Travel Bulletin 22nd March 2013

Operators highlightnew options toinspire clients

Cultural Tours

March 22 2013 | ISSUE NO 1,818 | www.travelbulletin.co.uk

agent bulletinwin the role of a hotel reviewerfor Iberostar Hotels & Resorts

icelandPromote Iceland welcomes40% rise in UK visitors

event bulletin

images from the TobagoTourist Office's agentevent in Manchester

dynamic packaginga round-up of add-on deals toboost sales & commission

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this week

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This Week

Cover Pictures: Main - Apsara dancers at Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor CambodiaInset - Tobago Tourist Office event, Manchester

3www.travelbulletin.co.uk March 22 2013

newsbulletin

3 newsnew report reveals Brits throw caution to the windon holiday

13 icelandPromote Iceland welcomes 40% rise in UKvisitors

9 agent bulletinwhat's in store for Aries? Plus win the role of ahotel reviewer for Iberostar Hotels & Resorts

16 dynamic packaginga round-up of add-on deals to boost sales &commission

11 puzzle bulletinyour chance to win a £50 Hotel Chocolat voucherby playing Su Doku

20 cultural toursoperators highlight new cultural options to inspireclients

12event bulletinthe news in images from The Tobago TouristOffice's agent event in Manchester

TEAM ORLANDO…Funway Holidays has launched its first dedicated Orlando brochure featuring the‘Top 10 Must-Dos’ for each area plus an ‘In Our View’ section, which offers personal reviews of hotels.A ‘Disney - Top Tips’ section is also featured, covering park tickets and hotels, along with increasedcoverage of each theme park. Brochure prices start from £545 per person for seven nights in a NorthAmerican Vacation Home on a room-only basis (based on six sharing) and including flights. Picturedmarking the new launch are, from the left, the company's: Nick Talbot, Claire Campbell, StephenRhodes, Erica Collins, Andrew Barr, Morag Owlett and Robert Thornton.

A NEW poll by HolidayExtras, which askedcustomers whether theywould be put off by anadverse piece of newscoverage at their chosenholiday destination, foundthat holidaymakers pay lessattention to warnings abouttheir safety than expected.

While the Foreign Officeis currently advisingtravellers to stay away fromBorneo, more than half ofintrepid men said thattrouble in the sun wouldn’thinder their travel plans atall, with just 34% of menpolled stating that a seriousincident or crime wouldstop them from holidayingwherever they wanted.

Women were morecautious, with 51%admitting that bad newsabout a country or resortwould be enough to makethem change their plans tovisit that destination. Some15% of those questionedstated that they would avoida resort for a year if it wasnegatively reported in thenews, while 43% said thatthey would avoid adestination for up to sixmonths.

Meanwhile, there wouldbe no going back for 11% ofthose polled, who said thatthey would never book a

Survey reveals Britsthrow caution tothe wind on holiday

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AFRICAN HOTELS and Adventures has signed managementcontracts for the properties on the Gondwana Game Reservenear Mossel Bay, South Africa.

The 11,000-hectare reserve is the only fynbos (naturalshrubland or heathland vegetation), reserve with free-roamingBig Five game.

The reserve also offers Cape mountain zebra, black rhino andblack harrier.

The Kwena Lodge, which offers 14 suites modelled aftertraditional Khoi-San dwellings, offers views of the surrounding

Outeniqua and Swartberg mountain ranges. The reserve alsohouses several large bush villas featuring two, three or fourbedrooms. Villas can be staffed with a personal field guide, chefand butler or rented on a self-catering basis.

Activities on offer include game drives and Africology spatreatments.

Pinnacle Point, Pezula, Oubaai and Fancourt golf courses arealso close by, as well as beaches and coastal towns along theGarden Route.For more information see www.ahagroup.co.za

AGENTS IN Bournemouthand Glasgow can now sellHurtigruten’s NorthernLights voyages with directflights from their localairport.

The new departures arefeatured in the operator’s2013/14 ‘In Search of theNorthern Lights’ brochure.In total, 48 charter flightsare offered, with overallprices leading in at £995 perperson for a five-day ArcticHighlights tour fromTromso to Kirkenes. Alsofeatured is the Snowhotel inKirkenes (from £1,593 foreight days) and five‘Astronomy’ voyages, withprices from £1,608.

The operator has createda dedicated poster foragents to use in theirwindows and will becarrying out training withagents, particularly in thenew areas of Bournemouthand Glasgow.For more information call020-8846 2666 or seewww.hurtigruten.co.uk/agents

Easter escapesfrom £404 with Belleair BELLEAIR IS offering clientsspecial deals over the Easterbreak through Malta Direct.Examples include sevennights’ breakfastaccommodation at the four-star Marina Hotel at theCorinthia Beach Resort from£404 per person. The priceincludes flights fromLiverpool, transfers, a miniguide and complimentaryaccess to one of the island’sattractions, and is based ontwo adults and one childsharing a seaview room foran April 3 arrival.

Alternatively, seven nights’all-inclusive stay at the four-star Seashells Resort atSuncrest costs from £504,offering a saving of up to£105 per family. Flights fromEdinburgh, transfers, a miniguide and complimentaryaccess to one of the island’sattractions is also included,and the price is based ontwo adults and one childsharing a superior inlandbalcony room, valid for travelon April 5.

For clients with a higherbudget, the five-starCorinthia Hotel St. George'sBay is offering seven nights’breakfast accommodationfrom £584 per person, saving£74 per family. It includesflights from Luton, privatetransfers, a mini guide andcomplimentary entrance toone of the island’sattractions, and is valid fortravel on April 5.For further information or tomake a booking visitwww.belleair.co.uk/agents orcall 0845-365 3412.

Hurtigruten addsmore wintercharters for 2013/14

AHA Group signs management contracts for Gondwana Game Reserve properties

www.travelbulletin.co.ukMarch 22 20134

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CELEBRATING IN STYLES...Vanya Styles from Howard Travel wasthe winner of Travel 2's New South Wales campaign and baggedherself an iPad Mini. Pictured celebrating with Vanya is theoperator's Andy Harris.

holiday at that place once ithad been perceived asdangerous.

The operator's head ofinsurance Andrea Claytonsaid: "The results of the pollshow how positive Britishpeople feel about theirtravels in the world – andthis is a really good thing.

Keep in mind, wherever yougo on holiday and howeverdaring you intend to be, thatyou should always followadvice from the ForeignOffice. Make sure that youhave adequate travelinsurance and don’tunderestimate the coverthat you may requirewherever you go."

● continued from previous page

Mailings with Travel Bulletin this week include:

● Discover Egypt has combined its Egypt andJordan product into one brochure which includesnew cruise options, new unique packages thattake people to see the real Egypt, new hotelsand resorts, plus a range of fantastic discounts.For reservations call 020-7407 2111 or visitwww.discoveregypt.co.uk

Mailbox

For further details and special offers please read the mail shots that accompany this issue

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THE CANTERBURY Tales visitor attraction is organising itsfifth annual medieval market, which takes place on SaturdayMay 25.

Previous markets have featured archerydemonstrations, mead sampling, pottery-making usingancient methods and calligraphy lessons, with visitorsshown how to write their names in a medieval style.

Ken Broad, duty manager-retail at the attraction,says the medieval market is a firm favouritewith visitors and is held in the churchyard atthe rear of St Margaret’s Church. He said:“The medieval market takes place at thestart of the half-term holiday and adds afun and colourful spectacle for visitors to

The Canterbury Tales and passers-by. Entrance to the market isfree and there’s usually plenty of opportunity for people to havea go at medieval-themed events taking place.

“Traders can participate free of charge, with a £30refundable deposit taken at the time of booking. There must be

a medieval theme to their products or demonstrationsand we insist that they dress in period costume.This all adds to the authentic atmosphere and

spirit of the market and ensures that everyone hasgreat fun.”

Admission to The Canterbury Tales costs£8.50 for adults and £6.25 for children. For more information visitwww.canterburytales.org.uk

Contiki marksEarth Month CONTIKI HOLIDAYS is givingtravellers the opportunity totravel to the Galápagos inSouth America next monthwith environmental activistand granddaughter ofJacques Cousteau, CélineCousteau.

To celebrate Earth Month,travellers on the Ecuador &the Galápagos tour will beaccompanied by Céline, andactivities include exploringEcuador’s volcanoes andmeeting its indigenous gianttortoises.

