NEWS CONFERENCE REPORT
The Co-operative Travel Consortium Conference 2016: Group holds its fourth annual conference overseas for the first time. Juliet Dennis reports from the Algarve, Portugal
The panel: Steve Campion, Travelbubble; Simon Garrido, Monarch Travel Group; Paula Nuttall, The Vertical Travel Group; and Stephen Eccles, The Co-operative Travel Consortium
Jet2holidays: Agents told ‘ignore firm at your peril’
Members of The Co-operative Travel Consortium have been advised to ignore Jet2holidays at their peril following its “phenomenal” growth.
Jet2holidays is on course
to become Midcounties Co-operative’s largest supplier as it launches a significant programme out of Birmingham, according to Alistair Rowland, the group’s general manager for specialist retail. He told members of The
Co-operative Travel Consortium they should be making the most of the new local capacity offered by Jet2holidays. “If you are not maximising that opportunity out of Birmingham airport, you should be,” he said. “If you are not hanging off its
coat-tails, you should be.” Rowland admitted he was
impressed by the operator’s growth, describing it as a “compelling” supplier to work with. He said: “Jet2holidays is a really
big ticket for us and its growth is phenomenal. Suddenly you get 14 new routes and 600,000 new seats in your heartland. It feels
“If you are not hanging off the coat- tails [of Jet2holidays], you should be”
like tour operating of old; I have never seen account management as high-quality and as much of it. “It’s certainly becoming our biggest operator. From an agent’s point of view there are no complaints, a £60 deposit and almost free availability. “It’s really compelling.” Rowland admitted growth of
sales for Jet2holidays had affected the growth of Midcounties’ own Co-operative Holidays brand, launched early this year. “Although we are pleased with the progress of our own bedstock and tour operating programme,
what has stopped rapid growth of Co-operative Holidays is Jet2holidays,” he said. Sales of Jet2holidays through consortium members increased by 53% for summer 2016, just “a couple of hundred passengers off Thomas Cook”, according to head of consortium Alison Holmes. For winter 2016, Jet2holidays’
sales are 168% up on this time last year and 96% up for summer 2017.
City breaks: Midcounties starts new programme
Midcounties Co-operative has introduced a Co-operative Holidays city breaks programme for its high street agents, homeworkers and consortium members. The programme of short
breaks to 26 cities in Europe and the US follows the launch of Co-operative Holidays, the group’s dynamic packaging tour operation, at the start of this year. More than half the beds sold under Atol sales are Co-operative Rooms and there are plans to launch a consumer website. One consortium member,
World Travel Lounge in Cleveleys, