
■ Book online at: ■ www.cruiseandmaritime.com
■ Call: 0844 414 6161
Terms & Conditions apply. Subject to availability, may be withdrawn without notice. Offered for sale in the UK by South Quay Travel & Leisure Ltd trading as Cruise & Maritime Voyages. ABTA V9945.
1818
Date-a-base
Feb
26
85th Annual SPAA Dinner, Glasgow
Mar
26
STAR Exhibition, Edinburgh
Apr
May
Jun
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
12-14
P
ure Luxury has launched a new incentive offering travel agents the
chance to win a place on a luxury multi-centre fam trip to the Far
East, flying Club Class with British Airways.
Routes Europe Conference, Aberdeen
23
SPAA Pre-Lunch Seminar & Spring Network Lunch, Glasgow
12
SPAA Travel Quiz Heat, Glasgow
14-18
Advantage Conference, Bodrum
19
SPAA Travel Quiz Heat, Edinburgh
26
SPAA Travel Quiz Heat, Aberdeen
4
SPAA Quiz Final, Glasgow
25
SPAA Golf & Spa Day, Edinburgh
17
SPAA Pre-Lunch Seminar & Autumn Network Lunch, Edinburgh
24
STAR Exhibition, Aberdeen
12-15
SPAA Annual Travel Awards, Glasgow
25
STAR Exhibition, Glasgow
10
SPAA Christmas Lunch, Glasgow
n its initial reaction to the command paper published last week by the
UK Government in response to the Smith Commission's report, the
SPAA has given a cautious welcome to the intention to devolve
responsibility for APD to the Scottish Government at Holyrood.
P
rime Minister David Cameron visited Edinburgh Airport last week as
it announced a new £50m airside investment programme.
Work begins this week on an extensive redevelopment of the airport’s
immigration and baggage reclaim facilities, a move that will triple
capacity for bigger long-haul aircraft.
The Prime Minister was met by Chairman, Sir John Elvidge, and CEO
Gordon Dewar, who took him on a tour of the airport’s new airside
construction site which will be phased over the next four years.
‘Grab a grand’ with Celebrity
incentive
C
elebrity Cruises is giving agents the chance to ‘grab a grand’ in
reward points with a total of 1,000,000 points available on selected
European bookings as part of its turn of year 123 Go! campaign.
Agents need to make a booking on any European sailing of seven-nights
or more, in an Oceanview stateroom or above, departing between April
and September this year. Each of these bookings will reward agents with
an additional 1,000 points as part of the Celebrity Rewards loyalty
programme. The offer will run up until 1,000,000 points have been
awarded. This latest agent incentive is available in conjunction with the
current ‘Double Points’ promotion.
2
SPAA gives cautious welcome to
APD devolution
I
Prime Minister welcomes £50m
investment at Edinburgh
190-194 Main Street
Glasgow, G78 1SL
www.scottishtravelagentsnews.co.uk
Tel:
0141 880 4305
Fax:
0141 881 6511
Email: susan@stannews.co.uk
Eight agents will visit three destinations across the Far East on the seven
night trip, staying in luxury accommodation featured in the Pure Luxury
portfolio. They will spend two nights at Tanjong Resort, Terrengganu and
three nights at Gaya Island Resort, Borneo – both in Malaysia – before
travelling to Singapore for two nights at Raffles Singapore.
Pure Luxury’s Head of Sales & Business Development, Ruth Hilton
commented: "To start the year in style we’re delighted to offer our valued
agents the chance to visit three fascinating destinations in one trip, and
experience the difference that is Pure Luxury. All we’re asking our travel
agent partners to do is continue to support Pure Luxury, as places on the
trip will be awarded based on who’s a top seller and whose sales are
most improved – there’s a chance for everybody.”
ABTA Travel Convention, Greece
05
Far East luxury fam on offer
Commenting following publication of the command paper, SPAA
President Jimmy Martin said, "We are pleased to note that the Scottish
Government is to have full responsibility for the future structure, level
and collection of APD or any replacement tax.
"Along with colleague organisations in the Fair Tax on Flying Campaign
we have lobbied the UK Government actively to mitigate the effects of
this regressive tax on business and leisure travellers, the travel sector and
the UK economy as a whole. Our focus must now move to the details of
the implementation, which will have significant implications for our
Members and the travelling public, and we are seeking an early meeting
with the Transport Minister at Holyrood to discuss those implications and
the future shape of Air Passenger Duty here in Scotland."
Design Hotels launches
portal for agents
D
esign Hotels has launched Design Hotels Pro, a new booking
and information platform specially designed for travel professionals.
Membership to Design Hotels Pro comes with numerous benefits
including travel industry rates of up to 50% off, commission paid in
local currencies and added value extras such as welcome drinks and
discounted spa treatments for travel agents and their clients.
Members will receive up to 50% off the best available rates as well as
added value extras such as welcome drinks, complimentary breakfast
and discounted spa treatments. Also members will be eligible to earn
commission of up to 15% on all bookings.
Editor: Susan Harris
Features: Andrea Pellicci
Advertising Sales:
Guy Palmer, Alex Bleasdale
For subscription information
contact the above address.
Printing & Typesetting
Armstrong Printing (Alloa) Ltd
75-77 Alloa Business Centre
Whins Road, Alloa FK10 3SA
Published by S&G Publishing (Scotland) Ltd and
delivered to every ABTA, IATA, non ABTA, agency
in Scotland as well as to home workers, telesales
agents, and principals based in Scotland.
Registered as a newspaper with the Post Office.The editor and publishers cannot be held
responsible for any views expressed or for any mistakes or misprints that may occur. No
part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publishers.
Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 26 January 2015
Our birthday.
Your present.
We’re nearly half way
through our
Wave campaign.
Your customers can enjoy $500pp* complimentary on board spending
money on selected cruises in 2015, when they book by 28 February.
Flights available from selected Scottish Airports.
Please visit completecruisesolution.com for more information.
Forever Cunard.
Let us treat you too.
To celebrate bookings made during our Wave campaign, we are giving you the chance to win some amazing prizes:
1
A Transatlantic Crossing to New York for two, plus £1,750 per person to treat
yourselves to a shopping spree.
2
Three 7-night Mediterranean cruise holidays including flights for you and
three friends (two staterooms per winner).
