Travel Weekly Blog

Some encouraging news for consumers in today's Times - the European Commission is looking to close a loophole which it believes airlines are using to escape paying compensation for cancelled flights.

Currently, passengers are not eligible for a payout if cancellation is due to "unexpected flight safety shortcomings", and Europe reckons carriers are being, shall we say, generous with what constitutes one of those.

Since a proposed tightening of the rule will cost airlines money it is unlikely to be popular, and they could counter that the move would effectively punish them for vigilance.

On the other hand, it would address one of passengers' most enduring concerns - the fear of being left high, dry and out of pocket. And anything that boosts consumer confidence in the beleaguered aviation industry will do it some good in the long run.

(Some of the things that beleaguered it this week: the near-impossibility of changing booking details, highlighted in both the mainstream media and the blogosphere; more delays predicted this easter; a big competition inquiry slapped on airport operator BAA; and more claims that the industry's growth is unsustainable. Business as usual...)

Nathan Midgley, Travelweekly.co.uk

The numbers featured in recent editions of Travel Weekly alongside the projected growth in long haul holidays are nothing short of awesome. A 29% increase by 2011 is predicted, a staggering increase but best interpreted by creative travel agents as real opportunity to make BIG money.

No calculator is needed to realise that this is only four years away, and I do wonder just how many travel agents have really recognised this spectacular opportunity to position their agency as a real expert within this exciting and lucrative arena.

Four years....just think about it, because if you don't, someone else will; or will the operators simply take the decision to go direct to the consumer?

Yet again, more opportunity for the creative and aggressive travel agent. I wonder how many will really grasp it.

Brian Hordon, director of training development, Silversea Cruises

More APD fun and games today courtesy of the marketing team at Ryanair.

Never ones to miss an opportunity, they've used yesterday's meeting between Rev Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams as a hook for a full-page anti-APD advert in today's Guardian (right). Apparently the Northen Ireland assembly was the last thing on their minds - they just popped in to Say No to Greedy Gordon's APD.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Tour Operators' legal challenge continues to wind its way through the British legal system - only around nine months to go to hear judgement. Let's face it, the government well and truly wrong-footed the travel industry on this one. Let this be a lesson...

Martin Couzins, acting editor

The blog of our stablemate Flight International has some interesting speculation on how British Airways is likely to shake up its fleet in the wake of the EU-US open skies deal.

The gist: the airline will need to use its existing runway slots at Heathrow more efficiently; that means bigger planes; and that means Airbus A380s, which writer Kieran Daly suggests may have more consumer appeal than the rival Boeing 747-8, and which are already on order for big boys such as Etihad, Emirates and Air France.

Several commenters disagreed, with one arguing that:

I think you overestimate how much biz travellers care about the metal they travel on. Flat beds, nice food, in-flight entertainment and Singapore girls are one thing... but a lump of pan-European metal? Who gives a 4X?

Nice. What's the travel agent take on this? My instinct is that the commenter is right - as far as selling to the consumer goes it's about the seat they sit in, the meal they eat and the entertainment available. There's currently a discussion on best and worst flight experiences on Travel Rants, and aircraft model numbers are conspicuous by their absence...

Nathan Midgley, Travelweekly.co.uk

"I know you love all things travel," began the press release for Conde Nast Traveler's blog 80 Days or Bust, "and would love for you to check this site out."

Deeply moved by this personal touch, TW Blog investigated. 80DoB is the diary of Mark Schatzker, who has given himself 80 days to circumnavigate the globe 'the old fashioned way' - which if not an original premise is a timely resurrection of one.

The blog is worth a read, particularly the posts about life aboard a cruise ship. We are, though, racking our brains to remember the bit where Phileas Fogg hires a car.

Today is a dark day for toursim. Well, in actual fact the University of Central Lancashire is hosting a conference on Dark Tourism, in association with the Dark Tourism Forum and the Tourism Society.

