Where will you be taking your 2015 holidays? Travel companies are going all out with TV ads, new brochures and offers galore to get us to book with them. But where are their bosses going? YourHols asked them where they are planning to take a break and what’s big for their companies in 2015.
DAVID BURLING, Managing Director of TUI UK & Ireland
Where are you holidaying abroad in 2015 and why?
My family and I saw in the New Year in at Sensatori Jamaica (above), overlooking the beautiful Seven Mile Beach in Negril.
I know I’m biased but I am a big fan of our Sensatori product so in 2015 I’ll be visiting our latest short-haul Sensatori resort in Ibiza, which opens in May and will boast all of the Sensatori elements our customers have come to expect, including a stunning sunset bar.
Crete is a favourite destination of mine which I never tire of, so I’ll definitely be taking the annual family trip over to Greece again this year.
Where will you go in the UK in 2015 and why?
I usually holiday overseas with my family as it’s always nice to get away and relax in a warmer climate, however the Cornwall coastline is a favourite and, slightly further afield, I enjoy popping across the channel to Ireland when I can.
What’s big for your company in 2015?
Building on the success of 2014, 2015 is set to be a big year for us as we expand the Sensatori collection by 50 per cent with three new properties in Ibiza, Turkey’s Dalaman region (Fethiye) and Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus, as well as six new SplashWorld resorts, and new additions to the Thomson Couples collection.
We’re also introducing the Dalmatian Coast and Islands in Croatia which is a stunning short-haul escape. Croatia is proving to be a very popular destination for us, so we’ll also be offering customers the opportunity to enjoy a Thomson Cruises’ cruise and stay holiday in Dubrovnik, with Thomson Celebration sailing out of the port for the summer season.
Winter 2015/16 will see the introduction of Costa Rica into the long haul programme, served by a weekly flight from Gatwick, the only direct flight from the UK. We’re really excited about customers experiencing this tropical paradise, famous for its wildlife, rainforests and volcanoes. We think it will be really popular next year.
CRAIG KREEGER, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic
Where are you holidaying abroad in 2015 and why?
I’ll certainly be making a couple of trips to Boston (above). My daughter is at school near to the city so we’ll be going to visit her and enjoy her favourites haunts in the area.
It’s a destination I’ve always enjoyed visiting with the mix of American and European elements and doing so now will be even more enjoyable as we have put our new 787-9 Dreamliner ‘Birthday Girl’ onto our London to Boston route.
It is the quietest, cleanest most fuel efficient commercial aircraft in the skies and it will give our passengers a fantastic on-board experience.
Where will you go in the UK in 2015 and why?
I expect to spend a bit of time in Manchester next year. Virgin Atlantic already has a strong presence at Manchester Airport, with flights operated to Orlando, Las Vegas and Barbados. Excitingly for us, we’ll also be adding daily flights from there to Atlanta from the end of March, so I’ll probably be spending a lot of time in the North West.
That’s fantastic as Manchester is an exciting vibrant city that has seen a lot of investment in recent years. Areas such as Spinningfields and the Northern Quarter offer a great selection of restaurants and entertainment and I still need to visit the National Football Museum since its move over from Preston.
What’s big for your company in 2015?
2015 is an exciting year for us. We are launching a new daily service between London Heathrow and Detroit, and additional services from London to Miami, LA, Atlanta and San Francisco. We’ll also be continuing our fleet update with seven more 787s entering our fleet before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, we’ll continue to work closely with our partners Delta Air Lines to give more choice and flexibility for both airlines’ customers across the Atlantic. The total number of daily flights operated between the UK and US with our partnership will be 37 from March 2015.
KEITH WILLIAMS, Executive Chairman of British Airways
Where are you holidaying abroad in 2015 and why?
It’s nice to try and get one holiday a year that allows you to completely unwind and my destination of choice for 2015 will be Bali (above).
A friend has recommended the country for its stunning scenery and cultural sites. As I studied history and archaeology I have a keen interest in countries that are rich in culture, and the sites and temples around Ubud sound spectacular.
British Airways also starts a new route to Kuala Lumpur in May, so it’ll make reaching Bali much easier.
Where will you go in the UK in 2015 and why?
I will be visiting Aberdeen at some point. My daughter lives in the city, so she’s the main reason for my visit. I can also recommend a brisk walk along the coast.