On the Galápagos Islands,activities include diving andsnorkelling plus a visit to theDarwin Centre.

The 11-day tour departs onApril 21 and costs from£1,799 per person, land-only.All proceeds will be donatedto local oceanic initiatives inthe Galápagos. For more information visitwww.contiki.com

Jesters at The Canterbury Tales

Esprit Sun issues early booking deal on Côte d'Azur holidaysESPRIT SUN is offering an early booking incentive for bookings made before April 1.

Clients can save £840 per family of four (two adults and two children under six) when stayingfor two weeks at the Riviera Beach Club on Giens Peninsula, south of France.

With the discount, self-drive prices start from £2,428 per family, including ferry crossings,buffet breakfast and evening meals with complimentary wine, a free boat trip, use of swimmingpools, tennis courts, beach volleyball, mini golf, pétanque and fitness classes. Nursery andchildren's clubs are available from £69 for three half-days.For further details call 01483-791919 or see www.espritsun.com

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The Canterbury Tales announces dates of medieval market in May

MOVERS● COLLETTE WORLDWIDE Holidays has promoted Steve Stuart to marketing manager. He will

be supported by new recruit, Gail Rees, who has joined the company as marketing assistant. ● CITY CRUISES has appointed Heather Egerton as business development manager.● DAGMARA POWELL has been appointed product marketing manager for the UK and Northern

Europe for the Hong Kong Tourism Board.● AFFORDABLE CAR Hire has promoted Chris Laxen to senior partnership manager.● PAUL VERHAAK has joined The Visit USA Association UK (VUSA) as chief operating officer.● CLIA, THE new global cruise association, has announced that Andy Harmer will take

responsibility for its activities in Britain and Ireland. Andy, presently head of the Associationof Cruise Experts (ACE), will take up the position as director of CLIA UK and Ireland on May 1.

● GROSVENOR HOUSE Apartments by Jumeirah Living has appointed Hendrik Engel asoperations director.

● SIMON WAKEFIELD has been appointed general manager of The Halkin by COMO, London.● RIPLEY’S BELIEVE It or Not! London has appointed Luke Reilly as trade sales manager.

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NewsbitesSARDINIAN PLACES has launched its 2013 brochure, featuringfour new properties and a selection of new tours.

New for this year is the four-star Hotel Calabona located inAlghero. The 110-room hotel is a 20-minute walk from the oldtown and sleeps up to four per room. Prices start from £757per person in May, based on two sharing on a bed-and-breakfast basis, including flights and transfers.

Two new villas have also been added, including the two-bedroom Casa Angelica in Alghero, which offers a large pool,and the Casa del Sole in Cagliari, which offers two bedroomsand a private pool.

Alternatively, the Apartment Piazza Civica in Alghero is aone-bedroom apartment in the heart of the medieval quarter.

The brochure also features new touring holidays including aseven-night ‘Sardinian Taster’ from £899 per person, a ten-night ‘Authentic Sardinia’ from £1,149 per person; and a‘Sardinia & Corsica’ twin-centre break from £879 per person.

Savings of up to £300 per person are available on packagebookings, as well as free child places at selected hotels,discounts of up to 50% at selected properties and coupleoffers, with up to 25% per person discount off packageholidays on selected departure dates and properties.

Seven-night holidays start from £349 per person, based oneight sharing self-catering accommodation at the four-bedroom La Mendula villa, in the seaside resort of Cannigione.The price includes flights, car hire and a welcome hamper.For more information visit www.sardinianplaces.co.uk or email [email protected]

Sardinian Places offers new properties & tours in latest brochure launch

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CHOCS AWAY...Superbreak’s sales team has been out visitingagents to promote its last minute Easter breaks. Laura Dawson(centre), the operator's sales executive popped into Co-OperativeTravel in Rotherham with some Easter treats. Pictured from theshop are Jessica Robson (left) and Claire Wilson.


● VAYANT TRAVEL Technologies has launched thelatest version of Pricing Cache, its cache exportsolution for online travel agents, tour operators andairlines. New features include, for each origin anddestination, combination support for multiplepassenger types and different fare classes in asingle cache. Travel retailers can also specifymaximum connection times, airports, airlines androutes, and define the number and type of searchresults in their respective cache.

● HILTON HHONORS, the loyalty programme for HiltonWorldwide's ten hotel brands, has launched aTreasured Moments promotion, giving travellers 20%off rooms and dining at participating hotels whenbooking by April 30 for stays until December 31.

● BRAND USA has teamed up with ESPN to producean online sports calendar, which is now live atwww.discoveramerica.com

● YOUR HOLIDAY Experts has announced a revenueincrease of 28% for 2012, with its homeworking divisionconfirming an average sale of £769,000 perhomeworker. The company reports that sales have beenboosted by exclusive hotel deals, while commissionlevels of between 30-60% plus bonus payments havealso generated further interest from agents.For details email [email protected]

AMARI IS offering guests the chance to experience Thailand’sannual Songkran Festival which is held from April 13-15.

The festival traditionally marks the beginning of the solarNew Year, with locals and tourists gathering in the streetsacross the country to soak each other with water, whichsymbolises a fresh start to the New Year.

The Amari Boulevard Bangkok is offering a two-nightSongkran Splash Package, with prices starting from THB 7,700(approximately £169), based on two people sharing. The offer isvalid from April 10-17 and includes a stay in a superior roomon a bed-and-breakfast basis, a late check-out (18:00), a Thaidinner, festival activities and approximately £11 worth of ice-cream credit. For more information visit www.amari.com

Join in the Songkran festivities with Amari

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DOVER CRUISE Port isgetting set to welcome thefirst cruise ship of theseason with the arrival ofFred. Olsen’s Braemar onMarch 25 at the start of a14-day cruise to theCanary Islands. Braemar isa regular visitor to the portand joins 147 other cruisecalls for this year includingnine inaugural visits.

Cruise lines showcasingtheir new ships from Doverinclude AIDA, which hasconfirmed its commitmentto Dover by increasing thenumber of calls to theport. The AIDAstella, freshfrom its maiden voyage,will be offering a new four-day city tour from Dovercovering Amsterdam andHamburg.

Also making its Doverdebut is Hapag Lloyd’sColumbus 2 on its 14-daytour of the British Isles inaddition to NCL’sNorwegian Star, PrincessCruises’ Sea Princess,Royal CaribbeanInternational’s Vision of theSeas, FTI Cruises’ FTIBerlin, MV Explorer fromSemester at Sea and MVVoyager from Voyages ofDiscovery.

Meanwhile, CarnivalCruise Lines is launchingits widest selection ofEuropean itineraries todate with Carnival Legend,offering its first NorwegianFjords package, along with12-day cruises to theBaltic, the Mediterraneanand the British Isles. Intotal Carnival Legend willoperate 17 European

cruises visiting 34 portsacross 18 countries andwill also be celebrating aninaugural visit to Dover inJune.

The port is alsowelcoming back shipsfrom Costa Cruises, Sagaand MSC, of which thelatter will be offering aseries of Northern Europe

and Mediterranean mini-cruises. Holland America’sMS Ryndam will cast-offon a range of NorthernEuropean routes and inSeptember CrystalSymphony and CrystalSerenity will both beberthed at Dover. For more information visitwww.doverport.co.uk

Port of Dover welcomes first cruise visitors of 2013


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Tweets of

the WeekWho’s saying what

on Twitter...

@AITOHQ Brush up on yourpainting skills on aweek’s sojourn onunspoilt Alonissos inGreece w/ @SunvilTeam.Find out more:http://www.sunvil.co.uk

@superbreak Look who's coming toMadame Tussauds! Seethem from Aprilhttp://yfrog.com/kjlrhgxvj

@LegerHolidays `Read what oureCommerce Executivethought of his trip to#Paris on our Parismidweek and weekendbreaks tour -http://ity.vc/88854

@Discoveregypt 30th April Manchesterflights 7nts Sharm elSheikh Sheraton Sharmhotel B&B £699pp Pricesubject toavailability.Book now0844 880 0462!

