After more than a week of racist riots in the U.K. ignited by online misinformation regarding the murder of three children in northwest England, the “demonstrations” are finally dying down.
What happened: Riots broke out in nearly 30 cities across the U.K. in the wake of three fatal stabbings of children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event in Southport. Far-right websites falsely identified the suspect as an asylum-seeker, which fueled anti-immigration protests. Mosques and hotels housing asylum-seekers were the main targets.
VisitBritain says that museums, theaters, restaurants, attractions and shops are open as usual and airports, ports and public transport are operating normal services. Visitors, however, may notice an increased police presence on the streets this week in some areas.
Recent reports, however, say that while the past couple of days have been “quieter, an increased police presence remains and people should remain on “high-alert.”
Airline Refunds: Who’s to Pay?
There appears to be some confusion—if not willful misunderstandings—about who is to pay when a passenger’s flight is severely delayed, as per the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) final ruling made in April. At the end of last month, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent letters to the CEOs of the 10 largest U.S. airlines to make it clear that the DOT expects them to provide passengers with cash refunds as required by law.
That said, due to the wording in the ruling saying that “airlines and ticket agents” must pay out these refunds, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and a small group of congressmembers are worried that this could force travel agencies to be the ones to pay up.
“While we understand the actions of the Department is to ensure timely refunds to consumers, the rule failed to establish how and when airlines must then reimburse the merchant of record when they are responsible for the refund,” the congressmembers said in a letter to Secretary Buttigieg.
Running Your Business
Virtuoso Travel Week is nearly here and its Tech Summit, taking place Saturday, August 10, will focus on the future of travel technology and the best practices for adopting said technologies within your business. Key themes from the event will include the development of AI, the “travelization” of finance, social commerce, the connected trip and more. Attendees can expect several speakers, a fireside chat and a showcase from 15 startup businesses.
In other event news, ALG Vacations (ALGV) recently hosted its second annual Kindness Conference, an event dedicated to celebrating and promoting kindness within the travel industry. This year’s conference, which took place at Secrets Tides Punta Cana, gathered a group of 40 "next-gen" travel advisors committed to making a positive impact worldwide. In addition, ALGV presented its inaugural Kindness Connection, hosting 40 travel advisors with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. Alongside them, the event was joined by 10 rising leaders from ALG Vacations' marketing, sales, operations and finance teams, as well as supplier partners.
Separately, American Marketing Group has expanded its professional development team with the appointments of Diana Hnatov and Clare Burke. The paid will bring their vast experience and training expertise to advance the skills and success of advisors affiliated with AMG’s travel agency networks: TravelSavers, Nest and The Affluent Traveler Collection.
Hnatov joins as director, sales and services, KORE, a program that empowers new advisors with the skills they need in an ever-shifting industry. Burke takes on the role of director, education and training to develop programs that build knowledge and abilities, giving advisors affiliated with AMG networks a competitive advantage.
In St. Kitts, the tourism authority has launched its new St. Kitts Yourway Travel Agent Program, running through December 15. This initiative is designed to provide exclusive benefits and rates to travel advisors, encouraging them to experience St. Kitts firsthand and share its adventures with their clients. Travel advisors participating in the program will enjoy discounts and rewards from airlines, hotels and more.
As it approaches its one-year anniversary, travel tech company FamGuru has shared what’s on tap for the year ahead. Notably, the company has plans to develop FamGuru for Agencies, to aggregate advisor Fam knowledge, as well as a Cruise Capability. In its first year, the app saw over 4,000 user subscriptions and over 2,000 fam trips planned worldwide.
In honor of another one-year anniversary—that of the devastating Maui wildfires—Global Travel Collection is putting a spotlight on the Hawaiian island through a new season of the NBC show “1st Look Presents: Extra Mile Club.” The reality competition show features top travel advisors who are tasked with creating luxury travel experiences for celebrity clients. Global Travel Collection is highlighting Maui to show that much of the island, as well as other destinations in Hawaii, are open to tourism.
Tour Operator Updates
Pleasant Holidays and Journese have expanded their Asia offerings to include South Korea and Taiwan vacations. Vacation packages are now available for booking and include real-time rates and availability at 40 hotels Seoul, Busan and Gyeongju in South Korea, and Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan, plus flights on major airlines, private tours and experiences, ground transportation, high-speed rail tickets and more.
Eurobound, as well, has introduced a 13-day independent tour of classic Italy for solo travelers. The itinerary includes two nights in Milan and Venice, three nights in Rome and five nights in Florence. Included are centrally located hotel accommodations, first-class rail travel, transfers and small-group tours in each destination.
Also in Europe, GeoCultura is offering new exclusive tours of England’s Jurassic Coast. The three two-night, fully guided tours of England's only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site lets travelers immerse themselves in the beauty and geological wonders of this ancient coastline, where secrets from 185 million years of history await discovery. Tours are led by geologist Jonathan Evans, trustee of Lyme Regis Museum.
Lastly, Avanti Destinations has debuted a new pre- and post-cruise microsite designed specifically for cruise-savvy travel advisors who usually do not book FIT. The microsite offers a range of options for three- to five-star hotels, sightseeing tours, activities and transfers in 63 port cities around the world. The site leads advisors who are new to Avanti through the registration process. Advisors will then enter the cruise line, sailing date, ship name, number of days on the cruise, whether pre- or post-cruise is desired, star rating of hotel, room type and the number of hotel nights in each destination.
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