News

Advantage Travel Centres demonstrated its new Travel Gateway Website at its conference in Lucerne, which is being launched to offer competitively-priced flights, accommodation, ancillaries and holiday packages from preferred suppliers. The consortium collates pricing and content from preferred suppliers into one central system allowing agents to search and book via a new, browser-based booking engine. Members will also have the ability to manipulate their own margins to maximise their profit and respond to market conditions. The new system is currently being piloted before its launch in August and there will be no joining fee, set-up fee or monthly fee for members although transaction charges will apply for some products.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, director of leisure at Advantage Travel Centres, said: ?Advantage Travel Gateway gives us more control over product where we can source and include inventory, offers and rates from partners including some exclusive content for our members. Giving a single point of access to such a breadth of product will speed up the selling process for members saving them time and making them more money. Ultimately we envisage Advantage Travel Gateway will provide members with a comprehensive product range to satisfy all their product needs. Members will have the ability to search and book single components, dynamically packaged content as well as third party tour operator holidays.?

The consortium is working in conjunction with Multicom who is providing the technology. Next years Advantage conference will be held in Madrid in September.

MSC Cruises is extending its ?Cruise for a pound? promotion due to popular demand, with the offer expanded to include all 11 ships in the fleet, sailing more than 80 itineraries on 405 sailings.

Chanin Donavanik, CEO Dusit International said:

We are extremely saddened with the past week?s events in our city. Dusit is, and always will be, a beacon of the Thai hospitality industry. We appreciate all of the support and encouragement we have been receiving from around the world for our Dusit Family and all Thais. In this our 40th anniversary year, we have always been dedicated to providing the local and international community with unsurpassed levels of service and comfort, an icon for all Thais and visitors to the Kingdom. Although Dusit Thani Bangkok is currently closed to arrivals until May 24 we can assure you that we will be back even stronger than ever and we will rebuild confidence in Thailand?s future.

We are extremely saddened with the past week?s events in our city. Dusit is, and always will be, a beacon of the Thai hospitality industry. We appreciate all of the support and encouragement we have been receiving from around the world for our Dusit Family and all Thais. In this our 40th anniversary year, we have always been dedicated to providing the local and international community with unsurpassed levels of service and comfort, an icon for all Thais and visitors to the Kingdom. Although Dusit Thani Bangkok is currently closed to arrivals until May 24 we can assure you that we will be back even stronger than ever and we will rebuild confidence in Thailand?s future.

Ferry companies are reporting a significant upsurge in interest from passengers faced with travel uncertainty from both volcanic ash and strikes by British Airways staff.

In light of the BA five day strike commencing on Monday, flight comparison site Skyscanner has launched an advice forum for passengers.

Advantage Travel Centres has teamed up with Travel 2, the Arizona Office of Tourism, Nevada Commission on Tourism and the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority in an exclusive consumer promotion that will reach 4.5 million customers.

Fresh BA strikes look set to go ahead after a panel of senior judges, including the Lord Chief Justice, overturned a ban on industrial action.