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Thanks to Gadling for leading us to the Telegraph's slide show of some of the travel industry's 'finest' advertising moments. As Gadling points out, there is no such thing as bad publicity. BUT, these pictures are a reminder of how the travel industry keeps pushing the concept.
Martin Couzins, online editor
How about this for a destination marketing wheeze. According to the Sun, a group of performers in straight jackets rode the escalator at a London Underground station yesterday to attract people to visit Cornwall.
The thinking: to contrast the "shackles of London" with the wide open spaces of Cornwall.
Are they mad?
Martin Couzins, online editor
Over to the Avis blog which is on the hunt for unusual driving laws. Apparently, it is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle in Alabama. I like the comments so far . . .
"In Connecticut it’s illegal to hunt from cars."
OK, it's not cars . . . “It is illegal to kiss on railways in France.”
Martin Couzins, online editor
Many and splendid are the contents of Thomson new media director Graham Donoghue's crystal ball, but TW Blog is a bit mystified by his latest prediction.
Donoghue reckons holiday shoppers will one day be able to experience a destination in "a Star Trek-style holodeck" before making a purchase. It would project sights, sounds, smells and temperatures from the destination into a room.
I can see a market for virtual destinations, but this model faces a few technical problems.
In the unlikely event that the technology is able to completely mask the walls and contours of the room, it would require the customer to stay stock still, since moving around would leave them suffering from simulator sickness and/or a bump on the noggin from one of the now-invisible walls.
Not very interactive.
In the more likely event that the technology is not able to fully mask the contours of the room, you're basically watching a 360-degree movie in smell-o-vision - and that sounds more like the Epcot centre circa 1985 than the future of retail.
I suppose we could just go back to those huge VR helmets (see pic) and the weird gloves. Technicalities aside, do readers think a 'virtual destination' would inspire them when booking a holiday?
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Here's one for the people at Plain English Campaign...
Pictured is Travel Weekly chief sub-editor Megan Turner at Gatwick, posing with a sign that takes euphemism to hitherto-undreamt-of levels.
They love this kind of thing on the article intelligibility repatriation desk.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
London Underground's announcer, Emma Clarke, has been sacked for running spoof announcements on her site, Travel Mail reports. Not surprising really, but here are the offending announcements. There is even one for American tourists.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Jaunted.com reports that Jazeera Airways is currently offering customers happy hours for bookings. And I thought happy hours were only a trick used by the drinks industry.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Just had a chat with Andy Cooper at the Federation of Tour Operators and asked him when ABTA and the FTO will merge (I always ask when I see him). The answer: he batted away the question. He always does that. But he did liken the ABTA/FTO situation to a swingometer and this week it is pointing more towards a merger. Maybe we should start an ABTA/FTO merger-ometer.
Martin Couzins, online editor
After five hectic days in Cape Town, South Africa, the 40 agents taking part in the Kuoni Worldwide Diploma final had the chance to let their hair down.
The event culminated in a fantastic evening at the Gold of Africa Museum, where they were treated to a tour of the museum followed by a tasting menu of traditional food in the museum’s newly-opened courtyard restaurant, courtesy of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the official destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape.
The evening included the chance to join in some traditional African drumming. Pictured are (left) Sara Short from Bath Travel in Fareham and Kathryn Skeates from Travelcare in Ringwood, Hampshire.
Two agents were also named Worldwide Consultant and Advanced Worldwide Consultant of the Year 2007 – check out next week’s edition of Travel Weekly for exclusive interviews with the winners.
Emily Ashwell, business and community editor
Quick heads-up for blog readers. The industry saw some more consolidation yesterday: Harvey World Travel owner Stella Group announced that it has bought Triton member Global Travel Group.
The deal will create the largest independent network of travel agents in the UK. Full story on the website.
It’s exam day on the Kuoni Worldwide Diploma Final trip to Cape Town, South Africa. Agents are taking their final paper in the competition to become Worldwide Consultant or Advanced Worldwide Consultant of the Year 2007.
