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    CMA threatens Teletext Holidays with court over refund backlog

    The Competition & Markets Authority has said it will take Teletext Holidays to court if it fails to meet a new deadline for customer repayments.
    The government body opened an investigation into the brand and its sister travel operator, Alpharooms, in February after receiving hundreds of complaints.
    This showed that people were not receiving refunds they were owed within 14-days, as required by law, for package holidays cancelled by the company due to the pandemic.
    On April 30th, the CMA informed Truly Holdings, the company that operates Teletext Holidays and Alpharooms, that it was preparing to take court action against the firm for over £7 million in outstanding refunds owed to its customers.
    Truly Holdings has now signed formal commitments, known as undertakings, that ensure affected customers still owed a refund will get their money back.
    This includes a repayment schedule that prioritises refunds to customers with the longest-standing claims.
    Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA, said: “There’s no excuse for travel firms to delay refunding customers what they are legally owed, even in these extraordinary times.
    “Companies should be doing the right thing without the threat of court action.ADVERTISEMENT“As a result of our work, customers who have waited many months for their money back from Teletext Holidays and Alpharooms will now receive a full refund.”
    He added: “With international travel resuming and many people considering long awaited trips abroad, all package holiday firms must give refunds within 14 days where these are due, and should also provide clear cancellation information, so that no one else is unnecessarily put through this ordeal.”
    Having carefully reviewed Truly Holdings financial information and how quickly it can realistically make the repayments, the CMA has accepted its commitment to pay back all customers owed refunds by August 31st the latest.
    The timeframe that has been agreed balances the challenges experienced by the travel sector as a result of the pandemic with the need to get customers their money back in full as quickly as possible.
    The company has also committed in its undertakings to refunding in full within 14 days any package holidays it cancels due to the Covid-19 pandemic going forward.
    To ensure that the company adheres to its commitments, it has agreed to provide the CMA with regular reports on the progress of its repayments.
    If the firm fails to repay customers according to the undertakings, the CMA said it was prepared to take it to court.
    Rory Boland, Which? travel editor, welcomed the news.
    He said: “It’s right that Teletext has finally committed to paying back the millions it owes in refunds, and as some customers have already waited many months, it must now do so without delay.
    “If it fails to uphold this promise, the regulator should not hesitate to take strong action against the company.
    “Other holiday companies should take this as a reminder that refunds for any cancellations from the past year, as well any future refunds, should be paid swiftly and within the legal time frame of 14 days.
    “While there is still a chance of further disruption to travel, there can be no more excuses for the kind of lawbreaking on refunds we have seen over the course of the pandemic.”

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    UNWTO opens regional office in Saudi Arabia

    The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has opened its first regional office for the Middle East.
    At a ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, UNWTO secretary general, Zurab Pololikashvili, was joined by Saudi minister of tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb, to officially open the office.
    They were also joined by tourism ministers from across both Middle East and from every other global region, as well as by leaders from the private sector.
    The first UNWTO regional office will be a centre of conversation, debate and decision-making and bring hope to many people across the region allowing them to enjoy the social and economic benefits only tourism can deliver.
    The new office will serve as a hub for UNWTO to coordinate policy and initiatives across its 13 member states in the region.
    Pololikashvili said: “The first UNWTO regional office will be a centre of conversation, debate and decision-making and bring hope to many people across the region allowing them to enjoy the social and economic benefits only tourism can deliver. ADVERTISEMENT“Work on the office began after the start of the pandemic, proof of our determination and the strong support of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
    The UNWTO also contributed expert insights to the tourism recovery summit, organised by the Saudi ministry of tourism and held against the backdrop of the regional office opening.
    Al Khateeb added: “We are thrilled to host the new Regional Office in Saudi Arabia.
    “This demonstrates our commitment to working with our partners at the UNWTO to develop a strong industry based on the principles of sustainability and opportunities for all, across the region and globally.”

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    TUI scraps trips to amber countries until late June

    TUI Group has cancelled trips to a number of red and amber list destinations out of the UK until late next month.ADVERTISEMENTThe holiday giant will no longer be offering departures to Mexico, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Turkey, Egypt, Cape Verde, Morocco, Tunisia and Bulgaria until at least June 27th.
    A statement explained: “We want to offer our customers flexibility and choice this summer, so where borders are open and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advice allows travel, we will operate to those destinations as planned.
    “We are constantly reviewing our holiday programme and cancellations in line with the government updates every three weeks, with the next update due in early June.”
    TUI said all customers impacted by the latest cancellations will be contacted directly and will be able to request a full cash refund, or to change to a later date or alternative holiday and receive a booking incentive.
    “We would like to thank our customers for their understanding at this time,” the statement concluded.