3
One of 175 cases of Veuve Clicquot Champagne (six bottles per case).
For your chance to win, simply:
Make a booking by 28 February 2015 on any Cunard cruise.
Visit the ‘My CCS’ section on completecruisesolution.com
Complete the online entry form with your details and booking references.
Prize Winners.
Here are a few winners from Week 2…
May Malcolm
Adam Courtney
Simon Jonathan Howitt
Cathy Hewitt
Monica Clark
Barrhead Travel,
Glasgow
Thomas Cook,
Birmingham
Thomson Cruisedeals,
Liverpool
Bath Travel,
Winchester
Bolsover Cruise Club,
Chesterfield
…Enjoy your case of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. For the full list of weekly winners, visit completecruisesolution.com
It’s our birthday, let us treat you.
We want you to benefit from sales in our 175th year and our staff are on
hand to ensure you have a successful Wave campaign. Please contact us
at agent.matters@cunardpocruises.com for any matters relating to sales
opportunities or contact our UK travel agent support centre on 0844 338 8008.
Campaign and competition terms and conditions apply.
See completecruisesolution.com for more information.
*$500pp complimentary on board spending money is based
on a Balcony Stateroom on 14-night Fly-Mediterranean
cruises departing 1, 8, 15 & 22 August 2015 (cruise numbers
V518, V518D, V519 & V519D).
Reflections with Bill Munro
J
anuary 2014 was so good that in this
election year, to even equal last January is
an achievement; we were up 30% last
January. The ongoing political uncertainty
throughout the UK is, according to all
financial experts, doing damage to our
fragile recovery. History does repeat itself
and businesses are not inclined to invest
when so much uncertainty abounds any
more than clients want to book early. A lot
will depend on how financial markets and
the population as a whole view the election
result in May. There will also be a view on
big businesses, the oil price and its effect on
the economy with lower consumer prices
combined with a much smaller tax receipt
for the Government whoever they may be
going forward and resulting changing tax
implications which is anyone’s guess. So to
forecast the first quarter of 2015 would be
pure guesswork.
The great forthcoming technology advances
will have the biggest effect of all on our
standards and way of life as the attitudes of
the young towards life and work changes.
This is partly due to attitudes towards
realising the more that people question the
hereafter the more important to live for
today is, to the young of today, and therefore
their attitudes to work. More women than
men believe in religion but the demographics say fewer young people believe
than older. If one is not religious then it
changes one perspective of everything and
how you may wish to lead your life,
according to a TV programme I watched
recently.
��������
Incidentally, my Reflections are not based on
personal attitudes or thoughts but upon
reading books and my own research into
changes in the western person. Many of
today’s young people have little intention of
commissioning themselves to a life of work
with little ‘me’ time, according to research.
Their changes will influence travel greatly in
one way or another. Will they ever get the
feeling of a great sense of achievement and
that of having contributed to society and
community? Could their sense of
WIN!
2 Y5*$,&54507&("48*5)
We have launched our biggest ever travel trade
competition as a thank you for all your support in
helping 2014 be our busiest year since 2008.
This week we are featuring Thomas Cook Airlines
t /FXXFFLMZ-BT7FHBTGMJHIU.BZ0DUA
t &YUSBGMJHIUTUP0SMBOEPJO0DUA
t %JSFDUUP-BT7FHBT/PWA"QSJMA
t %JSFDUUP$VCB%FDA+BOA
HOW TO ENTER
To find out more email
glatradesupport@glasgowairport.com
achievement be more of a personal nature
and less asset building and much more
green by protecting this wonderful planet of
ours for future generations to enjoy? Does
anyone need extra bedrooms used only for
storage? Why two cars per household and
not one, four TVs, how many pairs of shoes?
Does having more make one any happier? Is
it not more about creating memories for the
young?
��������
I am on a ‘bucket list’ tour of New Zealand
this January and am mightily impressed; in
fact it’s awesome. Plenty of travel writers
have waxed lyrical about it so I won’t
attempt it. What I have come away with is a
feeling Professor Brian Cox would be in
agreement with and how insignificant we
humans are, no more than an accident of
nature within space and closer to home in
our own galaxy.
��������
More later about how the future may evolve
and create a paradigm shift in how we work
and play.
Win £2,000 towards a
Florida holiday
T
ravel 2 is giving agents the chance to win £2,000 towards a holiday
to Florida with the new “Book an Unforgettable Holiday to Orlando,
Florida” campaign, in partnership with Virgin Atlantic, Alamo and
Universal.
As an added incentive, agents can offer their customers free Universal
Orlando 2-Park Bonus Tickets for up to two children on any new
2015, family package booking to Orlando, with a minimum of sevennights’ accommodation, booked through Travel 2.
To be entered into the prize draw to win the Florida holiday, agents
simply need to make a qualifying booking to Florida during February
including return flights and a minimum of five nights ground arrangements in the region.
Ferry industry in Scotland up 4%
B
ritain’s ferry industry continued its revival in 2014 on over 75 routes,
posting increases across the board for passengers, cars and coaches
carried during last year.
Scottish - Irish ferry routes, together with a proportion of those who
travelled to and from Scotland on the Newcastle - Amsterdam route,
accounted for around two million passengers.
Please ask for full terms & conditions
4
These figures added to the ferry operators within Scotland figure of
6.19m, makes a total of 8.19m passengers who travelled by ferry to and
from Scotland in 2014, a very significant form of travel in Scotland,
growing by nearly 4% on 2013.
Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 26 January 2015
Double
on board
spending
money *
We’ve just
doubled
the reasons your customers
should book a P&o Cruises holiday
until 31 Jan
So make sure you’re shouting it from the rooftops! Theysayyoucan’thavetoo
muchofagoodthing,whichiswhy,until31 January,we’reofferingourpassengers
doubleonboardspendingmoneyonawiderangeof2015SelectPricecruises.
Congratulations
to all of our winners!
Aswellasbeingagreatsellingpointforyou,it’salsogreatnewsforyourcustomers,
asitreallygivesthemanincentivetobookaP&OCruisesholidaytoday!Somecruises
featureregional flights from selective Scottish airportsandthedoubleon
boardspendingmoneycanbeusedtoenhancetheircruiseinsomanyways;it’sall
abouthelpingourpassengerscreatemoreofthose“This is the life” moments,
so don’t be shy about talking these up!