Here’s what the agents have achieved so far:
On the trip, the standard diploma agents have been competing for the coveted title of Worldwide Consultant of the Year 2007. The advanced diploma agents have been competing for the title of Advanced Worldwide Consultant of the Year 2007.
The two winners will be announced this evening (Monday) at a gala dinner at the Gold Restaurant, part of the Gold Museum in Cape Town.
Check out upcoming editions of Travel Weekly to read exclusive interviews with the winners.
In the mean time, big congratulations from everyone at Travel Weekly to all the agents who made it on the trip – it’s a fantastic achievement.
Emily Ashwell, business and community editor
Most people who have travelled around Spain have probably seen the big black bulls that sit on the side of the Spanish hills. Well, according to the Guardian the Osborne bulls (named after the sherry company they promote) are celebrating their 50th birthday. Thanks to freetransaltion.com for this: Toros felices de cumpleaños Osborne.
Pic credit: Kevin Collins
Martin Couzins, online editor
A busy day four on the Kuoni Worldwide Diploma Final as agents took two papers.
The first was a treasure hunt, which included tasks such as collecting maps and souvenirs. The hunt took place in and around Cape Town.
Pictured are Helen Roberts, Kuoni Tour Leader, and Phil Brady, long haul travel consultant at Midlands Co-op, Sutton Coldfield, at the top of the city's famous Table Mountain. Look in the bay in the distance and you will be able to see Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held during his imprisonment.
Sunday afternoon was taken up completing the second exam task of the day. This time agents had to make a poster for customers highlighting the selling points and benefits of the Cape Peninsula tour taken on Saturday.
Pictured are (left) Linda Gill, sales consultant, Thomson Retail, Peterborough and (right) Amy Flack, assistant manager, Travelcare, Worthing, working on their poster.
Emily Ashwell, business and community editor
After a day wine tasting around Stellenbosch, it was back to work today for the agents taking part in the Kuoni Worldwide Diploma Final.
They were given their second paper this morning, to fill out during a tour of the Cape Peninsula. First stop was the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, part of the Cape Peninsula National Park. The Cape is the most south westerly part of Africa.
Pictured is Helen Spicer from Toucan Travel, Basingstoke at Cape Point.
After, the group took in some of the flora and fauna of the park - all the time gaining the selling tips that were part of their exam paper today.
Later the group went to Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, where they could view penguins in their natural habitat.
Pictured is Joanne Davies from Ilkeston Co-op, Lincoln, with some new fluffy friends. Ahhh.
Emily Ashwell, business and community editor
The first full day of the Kuoni Worldwide Diploma Final in Cape Town, South Africa, and the group went to a classroom of a different kind.
The morning was spent wine tasting at the Neethlingshof Wine Estate.
Pictured are: Ingrid Philpott, travel consultant at Bath Travel in Romsey (left) and Debbie Drummond, travel consultant, Going Places, Woking, tasting their first sauvignon blanc of the day - there were plenty more to follow!
After, the group stopped at the Spier Estate, which also includes the Cheetah Outreach project, where the animals are reared in captivity.
Pictured is Simone Crane, travel consultant at Hart Travel in Fleet with a seven month old cub.
"It purred like a kitten and was very docile," said Simone.
Emily Ashwell, business and community editor
UPDATE: A British evacuee from the Explorer tells her story.
UPDATE 20.25: Pictures of the stricken ship sinking.
UPDATE Saturday 24 November 20.14: The BBC reports that a Chilean military plane is on its way to King George Island where the 154 tourists and crew spent last the night.
UPDATE 13.29pm: Here are some camcorder stills taken from Hurtigruten's MS Nordnorge, which is involved in the rescue. These are being updated.
UPDATE 12.44pm: Here is the map of the location.
UPDATE 12.40pm: The Sun newspaper has published this picture of the ship.
UPDATE 12.28pm: Gap Adventures has released an emergency number for relatives - 00 1 800 465 5600 ext 101.
