http://www.travolution.co.ukThe latest information from Travolution60133315http://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2009/06/05/2610/c-and-m-and-ex-teletext-boss-unite-for-new-travel-job-service.htmlCCPFri, 05 Jun 2009 07:52:00 +01:00 Former Teletext Holidays boss Matt Cheevers has unveiled Rise Search , a new travel recruitment agency in conjunction with C&M Recruitment . The agency is the first project launched by the Smooth Direction business consultancy brand created by Cheevers following his departure from Teletext in December 2008. Rise Search is aiming to tap into the job market for “high-end”, senior professionals in the travel and leisure markets. Cheevers said: “I have been both a candidate and a client in the past and have always held strong views on the recruitment experience. “Rise Search will be underpinned by our recent ‘hands on’ business experience in the travel sector and this is supported by our knowledge of recruitment, not the other way around.” Rise will operate indhttp://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2009/05/01/2497/eleven-candidates-vie-for-five-places-on-itt-board.htmlCCPFri, 01 May 2009 04:00:00 +01:00Eleven candidates are vying for five places on the Institute of Travel and Tourism's board at the next election, including a challenger for current chairman Steven Freudmann.http://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2009/02/10/2191/travel-firms-urged-to-honour-staff-working-conditions.htmlCCPTue, 10 Feb 2009 05:17:00 -00:00 The travel industry should not stop offering staff flexible working options because of the recession, the Institute of Travel and Tourism has warned. A report by ITT chair of tourism and events policy Professor Rhodri Thomas found that travel agents and tour operators are currently in line with other industries when it comes to offering flexible working. Out of 85 travel companies interviewed last year, 48% offered staff the chance to work part time, 27% allowed staff to use flexitime and 12% offered the chance to take a career break or sabbatical. Companies who measure the results find that flexible working has a positive effect on staff motivation, customer services, staff retention and productivity. They also see benefits in their recruitment processes and fewer staff absences. However, Thomas said there was a danger employers would forget these benefits as they come under pressure from the economic downturn.<http://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/12/17/2041/travel.co.uk-axes-three-jobs.htmlCCPWed, 17 Dec 2008 02:00:00 -00:00Holiday comparison service travel.co.uk has axed three roles following a decision to slow down development and marketing in the current economic climatehttp://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/11/03/1884/puregenie.com-travolution-five-a-side-tournament.htmlCCPMon, 03 Nov 2008 02:37:00 -00:00   The Travel Industry 5’s Tournament is back with a bang and a cloud of purple smoke… Date: Wednesday 26th November Time: 2pm Location: Wembley Goals Soccer Centre , London * Format: 5-a-side football tournament consisting of a minimum of three group games with winners progressing to knockout stages. * Presentation of trophies to winning/runner up teams. * Games played on outdoor 3G Astroturf (trainers only no studs or molds). All games will be officially overseen by FA qualified refs * Bar Facilities for players and spectators all afternoon and evening plus a finger buffet will be served. * Full Changing and showering facilities * All proceeds go to charity. http://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/10/29/1866/carol-dray-joins-recruitment-firm-as-non-exec-director.htmlCCPWed, 29 Oct 2008 06:56:00 -00:00 Puregenie.com the online recruitment brand of Gail Kenny Executive Search has appointed ex-lastminute.com and Thomas Cook executive Carol Dray as a non-executive director. Dray has worked senior management roles exclusively in the online sector since 2004 when she joined lastminute.com as director of flights and dynamic packaging. She has since held the positions of ecommerce director for Thomas Cook and managing director of Travelzest's online portal Flight.co.uk. Dray is currently undertaking an interim role for global online gaming brand SportingBet.com   Dray's appointment as non-exec director for both Gail Kenny and Puregenie.com recruitment brands comes hard on the heels of the appointment of further new account managers Mark Houston and Nupur Majumdar. Puregenie.com managing director Gail Kenny said "the online sector remains highly buoyant and our customers continue to require high quality online specialists to help them improve theirhttp://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/05/16/1426/web-re-shuffle-at-tui-sees-alun-williams-in-key-post.htmlCCPFri, 16 May 2008 03:57:50 +01:00 TUI Travel UK has moved quickly to replace outgoing new media director Graham Donoghue in a reshuffle of senior online roles including the appointment of Alun Williams as director of e-commerce. Williams was previously head of e-commerce at First Choice and will have responsibility for TUI’s mainstream UK websites as well as online marketing and partnerships, such as the high profile TripAdvisor content-sharing deal. Williams will report to David Burling, TUI Travel UK’s tour operations director. The switch was triggered by the departure of Donoghue to become managing director of meta search giant TravelSupermarket. As part of the restructure Nathan Timmins will become head of online marketing and partnerships. David Jarvis has been named head of user experience, and Neil Swanson appointed head of sales for operations and content. http://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/25/1385/travolution-awards-2008-the-winners.htmlCCPFri, 25 Apr 2008 09:19:00 +01:00 TravelRepublic scooped the top prize at the Travolution Awards 2008 this week, winning the Online Travel Brand of the Year for the first time. The company also won Best Online Travel Agency Website at the ceremony in London on Thursday night. The event also saw BA.com win the award for Best Airline Website. Small Luxury Hotels of the World clinched the prize for Best Hotel Website. Full list of winners and comments from the judges: ADVERTISING AWARDS Best Use of Affiliate Advertising Winner: TradeDoubler for SkyEurope “The campaign achieved impressive results ahead of target, with excellent use of creative media patterns and creative.” Best Use of CRM Winner: Teletext Holidays “With excellent and effective use of targeting and