What’s big for your company in 2015?
British Airways will start a new long-haul route to Kula Lumpur in May and we also have 15 new short-haul routes launching to a wide range of summer holiday destinations including Greece, Turkey and the Canaries. These routes along with our selected hotel partners will mean it will be a bumper year for our BA Holidays brand.
JOHN DUNFORD, Chief Executive of Bourne Leisure (Butlins, Haven & Warner)
Where are you holidaying abroad in 2015 and why?
I’ve not booked anything yet but have promised my son who has his a/s level exams this year somewhere where the sea is warm enough to bath in!
Where will you go in the UK in 2015 and why?
I always choose one of our resorts to visit, so there’s a lot of choice, but I have not holidayed in Yorkshire for a few years, so probably Primrose Valley (above) or Reighton Sands where I used to holiday as a child.
What’s big for your company in 2015?
Lots of things. We are opening a new accommodation villages at Butlins Minehead and Warner Bodelwyddan Castle and transforming the pool experience for guests visiting Haven Craig tara.
PAUL SIMMONS, Chief Commercial Officer of Flybe
Where are you holidaying abroad in 2015 and why?
Skiing in France in April. I’ve booked flights to Chamonix (above, on Flybe obviously) but will hold-off on accommodation until nearer the time so that I can assess the snow conditions. Glacier resorts are a good insurance policy for April skiing! Going later in the season tends to be better value overall, and the resorts are less crowded.
Where will you go in the UK in 2015 and why?
We went to The Edinburgh Festival last August and will be going again in 2015. We flew in and out and just stayed two nights.
The trick is to go mid-week when getting in to the key events is a little easier. And also to prebook a hotel right in the middle of the festival to minimise travel time. We chose Hotel du Vin which is incredibly central and appears to be the hotel of choice for the leading comedians.
What’s big for your company in 2015?
In 2015 a lot of our focus will be on London City Airport following our launch in October ’14. London City represents our return to the capital following an earlier exit from Gatwick. But for our regional customers (we fly from 37 UK airports) taking people straight to the heart of London is incredibly powerful.
CAROLYN McCALL, Chief Executive of easyJet
Where are you holidaying abroad in 2015 and why?
The next family holiday I am taking is to Iceland. I visited the country for the first time when easyJet started flights in 2012.
It has proved to be extremely popular with our passengers and we now fly from all over the UK. It is an amazingly beautiful country, and great in any season. It is good for anyone who likes the outdoors from quad biking and snowmobiling to walking, the northern lights and geothermal pools like the Blue Lagoon (above).
Where will you go in the UK in 2015 and why?
We have 11 bases across the UK as far apart as Edinburgh to Bristol, so I try and make sure I visit as many as possible.
What’s big for your company in 2015?
We have a base launch in Porto – a beautiful region of Portugal with fantastic vineyards. We are also launching a new base at Amsterdam, as well as the UK’s only direct flights to the Moroccan seaside town of Essaouira.
MANDY ROUND, General Manager of easyJet Holidays
Where are you holidaying abroad in 2015 and why?
We have a new destination of The Azores (above) and I will certainly be travelling there as I have never been. Reports I’ve heard suggest it is right up my street with lovely beaches, excellent food and great hotels.
I am also planning a family holiday which will be to my favorite holiday destination, Mallorca. It is still one of the best destinations for families and resorts like Cala D’Or and Port Andratix or the new up and coming
areas of Portixol and Port Adriano means there is something to suit everyone, even if the ages in your group are wide ranging.
Where will you go in the UK in 2015 and why?
I spent New Year in Cheltenham for the races, plus I have friends in Scotland and will be visiting them in Aberdeen but I also intend to do the Music Festival at Kew Gardens in the Summer (UB40 – it’s my age!!)
What’s big for your company in 2015?
easyJet Holidays are launching the new UK website in March which will be very exciting.
The addition of The Azores and Morocco’s Essaouira region. For the latter we offer hotels such as the Riad Mimouna which is a 4* with a Tripadvisor ‘certificate of excellence’ and is a great example of our new focus for improving
and broadening our 4- and 5-star offering. This will also allow us to ensure that our high percentage of repeat customers who are looking for new exciting destinations, have great new places to explore.
DEREK JONES, MD of Kuoni
Where are you holidaying abroad in 2015 and why?