UPDATE 12.27pm: Lloyd’s List reports that the Explorer had five deficiencies at its last inspection, including missing search and rescue plans and lifeboat maintenance problems.
UPDATE 12.22pm: Gap Adventures have confirmed that 24 british nationals were on board.
UPDATE: 11.55am: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said that 152 people on board Explorer have now been rescued by Endeavour. Hurtigruten's MS Nordnorge has arrived to collect passengers. MCA said the Rescue Coordination Centre in Falmouth is helping out with the rescue's communication.
UPDATE: 11.50am; Travel Weekly has now put a link to a video of Explorer on the website.
Click here to see it.
UPDATE: 11.11am; Sky News is reporting that MS NordNorge and Endeavour have arrived at the scene.
UPDATE: 11.08am; Hurtigruten has just advised Travel Weekly that its ship MS Nordnorge has arrived in Antarctica and will reach the Explorer at around 11.30am Norwegian time.
UPDATE: 11.01am: The British Antarctic Survey press team is having a tea break - we will keep on trying them for a comment on the environmental immpact.
UPDATE: 10.58am: There are concerns about the impact on the environment of the Explorer sinking.
UPDATE 10.53am: The Explorer is not owned by Noble Caledonia, as has been reported in the press.
UPDATE 10.49am: BBC confirms Britons, Canadians and Americans were on board. There is no emergency number as yet.
UPDATE 10.47am: Gap adventures PR confirms all passsengers are safe and that there are staff on board trying to stabilise the ship.
UPDATE 10.40am: Sarah Longbottom is telling ITN that the Explorer is fitted to ice standards and that GAP Adventures is a member of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators. Sarah points out that the IAATO issues safety guidelines but there are no legal requirements to adhere to these. She goes on to say that this incident will knock consumer confidence in cruising.
UPDATE 10.34am: Travel Weekly reports, Hurtigruten MS Nordnorge is to be first ship to sinking Explorer.
UPDATE: 10.31am: Travel Weekly editor talking to ITN
UPDATE 10.26am: According to Lloyd's List the Explorer is registered to Gap Shipping.
UPDATE 10.09am: Royal Caribbean has been inundated with calls from people concerned its ship, Explorer of the Seas, is the one involved.
UPDATE 9.58am: GAP Adventures have confirmed that they are currently chartering the ship.
UPDATE: Travel Weekly has just spoken to Andy Harmer at ACE and told us that he belives the ship is currently chartered by GAP Adventures.
UPDATE 9.55am: We are currently trying to establish who has chartered the ship for this trip.Unconfirmed reports are that it is a UK company.
Sky News reports there is a major rescue operation underway after a cruiseliner hit an object and began sinking in the Antarctic Ocean. More than 150 people on board are being evacuated and moved to life rafts and a nearby ship off the Argentinian coast.
The ship is the MV Explorer, which is used by companies such as GAP Adventures.
Here is a picture of the ship on the GAP Adventures site.
More updates on Travel Weekly's website.
Martin Couzins, online editor
While the Football Association licks its wounds after England were knocked out of the Euro 2008 football championships by Croatia this week, parts of the travel industry will also be seeing red after Steve McClaren's men failed to deliver.
Success for England would have seen a surge in interest in travel to Austria and Switzerland, the 2008 hosts. As well as tour operators, accomodation suppliers and airlines the likes of Eurostar would have taken the opportunity to showcase their services into mainland Europe.
Alas, it is not to be - and according to today's Guardian, the travel industry is not alone in losing out. It predicts the retail industry stands to lose in excess of £1bn in Euro 2008-related sales.
Martin Couzins, online editor
And here they are, courtesy of TripAdvisor.
La Plagne, France
Obertauern, Austria
Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
Ortisei, Italy
Kiruna, Sweden
Canazei, Italy
St. Wolfgang, Austria
Champery, Switzerland
Zermatt, Switzerland
Les Deux-Alpes France
Martin Couzins, online editor
Travel Weekly's Skills Zone editor Emily Ashwell is off to Cape Town with agents taking Kuoni Worldwide Diploma Final. Here is her first post.
