- Tourism industry
Travel Weekly, 4 October 2018: Staycations ‘set for Brexit boost’
Staycations are set for a Brexit boost as it emerged that almost half of Britons are less likely to holiday in Europe after the UK leaves the EU. And almost two thirds (65%) said they were worried that a further fall in the value of the pound would drive up prices overseas. Six in ten (60%) said they were concerned about not having free, emergency healthcare while abroad after Brexit in six months’ time. LINK
Travel Mole, 1 October 2018: ABTA remains ‘most trusted travel scheme’
ABTA – The Travel Association is the UK’s most trusted travel scheme among members of the public, finds new independent research. Respondents were asked to rank the travel organisations they are most confident in, with ABTA ranked number one on 58% of occasions, 12% above the next most trusted organisation, ATOL (46%) and almost three times more than Trustpilot (20%). LINK
Which?, 5 October 2018: Looking for winter sun? The crowded Canary Islands towns to avoid
While you’ll find Tenerife’s top temperatures on the island’s south-western tip, you’ll also find a costa del concrete of all-you-can-eat buffets and booming nightclubs. Playa de las Americas was rated just two out of five stars for peace and quiet, while neighbouring beach towns Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje only fared slightly better with a mediocre three-star rating. The full results of our survey found three alternative holiday destinations that gained four or five-star peace-and-quiet ratings. LINK
- Airlines
Travel Mole, 5 October 2018: EasyJet announces flash sale
EasyJet has announced a flash sale, knocking up to 25% off 100,000 seats for the next five days. The discounted fares are available on selected routes to and from the UK from October 24 to February 13 next year. They have gone on sale today and will be available to book up to midnight on Tuesday, October 9. LINK
TTG, 3 October 2018: Thomas Cook to ‘Fly Pink’ this October to support breast cancer care
Pilots and cabin crew swap their traditional gold shoulder stripes for pink ones throughout October. Fly Pink, an aviation industry initiative, was founded in Australia by QantasLink pilots in 2015. It champions breast cancer awareness, early detection and research. Cook’s UK, Scandinavian and German (Condor) airlines will all take part. Two Cook aircraft have adopted the campaign’s pink bow motif. LINK
TTG, 1 October 2018: Primera Air to cease all operations and enter administration
Budget transatlantic carrier Primera Air will cease operations and enter administration on Tuesday (October 2), its board has confirmed. In a statement, the board confirmed to TTG it had been unable to reach an agreement with its bank and was left with no choice but to file for bankruptcy. The airline, which has been operating for 14 years, said over the past two years, a series of “unforeseen misfortunate events” had severely affected its financial standing. LINK
TTG, 1 October 2018: Ryanair profits hit by strikes, fuel prices and EU compensation costs
Ryanair has slashed its full-year profit forecast citing pilot and cabin crew strikes, spiralling fuel prices, EU compensation costs and a decline in third quarter bookings. The budget carrier has cut its profit guidance, excluding its Laudamotion subsidiary, from €1.25-€1.35 billion to €1.10-€1.20 billion amid fears of plummeting consumer confidence. LINK
- Travellers and travel agents
Travel Weekly, 4 October 2018: Jet2holidays announces biggest ever winter sun programme
Jet2holidays has announced its biggest ever winter sun programme for winter 2019/20. It includes a 44% increase in seats to Antalya, Turkey, Almost 200,000 seats on sale to Paphos and Larnaca in Cyprus and a 25% rise in seats to Malta. In the Canary Islands, a 10% increase in frequencies means 150 weekly services to Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. Almost 850,000 seats are on sale to Malaga and Alicante, in mainland Spain, a 12% capacity rise. LINK
Travel Weekly, 1 October 2018: Tui plans Sensatori luxury beach clubs
Luxury beach clubs are to be created by Tui as the group expands under the Sensatori brand. Premium beach clubs called IVÓ Beach are planned together with a speciality dining option under the name Restaurant 10. The first adults-only Tui Sensatori five-star plus property is also to open next to an existing resort at Fethiye in Turkey. LINK
TTG, 2 October 2018: Jet2 adds nearly a million passengers, new Atol figures confirm
New CAA figures show a big increase in the number of Atol-protected passengers for Jet2holidays. The operator is now licensed for 3.8 million passengers, an increase of around 800,000 in the last six months and a leap from the 2.94 million it was licensed for 12 months ago. The number two operator is now well clear of rival Thomas Cook, whose main Atol now accounts for 2.47 million passengers, an increase of less than 82,000 in the last year. LINK
iNews, 25 September 2018: Thomas Cook ups its Greece package holiday game with two new hotels in Kos: Casa Cook and Sunprime
Mental images of package holidays traditionally involve a morning dash to get a towel on a sunlounger, fluorescent cocktails and buffet queues. But with the rise of Airbnb and an appetite for “authentic” experiences – see every “be a traveller, not a tourist” mantra spamming your feed – the package holiday market is having to work harder to offer what people are looking for. Increasingly that’s quality and opportunities to get out and explore locations which make for envy inducing pictures. Keenly aware of this, Thomas Cook is upping its game on the Greek island of Kos, with two new high-end resorts. Sunprime Pearl Beach, an adults-only, all-inclusive hotel that opened this summer, and Casa Cook, a year-old “boutique bohemian” concept hotel, are located on the beachfront of Marmari, a sleepy village in the north of the island that makes an ideal base for relaxing and exploring. They are indicative of the move away from mass-market, one-size-fits-all tourism for Thomas Cook as a brand. LINK
- Competitors
Travel Bulletin, 4 October 2018: Bargain Budapest best for culture vultures on a budget this autumn
The 2018 Cost of Culture report has found that Budapest is the cheapest of 18 cities surveyed in terms of ticket prices for cultural attractions, such as art galleries, heritage sites and concert tickets. Prices for such attractions have fallen by 46% in the past year in the Hungarian capital, according to the report, in which prices for a basket of six attractions was surveyed for each city. Also flying the flag for eastern European destinations, Warsaw and Prague scored well for affordable culture in the survey commissioned by Post Office Travel Money. Other prime city break spots where cultural costs have fallen include Barcelona with a 29% price drop and Brussels with prices falling by 22%. LINK