@HKTourismUK Flights from the UK to#HongKong from £399with the Flight Centre'sflash salehttp://dld.bz/b84fq

Follow us on Twitter!http://twitter.com/

TravelBulletin

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WEBSCLUSIVES

● Access great rates on hotels, apartments andtransfers with bookabed.co.uk.To register, email [email protected]

● Make sure you complete this week’s Crossword,sponsored by Jet2holidays, for the chance to win£50 in Love2Shop vouchers. Just fill in thecrossword on Page 11 of this edition, and thensubmit the mystery location along with yourcontact details via our website onwww.travelbulletin.co.uk/competitions

All this and more at:

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

The home of the web savvy travel agent

Go

INTREPID TRAVEL has boosted its Latin Americaprogramme with two new tours in Ecuador.

A ‘Highlights of Ecuador’ option offers a two-weekintroduction to the country’s jungles, cities and markets,plus the opportunity to visit a Quechua family and learnabout their culture. Prices start from £885 for 15 days,excluding flights.

There is also a new week-long ‘comfort’ standardoption, the ‘Ecuadorian Haciendas’ tour. The trip takes inthe country’s volcanoes, national parks and Quito whilestaying in locally-owned accommodation. Prices start from£795, excluding flights.

Intrepid adds new Ecuador tours

Fred. Olsen’s Braemar

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● BUILDING ON the popularity of its “Sell Three/SailFree” agent booking incentive, Crystal Cruises hasannounced its latest, exclusive sales programme,‘Sell Six/Sail Penthouse’, which rewards agents(and one guest) with a free ultra-luxury cruise in abutler-serviced Penthouse for booking sixstaterooms on any 2013 voyage. The newprogramme upgrades agents from the DeluxeStateroom they would usually receive for sellingthree staterooms, and to earn a Penthouse, all sixapplicable staterooms for redemption must be fullfare, double occupancy bookings made byDecember 31 for cruises of seven nights or longer. For details see www.discovercrystal.co.uk andwww.crystalcruises.co.uk or call 020-7399 7601.

● SIMPLY LUXURY by Travel 2, is giving agents thechance to win a place on its first fam trip. Theoperator will host a five-star trip to Dubai andMauritius, with the opportunity to visit SimplyLuxury’s finest portfolio of properties in bothdestinations. To mark its first fam, a total of nineplaces are being given away. To qualify and to beentered into the prize draw, agents must make aSimply Luxury booking by March 31.For details see www.travel2.com

Agent trainingBOURNE LEISURE has launched new trainingcourses for agents to increase their knowledgeand sales confidence. The company has createdsix courses for each of its three brands that coverthe following: Haven - About Haven, All-weatherfun parks, holiday homes, entertainment, sportsand splash and family dining. For Butlins - AboutButlins, what is included?, where to stay, what toeat, enhance your customer’s stay and Live MusicWeekends. And for Warner: About Warner, ourcountry locations, our coastal locations, wine anddine, entertainment and facilities plus experi-ences and groups. For a chance to win a freebreak (with five runners-up receiving a Brainz!mascot), agents should complete and pass theHaven course by March 31. For details see www.havenspecialist.co.uk andwww.bourneleisuresales.co.uk/training

FACEBOOK FRIENDS...Superbreak recently ran a five-

day ‘Short Breaks Escapes’ competition on its Facebook

site giving agents the opportunity to win a selection of

prizes including a weekend break for two on Eurostar

to Paris, Brussels or Disneyland Paris. Every day for five

days a question was posted and agents had to answer

all five question correctly and make an overseas

booking. The winner of the main prize was Ruth

Lincoln (left), of Midcounties Co-op in Lichfield, who

is pictured with the operator's Claire Dutton.

It’s in thestars…What’s in store for Aries?

OVER THE next few weeks you should aim to payparticular attention to your home life and family.Neighbours and relatives will play a significant part,helping you when you most need it. Learning as partof your career is also gathering pace this month sograb any opportunity to take a new course or learn anew skill. Positive news or an announcement is likelyto be part of the picture.

Lucky day: Tuesday

Lucky number: 18


agentbulletin

Agent competitionIBEROSTAR HOTELS & Resorts is offering tentravel agents the opportunity to act as hotelreviewers and stay in one of ten of the company'shotels across the Mediterranean. Flights areprovided by Thomas Cook and agents will receivecomplimentary accommodation, food and drinksfor the duration of their stay. Agents have until theend of this month to enter. For details see www.iberostarcompetition.com

Booking incentives

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HOLIDAYS BY Rail has expanded itsNorth American product with theaddition of five new rail/cruise holidaysacross the US and Canada, bringing thenumber of land and sea combinationtrips offered by the company to morethan 30.

In Canada, a new 16-day ‘RockyMountaineer & Alaska by Land and Seaholidays’ pairs a scenic all-daylight railjourney through the Canadian Rockies onthe Rocky Mountaineer with a city stay in

Vancouver, a seven-day cruise throughAlaska’s Inside Passage and touring inDenali National Park and Fairbanks. Thedual-country itinerary departs on May21, June 18, July 16 and August 13 and27. Prices lead in at £2,147 per person,land-only, based on double occupancyplus port taxes.

In the US, travellers can select fromfour new itineraries. As an example, a15-day ‘Empire Builder, Glacier & AlaskaCruise’ showcases the Pacific Northwest

by rail on the Empire Builder train, whichtravels from Chicago to Seattle. Guestswill visit one of America’s GlacierNational Parks as well as Seattle, wheretravellers meet their cruise ship for aseven-night sailing through Alaska’sInside Passage. Departures are availableon June 8 and 29 and August 3, andprices lead in at £2,063 land-only. For more information or to book visitwww.holidaysbyrail.com or call 0800-033 7960.

SPAIN'S FIVE-STAR La Manga Club is lining up a selection offree activities to keep children amused during the Easterholidays.

Ranging from Hollywood-themed days and Harry Potterworkshops to a selection of more traditional activities, pricesfor a seven-night stay for a family of four start from €959(approximately £800), staying at the resort's four-star LasLomas Village.

Running from March 25 to April 14 and available to kidsaged five to 12, the activity programmes include cookery,pottery and eco-sessions to drawing, magic and actingworkshops, with one afternoon per week reserved to watch aDisney film with popcorn.

Morning and afternoon snacks are included and theresort's new Junior Club packages also give children the

chance to experience a range of different sports includingarchery, table tennis and padel tennis.

Sessions can be booked on a half-day or daily basis andare free to guests staying in the Las Lomas accommodationor the resort’s five-star Hotel La Manga Club Principe Felipe.

A seven-night break in La Manga Club’s hotel costs from€1,820 (approximately £1,515), which includes full access toSpa La Manga Club’s pool, saunas, steam rooms and fitnesscentre.

All prices are based on two people sharing a double roomand include VAT and breakfast when staying in the hotel,while a €100 resort credit is available to guests staying forfour nights or more during April.For more information or to book [email protected] or visit www.lamangaclub.com

Free Easter activity basket for families at Spain's La Manga Club

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ELEGANT RESORTS is offering seven nights in a luxury gardenpool villa on a half-board basis at The Residence Zanzibar from£2,060 per person, based on a May 18 departure. The offer, whichis ideal for honeymooners and offers a saving of £700 per couple,is available until December 21 and includes British AirwaysEconomy flights from Heathrow, private transfers, fresh fruitbowl, beach bag, local Pareo ‘Kitenge’ and a Sunset Dhow Cruiseincluding canapés and drinks, plus a Sundown pre-dinner drinkon the jetty with a bottle of Champagne. For details see www.elegantresorts.co.uk or call 01244-897538.


Holidays By Rail announces five new rail/cruise itineraries in US & Canada

The Residence Zanzibar

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puzzlebulletin


Where Am I?

My longest river is the Scheldt at 200km.

Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the

3 x 3 squares contains the digits 1-9.Once you have completed the puzzle, simply identify the numbers that relate

to the letters, A, B, C and D then e-mail the solution, with your name,

company name, and full postal address plus phone and ABTA number if

applicable to:

[email protected]

Closing date for entries is Thursday, March 28th. Solution and new puzzle

will appear next week.

The winner for 8th March is Emma-Louise Willis, Carrick

Travel Limited in Coventry.

March 8 Solution: A=8 B=6 C=1 D=5

➠A

➠B

➠C

➠D

Number: 104

Travagrams

Where Am I?

Su Doku

Travel “à la française” with France’s only cruise line

Contrary to its name, this Latin American country is far from cold.