Winner of a Caribbean Cruise
offer ends 31 January 2015
Fancy your own “This is the life” moment?
Register your Wave bookings to win!Everytimeyoumakea
bookingduringWave,notonlydoyouearncommission,youearn
thechancetoenterourprizedraw.
Toni Huntingford
Co-opTravel
Winners of a dinner for 2
from one of our Food Heroes
Adele Newland
BolsoverCruiseClub
Kelly Marsden
BarrheadTravel
Theresa Bellamy
ThomasCook
William Spence
TheCruiseSpecialists
Plus,25 lucky winners willreceive2bottles
ofwineselectedbywineguruOllySmith,
see completecruisesolution.comfordetails.
Yet to enter?
Prizes
1
5 Caribbean holidays
fortwopeople!
3
30 dinners for 2 at a choice
ofMarcoPierreWhite,JamesMartin
orAtulKochharrestaurants!
2
3 seven night holidays
sailingfromSouthamptonfor
youandthreefriends!
4
400 bottles of wine
selectedbyourwineguru,
OllySmith!
For your chance to win, simply:
• Makeabookingbetween23December2014
and28February2015onanyP&OCruisesholiday.
• Visitthe‘myccs’sectionon
completecruisesolution.com
• Completetheonlineentryformwithyourdetails
andbookingreferences.
Seecompletecruisesolution.comforprizedrawtermsandconditions
*Termsandconditionsapply.Visitcompletecruisesolution.comfordetails.
S TA N L E T S
� Tauck has announced its 2015 solo
traveller savings, and the company has
again eliminated the single supplement on its Category 1 European
riverboat cabins. In addition, Tauck is
reducing the single supplement by
over £650 on 161 departures of 62
itineraries to four continents.
� Working in partnership with ILTM
Asia exhibitors, ILTM Asia 2015 is now
registering high level discerning luxury
travel agents from across the continent.
Over 48% of these buyers will be new
faces at ILTM Asia and 40% will be new
buyers from China.
� Air Astana, Kazakhstan's flag
carrier, has reported an operating
profit of $97.7 million in 2014, an
increase of 35% over 2013 and the
highest in the company’s 13 year
history.
� If Only has joined the travel agent
loyalty scheme MoneyCard.
New state-of-the-art
reservations system
for RCL Cruises
RCL Cruises is to introduce Espresso, a new
reservation system designed for travel agents
selling Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity
Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. Launching in
March, Espresso will deliver a faster, powerful and
intuitive reservation system to help the cruise
company’s travel agent partners sell more cruises,
earn more and grow their businesses.
Espresso provides side-by-side comparison views
Regent celebrates keel
laying milestone
T
he first building block for Seven Seas Explorer has
been placed during a special keel laying ceremony at
the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy. The keel laying
signals a significant milestone in the construction for
what will be one of the most luxurious ships ever built
and brings the vessel one step closer to its 20th July,
2016 maiden voyage.
At 56,000 gross-registered tonnes and carrying 750
guests, Seven Seas Explorer will have one of the highest
space ratios in the cruise industry and among the highest
staff-to-guest ratio.
of selected itineraries to help travel agents identify
All Leisure Group has
promoted Sarah Weetman
to head of trade sales,
reflecting the company’s
ongoing strategy to
strengthen trade relationships and sales across its
cruise and holiday brands.
Previously acting as group
trade marketing manager,
Sarah’s new role will see
her playing an integral part
in the development and
implementation of agency
sales strategies.
the best possible cruise for their clients. Once
submitted, the new reservation system’s search
engine highlights the best available price and
applicable promotional offers.
The new predictive search function can help travel
agents find an existing reservation from a single
identifier, saving valuable time when servicing a
client’s booking. Espresso also can identify past
guests and display a customer’s history, such as
recent promotions sent to them, last cruise taken,
destination and accommodation preferences and
any other interests that have been shared and
automatically populates their information and
preferences when making a new reservation.
SAMOA.
THE TREASURED
ISLANDS OF THE
SOUTH PACIFIC.
Looking for an undiscovered destination? Take the road less
travelled and explore the islands of Samoa and be amazed by
extraordinary waterfalls, dramatic blowholes, untouched coral
reefs, palm fringed beaches and crystal clear lagoons where
you can swim with turtles. Samoa was the beloved home and
final resting place of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Become a Samoa Specialist at www.sellsamoa.com
HOLIDAY THE SAMOAN WAY.
www.samoa.travel
6
Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 26 January 2015
N
ow established on the international winter
events calendar, Ottawa’s Winterlude festival is
set to transform Canada’s capital into a celebration of
all things snowy and frozen. In its 37th year, Winterlude will take place 30th January to 16th February
over three main official sites throughout the city.
Ottawa’s Rideau Canal Skateway is centre stage for
several activities. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the
Skateway is the world’s largest skating rink and it
hosts the annual Winterlude Triathlon and Accora
Village Bed Race. Sports lovers should be sure to visit
the Giant Tiger Interactive Hockey Zone as well.
Visitors should head to Ottawa’s Crystal Garden,
located in Confederation Park downtown for what
will be a spectacular opening ceremony called Catch
the Spirit … Dream, Play, Excel! Nearby JacquesCartier Park is the site of North America’s biggest
snow playground with larger-than-life snow slides.
2015’s event will celebrate three key themes; The
Year of Sport in Canada, which includes the FIFA
Women’s World Cup; the 200th anniversary of the
birth of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A.
Macdonald; and the 50th anniversary of the
Canadian flag.
Air Canada expands introduction of new
international seating
A
ir Canada has announced that
along with the addition of two
new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to
its widebody fleet, it will expand
the introduction of its new International Business Class product to
include all Boeing 777-300ER
aircraft, seven more than previously announced.
It will also reconfigure the aircraft
to include its new Premium
Economy cabin. Air Canada’s
three-cabin international product
and seating standard will therefore
be extended to all 25 of the
carrier’s Boeing 777-300ER and
777-200LR aircraft consistent with
seating on its new Boeing 787-8
and -9 Dreamliner fleet.