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    Insight Vacations returns to the road in United States

    Insight Vacations has welcomed guests to the first USA trip since the pandemic – Enchanting Canyonlands – introducing the new role of the wellbeing director for the first time.
    The group was made up of travellers from the domestic market discovering the natural parks and open spaces of their own country, such as the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Bryce and Zion National Parks.
    With the USA typically accounting for over half of Insight Vacations’ UK business, the trip was an important step toward reopening.
    The trip was Insight Vacations’ first with a wellbeing director in place, a new role that has been created by the Travel Corporation to provide an additional reassurance and logistical support around health and safety in a post-pandemic world.
    At the same time, it allows the travel director to focus entirely on delivering a seamless guest experience.ADVERTISEMENTWellbeing director Carol Kendrick, who is also one of Insight Vacations’ most experienced travel directors, described it as “awesome” being back on the road and added: “Rules can vary from state to state, city to city and establishment to establishment, so it’s our responsibility to ensure that we know what’s required, and that guests know what to expect.
    “Everything from porterage, to the way meals are served and how venues are operating can change daily.
    “It’s these details that might seem small but can be confusing or contradictory, and we work behind the scenes to ensure that the guests don’t have to think about anything other than having a good time.”
    Starting in Scottsdale, the seven-day Enchanting Canyonlands trip heads to the Grand Canyon – staying inside the national park itself and with dinner overlooking the South Rim – before travelling on through Monument Valley to Lake Powell, with accommodation in lake or marina rooms at the Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas.
    Chris Townson, managing director, UK & Ireland for Insight Vacations, said: “Hearing from the fantastic Carol Kendrick in her role as wellbeing director really reiterates the value of travelling with an escorted touring operator like us, because we have both an on-the-road and an office-based team who are entirely dedicated to making the holiday experience as hassle-free and enjoyable as possible for our guests, who can just sit back and relax as we navigate the changing nuances for them.”

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    UNWTO partners with Google to drive tourism recovery

    The United Nation World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Google have signed a new agreement to work together and lead global recovery of tourism through innovation, education and market intelligence.
    The new memorandum of understanding builds on past cooperation between the UN agency for tourism and Google.
    Notably, the pair will host trainings for destination management organisations, using a new capacity building curriculum developed by Google.
    These sessions will empower destinations to switch to digital, with the training adapted to reflect their specific circumstances and the unique challenges every destination currently faces.
    The new curriculum will also complement existing joint initiatives, and a data sharing agreement for Google’s Travel Insights to power a portion of the UNWTO’s tourism recovery tracker.ADVERTISEMENTAlongside this, the Tourism Accelerator Program, designed by Google in partnership with UNWTO, will also be scaled up globally.
    A pilot program launched across Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2020 showed the value of working with policymakers to put digital at the heart of their tourism recovery plans and the benefits of upskilling destination management companies so they can make effective use of data and market intelligence.
    The partnership will go beyond empowering destinations and businesses during the immediate recovery phase.
    Under the agreement, Google will provide ongoing support for a number of UNWTO’s leading initiatives, including Start-up Competitions designed to promote and support innovation across the sector.
    UNWTO secretary general, Zurab Pololikashvili, said: “The strong partnership between UNWTO and Google will help put innovation and digital at the centre of tourism’s recovery.
    “By working together, UNWTO and Google will empower destinations, businesses and tourism workers to realise the power of data and market intelligence, both increasingly important as global tourism looks to restart and recover.”
    Looking ahead, UNWTO and Google will also collaborate on joint research projects related to tourism.
    The results will further establish both parties as thought leaders and provide governments, destinations and businesses with the trusted data and insights they need to guide tourism towards recovery.
    Google managing director for travel partnerships, Gianni Marostica, said: “We’re honoured to be working alongside UNWTO in this vital effort to support the global tourism sector on its path toward broader economic recovery.
    “It’s critical that both policymakers and businesses have the tools and insights they need to reconnect with travellers in a digital environment.”

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    Corporate Traveller to merge with Flight Centre Business Travel in UK

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    Corporate Traveller to merge with Flight Centre Business Travel in UK