Agents set off for Cape Town, South Africa, last night for the Kuoni Worldwide Diploma Final.
They will spend five days in and around the city, before sitting their final paper on Monday.
The work started on the flight out, where agents were given the first part of the Diploma Final to complete.
Pictured are (left) Sarah Day, senior travel consultant, Midlands Co-op from Birstall, Leicestershire, with Joanne Cross, travel consultant, Midlands Co-op, Beaumont Leys, Leicestershire.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Big congrats to Kev for Travolution's place in The Times 50 best travel sites for 2007.
It's a list worth a look. These are the sites to look out for in 2008, according to The Times.
WorldReviewer.com
CruiseCritic.co.uk
Travelmag.co.uk
Travelintelligence.net
Gowander.com
Martin Couzins
BBC Worldwide's Audio Zone lets consumers download audio versions of books. It has a travelogue section which includes works by the likes of Michael Palin. For £13.99 you can download Himalaya.
It's interesting that you can watch Palin for free on terrestrial TV and read transcripts of his books for free on his website. It's the voice you pay for. With so much other content free it will be interesting to see how many pay for the audio downloads.
Martin Couzins, online editor
According to PR Newswire, a group of explorers and cartographers has found the end of the Earth. And it is the island of Kiribati which sits in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The country is made up of 33 atolls and straddles the equator and borders the international date line.
The panel of experts was commissioned to find the end of the world by Disney to celebrate the DVD launch of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
Martin Couzins, online editor
The Daily Mail has revealed the latest charity fund raising idea from Ryanair. A 2008 calendar made up of pictures of Ryanair cabin crew. Apparently the proceeds from the £5 calendar go to children's charity Angels Quest - bet the charity is well pleased with the calendar.
It looks to me as if this picture was posed in an aircraft that has leather seats. Wasn't aware Ryanair's aircraft provided leather seats. Maybe the airline is taking a new direction . . .
Martin Couzins, online editor
Thanks to Gadling for pointing us to an artist's impression of Virgin Galactic's spaceport, to be built by Foster and Partners by 2010.
If you fancy being a part of the spaceport project, then check out the current job opportunities. Happy job hunting.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Thanks to Hotel Blogs for this video review of a premium cabin in the Yotel, south terminal at Gatwick Airport.
If all the developments at Eurostar haven't got you excited enough for high speed train travel, then this article by Aaron Dalton at Forbestraveler.com will. As well as guiding you through the speediest trains on earth it also provides some pics in its slideshow.
And for those of you who may have missed it, here's our clip of the last Eurostar leaving Waterloo.
Martin Couzins, online editor
The Guardian reports today that UK plastic surgeons are seeing more and more patients who have been on the receiving end of botched cosmetic surgery abroad. Members of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons said after care, language barriers and lower quality standards were the main causes of concern. Patients were particularly dissatisfied with treatment in Poland, South Africa and Belgium.
More on medical tourism from Travel Weekly: Selling travel for health treatment abroad
More from the TW blog: A short UK break and a trip to the dentist
Martin Couzins, online editor
On Wednesday I floated the idea of a picture caption competition to go with this picture . . .
Well, I'm happy to report that the Slovakian stand at WTM has been kind enough to donate a bottle of one the region's fine wines to the winner of the most amusing caption. The wine 'Varieto' is only available in Slovakia. Get posting - the winner is in for a Slovakian treat.
Martin Couzins, online editor
The 23 winners of Travel Weekly's WTM passport competition were presented with their prizes by none other than Ray Quinn of the X-Factor. Awesome prizes and even a song from Ray at the end (Crazy little thing called love).
Ray's best line in the middle of giving out the prizes: "There are plenty more prizes. If you haven't won yet, you'll know how I feel."
We'll be posting video from today (including Mr Quinn) on the site tomorrow.
Update: There are some photos of the Passport competition ceremony on the website.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Syria and Palestine.
Lebanon.