Air Canada will also reconfigure
its fleet of eight Airbus A330-300
aircraft to offer customers the
option of its new Premium Economy cabin. The current Economy
and International Business Class
cabins of its A330-300 fleet will
remain unchanged.
Conversion of Air Canada’s
Boeing 777 and Airbus A330
aircraft is planned to begin in the
fourth quarter of 2015 and is
expected to be completed by the
second half of 2016.
Cash for
Canada with
Travel 2
Canada
Ottawa gears up for 37th Winterlude festival
A
gents can win one of three
£500 vouchers towards a
holiday in Canada with Travel
2’s new “Canada: Desirable
Discoveries” campaign.
Travel 2 has teamed up with
the Canadian Tourism
Commission, Air Canada,
Rocky Mountaineer and
ViaRail to showcase ‘signature
Canadian Experiences’ that
agents can promote to
customers.
To be in with a chance of
winning one of three £500
vouchers towards a holiday in
Canada, agents must make a
qualified booking to Canada
that includes flights and fivenight’s ground arrangements
between 01 January and 31
March 2015.
DISCOVER CANADA
WITH ICELANDAIR
IN 2015
ANCHORAGE
VANCOUVER
Q
5 weekly services from Glasgow Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,
Friday, Sunday
Q
Featuring 3 different classes Economy, Economy Comfort
and Saga Class
Q
Generous baggage allowance
of 2 x 23kgs on transatlantic
services
Q
Free seat selection
Q
Stopover in Iceland at no
additional fare
EDMONTON
SEATTLE
PORTLAND
ICELAND
GLASGOW
LONDON
MANCHESTER
Heathrow
BIRMINGHAM & Gatwick
DENVER
Learn and win with Icelandair
on our new travel training modules
at icelandairtraining.co.uk
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL
TORONTO
BOSTON
NEW YORK
JFK & Newark
WASHINGTON D.C.
HALIFAX
ORLANDO
Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 26 January 2015
7
Canada
More UK visitors for Travel Alberta
T
ravel Alberta, the tourism
marketing body for the
Province of Alberta in Western
Canada is pleased to report that it
is seeing year-on-year increased
visitor numbers from the UK.
When coupled with increased
airlift to the Province from across
the regions of the UK, a range of
new product coming online and
significant travel trade initiatives in
place, confidence is high visitor
stats will continue to rise.
now available from Glasgow,
Manchester, Birmingham, London
Heathrow and London Gatwick.
The increased air capacity is a
result of Icelandair now offering
frequent flights to Edmonton from
regional airports across the UK.
Flying via Reykjavik, flights are
The new route will operate with a
wide-body Airbus A330-200, with
30 business class seats, 35 economy comfort zone seats and 178
economy seats.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will also
be launching year-round flights to
Edmonton International Airport
via Amsterdam from 5th May
2015. Starting at three-times-aweek service on a Tuesday,
Thursday and Sunday, a fourth
Friday flight will be added on
22nd June for the summer.
This year new activities will also
be launched including new culinary tours in Edmonton, Calgary
and Canmore and new packages
with Holidays on Horseback.
Additionally, new day trips are
available with Anderson Vacations
from Calgary to the Canadian
Badlands. Starting 1st June 2015,
visitors can either take in Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology where
visitors can discover one of the
world's largest dinosaur bone beds
or the UNESCO World Heritage
Site, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo
Jump where Alberta’s First Nation
history comes to life.
Air France-KLM Air Canada to carry skis or
snowboard at no extra charge
increases
services to
A
Canada
V
ancouver will soon be
available non-stop from Paris-
Charles de Gaulle. From 29th
March, Air France will offer up to
five weekly flights between ParisCharles de Gaulle and Vancouver.
Flights will be operated by Boeing
777-200 with 309 seats: 35 in
Business, 24 in Premium Economy
and 250 in Economy.
These new services to Vancouver
will operate in addition to KLM’s
offering of seven weekly flights to
the destination from AmsterdamSchiphol.
As of 5th May, KLM will offer
three weekly flights between
Amsterdam and Edmonton, with
four weekly frequencies starting
from 22nd June.
Flights will be operated by an
Airbus A330-200 with 243 seats:
30 in World Business Class, 35 in
Economy Comfort Zone and 178
in Economy.
KLM will be the first and only
airline in continental Europe to
connect Europe to Edmonton and
will run the service in addition to
daily flights to Calgary in the same
province.
8
ir Canada has announced that customers can carry their skis or
snowboard as part of their free baggage allowance when travelling
on non-stop flights from London to Canada this winter. This new baggage
rule is valid until 30th April and allows customers to carry their ski
equipment in addition to one piece of luggage at 23kg. Air Canada
customers can also carry a ski or snowboard boot bag as part of their free
allowance year-round, if carried along with skis or snowboard and if it
contains only boots.
Air Canada customers travelling from London Heathrow can take
advantage of daily flights to Vancouver for Whistler and to Calgary for
Banff and Lake Louise. Air Canada offers daily flights to Mont-Tremblant
and Kelowna conveniently timed to connect via its hubs in Toronto and
Calgary or Vancouver respectively.
New tour combines Rockies
with US river
T
he American Queen Steamboat Company has introduced new for
2015, a partnership with the Rocky Mountaineer train and the
steamboat the American Empress. The partnership will see the companies market an eighteen-day itinerary that starts in Calgary, Canada
and finishes in Clarkson, Washington state, USA with many special extras
included, including a helicopter tour over the Rockies.
The trip, ideal for the river cruise fan looking for something really different and memorable, is priced from £6,395 pp and agents earn up to
10% commission.
The trip combines the scenery of Canada’s Rocky Mountains with the
changeable scenery of Oregon and Washington.
The train takes the Coastal Passage through the mountains from Banff,
Alberta to Kamloops, British Columbia and then on to Vancouver, British
Columbia, clearing US immigration in Seattle. Then onwards to Vancouver, Washington (over the water from Portland) where passengers
board the American Empress. The itinerary also includes hotels in Calgary,
Lake Louise, Alberta and Banff; pre-cruise nights in Portland, Oregon and
two nights post-cruise at the famous Davenport Hotel in Spokane.
Tauck marks
90 with heliexploring
departures
T
o mark Tauck's 90th anniversary this summer, and for a
limited number of departures,
Tauck will operate “heli-hiking”
trips in the Canadian Rockies. Heliexploring takes guests high into
the Canadian Rockies via helicopter to experience alpine wonders
paired with the comforts and convenience of lodges originally built
for helicopter-assisted ski vacations.