tangible results impacting directly on its customer database, this is the clear winner in the category.” ADVEhttp://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/23/1384/caroline-cartellieri-leaves-expedia-uk.htmlCCPWed, 23 Apr 2008 11:34:15 +01:00 Expedia has confirmed UK managing director Caroline Cartellieri has left the business after just 18 months with the company. It is understood the shock departure took place in early-April but a news blackout has been in place until now. An Expedia spokeswoman declined to give any further details regarding Cartellieri’s exit. Responsibility for the UK end of the business will be taken on by Alex Zivoder, who will become senior vice president for Expedia Europe. Cartellieri joined Expedia in November 2006 from retail chain Kingfisher where she was director of group commercial finance and previously head of strategy. She also worked for consumer advice site Ciao.com and was co-founder and chief executive officer of eDelights.com. http://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/22/1381/google-travel-revenues-grow-but-sensitive-to-business.htmlCCPTue, 22 Apr 2008 08:46:48 +01:00 Advertising revenue from Google 's travel vertical is showing “healthy growth” despite being exposed to the macro-economic slowdown. The UK is also holding up, according to statements in Google's Q1 08 results issued late last week, with overall UK revenues in at $803 million, 16% more than Q4 07. Chief financial officer George Reyes told Wall Street analysts that the UK growth was driven by the “rebound” in the travel and financial verticals. The improvement was “expected” and “typical” of its Q4/Q1 sequential growth patterns for the UK. He added that growth across its EMEA region was “primarily driven by strong performance in the UK, Benelux and the Nordic countries fuelled by strong pan-European performance in travel”. Jonathan Rosenberg, senior VP of product management, told analysts that travel is one of four sectors which Google has identified as “sensitive to a slowing macro-economic climate”. The others arhttp://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/18/1377/travel-brands-mull-informal-pacts-to-battle-google-trademark.htmlCCPFri, 18 Apr 2008 08:38:41 +01:00 A number of UK travel companies would consider “gentleman’s agreements” to prevent escalating keyword costs as a result of Google ’s decision to scrap trademark protection. Travolution has learned that discussions have already taken place between major travel companies from a variety of sectors after Google reversed a long-standing policy to protect bidding on company brand names. Some travel companies are also seeking legal advice in a bid to ensure rivals and other travel providers do not exploit the switch. It is feared that a sudden open playing field will produce an extremely costly bidding war between major players in the industry. As a result, it is believed that informal discussions have taken place behind the scenes between rival companies to agree not to bid on one another’s brand names. Other senior executives across the industry contacted by Travolution have confirmed they would be interested inhttp://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/14/1365/graham-donoghue-quits-tui-travel-for-travelsupermarket-top.htmlCCPMon, 14 Apr 2008 09:13:14 +01:00 TUI Travel new media director Graham Donoghue is to become managing director of meta search giant TravelSupermarket , Travolution can exclusively reveal. Donoghue is widely regarded by many in the online travel industry as the driving force behind Thomson and latterly TUI Travel’s digital strategy in recent years. The period has seen the vertically integrated business push increasing amounts of business through its portfolio of websites – 55% in 2007 - and introduce features such as hotel reviews (via a landmark deal with TripAdvisor), podcasts, interactive mapping and other cutting edge web functionality. Donoghue, who has 15 years experience in the travel industry including seven at Thomson prior to its merger with First Choice last year, also played a pivotal role in the acquisition of review site HolidaysUncovered in September 2007. The appointment comes as curhttp://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/08/1359/google-keyword-switch-to-cost-big-travel-brands-millions.htmlCCPTue, 08 Apr 2008 09:06:00 +01:00 Some of the UK’s biggest travel companies could be facing a digital marketing hit of “millions” following Google ’s decision to allow trademarked keyword bidding. Google last week announced changes to its pay-per-click rules which for the first time will allow any company to buy keywords associated with a rival’s brand name. The move has angered a number of the leading online travel brands in the UK and prompted a wave of speculation as to why Google had reversed a popular policy. Big travel companies could be forced to hike their digital marketing spend by up to seven figures within a month, according to managing director Lyndsay Menzies of the BigMouthMedia search agency. A digital marketing executive from one of the UK’s biggest travel companies told Travolution that 25% of the company’s overall PPC budget may now have to be thrown at Google to protect it against othershttp://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/07/1356/the-purple-pod.htmlCCPMon, 07 Apr 2008 10:35:00 +01:00 Commentary, discussion, news, reviews and more from Travolution, produced in associated with the On Holiday Group . Listen to the latest and all previous episodes in the Podomatic module below. Click here to get your own player. Email Travolution editor Kevin May if you want to feature in a future edition of Thttp://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/03/18/1335/travolution-awards-2008-shortlist.htmlCCPTue, 18 Mar 2008 10:51:00 -00:00 We received a record number of entries for the Travolution Awards 2008 and we would like to offer an extremely warm thank you to all those who entered for the first stage. The shortlist below indicates the best in class in each category and will be scrutiinsed over the coming weeks by a panel of judges from across the travel industry. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on Thursday 24 April 2008. ADVERTISING AWARDS Best Use of Online Advertising Netizen Digital for Hoseasons BigMouthMedia for Hilton Hotels Corporation Greenlight for Radisson Edwardian iCrossing for Cosmos Love Creative for STA Travel SOUK for Haven Holidays SilverJet Strange for Brittany Ferries Best Use of Affiliate Advertising BLM Quantum for Haven Hol