In their words, dark tourism is 'an age-old phenomenon highlighting the act of visiting sites, exhibitions or areas with a sinister, morbid or tragic history'.

Topics covered include 'Tragedy and Heritage: The Case of Cambodia' and 'Business, Battlefields and Tourism - A Practitioner's Perspective'.

Death, destruction, war - they all mark history and shape lives so it is no surprise that punters want to visit such sites. And where there is consumer demand, we as an industry must sell. But is 'dark tourism' the best name? All sounds a bit sinister to me.

And how do dark tourism specialists sell their product? Hmm. Be delighted to hear from anyone who specialises in trips to war scenes. Or should I say, can anyone from 'the dark side' shed some light on how this all works?

Martin Couzins, acting editor

A British woman and her ten-year-old daughter were killed in Zimbabwe on Saturday, trampled to death by an elephant while out on safari in Hwange National Park.

It's tempting to point the finger of blame in these awful accidents, but I can't help wonder about the judgment of the guide, who according to Yahoo News has himself been seriously injured.

Any Africa regular will know that solitary male elephants almost always display aggressive behaviour, especially if they feel observers are getting too close. A walking safari in a reserve that has large mammals should only be undertaken with the most experienced and sensitive guide - and, as this tragic story shows, carrying a gun is no guarantee of safety.

As delighted as I am to hear of tourists visiting beautiful but troubled Zimbabwe, it's sad to note that the shortage of visitors has probably made the wildlife less comfortable than ever around controlled human contact. Elephant populations are reported to be soaring out of control, meaning elephants are more used to seeing humans fleeing in terror as they rampage through their villages than they are seeing khaki-clad westerners clutching cameras and sundowners.

There can be no doubt that safari guides are under enormous pressure to supply the wildlife viewing for which their tourists pay thousands of pounds. And as visitors it's always tempting to get a bit closer to a fascinating mammal, to snap that elusive perfect picture. But I hope this tragedy serves as a powerful reminder to tourists and to guides that observing animals in the wild is a privilege - and not a right - no matter how much money has changed hands.

Emily Bamber, supplements editor

What's your favourite travel industry url? Manchester based Baltic Holidays has just launched a stag weekends website called The Dogs Baltics - Thedogsbaltics.co.uk - a clever name and ideal for its target market. The operator works closely with agents too.

Let us know any others you like.

Emily Ashwell, deputy features editor

What will be your overriding memory of the 2007 Cricket World Cup?

Will it be how months of planning and millions of pounds came to fruition to produce a well run event in a fantastic location, showcasing the beautiful Caribbean to homes throughout the world? Or will it be the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer?

Having reported on the Caribbean for Travel Weekly in the run up to the event, I'm all too aware of the importance of this event to Jamaica. It had been heavily promoting its part on the World Cup, including playing host to the Irish team and holding the opening ceremony.

Of course, Woolmer's murder could have happened wherever the Cup was taking place, but the sad coincidence is that it has happened in a destination that has put in years of hard work to dispel connotations with crime.

The Jamaica Tourist Board has recently changed PR agencies, and it's going to be one of the biggest challenges for its new team to get past the tragedy and make sure that Jamaica's beauty, friendliness and charm are what makes the headlines.

Emily Ashwell, deputy features editor

I'm getting celebrity fatigue. Everywhere I've stayed in Namibia seems to have either accommodated Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie during their stay last year, or was approached about taking them in.

"We couldn't close the whole lodge for a week like they were asking," said one lodge owner near Etosha National Park. "We had guests booked in and you can lose a reputation very quickly if you start messing visitors around. Mind you," she added, "We didn't know who the agent was calling about."

"When Brad and Ange were here no one knew about it," said another, when explaining just how private one of her private lodges really was. Yet another silently handed me the visitor book for his tented camp, open on a page with the signatures of Angelina, Brad and Maddox.

There was higher-standard accommodation available at this particular resort, but the size of the celebrity entourage plus the condition of sole occupancy meant tented accommodation it was.