Tauck will operate six departures
of its “Bugaboos Adventure” in
July and August. The seven-day
itinerary begins with two nights at
The Fairmont Chateau Lake
Louise followed by transportation
to the Bugaboo Lodge in the Purcell Mountains. During a threenight stay at the lodge guests will
explore the surrounding area on
guided daily walks in small groups
based on guests’ preference for
easier or more challenging terrain.
Win
vouchers
with Quebec
training
T
he Province of Québec’s
OTT programme is offering
various modules on Québec’s
main tourist regions - the two
cities of Montréal and Québec
City, activities to do by season,
as well as a section on wildlife
and gastronomy. The Province
of Québec is less than a seven
hour flight from the UK and
the two cities are only three
hours apart making it ideal for
short or longer stays.
Agents completing the
programme will be in for the
chance to win £100 in
Love2Shop vouchers to be
drawn on 1st April, for training
completed between now and
31st March.
Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 26 January, 2015
Aberdeen and
Grampian join
Heathrow
supporters
UKinbound and Advantage launches
VisitEngland
Vision 2020 to members
embark on
T
partnership
A
U
Calling on decision makers to
recognise the vital role the airport
plays in connecting Britain to
growth markets around the world,
Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce endorsed an
expanded Heathrow as the best
solution to the UK’s hub capacity
crisis. The move follows an independent analysis by the Airports
Commission which indicated that
expanding Heathrow would result
in up to £211 billion in economic
benefit and create up to 180,000
jobs right across the UK.
With the demand to increase the
number of international visitors
looking beyond London when
visiting the UK - current statistics
show that 51% of UK’s inbound
visitors only visit London –
UKinbound and VisitEngland
created the workshop as a platform for networking opportunities
and business meetings and is the
first in a series of events as part of
VisitEngland’s partnership with
UKinbound.
s the Airports Commission
continues its national consultation on airport capacity expansion, Aberdeen and Grampian
Chamber of Commerce has joined
25 other Chambers in recognising
the unique benefits an expanded
Heathrow would bring to British
business.
Kinbound and VisitEngland
has hosted its first joint
workshop in conjunction with
England’s Heritage Cities, with all
partners uniting to grow the
inbound tourism market beyond
London after it was identified that
77% of UK’s inbound visitors
stated that they would like to
explore more of the UK.
he Advantage Travel Partnership has launched its five-year strategic
plan for the business entitled Vision 2020. The board of directors and
management team have set a clear view on the business priorities and
targets to be achieved over the next five years as well as more detailed
activities for the coming year.
Overall the strategy is aimed at improving the value and benefits
Advantage offers its members and includes: boosting average member
benefit value to £25,850 per year; providing tailored consultancy services
for every member who requests assistance; growing membership
particularly through Advantage Managed Services; a strong commercial
benefits package to maximise members’ margin and performance
earnings; supporting members in retaining existing and attracting new
customers, particularly through online channels; technological innovation
including Advantage Travel Gateway; introduction of business travel AMS
and homeworking AMS schemes; supporting business travel members
looking to enter or exploit the MICE market; delivering a full-service air
product, support and fulfilment facility; developing a robust tour
operating capability; and supplying industry-leading financial services.
Win a Fiat Panda from Wendy Wu
W
endy Wu Tours is giving away a new Fiat Panda to one agent
during their peaks campaign. Every booking made with Wendy
Wu Tours will be entered into the draw to win the prize – the more
bookings made, the more chances of winning!
To qualify, bookings must be made by 28th February.
Scotland or England? We’ve got both covered!
Win a weekend rugby break in London with hospitality tickets
to the England vs Scotland 6 Nations game.
To celebrate our new Edinburgh route starting 8 June, we’re giving away hospitality tickets to the big game
on 14 March plus an overnight stay for you and a friend. And to show we’re not biased, there’s two pairs for
agents in Scotland and two pairs for agents in England with flights included for those in Scotland!
To win, simply book any Etihad flight and submit the booking details to: marketinguk@etihad.ae with
subject line either ‘England’ or ‘Scotland’ depending on where you’re based along with your contact details.
Enter as many times as you like as the more you book, the greater your chances to win.
Flights booked from Edinburgh count twice!
All entries must be
received by 28 February
with the winner announced
immediately afterwards.
etihad.com
Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 26 January 2015
9
Germany
Maritim Hotels Lufthansa voted best short-haul airline
L
expands
portfolio
M
aritim Hotels is Germany’s largest privately
owned hotel operator. With 36
deluxe hotels in Germany and
a presence in every major
German city, Maritim invests
in an ongoing programme of
upgrade and refurbishment of
its hotels to meet the ever
changing needs of its guests.
Maritim has also welcomed a
new hotel to its portfolio; the
Maritim Hafenhotel in Rheinsberg. Located in the harbour
at the most southern tip of the
Mecklenburg Lake District, the
hotel is in the heart of one of
the most popular German
tourist areas and boasts its own
private beach.
In total, the hotel offers 176
rooms, including 36 Junior
Suites and 24 Island Suites
complete with private boatlanding stages.
Steigenberger
Hotel Köln to
open in 2016
T
he Steigenberger Hotel Group
has taken over the Hotel
Cologne Rudolfplatz in Cologne.
15 million euros has been budgeted for renovation and modernisation works, and the property
will be opened as the Steigenberger Hotel Köln in the second
half of 2016 once these works
have been successfully completed.
During the conversion phase the
hotel will continue to operate
under the name of Hotel Cologne
Rudolfplatz and will receive specialist support from Steigenberger
Consulting, a one hundred
percent subsidiary of the
Steigenberger Hotel Group.
The future Steigenberger Hotel
Köln will offer 301 rooms and
suites, a ballroom, seven meeting
rooms, a restaurant, a spa and
gym area and 110 parking spaces.
10
ufthansa has been named best
short-haul airline in the
Business Travel Awards 2015.
Now in their 20th year, the
Business Travel Awards recognise
and celebrate the achievements of
the industry’s leading players who
have performed outstandingly in
their chosen field over the last 12
months.
