Hays Travel is to use a photograph that won Travel Weekly’s Travel Trade Photographer of the Year competition, and was taken by one of its shop managers, in its turn-of-year marketing materials.
Managing director John Hays was inspired to use the photograph of a Bedouin camel guide in Jordan’s Wadi Rum after hearing a speech by Father Nabil Haddad, archbishop of the church of Jordan, at World Travel Market this week.
The photograph, taken by Christine Griffiths, manager of the Shaftesbury branch of Bath Travel, featured on the front cover of Travel Weekly on September 11.
Hays said: “I was moved by what Father Nabil said about tolerance and tourism in Jordan. He is a Christian in a predominantly Muslim country.
“Jordan is a positive beacon in the Middle East when there is a lot of negative coverage. It has some great sights and Christianity is tolerated. We as an industry should support a country that shows that level of tolerance.”
He added: “We want to showcase the photo because we are really proud of Christine and because it shows how widely-travelled our staff are. It’s a point of differentiation for independent agents.”
Griffiths was “overwhelmed” by the decision to use the photo, which she took on a holiday with operator Explore to Jordan during a four-hour camel ride.
“In my head I was begging the guide to turn round for the whole four hours and when he did the light was just right,” she said.
The photograph will feature in the miniple’s consumer magazine to be sent to more than 100,000 clients in January. Hays Travel is also designing a special leaflet about Griffiths, to be distributed in shops at the turn of year. Jordan is offered by Hays’ in-house tour operation.