Undoing Catnap Mope

Lech I

Can you solve the following anagrams to decipher the destination & tour operator?Win a £50 Hotel Chocolat voucher in the travelbulletin Su Doku prize puzzle

Fill in the crossword to spell the mystery location highlighted bythe blue squares and visit www.travelbulletin.co.uk/crossword tosubmit your entry. All correct entries will be placed in a free prizedraw and one lucky winner will win £50 Love2Shop vouchers.Closing date for entries is Thursday March 28th.

The Where Am I and Travagrams solutions can be found on page 22

Crossword

Num

ber:

104

Sponsored By

Jet2holidays offers flexible and great value package holidays for just £60pp deposit

Across 1. Which Turkish holiday hotspot is home to one of

the Seven Wonders of the World, theMausoleum of Halicarnassus? (6)

3. This Project is a popular Cornish touristattraction (4)

7. UK-based Solstice Class Celebrity cruise ship (7)9. Australian state, in short (3)10. Antipodean state capital, nicknamed City of

Churches (8)12. Popular Windsor holiday park for kids (8)16. Lugano airport code (3)17. Vatnajokull National Park is located on

this island (7)18. Currency used in 1 Across (4)19. Author and former politician, Jeffrey (6)

Down 1. Singer Justin who recently had a troubled

UK tour (6)2. Atlanta-based airline (5)4. First name of famous English footballer now

playing for Paris Saint-Germain (5)5. City on the French Riviera (4)6. Dover is the capital of this US state (8)8. South African city (8)11. Ferry operator, with HO in Guernsey, CI (6)13. Formidable Swiss mountain (5)14. Valley in the Mojave desert, sounds lethal (5)15. Flag carrier of Israel (2,2)

Congratulations to Heather Jardine, New Horizons who won the 8th March crossword prize of £50 Love2Shop vouchers

S03 TB2203 News 2_Layout 1 20/03/2013 11:35


eventbulletinTHE TOBAGO Tourist Office held an 'Experience Tobago' event at the Radisson Blu EdwardianHotel in Manchester recently, in conjunction with Cosmos Holidays and supported by TravelBulletin. Agents were invited to learn more about the Caribbean destination, enjoy a buffetdinner and had the chance to win a range of prizes including seven-night fam trips to the island...

Beach LoversFamilies, couples andsingletons will enjoy StoreBay and Pigeon Point inTobagoHoneymoonersStonehaven Bay on the eastcoast as well as manyluxury hotels dotted on thewest coast between Buccooand Plymouth TobagoCarnivalPlymouth in TobagoBird watchersEast coast of Tobago -Arnos Vale and LittleTobagoAdventurousThe north coast of TobagoDivingSpeyside Tobago

Where suits whichkind of client?

Above: COSMOS CHUMS...TheCosmos team celebrate asuccessful evening. From the leftare: Gina Brame, Rachael Evans,Nicola Baines, Kerry Taylor,Laura Ockenden, RossMckeating, Ben Calderbank (withSteely Pan, the Tobago TouristOffice's mascot), CatherineTrainor and Lauren Ashworth.

Right: STEEL PAN PALS...Enjoyingthe Steel Pan beats, courtesy ofAkil Browne (right) from CSI SteelBand are, from the left: MichaelChurnside and Lisa Mousley fromCBT International Travel; VictoriaTaylor, Tobago Tourist Office; andAnn Barber, Travel Counsellors.

Below: Agents danced thenight away with music fromAkil Browne of CSI Steel Band

Above: MADE-UP MEADE...MeadeCampbell from Thomas Cook wasthe lucky winner of a seven-nightfam to Tobago, sponsored byCosmos Holidays. She is picturedcollecting her prize from DarrinDes Vignes from the TobagoTourist Office.

GETTING ACQUAINTED...Mona Mikhaeil andGehad Philobbos (right) from Mina World Travelchat with Elliot Goldwater from Co-Op PTA.

Below: BARBER'SBREAK...AnnBarber of TravelCounsellors won aseven-night famtrip to Tobago,courtesy of CosmosHolidays. Ann ispictured with theTobago TouristOffice's VictoriaTaylor.

Time: Trinidad and Tobagoare four hours behind GMTCurrency: The localcurrency is the Trinidad andTobago dollar. AverageTT$10 to UK£1 (rates vary)People: Descended mainlyfrom African origin as wellas East Indian, European,Middle Eastern andChinese. Language: Officially Englishand local dialect (Patois)Airlift from the UK:Monarch Airways, BritishAirways, Virgin Atlantic,Caribbean Airlines

Fast facts

S03 TB2203 News 2_Layout 1 20/03/2013 11:35


WITH ALL eyes on Icelandduring this winter’sNorthern Lightsspectacular, Cox & Kings islooking ahead to offer asuggestion of the mostpopular summer activities,which run from May toSeptember.

As examples, a full day‘Descend into a Volcano’option runs from June 15 toAugust 20 and costs from£220 per person. TheThrihnukagigur volcano liesin the Blafjoll mountains, a30-minute drive fromReykjavik. Now extinct,

guests can descend intothe cavern of its magmachamber via an open aircradle lowered with ropes.On reaching the BlafjollMountains Cabin, there is a40-minute hike throughlava fields to the mouth ofthe crater. The cradle takesa maximum of five peopleat a time and takes tenminutes to descend the120m to the chamber floor.Once down, guests willthen be able to spend up toone hour inside thevolcano.

A full day ‘Westman

Islands – Pompeii of theNorth’ itinerary leads in at£160 and offers guests a30-minute crossing to theisland, followed by a bustour to take in themountains, volcanoes andseabirds.

Meanwhile, a day’s‘South Coast & JökulsárlónGlacial Lagoon’ tourexplores the south shore ofIceland en-route to theglacial lagoon, Jökulsárlón,and costs from £160 perperson.

The beginning of the tourdrives along Iceland’s south

coast, passing throughvillages and national parksand, upon reaching theglacial lagoon ofJökulsárlón, guests willcruise between the floatingicebergs and blocks of icewhich have fallen fromVatnajökull.

A seven-day/six-nightself-drive private tour costsfrom £1,040 per personincluding flights, transfers,car hire and breakfastaccommodation.For more information or tobook call 020-7873 5000 orsee www.coxandkings.co.uk

REGENT HOLIDAYS has launched a newfour-night Land of the Northern Lightstour to Iceland for winter 2013/14.

Priced from £829 per person, thetour departs in October, November andFebruary and March next year, offeringa chance for visitors to discover theIcelandic winter at its best – during theday and after dark.

Over five days visitors explore SouthWest Iceland, taking in the naturalwonders and cultural sites including

glaciers, snow-capped mountains,giant lava fields and steaming hotsprings.

Guests also have the opportunity tobathe in the Blue Lagoon, visit anIcelandic horse farm, travel close toEyjafjallajökull volcano and search forthe Northern Lights from a countrysidehotel.

The price includes flights fromHeathrow with IcelandAir; two nights’hotel accommodation in Reykjavik; two

nights’ accommodation in a guesthouse in the countryside; dailybreakfast; all transfers andtransportation; sightseeing with anEnglish-speaking guide; entrance fees;and a Northern Lights programme withtwo evenings of lectures/films andguided searches for the NorthernLights.For more information or to book seewww.regentholidays.co.uk or call 020-7666 1290.

iceland

TABER HOLIDAYS is offering an eight-night escorted round-the-island tour of Iceland. Starting and ending in Reykjavik, the tour is idealfor clients who want to experience the destination's culture and history in one week. Highlights include a visit to two of Iceland’s NationalParks, climbing a volcano crater, a whale-watching cruise, a boat ride in the glacial lagoon at Jökulsárlon, strolling along a black lavabeach and a visit to the geothermal Geysir area. Prices are from £1,947 per person, based on two sharing, and include flights fromHeathrow, transfers, accommodation, some meals, whale-watching, a boat trip on the glacial lagoon and the services of a bus and guide.Departures are on June 8 and 22, July 6 and 20, August 3 and 17 and September 7. For details call 01274-875199 or see www.taberhols.co.uk

Regent Holidays launches four-night Northern Lights tour from £829

Cox & Kings highlights range of summer activities with day tours from £160

S04 TB2203 Iceland_Layout 1 19/03/2013 17:08

Iceland welcomes annual Airwaves festival in OctoberICELAND IS to play host to the annual Airwaves festival from October 30 to November 3,featuring both international and Icelandic music and incorporating a selection of eclectic andintimate venues throughout Reykjavik that combine alternative, pop, dance and techo music.