The independent panel of judges
praised Lufthansa for its change of
business model and the successful
integration of Germanwings which
had helped the airline return to
profitability. They also commented
on Lufthansa’s impressive shorthaul network and product, comprehensive CSR programme and
excellent employer ethics.
After accepting the award at the
2015 Business Travel Awards
ceremony in London, Christian
Schindler, Lufthansa's General
Manager UK & Ireland, said: “This
award acknowledges the way
Lufthansa has responded to the
challenges of the travel market. In
the face of ever-increasing
competition from low-cost airlines
and revenue losses in the shorthaul market, Lufthansa decided to
go on the offensive and took the
bold decision to transfer non-hub
operations to its own existing lowcost airline, Germanwings.
“We believe that to maintain the
leading position in our market we
must be better than anyone else in
terms of reliability and innovation
at a competitive price.
“This is why Lufthansa just introduced a new pricing product on
its routes from the UK to Frankfurt
Frankfurt – a constantly
growing city
F
rankfurt, the metropolis on the River Main, is in a constant state of
change. Construction, renovation, modernisation and beautification
work is taking place on every corner.
The changes occurring in the eastern part of the city – the so-called “East
End” – are particularly noticeable. There, one now finds the new European Central Bank, the latest landmark to grace the finance metropolis,
reaching for the sky at a height of some 218 metres.
One of the many new and lively urban spaces of eastern Frankfurt may
be found along Hanauer Landstraße. This one-time mostly industrial area
has over the years been transformed into a trendy urban quarter. Today,
Hanauer Landstraße is a bustling district featuring shops and stores,
restaurants and nightlife locations.
Directly in front of the premises of the European Central Bank, Frankfurt
has created a vast new open space were everyone is welcome to enjoy
the scenery.
This new green space, known as Harbour Park, has been subdivided into
a skaters’ and bikers’ park in the north, a general sports area in the centre
and a lawn and sunbathing area to the south.
Ryanair introduces Berlin route
R
yanair is to introduce a new route from Glasgow to Berlin as part
of its expanded winter 2015 schedule.
In Glasgow, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said: “Ryanair is pleased to
announce a new route from Glasgow International to Berlin in
response to the demand from Scottish customers, visitors and
business travellers. 2014 was a record year for Ryanair as we rolled
out our “Always Getting Better” customer experience improvement
programme and we will continue to deliver further enhancements
into 2015."
and Munich with very attractive
Business Class fares starting at
£275 in 2015.
“In addition, the latest figures
show Lufthansa has recorded the
best figures for punctuality in its
history with over 85% of all flights
leaving Frankfurt and Munich
within 15 minutes of scheduled
departure time.
“We continue to enhance the onboard experience for customers
by fitting 20 Airbus A321s with a
revolutionary in-flight entertainment programme developed
by Lufthansa Systems. This enables passengers to connect their
own laptop, tablet or smartphone
via Wi-Fi to the in-flight infotainment service offering a wide range
of films, TV series, music, games
and flight information.“
Hannover:
the venue
in heart of
Europe
T
he Hannover Exhibition
Centre is looking forward
to an eventful year with
numerous top-class events.
Fairs which will consolidate
the city’s international reputation include CeBIT, which will
cooperate with China as partner country in 2015, Hannover Messe with India as
partner country, Interschutz,
the leading International
Exhibition for Rescue, Fire
Prevention, Disaster Relief,
Safety and Security, and the
Agritechnica, the world’s
largest trade fair for agricultural
machinery and equipment.
Hannover can look back on
more than 60 years as a
leading international trade fair
location. The city boasts the
largest and one of the most
modern exhibition centres in
the world, with more than
460,000 m2 indoor and
58,000 m2 outdoor area.
Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 26 January, 2015
Germany
Cultural celebrations in
Frankfurt for 2015
I
n Frankfurt this year, the Städel Museum will be hosting a series
of exhibitions and research projects to celebrate its 200th anniv-
ersary.From 11th March until 21st June, the focus of attention will
be on Claude Monet and his renowned contemporaries, such as
Édouard Manet and Auguste Renoir, who revolutionised the art of
painting in a matter of a few, short years. The exhibition, entitled
“Monet and the Birth of Impressionism”, will show a number of
works that otherwise rarely leave their home museums.
The Städel Museum has also been focussing on expanding its
digital offers. It has, for example, created a digital platform that
enables users to intuitively “stroll” through the museum’s vast
collection. Art enthusiasts now also have regular online art history
courses available to them, which they may attend prior to visiting
the actual exhibitions in person.
A further highlight of 2015 is the Museum Embankment Festival,
one of the largest cultural celebrations in all of Europe. Traditionally held on the final August weekend of every year (28th to 30th
August 2015), the festival attracts on average three million visitors
to the banks of the River Main for this display of culture and the
arts. Participating museums remain open late into the night during
the festival, while the museum embankment is lined with stands
selling handcrafted goods and similar accessories.
Travelport invests in German
tour operator distribution
T
ravelport has acquired a majority stake in German tour operator
distribution company, travel-IT. The strategic investment will significantly increase Travelport’s presence and reach in the German leisure
travel industry, which at approximately €26 billion, is Europe’s largest.
A substantial portion of the leisure travel sector in Germany is comprised
of tour operators offering their content, either on a pre-packaged or
dynamically packaged basis. travel-IT provides a platform that enables
the real time offer, search and booking of the unique content from all the
major operators serving Germany, to consumers who purchase from
travel retailers.
Travelport's participation in equity of travel-IT was part of a wider transaction which also saw some of the leading German tour operators invest
alongside.
The Flushing Meadows
opens in Munich
D
esign Hotels newest member in Munich, The Flushing Meadows
Hotel & Bar, gets its name from the fields surrounding both it and
the Isar River. The sixteen-room hotel has eleven Loft Studios on the third
floor and an additional five Penthouse Studios on the upper level. Located
in the Glockenbachviertel district, near the the Isar River, the area is full
of bars, restaurants, boutiques and galleries.
Third InterCity Maritim
SuperBreak reports high
Hotel opens in introduces
demand for Cologne city breaks
Hamburg
free wifi for
S
guests across
A
Germany
uperBreak reports that sales of its city breaks to the Germany city of
Cologne are up over 40%, year on year. The operator is keen to
highlight to agents that this city offers clients lots to do all year round
with great shopping, nightlife and a fantastic position on the banks of
the Rhine.
