WEDS&HONS 3-4 3/11/09 11:27 Page 49
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knowledge
A low hassle alternative to a registry service is to
produce your own vouchers. Premier Travel Agency
in Cambridgeshire, for instance, recommends couples
ask for its vouchers on their wedding gift lists.
Operators
Some operators have registry lists or vouchers which
they and agents can use as a selling point. Among
them is Somak Holidays. “We ask couples to advertise
their six figure booking reference to their wedding
guests. Guests then go online and pay towards the out-
standing balance and order a gift certificate confirm-
ing their donation. We expect to collect up to 30% of
any balance in this way,” explains marketing manager
Louise Newton.
Kuoni has a gift card that can be loaded with a pre-
paid amount from £5 upwards. It comes in a presenta-
tion box and can be personalised with a name or
message. The credit can be redeemed against holidays
up to three months after the departure date.
Planet Holidays also offers a gift certificate scheme.
“Nowadays everyone’s been living together for years,
the last thing they want is a toaster or a kettle,” says
managing director Mathilde Robert. “Those who marry
abroard can be given spa days in resort, for instance.”
Web-based companies
Operators and agents who don’t have their own gift
list service can cut development costs by working with
an independent online registry.
One such website, SendUsPacking.com, was built
with the trade in mind. Travel Partners can refer their
honeymoon clients to the site, absorbing the £39.99
user fee on their behalf or pay for a white label ver-
sion to rebrand as their own.
“In addition to being a value-added service that
could help agents clinch that high margin holiday sale,
it also allows for multiple up-selling opportunities as
users of the gift list love having the option of adding
little extras,” says managing director Nichola Ealson.
Another option is to become an affiliate of the site,
like Caribtours, Cox & Kings, Thomson and Virgin
Holidays, who display promotions and pay commission
on bookings that result from click-throughs, or to pay
for leads through SendUsPacking’s Honeymoon Butler
quote service.
Case study ‘When the lightbulb goes on’
Travel Counsellor Becky on the backburner”, she
Stephenson finds her says. “It also helps families
bridal registry service not with children who maybe
only clinches bookings think they won’t be able to
from those enquiring afford a holiday abroad
about a honeymoon but and are perhaps looking at
creates business from people who’d a few nights in the UK. When you tell
presumed they couldn’t afford one. them about the registry service,
“A lot of couples pay for weddings that’s when you see the lightbulb
themselves, so honeymoons are put go on – ‘yeah, we actually could!’”
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