• Tourism industry news

TTG, 24 August 2018: Bank holiday getaway: 2.2 million Brits to head overseas – Abta

More than two million Britons are expected to head overseas over the bank holiday weekend (August 24-27), placing significant strain on airports, road and rail. Abta says strong sales on the Balearics, mainland Spain, Greece and Florida would account for many journeys, as well as Turkey where the weak lira against the pound is offering British holidaymakers “extremely good value”. Barcelona, Dublin, Prague, Paris and Amsterdam, meanwhile, are expected to be go-to city break options. And despite a mixed forecast, British coastal resorts, cottages and campsites are also likely to be busy. LINK

Travel Weekly, 24 August 2014: Thomas Cook holidaymakers moved out of Egypt hotel where couple died
All Thomas Cook holidaymakers are being moved out of a hotel in Egypt due to a “raised level of illness” after a couple died within hours of each other. The action came after the company confirmed the woman staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada was a travel agent who worked in its Burnley branch. Susan Cooper, 63, was on a Thomas Cook all-inclusive holiday at the Red Sea resort with her husband John, aged 69. The travel company said the circumstances of their deaths was “unclear” but around 300 guests from across a variety of nationalities will be moved today. The reports of illness are thought to be gastro-related sickness. LINK

 

Travel Weekly, 21 August 2018: Regulator issues bank holiday travel warning
Travellers heading off on more than 32,000 flights from UK airports over the bank holiday are being warned that drunken and abusive behaviour is “totally unacceptable”. Offenders can face a sentence of up to five years in jail. New Civil Aviation Authority data shows that even before the busy summer flying season began, the regulator had received more than 200 incident reports about disruptive passengers from UK airlines. The government-backed ‘One Too Many’ campaign also called on passengers to fly responsibly this busy bank holiday weekend or risk being grounded. Participating airports include Manchester Airport Group, AGS Airports, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle and Gatwick. LINK

 

Travel Weekly, 20 August 2018: Brits cashing in on Turkey’s lira fall
The holiday cost of living in Turkey has fallen by as much as 50%. The lira rallied last week after hitting a low of nine lira to the pound on Monday, but visitors are getting excellent value, according to Post Office Travel Money. Last August, £1 bought 4.3 lira. Late last week, it bought 7.3 lira. Data from Post Office Money as reported in The Times, shows prices in Marmaris are 21% lower than in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria with dining costs down by 50%, beer 40% cheaper and the price of a glass of wine dropping from £2.72 to £1.92. The lira’s collapse followed US president Donald Trump’s decision to raise tariffs on imports of Turkish steel and aluminium. LINK

 

  • Airlines

Buying Business Travel, 23 August 2018: Ryanair changes baggage policy again
Ryanair has announced the second change to its baggage policy this year as it tries to reduce delays caused by passenger luggage. From 1 November, the Irish carrier is scrapping the free second carry-on bag for non-priority customers that was introduced in January. With the new policy, only priority customers will be allowed two carry-on items. Priority status can be purchased for £6 per person. LINK


Travel Mole, 23 August 2018:
Ryanair adds six winter routes at Luton
Ryanair has added six new winter routes at London Luton as part of a $200 million investment. It will base two more aircraft at the airport, bringing the total to six. The routes will be to Alicante, Athens, Barcelona, Bologna, Cork and Malaga. Ryanair will also add extra flights on its existing Vilnius route. Seats have been released on the new routes from £14.99, available for booking from today until midnight Monday (August 27) for travel from September to January. LINK

 

TTG, 23 August 2018: British Airways suspends its Iran service
British Airways is to suspend its route to Iran next month, only two years after it re-started it. The final flight will depart London to Tehran on September 22, returning the following day. BA re-launched the Tehran flight in September 2016 after a four-year absence, but it is thought that increasing tension between the US and the Middle East country have hit forward bookings. Recent weeks have seen the re-imposition of US sanctions and the value of the Iranian currency collapse following the US government’s decision to withdraw from a nuclear deal with Iran that was agreed by former president Barak Obama. A BA spokesperson said: “We are suspending our London to Tehran service as the operation is currently not commercially viable”. LINK

TTG, 21 August 2018: Ryanair partners with Air Malta to sell 21 new routes online

Ryanair has teamed up with Air Malta to sell 21 new routes through its website. Its new flight partnership now gives Ryanair customers access to 74 routes to and from Malta. The 21 new routes are split across 14 countries in Europe, North Africa and Asia, eight of which are new Maltese connections for Ryanair – Austria, Czech Republic, Israel, Morocco, Russia, Switzerland, Tunisia and Ukraine. LINK

  • Competitors

Travel Weekly, 21 August 2018: Krakow steals Amsterdam’s crown as top city break destination

Amsterdam has been overtaken by Krakow in Poland to become the favourite short-haul city break destination for British travellers for first time. And the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius is ranked as the best value autumn/winter city break from the UK while interest in more expensive Prague and Budapest has slumped. Data compiled by TravelSupermarket released today reveals that the average price of city breaks departing between September and March has fallen by as much as 35% year-on-year. LINK

 

  • Travellers and travel agents

Travel Bulletin, 23 August 2018: Ticket to ride: Jet2CityBreaks offers families free Efteling access

In a new partnership between Jet2CityBreaks and Efteling Theme Park Resort in the Netherlands, the operator is giving its customers unlimited access to one of Europe’s largest and oldest theme parks when they stay at the Efteling Hotel.

Clients who booked in to stay at the four-star Efteling Hotel through the operator will receive free entry to the park throughout their stay, where they can experience a fairytale forest, thrilling roller-coasters, steam train rides, shows, a mythical castle and more. LINK

Travel Bulletin, 20 August 2018: Jet2 launches dedicated trips to Iceland

Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks has unveiled a new programme of ten dedicated trips to Iceland on sale for February and March 2019.Travel agents can now offer their customers the option to fly out with the operator from five UK bases – Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle – and the choice of either a three-night midweek or four-night weekend trip to this increasingly popular destination. Customers can opt for flight-only deals starting from £169 return or package options with Jet2CityBreaks starting from £599 and securable for a £60 per person deposit. Package breaks include a guided Northern Lights Tour, flights with Jet2.com including 22kg hold luggage, transfers to and from the airport, as well as a choice of three- and four-star hotels in central Reykjavik. Excursions to the Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon are also available to purchase. LINK

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