Chris Hagan, head of overseas at SuperBreak comments: “Cologne is
well known for its popular Christmas Markets but is a great choice for a
city break at any time of year. It would be a great city break choice for a
customer who has visited one of the bigger cities such as Berlin or
Munich and is now looking to explore a little more.”
Prices start from £120.50pp staying three nights at the three- star
Coellner Hof Hotel on a b&b basis in April 2015.
bmi regional and Lufthansa
announce new routes
bmi regional will commence flights from Rotterdam, The Netherlands,
Liege, Belgium and Bern, Switzerland to the Bavarian capital, Munich on
29th March, 2015. The flights will be operated in partnership with
Lufthansa as code-share flights with joint BM and LH flight numbers. The
airline has tailored the schedule from each city to ensure seamless travel
connections for business and leisure travellers via Lufthansa’s Munich
network of over 200 global destinations.
The move strengthens bmi regional’s network presence at Munich Airport
with the German carrier. bmi regional already flies twice a day connecting Bristol with the Bavarian capital in partnership with Lufthansa.
12
s of December, Hamburg
now has another InterCityHotel in the form of the InterCityHotel Hamburg Dammtor-Messe,
the third property operated under
the Steigenberger-owned brand to
open its doors in the city.
I
n response to frequent guests’
requests for free Internet access,
Maritim Hotels has introduced
As usual, this latest addition offers
a central location and is situated
in the direct proximity of
Dammtor Station at the Trade Fair
Centre.
complimentary WIFI at a number
The InterCityHotel Hamburg
Dammtor-Messe becomes the
37th property in the portfolio of
Steigenberger's subsidiary InterCityHotel. The hotel offers 275
rooms, a conference area on the
13th floor with up to six meeting
rooms, a restaurant, a bistro
lounge and a bar.
delegates, the group has extended
The "FreeCityTicket", which
entitles guests to use local public
transport free of charge, is also
included in the price of overnight
accommodation.
lobby, bedrooms and conference
of its hotels across Germany.
Starting at Maritim’s two hotels in
Berlin, and with an extremely
positive reception from guests and
the offer to all its major city hotels,
including Bonn, Cologne, Darmstadt, Dusseldorf, Dresden,
Frankfurt, Hanover, Bad Homburg, Magdeburg, Munich,
Nuremberg, Ulm and Wurzburg.
The free WIFI is available throughout the hotels, including the
rooms and the service offered is a
WLAN connection with standard
bandwidth, making unlimited free
surfing possible.
Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 26 January, 2015
Great flight.
Great connection.
Great business.
From
Scotland to
all over the
world
Successful meetings should start
with a relaxed mind. Begin your
journey in the knowledge that with
Lufthansa you can rely on punctual
landings, perfect service and stressfree transfers. We will take care
of you and make sure you arrive
relaxed for your meeting at any of
our over 200 worldwide destinations,
from Scotland via Germany.
lufthansaexperts.com
Bermuda
Bermuda to host America’s Cup in 2017
A
fter months of deliberation, the America's Cup
Event Authority has announced that Bermuda has
been selected to host the 35th America's Cup in
2017. The world's premier sailing event is considered
the most difficult trophy in sport to win, and will bring
both elite sailing teams and global media to the
island’s Great Sound.
The high-profile global event is expected to have
significant impact on Bermuda's tourism industry,
beginning with the America's Cup World Series event
in October of 2015 through to the Americas Cup
Finals events in 2017.
Bermuda is perfectly suited for hosting the America's
Cup, with an Atlantic-based location that will grow
the event's visibility among East Coast audiences; an
ideal broadcast time zone for both North American
and European audiences; a rich maritime legacy –
Bermuda's very foundation is sailing; and perhaps
most importantly a warm, hospitable community that
has extensive experience executing marquee events.
The Royal Naval Dockyard was selected as the venue
to base the 2017 America's Cup. In anticipation of the
event, a purpose-built event village will be developed
in the South Basin of Dockyard to provide an optimal
spectator setting.
In addition to the America’s Cup announcement,
Bermuda has been making tourism strides with the
recent groundbreaking on redevelopment of Ariel
Sands by actor Michael Douglas, as well as the
October opening of the island's first marina accommodating super yachts, located at The Fairmont
Hamilton Princess. America's Cup will act as a catalyst
for further investment and revitalization of Bermuda
and her assets by both the government and the
private sector.
N
orwegian Cruise Line has
announced its 2016/2017
deployment, with two ships sailing
itineraries to Bermuda.
Norwegian will continue its tradition of sailing from both New
York City and Boston to the pink
sand beaches of Bermuda between April and October 2016.
Norwegian Breakaway will return
to Bermuda, sailing from New
York City on seven-night cruises
every Sunday from 24th April
2016 through 23rd October 2016.
Special offers to Bermuda
with Prestige Holidays
Bermuda
by sea
P
B
From Boston, Norwegian Dawn
will sail seven-night cruises,
departing every Friday, from 3rd
June 2016 through 2nd September 2016 and from 7th October
2016 through 21st October 2016.
Once in, on and over the water,
visitors can discover coral crusted
shipwrecks from more than five
centuries of nautical history and
snorkel among the Atlantic’s largest
and most beautiful coral reefs.
City of
Hamilton
restige is proud of their long-standing heritage with Bermuda, with its
unhurried pace of life and timeless tradition and only a seven hour
flight away from the UK. Whether clients are looking for a romantic
hideaway, a self-catering apartment, a honeymoon hotel or an AllInclusive or golf resort, Prestige can ensure they get the holiday they
deserve.
Prestige currently has a number of special offers to Bermuda. Combined
with discounts on the British Airways flights, some of Prestige’s hotel
partners have reduced room rates by 50% to enable the operator to offer
great value holidays to Bermuda.
Holidays must be booked by 31st January and travelled by 31st October
2015. Participating hotels include Grotto Bay, Cambridge Beaches,
Fairmont Hamilton Princess and Fairmont Southampton.
Once in Bermuda, Prestige lays on private VIP transfers direct to the
hotel and will pre-book seat numbers on flights (if available and charges
may apply).