Martin Couzins, online editor
The concourse at 1pm.
Elvis has been allowed into the show after being barred for the first couple of days - you can't blame the organisers as he was just touting for business.
TW's very own blogger Brian Horden at our destination seminar.
Now off to find some agents . . .
Martin Couzins, online editor
Big cheer for Martin Owen, a homeworker from Future Travel, based in Manchester. Martin is currently doing the passport competition at World Travel Market whilst being filmed by George the TW camerman.
A little bit about Martin
1) Appeared in Airline a few years ago when cabin crew for Easyjet - and yes the show was very contrived
2) Won a trip two years ago at the WTM passport competition, so is very keen to win again
3) Says cruise is the way to go - especially when packaged up with hotels, flights etc
You can see the video tomorrow.
Just returned from chairing a session at World Travel Market on the future of destination marketing. We had a concern that 10.30am on the last day of the show would mean numbers would be low, but oh no. Full room and people turned away.
Discussions looked at the role of destinations in marketing themselves at a time when consumers are so much more savvy online. It was clear how far there is to go for destinations - they really are unclear about how to get their message/destination content across.
We had a really good Q&A at the end which saw Andy Tomlinson from Harvey World Travel field a lot of questions about online training. Thanks also to Amanda Hills and Kevin Harris at Hills Balfour Synergy for their presentations.
It seemed ironic that while we discussed these issues at WTM our Kev is in Orlando with some of the pace setters in travel - there really are some big gaps in this market. Check out the Travolution blog for updates from the Phocuswright conference.
Martin Couzins, online editor
A brief break from all the WTM madness to congratulate Travel Weekly's Emily Ashwell, who has won the award for Best Travel Trade Feature at The Caribbean Travel Writer Awards (UK) for her piece on boutique hotels in Jamaica, published last summer.
Three blog cheers for Emily...
:-D
:-D
:-D
It's all quiet now, but wait until the agents start arriving . . .
Martin Couzins, online editor
Martin was out on the WTM exhibition floor with editorial assistant Patricia Thomas today, looking for odd costumes, interesting things too eat and - most important of all - freebies from exhibitors.
They also caught up with some travel and tourism students and found out which stands they'd enjoyed the most. Our full video playlist is on the WTM page, including footage of the Burma protest that took place outside ExCel today.
We heard that the US Department of Homeland Security had not been seen at its stand at World Travel Market. We sent our photographer to check out the stand. And this is what he saw . . .
Martin Couzins, online editor
Hotels4u.com's John Harding pops in to the Travel Weekly office to quiz chief sub-editor Megan Turner.
The WTM camera crew pops in to interview Travel Weekly editor Sarah Longbottom. Travel Weekly's daily round-up of the news will be appearing in future World Travel Market broadcasts.
The Golden Gate Bridge is in Excel.
The city of Quebec is offering cake to celebrate its 400th birthday.
These are travel and tourism students from Hastings who agreed to feature on our video.
And this is my multi-media set-up at Excel.
So there is a new trend of holidays for wannabe parents. Just imagine staying in a resort with couples who are trying to conceive. I reckon:
1) The pool will be quiet (as couples will be at it in their rooms)
2) Couples will keep sneaking off to their rooms
3) Do not disturb will permanently swing from the door
4) Room service bills will be huge
No different from a regular holiday, then!
But seriously . . .
Just heard how the story came about and it would seem that the idea came from Starwood Hotels who put on packages to the Caribbean where parents to be would savour the local aphrodisiacs in resort and then let the drinks do the business, so to speak. World Travel Market picked up on this and had a look at whether this is a UK trend - TUI might be extending kids' club times, but not yet sure it is a trend.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Twenty or so protesters are camped outside Excel today protesting about Burma's presence at WTM. It's a polite affair with operators to the country on the receiving end as well as Lonely Planet. We'll have the story in Travel Weekly shortly.
Update: Here's a short video of the Burma protest from our WTM playlist.
