PICTURES: ISTOCK
NEWS FEATURE
▲
we pulled out of the other
branches to concentrate on
the core of our business.”
At the same time, Hubbard
was running a tour operator,
All Canada Travel and
Holidays, which he sold to
Hoseasons in 1998
He said: “It was all tailormade
for clients, and although
it was not large numbers,
it was keeping us going.”
Now employing six staff
with a turnover of more than
£1 million, the business is
continuing, with both Norwich
airport departure breaks and
transfers being core product
for customers.
However, like many agents,
Hubbard has despaired of the
culture of discounting that has
crept into the industry. “I think
we undersell ourselves.
“The word cheap has come
into the holiday business and
that’s what’s ruining it. We
work with the closest margins
in any industry, yet all we
have are the national newspapers
telling the public to look
for bargains.
“I think we’ve made a rod
for our own backs, as we tell
18 | Travel Weekly | July 3 2009
everyone to look for bargains
while they think we’re making
lots of money because we take
thousands of pounds from
them in payment.”
SPF
40
Earn a
£5 VOUCHER
for every Premium
accommodation booking †
Plus be in with a chance to win £1000 *
BOOK THE BEST
ACCOMMODATION
QUALITY GUARANTEED
✔ Earn more commission
✔ £5 High Street Vouchers
✔ £3000 up for grabs
For more details visit:
www.BourneLeisureSales.co.uk
Terms & conditions *1 winner will be randomly selected on 17 July, 7 August & 1 September and will win £1000 high street vouchers. The winners will be announced on the website.
†£5 incentive is per booking per Agent, not branch and is for new Premium bookings and departures made between 29 June - 28 August 2009. £10 voucher is for every 14 night
Premium booking made within the above stated dates. Voucher must be claimed by completing a claims form online at www.BourneLeisureSales.co.uk and vouchers will be sent
directly to the agency. Claims must be received by 29 August 2009. Bourne Leisure reserves the right to change or withdraw this incentive at any time without prior notice.
But whatever happens,
Hubbard admits there’s
nowhere else he’d rather be
working. “It is a part of my life.
I’m positive about the industry
and I still get a kick out of it.”
MOST SOUTHERLY
(CENTRAL)
RUSSELL
MACGREGOR,
MANAGER, REGENT
TRAVEL, SHANKLIN,
ISLE OF WIGHT
The Isle of
Wight may be
just a stone’s
throw from the
English coast,
but like all
stretches of
water, the Solent, which separates
the two, can be troublesome
for the unwary traveller.
Fog and rough weather can
brew up at a moment’s notice,
something Regent Travel
manager Russell Macgregor
has to remind customers
who live on the island when
booking an overseas break.
“If it is foggy or rough you
can’t get off the island as the
ferries won’t run,” he said.
Those people who want to
cross the Solent are not only
hostages to the weather; they
must also pay for the ferry,
which can cost as much as
£100 for a family of four and a
car during the peak season.
Macgregor said: “The main
disadvantage to working
on the Isle of Wight is obviously
the stretch of water. It is
Isle of Wight
agent Russell
MacGregor
said being
part of a
tight-knit
community
had its
advantages
expensive to get across and
adds to the cost of the holiday.
It can also aff ect the timing of
the fl ight a customer chooses.
“If someone has an early
fl ight we’ll advise them to
go the previous day and stay
overnight at the airport. If
the fi rst fl ight is a lot cheaper,
it can be worth their while.”
Being in such a popular
holiday destination doesn’t
bother Macgregor as he has
won business from holidaymakers
who visit the island
only to become so upset with
the weather that they book a
last-minute overseas holiday
with him.
Macgregor was tempted
into travel following a work
experience placement in an
agency, and joined Regent
Travel in 2000.
The agency, which has six
staff , was bought by Western
Oriental in 2004, and is a
member of the Advantage
Travel Centre consortium,
largely because of the deals
struck with operators.
Although Bournemouth
and Southampton airports are
easily accessible, Macgregor
said Gatwick was still the most
popular airport for customers
as it is only a 90-minute train
journey and off ers the widest
selection of fl ights.
Customers come from
all walks of life and all age
groups. Even young travellers
recognise the internet isn’t
the be all and end all of travel.
“We’ve got a bit of experience
among our staff and we’ve got
systems that allow us to shop
around for a better deal than
the client can fi nd for themselves,”
he said.
Macgregor added that being
part of a local and tight-knit
community has proved to be a
positive way for the agency to
fi nd new business. “We like to
get out and about, speak to the
communities and off er special
deals,” he said.
“We’ve also done a lot of
work with local schools; not
going on holiday during term
time is a big issue. Instead, we
off er special deals during the
holiday time, which is going
down well,” Macgregor said.
How does your location
aff ect business?
Get talking at www.
travelweekly.co.uk/
travelhub
www.travelweekly.co.uk
To view a Ceros magazine you need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser and have the flash player 8 or higher installed. To install the latest flash player, click the icon above, install the flash plugin and then click here to refresh this page.