"There were about eight of them - nannies, assistants and bodyguards, drivers and their own vehicles," said my lodge manager.

And as is if that wasn't enough - the family was assigned five soldiers from the Namibian army for the duration of their stay.

"Privacy they wanted," said my lodge manager, "and that's what the government gave them."

Photo by Maggiejumps. Used under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license.

Emily Bamber, supplements editor

What does Chancellor Gordon Brown's 11th Budget mean for the travel industry?

He announced plans to abolish the 10p rate of income tax and reduced the 22p level to 20p, a move which, according to financial experts, will see single people on less than £17,000pa worse off. On the face of it this looks like bad news for young multiple high street agents.

That said, the tax overhaul could prove good news for travel, with middle to high earners loosening their belts and spending more money on holidays.

The news for employers is also mixed. Corporation tax will be cut by 2p to 28p next April, which is good news for large employers, but a tax increase on small businesses appears to be bad news for independent agency owners.

What are your thoughts on the Budget?

Paul Nelson, reporter

It's not often the TW Blog finds common ground with Radio 4's Thought for the Day, but today's speaker took as her subject the death that occurred on a British Airways flight this week.

As you may have read in the national press, this left a First Class passenger sitting next to a corpse. Said passenger was not terribly happy.

We can empathise with their discomfort. But is it fair to chastise the airline? Were the passengers right to complain that 'there didn't seem to be a system for dealing with this kind of thing?'

What system do they envisage? Thinker for the Day Rosemary Lain-Priestley pointed out that death is never convenient. At 40,000 feet up in a metal tube it is still less so.

I know BA has become a media whipping boy, but is demand for leisure travel now driven by such desperate escapism that we expect suppliers to shield us from mortality itself?

Nathan Midgley, Travelweekly.co.uk

Introducing a new industry blogger, Karen Bryan...

I am an independent travel consultant and writer, promoting lesser-known destinations in Europe. I started my business in 2002 and have developed the NAB (Niche, Articles, Blog) system for my business, enabling me to NAB my share of the travel market.

As a small business I've had to find a niche for myself. I can't compete with the big boys on destinations such as Paris, Rome and Prague - I'd probably be on page 30 on a Google search. So I concentrate on lesser-known destinations. I write articles and destination guides for my site and then have them published on as many other relevant sites as possible - the first one I wrote, for Lake Iseo in northern Italy, is now the top search result on Google.

I started a blog in October 2006 after receiving an email for a student writing her dissertation about travel business blogs. I didn't know much about commercial blogs but I did a bit of research and thought I'd start one myself.

The blog has delivered an increase in Google page rank and a substansial increase in site visitors and bookings, without me having to spend any money on advertising. However it is pretty time consuming researching and writing posts. I also spend time reading and commenting at other related blogs.

Karen Bryan, Europe a la Carte

In today's Independent, Jeremy Warner argues that the merger is deeply unfair and probably won't get past the competition authorites.

In the Telegraph, the headline to Harry Wallop's piece says it all: "How First Choice became No Choice."

The line here is that the motive behind the merger could well be to be torpedo the Thomas Cook/MyTravel merger. Worth a look for this line from Paul Evans, the chief executive of LowCostTravel Group.com, "Is this about returns on investment or returns on ego?"

And how about this from James Harding at The Times? How long did he work on this Greek intro?

"Nothing has more strength than dire necessity." What held true for the great Greek playwright Euripides also holds true for that great purveyor of holidays to Greece, First Choice.

Harding's analysis is more positive, arguing the merger is a necessary one for both companies.

Martin Couzins, acting editor

Four hours before I left the Travel Weekly office for my flight to Namibia, the following information arrived from the ground handler in Windhoek.

'For safety and space reasons on light charter aircraft, we have a strict 20kg limit and insist on a soft holdall instead of a suitcase. Solid suitcases cannot fit into charter aircraft. If you bring luggage that contravenes these specifications we will have to charter an additional aircraft for your excess baggage at considerable cost.'

