OPERATOR NEWS
IN BRIEF
PREMIER HOLIDAYS
SIGNS KLM DEAL
Premier Holidays has signed
a new deal with KLM allowing
it to off er departures from 17
regional airports. The new
fl ights are available for Asia,
the Middle East and North
America via Amsterdam.
WENDY WU TOURS
SEES 50% GROWTH
Wendy Wu Tours has reported
a 50% increase in agency
sales for its 2009 programme.
Managing director Lawrence
Hicks attributed the growth to
the robustness of the escorted
tours market and the close
links the operator has forged
with agents in the last year.
OFT GIVES GO-AHEAD
TO COMPANY MERGER
The Offi ce of Fair Trading
has cleared the way for
an anticipated merger of
two brochure distribution
companies. It is thought
the acquisition of Ocean
Park by the Orbital Marketing
Service Group would have
a limited impact on that
market.
HOSEASONS SEES 15%
INCREASE IN SALES
Hoseasons remains confi dent
domestic holidays will prove
popular next year after seeing
a 15% increase in sales.
Bookings have been strong in
the lodge, holiday park and
boating sectors with sales
for some of the most popular
product already close to
capacity for next summer.
MASTER YOUR SWING
AT WARNER HOTELS
Warner Leisure Hotels has
introduced a new golfi ng
clinic at four of its properties.
The fully commissionable
Swing Build Golf programme
will be held at Alvaston Hall,
Cheshire; Holme Lacy House,
Hereford; Nidd Hall, North
Yorkshire and Thoresby Hall,
Nottinghamshire.
DFDS SEAWAYS GOES
INTO RIVER CRUISING
DFDS Seaways has introduced
river cruises for the fi rst time
for 2009 along with an
extended range of Center
Parcs and activity centre
holidays in two of its brochures.
The company has
teamed up with French river
cruise company Croisi, but is
already in talks with other
river cruise operators to
extend the programme.
12 | Travel Weekly | November 21 2008
Travel giant celebrates by off ering a recreation of a tour for Victorian travellers
Operator marks 200 years
since Thomas Cook’s birth
Edward Robertson
ed.robertson@rbi.co.uk
Thomas Cook is celebrating
the 200th anniversary of the
birth of its founder with the
launch of a tour retracing itineraries
created 150 years ago.
Thomas Cook was born on
November 22 1808. To commemorate
the milestone the operator
has created a 15-day luxury
trip taking in destinations
considered a must-see by the
Victorians, including Monaco,
Florence, Rome and Tuscany.
Thomas Cook company
archivist Paul Smith said the
innovator of the modern package
holiday, who not only took
the fi rst tour group to Egypt in
1869, but also launched the
fi rst world tour in 1872, would
still see opportunities even in
today’s tough market.
He said: “Thomas Cook was
all about encouraging people
to travel to make the world a
better place. He perceived that
if Britons went to the Conti-
TUI Travel to recruit
four more sales staff
TUI Travel is nearly doubling
its travel agency sales team as
its product becomes increasingly
specialist.
Distribution director Nick
Longman said the team currently
consists of fi ve staff and it
is hoped as many as four more
people can be recruited in time
for the new year.
The new sales staff will then
support and train in-house and
Longman: ‘Niche products
need more explanation’
A Thomas Cook tour party in Egypt, circa 1906
nent and met French, Italian
and German people, then they
would better understand their
cultures.
“The package holiday was
the cheapest and most sophisticated
way of travelling.
Thomas Cook wanted people
to travel and the package
holiday was the ideal way of
doing it.”
As well as the new tour, a
third-party travel agents as the
operator offers increasingly
diverse product. This includes
the Island Cruises brand, which
TUI Travel has recently taken
control of, bringing a new ship
into the company’s fl eet.
Longman said: “I still
believe you can use online
resources but there’s value
in attending roadshows and
providing agents with support
when they need it.
“If you move into exclusive
and niche products then there
is more of a need to explain
them. There’s nothing like getting
800 managers in a room
and telling them all about the
product and how to sell it.”
Longman said the new staff
members would be split evenly
between those dealing with
Thomson and First Choice
agents and those dealing with
independents. He added the
tour operator’s commissions
of 7% and 10% will remain in
place for the time being.
logo has been developed to
highlight the anniversary. A
Thomas Cook spokesperson
added there will be additional
external celebrations in January
and February, although the core
celebrations will be internal.
Thomas Cook chief executive
Manny Fontenla-Novoa
added: “Thomas Cook once
described himself as ‘the willing
and devoted servant of the
Attraction World off ers
experience packages
Attraction-ticket specialist
Attraction World is now offering
a range of ‘experience’
based products such as bungee
jumping and rally driving.
The 35 experiences go on
sale this month in time for
agents to promote them as lastminute
Christmas gifts. All
products are commissionable.
Typical prices range from
bungee jumping for £50
per person, to a studio recording
session for £149 per
person, to a 60-minute fl ying
“The package
holiday was the
cheapest and most
sophisticated way
of travelling”
travelling public’, and I believe
that today we maintain many
of his original ideas and
inspirations by keeping the
customer at the heart of everything
we do.
“Even with his ambition
and foresight, he would never
have dreamt the company
would still be proudly carrying
his name 200 years after
his birth.”
lesson for £179 per person.
Commenting on the launch,
Attraction World sales and marketing
director Tony Seaman
said customer research had
shown more people are looking
for experiential holidays.
“At a time when increasing
revenue is imperative for
agents, we are offering
something extra to sell that is
likely to catch the attention of
customers if agents are
proactive and push it at every
given opportunity.”
Make commission
on
experience
packages
from
Attraction
World
www.travelweekly.co.uk
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