International Sunlover

Helo world wholesale looks set for a shakeup, with the revelation last month that the AOT Group’s Sunlover Holidays operation has launched a new range of international product. Previously domestically-focused, Sunlover’s 2016/17 range includes new brochures featuring New Zealand, Fiji, the Cook Islands and the Pacific, with the move described as an “exciting new direction for Sunlover Holidays [which] will provide its retail agency partners an extensive range of product to choose”. Also new for Sunlover is the launch of distribution in the New Zealand market, with the full range of 16 brochures now available to agents across the Tasman. Helloworld ceo Andrew Burnes hasn’t indicated his intentions for the existing Qantas Holidays/viva! Holidays operations and whether there will be integration with Sunlover, but this latest move by AOT shows he clearly has a strong belief in travel wholesaling. increased focus on the Uniworld brand, with the general manager role vacated by John Molinaro upgraded to become a managing director and the well-respected Qantas Holidays national sales manager Fiona Dalton appointed to the role. Dalton, who has driven Helloworld wholesale through much evolution over the past five years, will become Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection managing director early next month, with Qantas Holidays chief Peter Egglestone describing it as a “significant opportunity to advance her career”. Other senior changes implemented by Veitch include the departure of James Gaskell following the closure of Creative Holidays, as well as the appointment of former Virgin Australia staffer Alex O’connor as managing director of Insight Vacations, replacing Joost Timmer. The reshuffles mean Trafalgar managing director Matthew Cameron-smith is now the Travel Corporation Australia’s longest-serving managing director.