What had I packed for my research trip? A large, solid suitcase.

Horrified by the thought of my over-packing finally reaching the heights of having to charter additional aircraft, I hurried out of Travel Weekly Towers to purchase an emergency moderate-size soft holdall.

Users of Sutton train station car park on Friday lunchtime will have been entertained by the sight of me frantically transferring my belongings from one suitcase to another outside my car, weeding out flouncy tops and pretty dresses, shoes and books along the way.

I am now in Namibia and have just taken my first flight in a light chartered aircraft. It was just me, my companion and the pilot, and my soft holdall was wedged into a tiny triangular luggage area at the back. I can see their point.

Fortunately by reading the small print I was saved the humiliation of having to part company with my lotions and potions because I was using the wrong type of suitcase - and I now realise the soft case rule is the norm when using light aircraft. But do agents know about it?

Emily Bamber, supplements editor

The Guardian speaks to Nigel Parson of Evolution Securities, who reckons the European Commission will green-light the merger, and that it "would transform First Choice from lame duck to European powerhouse"

Chris Photi of White Hart Associates, writing for Travel Weekly, says that prices are likely to rise but is positive about the long-term prospects for the UK industry, which "has survived on too small margins for too long". He also predicts the merger will boost confidence in the City, encouraging investors to put money into smaller travel companies.

At the Travolution Blog Kevin points out that there are a number of large US travel providers which would benefit from snapping up a traditional European company. "While we are not suggesting," he says, "that the recent deals have been created simply because of a need to protect themselves against a US invasion - it is worth bearing in mind."

News that Thomson and First choice are merging maybe not be the greatest surprise considering 2007 was mooted as the year of consolidation. But so quickly on the heels of the MyTravel/Thomas Cook deal?

Lots of questions, but not a lot of answers at this stage. What will the Competition Commission have to say? Will these mergers be allowed? These two companies will wield a lot of control and prices are bound to increase as a result. How many shops will remain? What will they be called? How many jobs will be lost? These are unsettled times for those working in the shops of the big four (or should they now be called the big two).

I can't help feeling these mergers are the result of the old-guard of the big, traditional travel companies getting together to look after themselves. What if an online travel agent had made a play for First Choice?

Interesting and exciting times. One thing is for sure, the travel market will look very different at the end of the year compared to the beginning.

Martin Couzins, acting editor

Well I never. First Choice and TUI have announced plans to merge this morning (sound familiar?) so looks like a busy day for the Travel Weekly news desk.

The merger, though obviously contingent on approval from shareholders and anti-trust authorities, is expected to go through in the third quarter of this year. So to anyone who thought First Choice was still smarting from Thomas Cook / MyTravel, that has quite emphatically told you. Click here to change your response to the recent Dermot Blastland caption competition...

To mark British Tourism Week bbc.co.uk's Magazine has had famous Britons nominate their favourite spots in our fair isles. Philip Pullman nominates the Oxford canal tow path; Tony Robinson unaccountably goes for Newbury Park bus station; Dave Gorman praises the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.

Personally I love the National Trust-owned Glendurgan Garden in Cornwall, which sits in a ravine running down to the Helford river. The further down you go the steeper, narrower and more enclosed the valley, and the thicker the vegetation, until finally you emerge into a tiny collection of stone houses by a pebble beach, with the Helford winking at you in the sun. And there you have lunch.

At that point, anyone who wants to walk back up the hill is clinically dead.

So as domestic gems go, that's mine. What are yours?

Here's a shocking statistic for you. Conservative estimates suggest that fraud costs the travel industry £6 million a year.

In last week's poll we asked whose responsibility it is to crack down on fraud. 34% of you said the police; 27% ABTA; 20% the Government; 18% travel firm management; and 1% advertisers.

As our lead feature shows, ABTA has been working harder than many realise to fight fraud, but the reality is that we all have a responsiblity.