Festival goers can stay at the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina, located in the heart of theaction, where five nights’ breakfast stay costs from £660 per person based on two sharing andincluding flights from Heathrow, departing on October 30. The five-day Iceland Airwaves Festivalpass costs £95.For more information on the festival see http://icelandairwaves.is and for more information onthe Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina see www.icelandairhotels.com

PROMOTE ICELAND hasannounced a recordgrowth of 39.9% in UKvisitor numbers last year,with 94,599 UK touristsvisiting the countrythroughout 2012.

The figure representsan increase of almost 40%on UK visitor numbers in2011, where UK touristspeaked at 67,608.

The month ofDecember saw asignificant 45.7% increasein UK visitors comparedto the same month in2011, with the largeincrease partly attributedto the Northern Lightsattracting tourists to thecountry.

Meanwhile, thedestination saw increasedairlift from the UK lastyear, with both easyJetand Wow Air launchingdirect flights from Londonto Keflavik in March andJune respectively.Icelandair also increasedits year-on-year flightcapacity by 14% with theintroduction of twice-weekly flights toReykjavik from Gatwick,supplementing the dailyflights from Heathrow.

Líney Inga Arnórsdóttir,project manager formarketing at PromoteIceland, said: “We areabsolutely delighted tohave achieved such ahuge increase in visitornumbers in 2012 and areparticularly pleased thatso many UK tourists arediscovering Iceland in thewinter time, outside ofour peak summermonths.

“We are optimistic thatUK numbers will remainbuoyant throughout 2013.Last year was aphenomenal success forIceland and we hope thatmore UK visitors willcontinue to be inspired byIceland this year.”

Discover the World promotes availability on popular toursDISCOVER THE World is highlighting availability on some of its most popular holidays to Icelandthis Easter, with a choice of adventures available from £745 per person.

As examples, The Icelandic Way offers departures on March 31 and April 7 and features aself-drive holiday based in a choice of self-catering properties. It is suitable for families or agroup of friends looking for a base from which to explore the country's scenic south and west.Popular attractions such as the Blue Lagoon and highlights of the Golden Circle (includingThingvellir National Park, the double-tiered cascade of Gullfoss waterfall and the eruptingplumes of Strokur at the geothermal hotspot of Geysir), are also on the doorstep.

The seven-night break includes an optional stay at the Glacier Lodge, a new self-cateringcottage exclusive to the operator, which is located on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, offering viewsof Snaefellsjokull volcano and across Faxafloi Bay.

With departures on Sundays throughout this month and next, the break is available from £985per person based on two sharing, and includes flights with Icelandair from Heathrow,Manchester or Glasgow; self-catering accommodation for four nights at Gljufur Cottages; threenights’ self-catering at the Glacier Lodge; and car hire for the duration.

A Killer Whales and Northern Lights option, which offers a four-night break from March 28, isbased at Hotel Framnes, a traditional hotel set on the oceanfront of Grundarfjordur, a smallfishing village on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula's north coast. Over the last two years, killer whaleshave been spotted around this area from late December to mid-April, so this final Easterdeparture is the last chance to see them this season. In addition to whale-watching, the remotePeninsula is an ideal location for observing the Northern Lights, and the holiday concludes witha trip to the Blue Lagoon.

Prices lead in at £1,096 per person based on two sharing a twin room on a full board basis. Itincludes flights with Icelandair from Heathrow, Manchester or Glasgow, transfers, four nights'full board accommodation, two whale-watching boat excursions, entrance to the Blue Lagoonand the services of a driver/guide throughout. For more information or to book see www.discover-the-world.co.uk or call 01737-214291.

Promote Icelandwelcomes 40%rise in UK visitors


iceland

EXODUS HAS added a selection of newitineraries for this year.

As examples, an Iceland Northern Lightstour visits a range of sites in the south of theisland, including the Glacial Lagoon, theVatnajokull National Park and a number ofwaterfalls. Underpinning the experience willbe efforts to seek out the Northern Lights. Thefirst departure is on December 4 and priceslead in at £1,399 per person including flights,accommodation and most meals.

Meanwhile, a Discover Iceland tour offers anintroduction to the southern half of the

country, which takes travellers from themountainous Snaefellsness Peninsula in thewest across the lunar-like landscape of theFjallabak Nature Reserve to the eastern sideof the Vatnajokull National Park. Craters, hotsprings, lava flows and waterfalls dot theroute, before journeying back along the southcoast to Reykjavik.

The first departure is on May 19 and pricesstart from £1,849 per person for eight days,including flights, accommodation and meals. To book or for more information visitwww.exodustravels.com or call 0845-863 9601.

Exodus adds new itineraries to programme

The Northern Lights


iceland


WILDLIFE WORLDWIDE has added an Orcas and Northern Lightstour for this year. Between December and April, orcas arrive offthe Snaefellsnes Peninsula to feed on herring, and on this shortbreak guests stay in the west coast fishing village ofGrundarfjordur and take boat trips to encounter the pods whichfrequent the bay, as well as a day trip to spot the Peninsula’sbirdlife. Prices lead in at £923 per person based on two sharing,including flights, transfers, four nights’ breakfastaccommodation and guided activities. For details call 0845-130 6982 or visitwww.wildlifeworldwide.com

Game of Thrones enthusiasts can fly toIceland from £95

GAME OF Thrones returns to screens for the third season onMarch 31.

The HBO smash-hit is based on novels by George R. R.Martin and the third season contains scenes which werefilmed in the north of Iceland around Lake Mývatn nearAkureyri. The team filmed for eight days, shooting sceneswhich will air in the first five episodes of the ten episodeseason.

Clients who want to tread in the footsteps of Jon Snow andthe other Men of the Watch can fly with WOW air from Gatwickto Reykjavik from £95 one-way including taxes, hand luggageallowance plus a handbag and duty-free shopping bag.

The carrier's director of communications SvanaFridriksdottir said: “The cult HBO series showcased Iceland inseason two and now our country will once again be beamedinto people’s homes for the third season which is great newsfor us.

“Visiting our beautiful glaciers, treading on our black sandbeaches and visiting our thunderous waterfalls are allpastimes of those who’ve set-jetted before. Game of Throneswill ensure the high profile of the country is upheld.”

From June 3, travellers will be able to choose from twicedaily flights to Reykjavik, apart from Saturdays when therewill be one return flight departing Gatwick.

Meanwhile, the carrier has increased its fleet of AirbusA320s with the introduction of two new aircraft.For more information or to book visit www.wowair.co.uk


AFFORDABLE CAR Hire is making iteasier for agents to find the bestdeals and latest products online,following the launch of its new andenhanced website.

The new site features AffordableChoice and Deals of the Day, whichallow agents and their customers topick out exactly the right car andinsurance cover quickly and easily.

And in response to suggestionsfrom specialist agents who deal withbusiness clients, the company hasintroduced a chauffeur-drivenservice, where executive vehiclessuch as Bentleys, Rolls-Royces orJaguars can be hired.

The company has also addedprestige and sports cars, motor-homes and vans to its sales lines, tooffer customers more choice.

The company's chief executiveAngela Day said: “We are constantlylooking to improve the service weprovide for both agents and thegeneral public and these latestofferings mean that there is evenmore choice.

“By adding new lines, we areappealing to even more people, so

whether they want to drive aLamborghini or Porsche on a specialtrip away, or take the family onholiday in a motor-home, we canhelp.

“We are particularly excited withthe new executive chauffeur-drivenservice option and believe we are oneof the only leisure car hirecompanies in the country to offerthis.”

By clicking on Affordable Choice onthe home page, agents will be able tosee at a glance the overall cost of carhire with its full Supermax Insurance– including a 10% discount.

Day said: "Because 80% of ourcustomers already opt for top-upinsurance or our full SupermaxInsurance, which offers 100%protection against tyres,windscreens, keys, and includes anexcess wavier, when they hire a car,it made sense to have a completeready-made package for agents toshow their customers."

