5 HOT STORIES NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK


This week’s top stories: 1. Resort Advisor launches 2. Grant: ‘Travel success’ 3. Freedom ‘lacks a trust’ 4. GTMC apprentice plan 5. EasyJet at Heathrow?


1


ITT CONFERENCE 2014


John Straw: ‘Yes, we are resizing, but we also


see that stores have a major contribution to make’


Cook’s staff directory lets clients contact its 30,000 resort experts


Lee Hayhurst


Thomas Cook has created a directory to capitalise on the expertise of its store staff, while also saying the number of shops is likely to undergo a ‘resizing’. Resort Advisor lists the expertise of


Cook’s 30,000 employees worldwide and is accessible to customers via shop staff. Agents are also asked to share their knowledge of destinations on the online platform. Customers can be put in direct


contact with any Cook expert by Skype or Google Hangouts. John Straw, Cook’s head of digital, told delegates at this week’s Institute of Travel and Tourism conference in Malta that the directory was launched in May. “We are giving agents the facility to access a company directory that lists employees by their destination experience,” Straw said. Resort Advisor has been influenced by Apple’s Genius Bars in its retail outlets. Asked about possible contraction of Cook’s retail estate, Straw said: “Yes,


4 • travelweekly.co.uk — 5 June 2014


we see a resizing, but we also see that stores have a major contribution to make to our overall revenues.” Straw said his experience of Cook


stores had convinced him of the value of travel agents, but stressed that stores had to use technology to combine the best aspects of retail and e-tail. Stores of the future were likely to have virtual reality headsets so customers could take a tour of a destination before choosing, he said. Another speaker, retail guru Mary


Portas, gave an upbeat assessment of prospects for the high street. But she said retailers had to understand women better, as 85% of all buying decisions are made by women, and promote the shopping experience. “Saying everything is going online is a cop-out,” she said. “So many shops are closing down because people do not reimagine what people want – do not know how to connect with people.” Portas suggested firms should have a


female ‘director of detail’ to focus on the touches that really make a difference.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72