More posts on Burma:
Explorer Pen Hadow launched World Responsible Tourism day this morning. This was followed up by the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards. Congrats to all the winners.
Overall winner: The New Forest
Best tour operator: The Adventure Company
Best large hotel: Apex Hotels
Best small hotel: Finca Esperanza Verde Ecolodge, Nicaragua
Best for transport and technology, Eurostar
Best in a marine environment: Tourism Tasmania
Best for poverty reduction: Borana, Kenya
Best in a park or protected area: La Ruta Moskitia, Honduras
Best for conservation of endangered species: Grootbos Nature Reserve, South Africa
Best for conservation of cultural heritage: Andaman Discoveries, Thailand
Best volunteering organisation: Azafady, UK/Madagascar
Best Destination: The New Forest
Person who has made the greatest contribution to responsible tourism: Anthony Climpson, The New Forest
Martin Couzins, online editor
Our photographers at World Travel Market have now clocked up 47 miles after two days. That's around six miles per snapper per day. I don't think they cam to get fit. See some show pics on our WTM page.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Now at the Singapore Airlines stand at World Travel Market.
Q In which aircraft would you find this business class seat?
A On the Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 300ER. The seat is similar to the business class seat found on the A380 but four inches shorter and four inches narrower.
Martin Couzins, online editor
To the Israel stand at World Travel Market. It looks like you are stepping into an arcade ride but what you actually get is a four minute film about Jerusalem.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Went down to Waterloo last night and managed to get on to the platform to film the last Eurostar depart. It was an emotional evening for some of the Eurostar staff who have been based at Waterloo since services started in 1993. Here are some pics and the video will be posted shortly.
UPDATE: The Eurostar video is now available...
Martin Couzins, online editor
Had an interesting morning videoing around the show. WTM is a great place to see and taste different cultures from around the world. As well as some tasty Turkish treats I sipped some Majorcan liqueur.
And then I came upon the Gran Canaria stand and its beach ashtray.
Passed by this Kazakhstan representative.
Stopped and looked at the chocolate fountain.
And wondered what caption should go with this image. I am now going to see if I can get a bottle of Slovenian wine for the winner.
Martin Couzins, online editor
OK, so not the real thing, but nearly . . . thanks to the Ireland stand for bringing the boys to WTM.
There's now some video from the first day of World Travel Market on our event coverage page at travelweekly.co.uk/wtm2007.
It's just one clip for now but we'll be adding to the playlist as things progress. There's also a page of photos from the first day.
Off the Docklands Light Railway at Custom House and in need of breakfast ready for the show. So big thanks to National Express and dot2.com for handing out bags of croissants. Now, on with the show . . .
Today focusses on climate change so it will be interesting to hear the messages the travel industry puts out to the wider world.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Here's a measure of the size of this exhibition. Yesterday, our four Travel Weekly photographers walked a total of 28.7 miles. Here is Travel Weekly's Matt Sprake with his pedometer and long lens.
And let's hear if for the Czechs who were the last stand partying as the rest of the exhibition hall fell silent.
We missed Ray Wilkins playing table tennis on the National Express stand but I did manage to get some yeast cake from the Hungary stand.
And a pot from the potter on the Tunisia stand.
Then I was scared by the 'chap' promoting London theatre tickets.
Laughed when I met the Polish horseman.
Stopped and snapped the Travel Counsellors stand.
And stepped outside our room at Excel to see the sun drop over Canary Wharf and the O2.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Whilst filming this morning, we met Fred Dixon at on the New York City stand. We interviewed him for our daily video and he seemed very accomplished in front of the camera. I then learned he has a weekly slot on WNBC called 'News for you' in which he tells viewers what's on in New York City at the weekend.
More from day one of World Travel Market.
Martin Couzins, online editor
What's going on here?
a) Competition: photograph online ed Martin Couzins pilfering stuff and win a cash prize from the police.
b) Martin lifts the Ryder Cup at the Visit Wales stand.
c) Travel Weekly beats TTG at darts again.
(Just in case: the answer is b.)
