Holiday Advertisers Pull Out of News of the World
The News of the World scandal has reached the world of cheap holidays, as leading travel agents suspended all their advertising in the troubled tabloid.
The Co-operative Group and Virgin Holidays both revealed that they are currently shelving all advertising destined for the Sunday title, in light of the recent phone hacking claims. Both companies have in the past advertised heavily in the News of the World, offering cheap holiday packages in sunshine locations such as Spain, Egypt and Turkey, plus cheap flights and deals on cheap hotels, as well as cheap car hire websites.
However, both companies fear that fallout from the phone hacking scandal – with revelations that relatives of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, relatives of the 7/7 bombing victims, murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and the parents of murdered Soham girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman may have all had their phones hacked – could impact on their own businesses.
In a statement, the Co-operative Group said: "The Group is a consumer-owned business which adheres to strong ethical standards. These allegations have been met with revulsion by the vast majority of members who have contacted us."
"We would urge everyone involved to bring this matter to a speedy conclusion for the sake of all those who are affected by these events."
Virgin Holidays also said it was temporarily axing its ads, while TUI is considering its position, while cheap fares carrier easyJet declared that it will "actively monitor the situation and await the outcome of any investigation."
Corporate affairs manager Andrew McConnell added: "easyJet understands the concerns raised by the public, including many of our own staff and passengers, about these serious and shocking claims."
General Travel News posted by 
on 07 July 2011
cheap holidays, cheap flights, cheap hotels, cheap car hire, cheap fares
http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1148421.php
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