Newport Bermuda Race 6
T
he 635-mile biennial Newport Bermuda Race is the oldest
regularly scheduled ocean race, one of just two of the world's
races held almost entirely with no land in sight.
Founded in 1906, the Bermuda Race occurred for the 49th time in
2014. Approximately 170 boats sail the race every year. The average crew has ten men or women and the race starts off from
Newport, RI on the third Friday in June. It takes more than two
hours to get all those boats started in their 6 divisions and 17
classes. The 50th Bermuda Race will take place on 17th June, 2016.
The rules say, “The Newport Bermuda Race is not a race for
novices.” Depending on weather and Gulf Stream currents and the
boat’s size and speed, the race takes two to six days. The first boat
arrives at the finish line at St. David’s Lighthouse on Sunday or
Monday, and the smaller boats arrive between then and Thursday.
14
Norwegian
Cruise Line
unveils
Bermuda
itineraries
ermuda may seem like one
continuous landmass to
visitors, but it is actually made up
of 181 islands, islets and rocks.
Surrounded by clear turquoise sea
and dotted with coral reefs, there
is an abundance of marine life.
Bermuda offers not only under the
sea adventures, but over the sea
too with kayaking, parasailing
over pink sand beaches, sunset
sails, or big game fishing.
A taste
sensation,
Bermuda-style
V
isitors can indulge in the
exciting culinary offerings of
Bermuda during the 4th annual
Bermuda Restaurant Weeks,
taking place until 5th February,
with Prix Fixe menus starting at
$29, $39 and $49 per person.
Chefs at 42 of Bermuda’s top
eateries from all over the island
will be showcasing their talents
with special menus of threecourse selections.
H
amilton, the capital of
Bermuda, is a picturesque
harbour city filled with shops,
museums, galleries and gardens,
and is also the hub of international and local businesses.
The town of Hamilton was
founded in 1788 and named after
Sir Henry Hamilton who served as
Governor of Bermuda to 1794.
People in the capital Town of St.
George, objected to the creation
of the new upstart town, but the
Governor felt it made good sense
to have a town in the central area.
The new town thrived and overtook the Town of St. George,
becoming the capital of Bermuda
in 1815.
Today the City of Hamilton has a
colourful, vibrant character.
Hamilton, Pembroke and its
nearby parishes also offers visitors
gardens, historic churches, and an
interactive aquarium and zoo.
Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 26 January, 2015
T
he Bermuda Tourism Authority
has demonstrated its ongoing
investment into increasing
visitation from the UK by
launching a new multi-platform
marketing campaign with British
Airways and The Telegraph, as it
introduces its ‘Proper Fun’
campaign into the market.
Classic Collection offers the best of Bermuda
J
ust 22 miles long and two miles wide, glorious
pink sand beaches, turquoise waters, lush green
foliage, manicured lawns and quaint pastelcoloured cottages, are the hallmarks of the tiny
island of Bermuda 1,000 miles north of the
Caribbean, 600 miles east of the American coast,
and only a seven hour flight from the UK.
Classic Collection is offering a carefully selected
range of premier hotels in Bermuda. Cambridge
Beaches Resort & Spa in Sandy’s is billed as one
of the most romantic resorts in the world and
boasts some of Bermuda’s finest cuisine.
In Paget, Elbow Beach offers superb amenities,
enviable personal service and luxurious accommodation, whilst Grotto Bay Beach Resort in
The campaign, targeting the ‘experience seekers’ audience,
defined as energetic, busy and
ambitious 36-60 year olds, adopts
a phased strategy. The first phase,
launched in December, was
aimed at driving inspiration and
education, and included a visually
led Bermuda ‘Island guide’ living
across print, tablet and online.
Sublime
weather
The island boasts a laid back, albeit sophisticated,
atmosphere and Bermudians, proud of their
beautiful island and renowned for their
hospitality, greet visitors with warmth and
friendliness.
British Airways operates daily direct flights on a
Boeing 777 to Bermuda from London Gatwick
during summer and five times a week in winter.
Classic Collections offers add-on flights from both
Glasgow and Edinburgh so luggage may be
checked straight through.
AFFORDABLE
Luxury
Glorious pink sand beaches, glistening turquoise
waters, lush green foliage, manicured lawns and
quaint pastel-coloured cottages
This month, the campaign takes
on a more direct approach with a
call to action to encourage more
bookings and conversion.
The campaign also sees the launch
of a new British Airways Bermuda
site to better cater to the Experience seeker audience by amalgamating the experiences that
Bermuda has to offer in to niche
itineraries targeting culinary, active
adventure, golf, sunseeker,
romance and historical fans.
Bailey’s Bay with its private beach and secluded
coves is an excellent option for the East end of
the island.
Bermuda
Bermuda
markets with
BA in multiplatform
campaign
BERMUDA
HALF PRICE SALE
Your clients can
tary
limen
p
m
o
C
ge
enjoy reduced
t loun
airpor
s
hotel rates at
passe
ed
includ
selected hotels,
with savings of
up to 50% on holidays to
Bermuda taken between
15 Jan-30 April*
B
ermuda's location in the
Atlantic—not the Caribbean—keeps the island warmed
by the Gulf Stream, but free of
the tropics' relentless heat. The
climate rarely sees extremes of
either hot or cold. The hottest
part of the year runs from May
through mid-October, when
temperatures hover between
23°C and 29°C. During the
winter months, temperatures
average a balmy 70°F (21°C).
*Valid on bookings made between 14-31 January for a
minimum of 3 nights with Classic Collection Holidays.
Pink Sale A4 Jan 15.indd 1
Scottish Travel Agents News: Issue 26 January 2015
20/01/2015 12:45
15
BEAUTIFUL BERMUDA
November 2013-October 2014
DESTINATIONS
TWO FREE NIGHTS IN BERMUDA!
AT CAMBRIDGE BEACHES, THE REEFS, TUCKERS POINT, POMPANO, GROTTO
BAY, FAIRMONT HAMILTON PRINCESS & FAIRMONT SOUTHAMPTON SAVING AT LEAST £277 PER COUPLE PER WEEK.
One free night at all other featured hotels:
Elbow Beach, Coco Reef, Rosedon & Royal Palms.
01425 480400
Restrictions apply.
www.prestigeholidays.co.uk/bermuda