More pics from the first day of WTM on the World Travel Market photos page.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
It's a big week for the travel industry - World Travel Market kicks off at ExCel London this morning. There's also the PhocusWright conference in Florida for online travel types - Travolution will be out there blogging, of course.
Here's the scene outside ExCel this morning:
And here's the newsroom, which will be centre of operations for Travel Weekly.
As well as journos and photographers we have video cameras out at the event, so keep an eye out for footage - you can find everything at travelweekly.co.uk/wtm2007.
If I told you that Google (yes, them again) had announced a tie-up with a petrol pump manufacturer, would you believe me?
Of course you would. Rightly so: a new deal will see Google Maps delivered through the 'Applause' media system embedded in certain of Gilbarco Veeder-Root's pumps in the US.
Lost motorists will now be able to find and print directions while replacing the fuel they wasted driving around in circles. Great fit.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Travel Weekly has got itself indexed on Google News, but not without a short and surprising to-and-fro with the omnipotent brand.
Its first response read:
We reviewed travelweekly.co.uk and are unable to include it in Google News. We don't include sites that are purely news aggregators, and we weren't able to find any stories on your site that weren't from outside sources.
And there I was thinking the news team that sits not ten feet away was writing articles for us. Heaven knows what they were really up to.
So back came TW:
We are not a news aggregator...I suspect Google may have based its assessment on one of the daily round-ups of travel news that we publish...there are less than ten of them on the site against over 18,000 original articles...
This did the trick.
Thank you for your reply and for providing us with this additional information about your site. We've reviewed your site again and will be adding it to our index for Google News.
Ultimately, Google's service was pretty good when you take into account how much it must have to process - I know Travolution had a far worse time with the Digg customer service team. But as anyone with a stake in a website will know, being unfairly assessed by the big G is scary stuff...
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Ryanair's latest attack on travel agents, prompted by easyJet's deal with Amadeus and Galileo, prompted in turn little more that a 'Here we go again' from the longer-serving members of the TW news team.
But you don't have to say anything new to provoke a reaction, and this time the airline's language showed breathtaking contempt: agents were 'deadwood' and 'parasites'.
Never mind that two consecutive summers of airport chaos - with the related risk of seeing your trip come unstuck - have strengthened the case for booking with a bonded agent.
Nor that 'travel agent' now covers so many different types of worker, operating in so many niches, that we must question whether someone who spouts generalisations about agents knows anything at all about the modern trade.
What rankles is seeing a company - any company, let alone one connected to the travel industry - use such cheap, mean-spirited language to make its point.
'We are all people and we all have to work and earn a crust,' independent agent Karen Forrester said to Travel Weekly. Quite right. We're not afraid of a debate about the future of the trade (and I can prove it) but there's no reason that I can see for it to be conducted like this.
Presumably Ryanair doesn't want the profits these despicable people have put its way over the years. Can't wait to hear which charity it will be donating the money to...
Nathan Midgley, web producer
The Queen opened the new Eurostar terminal at St Pancras International last night, in a ceremony that featured the London Philharmonic, lots of dry ice and some natty synchronised train-driving.
I am filled with hope that people of all backgrounds and all ages ...will greatly benefit from the quality and the attention to detail which is at the heart of this great undertaking; and will come to regard St Pancras not just as a station but as a destination.
Here's a bit of footage from the BBC. Some figures:
Historian Tristram Hunt writes in the Guardian:
...this is a station of places and people. It has benches, statues, open vistas and public toilets, while its shops and cafes conform to rather than contaminate the design. Advertising is constrained, while the glamour of train travel is revived.
While approval for the architectural achievement is near-universal, some commenters on his article are sceptical of the project. To some the station is little more than a shopping mall. To others, it represents investment in - literally - the wrong direction. Says DickS:
It now takes longer to get from London to Sheffield than it does from London to Paris. Billions spent getting to the continent (and to Kent) but nothing spent serving the towns and cities St Pancras was built to serve...