    Corporate Traveller UK is to be merged with Flight Centre Business Travel (FCBT) UK.
    Parent company, Flight Centre Travel Group, has taken the decision to combine the pair in order to maximise investment in new technology, services and customer experience specifically for the small- and medium-sized business travel sector.
    Established in the UK in 2005, FCBT was set up to meet the increasing demand from customers of Flight Centre’s leisure agencies for personal local business travel services.
    In the UK, FCBT has around 2,000 customers ranging from individual business owners to larger companies who typically spend £50,000 to £1 million per annum on corporate travel.
    Corporate Traveller launched in the UK in 1999 and has since grown to become the largest travel management company in the country, providing dedicated business travel services to 2,500 customers.ADVERTISEMENTCorporate Traveller has 240 staff at 15 locations nationwide.
    FCBT customers will transition to Corporate Traveller together with 135 employees in operations, account management and sales.
    Staff will continue to work personally with their respective customers within Corporate Traveller’s business to ensure seamless transition of servicing.
    “Corporate Traveller and Flight Centre Business Travel have evolved as separate business divisions within Flight Centre Travel Group over the last 15 to 20 years.
    “Both brands had grown to become extremely successful in their own right, providing personal service from dedicated consultants and technology solutions specifically suited to their respective customers,” said Steve Norris, managing director EMEA, Flight Centre Travel Group.
    “However there were also many synergies.
    “It therefore made business sense to bring these two brands together so that we can focus on investing in our overall offering collectively to enrich the customer experience, as well as retain and grow market share in the post-Covid era,” said Norris.
    FCBT also merged with Corporate Traveller in Canada and South Africa.
    The company continues to operate in Australia and New Zealand.

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    VisitEngland launches domestic tourism campaign

    VisitEngland is set to launch the next phase of its UK-wide campaign to boost domestic day trips and overnight breaks in the run-up to summer.
    The project comes in partnership with the tourism organisations of London, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
    The ‘Escape the Everyday’ campaign, which first launched in autumn 2020, highlights the quality destinations, visitor attractions and experiences on offer across the UK to build back demand for domestic breaks.
    This next phase of the campaign ‘Escape the Everyday – Enjoy the UK this Summer,’ with the theme ‘reconnecting with people and places,’ has a focus on cities and city visitor attractions as well as regional gateways which have been particularly hard hit by the lack of international visitors and that rely on overseas visitors and their spending.
    The £5 million campaign kicks off across the tourism agency’s ‘own’ channels with a short video and branded content across social media with ‘on demand’ television advertising from May 25th.ADVERTISEMENTThe paid multi-media campaign then ramps up as the summer season approaches and in line with each nations’ roadmap.
    The campaign is also calling for tourism businesses, visitor attractions and destinations across the UK to get involved.
    It comes as the tourism agency’s latest forecasts show that domestic tourism spending is estimated this year of £51.4 billion, just over half of the £91.6 billion in 2019.
    Last year alone saw about two-thirds of the value wiped off the domestic tourism industry in Britain, a £58 billion loss to the economy.
    The forecast for inbound tourism spending in the UK this year is £6.2 billion, less than a quarter of the £28.4 billion in 2019.
    Tourism minister, Nigel Huddleston, said: “Our brilliant tourism and hospitality sector has faced unprecedented challenges over the past year, which is why we’ve already provided £25 billion in support, including £5 billion in VAT cuts.
    “There is so much to see and do across the whole of the UK and our great cities have lots to offer.
    “Whether you’d rather visit a museum or gallery, browse in a bookshop or enjoy first rate hospitality, I encourage everyone to get out there to explore our wonderful cities and support domestic tourism.”
    A free Escape the Everyday campaign toolkit is available for destinations and tourism businesses across the UK with campaign information, ways to get involved and marketing materials that can be adapted to promote local products and services, attractions and experiences with the theme of ‘reconnection.’

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    The Travel Corporation launches DMC portfolio to third parties

    The Travel Corporation (TTC) is opening up its destination management company portfolio to other travel companies and businesses to white label and tailor for the first time.
    The company, which operates brands including Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Contiki, Red Carnation Hotels, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and Evan Evans Tours, said the move was in response to opportunities made apparent during the pandemic.
    Overseeing the project is TTC president, Gavin Tollman, who said: “During the uncertainty of the pandemic, we spoke to a number of our partners who were looking for an operational solution with the quality, knowledge, infrastructure, consistency and financial resilience to deliver on the ground in a new post-pandemic world – but they were hitherto unaware of the depth and breadth of our destination management portfolio.”
    He added: “They were excited when they realised we could provide that solution across multiple destinations worldwide, affording them deeper access to the award-winning expertise and service for which our brands are well recognised.
    “By launching a dedicated website and a series of new tools outlining the extent of our offering, and the financial strength that supports it, we hope to be able to present this hassle-free and risk-free opportunity to a wider range of leisure and corporate travel businesses.”ADVERTISEMENTTTC has twelve destination management companies offering holidays, local experiences, corporate travel and ancillary services across Africa, Europe, the Americas and the South Pacific.
    The company already operates as ground handler for a number of internationally recognised travel brands.
    Realising the potential to expand and grow in this space, a new website, marketing assets and training will bring the range of experiences, global footprint and financial benefits to life.

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