This week we're joining forces with an industry-wide anti-fraud group to launch Stamp Out Fraud, a campaign to raise awareness of the problem.

We'll be providing news, features and advice that help you spot and deal with fraud. You can find links to all our resources on the campaign homepage: Travelweekly.co.uk/fraud.

As promised below, here's Travel Weekly singing Wham!'s Club Tropicana in aid of Comic Relief. Hence the red noses. Or is that faces?

There's also a photoset of us in the studio on the Travel Weekly flickr pages.

A burst of charity activity from the travel industry - James Allen at the McCluskey Blog emails to say he and colleague Patrick North Coombes are taking part in a London to Paris Bike Ride to raise money for Medecins du Monde.

Starting at Tower Bridge at 7am on 12th July, they'll finish at the Eiffel Tower on the 15th. It's for a great cause, so be generous and follow the sponsorship link.

Nothing so strenuous for Travel Weekly. We popped down to RBI's media studio to sing along to Club Tropicana in aid of Red Nose Day.

...and that's what it looked like. If we get enough clicks to beat rival RBI videos we win an extra £1,000 to donate, so look out for the vid - coming soon to these pages and our website.

The FCO is right about this one: Colombia's capital is dangerous. It's for this reason I've taken the liberty of devising a list of pointers to ensure you remain safe during a holiday there.

1. Direct your gaze away from the beautiful palaces, lush mountains and bright blue skies certain to cause eye strain.
2. Say no to another helping of chicken, avocado and sour cream soup - even if it is only £1 a dish and served on a rustic rooftop terrace - a minute on the hips...
3. Refuse to stay in one of the many five-star warehouse-conversion arty hotels that are a complete rip off at £50 pounds a night.
4. Avoid the temptation of £1.50 killer martinis or 30p beers served until 3 am by staying indoors.
5. Prevent a twisted ankle or other similarly treacherous injury by passing by the many salsa bars dotted all over the city.
6. Finally, do not - I repeat, do not - meet the wide-smiled twinkly-eyed gaze of the beautiful locals destined to break your heart.

See the rest of Jo's pics in her Colombia photoset on Travel Weekly's flickr pages

Jo Gardner, features reporter

Naturally some of the big travel blogs had a reaction to the Tories' aviation tax proposals, and common to two of those reactions (Francisca Kellett at The Telegraph and Darren at Travelrants) was a social equality argument. Higher taxes, they both wrote, will price the poor out of the market, making air travel the preserve of the rich.

This is undoubtedly true, but I thought it raised a question. To what extent is air travel a right? The near-universal air travel we are used to is made possible by low-cost airlines, so what happens if the low-cost model stops being sustainable?

Chancellor Gordon Brown and his shadow George Osborne begin a head-to-head battle on environmental strategy today. This promises to be cold comfort to the aviation industry, goodwill towards which was not helped by this weekend's revelation that BMI is flying empty aircraft to keep a landing slot at Heathrow. (What would you have done in BMI's place? Just left a multi-million pound asset to slip away? You're *fired*.)

New Conservative proposals focus on domestic measures that seek to hit the biggest polluters hardest, particularly dirtier aircraft and frequent flyers. Given that most frequent flyers are businesspeople, this is - what's the kindest phrase? - a leap into the unknown for the Tories.

Predictably, airlines were quick to respond, condemning George Osborne's ideas as a 'blunt instrument', which is exactly what a Treasury minister said about air passenger duty back in February.

Also interesting was Tory rhetoric about not hitting those who take 'one package a year'. Would the ailing traditional package thrive with the emissions police on its side? Or would holidaymakers be put off by the thought of splurging the lion's share of their annual carbon allowance on a single trip? And what did short break operators think when they read it, I wonder?

I used to do some work for a marketing concern that regularly tapped journos from big lifestyle monthlies for insights. One of their favourite phrases was that old chestnut the 'experience economy'.

Here's how they interpreted it: 1) consumers can no longer assert a unique identi