I haven't seen the station myself, but I know Martin was impressed when he joined the Brussels-London inaugural. What do readers think?
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Ananova reports that tourism officials in the German city of Hanover have been criticised for featuring a serial killer on their advent calendar.
Fritz Haarman, who killed 24 young men before he was finally hung in 1925, appears with cleaver in hand on the calendar's first window.
Head of the Hanover tourism board, Hans-Christian Nolte, has defended the calendar, saying: "He is part of our city's history. Even on guided tours the serial killer's story is told."
Very festive. "What the hell do they do at Halloween?" wonders cleverthingies.com.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Many American blogs, including Wired and Consumerist, have been reporting that Disneyland's "It's a Small World" ride is being renovated to accommodate the growing, um, presence of riders.
In what sounds rather like a storyline from The Simpsons, the ride's canals have allegedly become too shallow for today's American, who is on average 25 pounds heavier than when 'It's a Small World' was built.
Disney denied the obesity link - originally posited by Mice Age - to the New York Times, stating that the repairs have to do with 'a buildup of fibreglass in the flume'. But even NYT writer Dan Mitchell wasn't convinced.
But doesn’t logic dictate that heavier loads would worsen the problem? ... “You can draw your own conclusions,” the [Disney] spokesman said.
Whatever the reason, the ride will be closed for around 10 months for repairs. Hat-tip: Bill Geist
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Europ Assistance USA, the 'professional ally for people in crisis or distress' (their words), emails TW Blog with details of a recent survey on risk and stress in travel.
No prizes for guessing the nature of the findings. But the survey comes up with some arresting stats on just how much holidays stress people out.
At least you're not going on holiday
Remember when people used to go on holiday for fun?
Nathan Midgley, web producer
The Daily Mail has a bit of fallout from the collision of a British Airways aircraft and a SriLankan Airlines aircraft at Heathrow last month.
Apparently some SriLankan Airlines passengers staged a 'revolt' after the airline put them back on the same aircraft the morning after the incident.
SLA had removed one of the Airbus A340's winglets (the upturned bits on the end of the wing) after the part sustained some damage in the collision.
Although staff assured passengers that the worst this could do was increase fuel consumption a bit - all the part does is reduce drag so the aircraft flies more economically - seven people demanded to be put on the next flight.
I'd like to think I'd have been level-headed and stayed put.
Here's the interesting question, though: given that headlines like "Passengers refuse to fly on collision jet" were inevitable, would SLA have been right to ground the aircraft for PR reasons alone?
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Readers of the Guardian and Observer have revealed their favourite travel companies. Congratulations to Travel Counsellors for winning the best travel agent category for the second consecutive year. Trailfinders won best tour operator (large) and Original Travel (small).
Martin Couzins, online editor
How about this for a weird museum? Jaunted reports on the Museum of Broken Relationships in Berlin, which is made up of the stuff left behind when someone's relationship breaks up.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Where would TW Blog be without the comedy stylings of BBC business correspondent Greg Wood?
This morning on Radio 4's Today Greg interviewed British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh, after the airline announced that its fuel bill will top £2bn for the first time this year.
After a brief preamble, Walsh was heard to murmur, "excuse me for a moment."
Then silence.
As the gap became more and more uncomfortable (radio, like nature, abhors a vacuum) Greg was forced to step in.
"Oh. I think he's gone to buy some more fuel."
Give that man a cigar. In fact it was just a microphone problem, and Walsh returned moments later to talk about the airline's encouraging six month profits (up 26% on last year).
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Another PR coup for Sir Richard Branson - he signed up the Spice Girls 12 years ago and now, according to the Daily Star he's providing the flights between gigs on their world tour.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Very interesting post on Travel Rants looking at fees for name changes on flight tickets. Not sure this is still applicable with flights being sold direct online.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Travel Weekly's web producer, Nathan Midgley, is blogging live from today's Travolution Autumn conference in London.
Keep an eye on developments - there are some big names speaking.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Nathan Midgley
Web editor
Travel Weekly
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