Definitely a ski trip or two. I’ll leave it late and follow the snow. If the snow is there, I’ll be heading to Verbier in March – Chalet 42 is my favourite but the new W Hotel (above) is pretty cool and has a great location.
In summer it will be a villa in Mallorca with the five children – we’ve tried lots of other alternatives but we just love the freedom and intimacy of having our own place for the week.
The ‘big holiday’ will probably be October half-term. We’re looking at South Africa, basing ourselves in Cape Town then touring from there. The children haven’t had the full safari experience yet, so we need to tick that box for them.
If the chance presents itself, I’d also like to take my two older boys to the Upper Nile – I’ve been promising them for years but the travel advice has been mixed. Hopefully this will be the year when cultural Egypt returns.
Where will you go in the UK in 2015 and why?
My wife treated me to a day spa at Dormy House in the Cotswolds for my birthday. It’s only a 20-minute drive from where we live but it would be great to fit in a cheeky weekend to fully appreciate the facilities!
My youngest is three years old in March, so we’ve had to put the walking weekends in the Lake District on hold for a while but I think she may be getting a pair of tiny walking boots and a fleece for her birthday. It would be great to get up to Wasdale for a quick hike. We might combine it with a campervan hire. Last year we took a 1963 VW Campervan down to the New Forest for a short break and the kids loved it!
I’m a huge Premier Inn fan (honestly!) – for city breaks with the family they are brilliant. We love going to Liverpool and staying on the waterfront.
What’s big for your company in 2015?
We have lots to look out for in 2015. The first being our biggest ever marketing campaign, Find Your Amazing with a new television advert launched on Christmas Eve during the Bond movie Skyfall. The advert is at the heart of the campaign, which was filmed in the Maldives last month.
It features synchronised swimmer Lenka Tanner seemingly “running” on water, with an ethereal soundtrack and a simple message: no two holidays are the same – Kuoni, find your amazing. This is real evolution of the Kuoni brand and it looks very different from anything we’ve done before.
It’s designed to look and feel quality and clearly position us as a premium brand. Our whole strategy is very much about personalisation: having the right conversation with customers and spending time to get to know them to create their idea of an amazing holiday. You can also view the advert on our website: http://www.kuoni.co.uk/find-your-amazing #RunOnWater
Other things to look out for include our new honeymoon guide in partnership with Brides magazine. Aimed at the younger market it provides post-wedding ideas as honeymoons now account for around 30 per cent of our business. Our new partnership with active holiday specialists Neilson to offer a series of family-oriented breaks designed to get the adrenalin flowing and we also plan to open more retail stores this year, including Chester which opens this month.
CHRISTOPHER EDGINGTON, Marketing Director of P&O Cruises
Where are you holidaying abroad in 2015 and why?
Holidays are very important as they enable me to have quality time with my family away from my emails and work stresses. I will be taking two holidays this year as well as a few short breaks. We will have our annual European ski holiday in the Easter school break.
Skiing is the best time to switch off totally and concentrate on the stunning scenery as well as ensuring I get down the slopes in one piece in some semblance of style! I love the feeling of physical exhaustion at the end of each day and the joy of knowing there is another day of mountain air to look forward to in the morning.
I will also be taking my wife, two girls and their grandmother on our new ship Britannia in the summer holidays. As a multi generational break it works perfectly – one in the spa, two in the pool, one in the shops and I will be trying my hand in the new cookery school with one of our Food Heroes.
Where will you go in the UK in 2015 and why?
My heart belongs in north Yorkshire so I will have as many weekends as possible in the glorious countryside. I drive up on a Friday evening, cram in as much dog walking, pub going and seeing friends as I possibly can before I head home on Sunday evening refreshed and ready for the week ahead.
What’s big for your company in 2015?
Our new ship Britannia, the biggest ship to be built for Britain, will be named in Southampton in a glittering ceremony in March.
Britannia will bring a sense of style and contemporary, refined luxury to the holiday market. We are excited to be working with our Food Heroes – James Martin, Marco Pierre White, master patissier Eric Lanlard, wine expert Olly Smith and Michelin starred Indian chef Atul Kochhar.
We will also have a number of other favourite household names from the culinary world travelling with us and hosting courses in the new cookery school throughout 2015, so keep an eye out for details.