The new Deals of the Day pagetakes agents straight to the bestprice for whichever class of car theyor their customer are looking for.Prestige car


dynamicpackaging

VISITORS TO New York can take advantage of shows which have never been seen in the UK, but will be opening on Broadway this month. Theseinclude Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella; Kinky Boots, a new musical based on the 2005 film about how fetishism footwear saved a traditionalEnglish shoemaker; Hands on a Hardbody, the story of ten Texans who are down on their luck, but a new lease on life is so close they can touch it;and Motown, a new musical that tells the real story behind the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the American airwaves in 1959. Tickets are availablethrough partners including Attraction World, Encore Tickets, Lastminute.com, Titan Travel, Trailfinders, TUI and Virgin Holidays. For details see www.broadwaycollection.com

Affordable Car Hire adds new products & services to help agents seal the deal

S05 TB2203 Dynamic Packaging_Layout 1 20/03/2013 11:03


JETSET REPORTS strong sales to some unusual placesthrough its Package Pal system. The company's salesdirector, Adrian Smyth, advises ‘volume’ is not the onlything to have left the team slightly taken aback.

He said: "We have been taken by surprise recently bysome really strange bookings – in particular thedestinations booked on Package Pal. Of course, one of themain benefits of Package Pal is that it has complete globalcoverage. Essentially, as long as we can get scheduled,charter or low-cost flights to the destination then we willbe able to create a flexible but protected package. As theawareness of this global coverage grows so does our list ofobscure destinations.

"Already this year we have seen bookings to Curacao andMartinique in the Caribbean, Moldova, Tirana andAzerbaijan in Eastern Europe and just recently, Gangnamin Seoul. The mainstay of bookings are to theMediterranean and East Coast of the States but when we

see these destinations we realise that Package Pal is reallyfulfilling a need.

"Agents on the High Street are now aware of the ATOLregulations and, where in the past we would just havebooked a flight, dynamic packaging has been made so easyfor our agents with the introduction of Package Pal, that wenow see flight bookings becoming package holidays even ifthey are less than traditional destinations for a package.Equally we have also seen eyebrows raised with a numberof very large bookings such as the one that Dave CriddleTravel made to Alcudia, Mallorca, worth more than£19,000."

The company is now looking at two new developmentsfor Package Pal, one of which includes becoming adedicated supplier for UAE accommodation, which willenable Package Pal and therefore agents to competefavourably with online B2C players. For more information visit www.jetsetflights.co.uk

THE 2013 New York CityPASS programme, which saves 40% off the cost of buyingindividual attraction tickets, now includes day/night admission to the Empire StateBuilding, allowing travellers to make a trip to the 86th-floor observatory during the dayand then return for a second visit between the hours of 22:00 and closing.

The company's president and CEO Megan Allen said: "Seeing Manhattan from theEmpire State Building by day gives you a lot of detail, but the skyline at night isparticularly beautiful. We always felt it was a shame that New York travellers had topick one or the other."

Each ticket booklet also covers prepaid admission to the American Museum ofNatural History, including the Rose Center for Earth and Space; The MetropolitanMuseum of Art, which also allows same-day admission to The Cloisters museum andgardens; The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); a choice between either Top of the Rockobservation deck and the Guggenheim Museum; and a choice between either the Statueof Liberty and Ellis Island or a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise.

Prices for the booklet lead in at $106 for adults (value $176) and $79 for childrenaged six-17. For more information visit www.citypass.com

New Empire State Building day/night ticket added to New York CityPASS

dynamicpackagingSix-night all-inclusive cruisesfrom EuropeanWaterways EUROPEAN WATERWAYSis offering six-night all-inclusive cruises thismonth and next on achoice of three luxuryhotel barges on Canal duMidi, Southern France.

Highlights include a visitto the medieval hilltopvillage of Minerve, offeringviews from its 12th centuryCathar fort; tours ofNarbonne, with itscolourful indoor market;and the medieval fortifiedcity of Carcassonne.

Each itinerary alsoincludes private tours andtastings at renownedMinervois vineyards.

As an example of prices,a six-night cruise onAnjodi in March and Aprilcosts from £2,385 perperson and includes a 10%discount. It also includesaccommodation in air-conditioned en-suitecabins, all gourmet mealson board, fine wines, openbar, daily escorted shoreexcursions, local transfersand the use of all bargefacilities such as bicyclesand spa pools.For more information visitwww.gobarging.com, call01753-598555 or [email protected]

YOUTRAVEL.COM CONSIDERS its recent return to principal status to be a key selling point for aprovider to the dynamic packaging market. The company offers several options to fit its partnerspricing needs and business models, such as NET/Gross prices, the option to settle accounts in GBP orEUR and bookings and amendments on www.youtravel.com or via XML feed. The company has alsorecently added Lebanon and Oman to its portfolio, as well as new exclusive hotels such as the five-star Aquis Plaza Resort in Anavyssos (a traditional fishing village close to Athens) and the four-starAquis Mon Repos Palace Art Hotel in Corfu, Greece. Prices in May for a week's double occupancy startfrom £307 at the four-star Aquis Mon Repos Palace Art Hotel and £616 at the five-star Aquis.

Jetset sees unusual destinations booked through Package Pal


A FAMILY hiring a standard familycar in Malaga over the Easter weekcould hand over an additional £352at the rental desk when picking theircar up, according toicarhireinsurance.com.

Purchasing excess car hireinsurance (at £130), extra driver’scover (at £74), a child’s car seat (at£67) and a Sat Nav (at £81) from therental desk will push the overall costup by an additional 125%.

The company compared the pricesof four rental companies at fivepopular destinations for the Easterweek (March 29-April 5) to reveal thehidden costs at the rental desk.

Looking at the destinations ofMalaga, Faro, Nice, Milan andBarcelona, the car rental companyfound great variations in the coststhat travellers would be paying ateach destination.

As examples, putting an extradriver on a policy can be costly,

ranging from up to £74 with Hertz inBarcelona, to £41 with Avis inMalaga and to £20 with Sixt in Nice.The company advises clients tobudget for around £50 as this wasthe average cost although if thedriver is under 25 expect a steephike again with an average charge ofaround £100.

The company also advises families totake their own child car seat or theycould be looking at paying up to £80 inMilan for instance. The average pricewas around £50 in the four destinationsof Faro, Malaga, Barcelona and Milan,falling to £38 in Nice.

Another expensive addition wasthe cost of hiring a Sat Nav, whichranged from more than £85 in Milanwith Avis and Hertz, to a morereasonable £56 in Faro with Budgetand £38 in Barcelona with Sixt.

The sting in the tail at the rentaldesk was excess car hire insurance.The company's founder and CEO

Ernesto Suarez said: "This will makethe biggest dent in the holidaybudget. If excess waiver insurance isnot purchased by a hire carcustomer they could be liable for upto £1,600 if the car gets damaged oreven stolen.

"Visitors to Barcelona and Malagaover Easter could be looking at aweek’s excess insurance costing them£168 if bought from the rental desk –this is more than eight times the costof an iCarhireinsurance.com policy at£21 for the week (at £2.99 a day).

“The most reasonable place topurchase excess insurance was inNice, where it cost £73 on averagefrom the four rental companies,however this is still three-and-a-halftimes more than a policy fromiCarhireinsurance.com

“When a small scratch on thepaintwork can cost hundreds torepair, make sure you buy yourexcess insurance before you fly."

AVRO HAS expanded its regional flying programme tomeet demand for flight-only this summer, with newservices from UK airports including Humberside, EastMidlands, Birmingham and Glasgow.

Flights from the newly featured airport of Humbersidewill operate to Alicante and Palma, Mallorca, operatingweekly on Tuesdays from May 28 until September 17.

Fares lead in at £240 per person to Palma and from£250 per person to Alicante.

New flights from East Midlands include Dalaman fromJuly 17 to September 25, priced from £209 per person

and Heraklion, Crete from May 21 to September 24,priced from £169 per person.

To meet demand for peak summer season flying, a newflight from Glasgow to Palma is available on selecteddates from £239. Additional capacity has also been addedfrom Birmingham to Palma with a Sunday flight pricedfrom £189 from July 21 to September 8.

Flights are also available to Costa Blanca fromGatwick, Luton, Manchester, Birmingham and EastMidlands.

Fares include taxes and fuel supplements.

Avro Flights expands regional programme for summer


dynamicpackaging

LUXURY PROPERTY specialist SimplyChateau has announced a new tradeengagement programme offering 10%commission for all travel agentbookings across its four propertyportfolios, as well as dedicatedsupport for all trade enquiries.

The four property portfolios, eachwith its own dedicated website,feature more than 1,000 luxurychateaux, villas, castles, cottages andeven medieval villages to rentthroughout France, Italy, theCaribbean and the UK.

Properties sleep from four up tomore than 60 people and each ishandpicked, privately owned andvetted for quality.

As well as earning 10%commission on property bookings,agents are free to add their own

supplementary commission on tobookings, where they feel it isappropriate. Average bookings arearound £4,000 but can go up to asmuch as £130,000 for a wholeCaribbean island estate.

A non-branded, non-priced PDFbrochure for each property isavailable for agents to downloaddirect from the websites andpersonalise for their own clients, anda dedicated trade enquiry email hasbeen set up for booking requests [email protected]

The company's marketing managerMaria Serna said: “We are celebratingour tenth anniversary this year anddespite the difficult economic climate,business has been growing steadily.

"Our presence at World TravelMarket last year got a great

response, particularly our Caribbeancollection Simply Caribe, which lendsitself to travellers looking to bookindependently-owned accommodationalongside flights, car hire and otheractivities that can be packaged up bya travel agent. The ‘special occasion’market across France, Italy and theUK was also of particular interest. Weare very excited to be working moreclosely with travel agents and hopethat building stronger trade relationswill increase sales for us all.”To view the property portfolios visitwww.simplychateau.com,www.simplycaribe.com,www.statelyescapes.co.uk andwww.simplyitaly.com. To book or for more information call 0845-389 9582 or email [email protected]

Car hire hotspots over Easter could cost renters an additional £352

New trade programme from Simply Chateau offers 10% commission to agents



DOSOMETHINGDIFFERENT.COM ISnow selling adult tickets at kidsprices for The Kennedy SpaceCenter. The badge is normally £33for adults but, for a limited time,now costs £27. To take advantageof the offer, agents should book theexperience for clients by March 31.The discounted price is available ontrips taken before June 28.For details visitwww.dosomethingdifferent.com orcall 020-8090 3890

SUPERBREAK HAS added a selection of new walking toursto its portfolio of tours that can be packaged up with anovernight hotel stay in London.

Offering a range of themes from The Beatles and JamesBond to a gangster tour by Stephen Marcus from LockStock, the tours are pre-bookable and commissionable toagents.

New tours include a Beatles walking tour of London,which visits the studios, pubs, cafes, film locations, artgalleries, homes and music venues that inspired TheBeatles, and leads in at £10 per adult and £8 per child; a

Doctor Who walking tour of London which costs £12 peradult and £10 per child; a Gangster London tour, whichexplores real life and film locations associated withLondon’s criminal underworld and costs £15; a London filmand TV walk for £10 per adult and £8 per child; and aJames Bond tour of London, which visits movie locationsand sites linked with Ian Fleming and 007 and costs £25 peradult and £15 per child.For more information or to book seewww.superbreak.com/agents or call 0871-221 4444.

Superbreak adds new walking tours with overnight stays in London

dynamicpackaging


THE BEACH House Iruveliin the Maldives is givingguests the opportunity toexperience the culturalaspects of the destination.

Located on a remoteisland in Haa Alif, thenorthernmost atoll of theMaldives, guests canembark on a Local IslandTour, which involves a visitto the neighbouringislands, meeting with thelocals and tastingtraditional food.

A Fishing Island Touroffers guests theopportunity to explore atypical Maldivian fishingvillage, while an HistoricalIsland Tour offers gueststhe chance to visitUtheemu Palace, situatedon Utheemu Island. The

palace is the ancestralhome of MuhammadThakurufaanu Al-Azam, aprevious ruler of theMaldives.

Following this, guestswill visit one of the localhouses to taste someMaldivian dishes. Ratesstart from $90 per person,with a minimum number offour guests required.

Tropic Breeze offersseven nights’ breakfastaccommodation in a WaterVilla for £2,049 per person,including flights fromGatwick with BA in WorldTraveller Class, internalflights and speedboattransfers.For more information call01752-880880 or seewww.tropicbreeze.co.uk

Beach House Iruveli offers Maldivianexperience for guests from $90 per person


SHANGRI-LA’S VILLINGILI Resort & Spa in the Maldiveshas launched a selection of cultural tours for guests. These include a complimentary one-

and-a-half hour Villingili Nature Walk; a two-and-a-half-hour Addu City Tour by Bicycle at $50 (£34); a two-and-a-half-hour historical tour visiting the Island of Gan, a former British naval base during the Second World War, also $50; and athree-hour Meedhoo Farms Tour at $80. A Maldivian Journey package leads in at $815 per couple per night on a bed-

and-breakfast basis and includes three nights at the resort in a two-person villa and one night at the Traders Hotelin Malé in a double room, inclusive of a Dolphin cruise, Addu bicycle tour and Malé city tour. The offer is valid

for stays until December 23. For more information see

www.shangri-la.com

culturaltours

VOYAGES OF Discovery is offeringguests a history-themed cruise thatexplores Turkey and Greece.

Guests will visit the Temple ofArtmis in Kusadasi, Turkey, one of theSeven Wonders of the Ancient World;learn about the Monastery of St Johnin Patmos, Greece; and discover a

variety of historic landmarks inAthens, including the Acropolis andthe Ancient Corinth.

Prices start from £1,449 perperson, which is a Saver Fare pricebased on two people sharing aninside cabin for an October 21departure. The 13-day cruise departs

from Istanbul and calls atdestinations including Canakkale,Dikili, Kusadasi and Antalya in Turkeyand Patmos, Kavala, Thessaloniki andPiraeus in Greece.For more information or to book call0843-221 8499 or visitwww.voyagesofdiscovery.com

Discover the cornerstones of civilisation with Voyages of Discovery

Shearings highlights range of popular itineraries

SHEARINGS IS highlghting a selection of cultural itineraries.As examples, this year is the 200th anniversary of the firstpublication of Pride and Prejudice, and customers candiscover the city of Bath where author, Jane Austen, lived formuch of her life, on a new five-day itinerary.

Prices lead in at £329 per person including four nights’half-board accommodation, two excursions and luxury coachtravel. Departures are available from June to September.

A five-day Warwick Castle & Shakespeare’s Stratford tourtakes in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of WilliamShakespeare. Highlights include a full day at Stratford andTudor World, where guests can explore the birthplace of theworld’s most famous playwright.

Prices lead in at £369 including four nights’ half-boardaccommodation, three excursions and luxury coach travel.Departures are available from June to September.

Meanwhile, a five-day Romantic Bath & Downton Abbeyoption includes a visit to Highclere Castle, the setting ofDownton Abbey, and also visits Bampton and Oxford.

Prices lead in at £379 including four nights’ half-boardaccommodation, two excursions and coach travel, anddepartures are available in July and August.For details or to book call 0844-824 6351 or seewww.shearingsagent.com

S06 TB2203 Cultural Tours_Layout 1 20/03/2013 11:40


American culturaltours from Travel 2TRAVEL 2 offers a range ofAmerican cultural tours todestinations includingMexico, Central Americaand Peru.

The operator is promotinga 13-day Highlights ofMexico which includes 12nights’ accommodation,flights and transfers, andleads in at £1,689 perperson, based on twosharing.

Justine Egan Forwarder,product manager at thecompany, said: “Guests canexperience Mexico’s diverseculture, influenced by theancient Mayan and Azteccivilisations. The itinerarycommences in Mexico Cityand visits Oaxaca, Palenque,Campeche, Merida and theChichén Itzá, beforeconcluding in Cancun.”

Accommodation includesa one-night all-inclusive stayat the five-star Grand Xcaret,based on a September 21departure.

Alternatively, a seven-dayWonders of Peru tour leadsin at £2,349 per personbased on twin share andincludes flights and sixnights’ accommodation. It isvalid for departures betweenSeptember 1 and October 31.

Egan Forwarder said: “Theitinerary features the citadelof Machu Picchu, one of thegreatest archaeological re-discoveries of the early 20thcentury, a visit to the SacredValley with its traditionalAndean villages and Cuzco,the capital of the ancientInca Empire.”

Meanwhile, an 11-daySpirit of Central Americatour leads in at £2,719 perperson, based on twosharing. It includes flights,ten nights' accommodationand transfers, and is valid fortravel between September 1and October 31.

All prices are valid forbookings made by May 31and itineraries includeselected meals and touring.For more information seewww.travel2.com

TRAFALGAR HAS added a New York Zest & New England’s Best 11-day tour for this year, whichaims to tickle the taste buds on a journey through New York and New England, with guestsgetting a taste of the East Coast’s most popular foods.

Arriving in New York City and departing from Boston, the trip stops off in Newport, Cape Cod,Nantucket, New Bedford, North Conway and Essex in between.

With two nights in New York, guests have time to explore the flavours of the culturally diversemetropolis and also join a food-themed Local Speciality tour to sam ple the tastes of the city.

In New Bedford, guests take a guided bog tour at a cranberry farm and, as the grouptravels through Vermont, they will spend a day trying local specialities at the family-ownedCabot Creamery known for their tasty cheeses, a cidery where they will learn about the craftof making apple cider and a stop at Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream makers.

On the way to Boston, clients also stop at Moonlight Meadery for a special Be My Guestexperience where they will learn about making wine from honey and feast on a lunch madefrom local New Hampshire ingredients.

The 11-day itinerary, which offers departures between May 24 and October 4, costs from£2,950 per person including flights; private transfers; breakfast accommodation; sevenadditional meals, including a harbour cruise welcome reception in New York and a Be MyGuest lunch; and includes sightseeing and activities such as city and museum tours, tastingsand cookery classes, plus the services of a travel director.

The company has also unveiled a 12-day WWI and WWII Battlefields tour which combinessome of the most poignant WWI and WWII history and sites in some of Europe’s most vibrantcities – London, Paris, Lille and Amsterdam.

Starting in London, the trip visits some of the capital’s most famous landmarks, with a visit tothe Imperial War Museum also included. It carries on to Portsmouth, taking in the D-Day andOverlord Embroidery Museum, Portsmouth’s historic Dockyard and the famous HMS Victory, HMSWarrior 1860 and the Spinnaker Tower. Crossing the channel to Normandy, the tour takes gueststo see the D-Day landing beaches and museum, the Omaha Beach and the American cemetery.Other significant visits en-route include the historic Bayeux Tapestry, the Memorial de Caen andthe UNESCO World Heritage Cathedral in Amiens, plus a stop at the Somme Battlefields.

The group then stays two nights in Paris visiting some of the famous sights, before travellingon to Lille, via the city of Reims, where the group will indulge in a tasting in one of the city’sChampagne houses. From the base in Lille, there is a day excursion to Ypres in Belgium, anotherof the most important sites of WWI history, visiting the Memorial Museum of Passchendaele 1917and the Essex Farm Cemetery, where Lt Col. John McCrea wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields”.

The trip then travels on to Groesbeek in the Netherlands to see the Groesbeek Memorialand the National Liberation Museum, before arriving in Amsterdam where the group takes anorientation tour, with free time to explore the museums or visit the home of Anne Frank.Prices lead in at £2,035 per person, based on two sharing and include 11 nights’ breakfastaccommodation, five evening meals (including a Be My Guest dinner dining with a local familyin Amsterdam), sightseeing, Champagne tasting in Reims, ferry crossings, flights, acomplimentary one-way transfer from the return flight, travel in air-conditioned coaches andthe services of a travel director.For more information or to book see www.trafalgartours.co.uk or call 0800-533 5617.

Trafalgar Tours adds 11-day New York & New England foodie & battlefields tour from £2,950 per person

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RAFFLES HOTELS & Resorts Cambodia is offering A Journey through Khmer Culture, a new six-dayitinerary based at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh and Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, SiemReap. The tour explores Cambodian culture, where guests can meet one of Cambodia’s artists, witnessshadow puppetry from an Arts Master or learn to cook the original recipes from the Royal Palace ofCambodia. Prices for the itinerary lead in at £2,073 per person based on two sharing, including fivenights’ breakfast accommodation in Landmark Rooms; 24-hour butler service; all activity options andadditional meals stated in the itinerary; entrance fees; an English speaking local guide; and transfers. For details visit www.raffles.com


Superbreak adds packages to Pompeii exhibition at British Museum

CULTURE LOVING customers can now book packages to the newexhibition ‘Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum’ opening at theBritish Museum on March 28 and running until September 29.

In AD79, in a 24-hour period, two cities in the Bay of Naples insouthern Italy were buried by a catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.Preserved under ash, their rediscovery nearly 1,700 years later provideda glimpse into the daily life of the Roman Empire. From the bustlingstreet to the intimate spaces of a Roman home, the exhibition takesvisitors to the heart of people’s lives in Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The exhibition is the result of close collaboration with theArchaeological Superintendency of Naples and Pompeii, and bringstogether more than 250 objects, both recent discoveries and celebratedfinds from earlier excavations.

The exhibition will have a unique focus, looking at the Roman homeand the people who lived in these ill-fated cities.

Prices start from £62 per person including one night’saccommodation and a ticket to the exhibition.To book or for more information see www.superbreak.com/agents orcall 0871-221 4444.

KwaZulu Natal Coast, Culture & Wildlife Tour from Visions of AfricaVISIONS OF Africa is offering a ten-night tour that offers an insight into thelife of the Zulu Nation, its culture and struggle for survival.

The route starts in Durban with a stay at the Shakaland Cultural Village,learning about the customs and traditions of the Zulu people. From there itheads into the heart of KwaZulu Natal with a chance to admire the sceneryand wildlife, before stopping in the heart of the Battlefields. Guests learnabout the mighty battles that took place between the Boers, Zulus and theBritish across the Zulu territory as each struggled for power and land. Theitinerary ends with two nights in the Drakensberg Mountains with guidedwalks in the mountains and a chance to see the cave art left by some of theoldest inhabitants of the area, the Khoi-San people.

Prices lead in at £1,675 per person based on two sharing, includingflights from Heathrow, self-drive hire car with GPS and directions, fournights’ full board accommodation, two nights’ dinner, bed-and-breakfastand two nights’ breakfast accommodation. Scheduled cultural experiences,history talks, a safari cruise and guided walks are also included.

ITC Mughal launches historical Mughal Empire toursCOINCIDING WITH the opening of the British Library’s Mughal Empireexhibition on April 2, the ITC Mughal in Agra (www.itchotels.in) isoffering guests the opportunity to learn more about the Southeast Asiandynasty with a tailor-made tour.

Designed to emulate the style of the Mughal Dynasty, the hotel isoffering an eight-hour sightseeing trip to the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort andFatehapur Sikri, which leads in at £16 per person for up to five guests.

Accommodation costs from £201 per night including a complimentaryspa treatment.

Greaves is offering five nights’ breakfast accommodation at the hotelfrom £1,250 per person including flights, transfers, a visit to the TajMahal and one signature Kaya Kalp massage, based on two sharing. For more information call 020-7487 9111 or visitwww.greavesindia.co.uk

We asked our staff thefollowing question this week:

If you could chooseanyone, who would youpick as your mentor?

Publisher: Jeanette [email protected] Dalai Lama

Editor: Lauretta [email protected] Paul Scudamore

Assistant Editor: Jill [email protected]

Contributing Editor: Paul [email protected] Evans (former Editor of Sunday Times)

Sales Director: Simon [email protected] Ranulph Fiennes

Advertisement Manager: Tim [email protected] Bryson - clever & funny

Online Sales Manager: Nick [email protected]

Account Manager: Bill [email protected] Cantona

Sales Executive: Chris [email protected] Draper from Mad Men

Sales Executive: Matt [email protected] Richard Branson

Senior Designer: Genaro [email protected] Jordan

Assistant Designer: Nicky [email protected] Judi Dench

Production: Jeremy Walters [email protected]

Circulation Manager: Jim [email protected]

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Travagrams: (top) Compagnie du Ponant (bottom) Chile

Where Am I?: Belgium

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Travel Bulletin is published by Alain Charles Publishing (Travel) Ltd - University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London,SW1W 0EX, Tel: 020-7834 6661 Printed by: Wyndeham Grange LimitedSubscriptions are £105 p.a. £155 overseasISSN: 0956-2419

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Travel Bulletin 22nd March 2013

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Transcript of Travel Bulletin 22nd March 2013