Operators For the latest operator and supplier news, visit ttglive.com/operators


Newmarket puts focus on web sales


NEWMARKET HOLIDAYS aims to drive more sales through agents by launching a website allowing the trade to make commissionable bookings online.


The company, which offers UK coach holidays


to London, theatre breaks and escorted tours to Europe, US and Canada, has been targeting travel agencies over the last year. It is also a member of Tipto. Newmarket said it had concentrated on visiting independent agencies over the past year which it said had led to a 53% increase in agency sales this year compared with 2009. Sales director Adrian Barry said the new website for agents would also give access to the latest holidays and availability.


In brief


■ Preston Holidays adds to Channel Islands Preston Holidays has added new hotels to its 2011 brochure for the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly and Isle of Wight. Extra prop- erties in Jersey include Maison Des Landes, a hotel specifically for disabled guests, in St Ouens, while two four-star hotels, The Farmhouse and Le Grande Mare, have been introduced in Guernsey.


■ Friendship Travel grows programme Singles specialist Friendship Travel has expanded its programme for 2011 with a new seven-night sailing holiday around Croatia and holidays in Jamaica at the Jewell Dunn’s River Beach Resort. The sailing starts from £799 per person, with flights and half-board accommodation.


Caribtours launches incentives Caribtours and sister brand The Private Travel Company are offering agents £50 of Capital Bonds vouchers


for every booking made in December with either operator. Agents who make bookings that include Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy or Upper Class seats will receive £100 in vouchers.


ttglive.com


For the very latest operators news, visit ttglive.com/operators


26 26.11.2010


Page & Moy eyes ‘multiple’ sales


Rob Gill.


PAGE & MOY Travel Group is hoping it will be distributed by the multiples as it looks to grow its trade sales. The group, which also includes Travelsphere and singles operator Just You, now sells all three brands through agents but wants to secure greater distribution through the major agency chains.


Chief executive William Burton said: “We are


trying to distribute through the larger retailers with limited success so far. We distribute through most of the consortia and independent agencies and we are in talks with the multiples.” Burton initially called for the Thomas Cook/


Co-operative retail merger to be referred to the Office of Fair Trading, but has now softened his stance.


He said that Cook chief executive Manny


Fontenla-Novoa had been “positive about the continuation of independent distribution” following the merger. Currently Page & Moy distributes through Co-op shops but not Cook’s agencies. Burton said he was looking for “reassurances” about the merger’s effects on independent operators. But he wanted to see the matter resolved within the industry rather than by competition authorities. “Hopefully we can come to a reasonable compromise between ourselves, without long


Burton: new wildlife & culture brochure has boosted sales


and expensive inquiries,” Burton said. Page & Moy is already benefiting from giving agents the chance to sell its three brands – all of which were previously direct-sell only. Travelsphere was the last to start working with the trade in September. Burton said that cumulative sales revenue for summer 2011 was up by 24% compared with this time last year, while winter 2011-12 was 35% ahead of 2010-11. “It has made a big difference now that we sell all the brands through the trade and Travel- sphere has gone down well with agents,” he said. Growth has also been led by new products such as the Page & Moy’s new Wildlife & Culture brochure, added Burton


Indies help Travel 2 sales rise 21%


SUPPORT FROM independent agents has helped trade-only long-haul operator Travel 2 increase summer sales by 21%. Managing director Andy Freeth said sales


through independent agents had increased by double digit figures year-on-year. Top performing destinations were Australia, up 20%, and North America and Asia, up 15%. Freeth said North America was becoming an


increasingly late booking market, so it was likely to be more than 15% up before the year end.


South Africa was down 24%, which Freeth put down to the World Cup putting off customers and hoteliers not giving enough value for money. He said the launch of Travel2’s agent reward scheme had played a big role in increasing the sale, and gaining market share at the expense of rival Gold Medal. Freeth said 30% of Travel2’s business now


came from complex itineraries in places such as IndoChina or Australia that customers could not book themselves online.


020 7921 8011 rgill@ttglive.com


Rob Gill


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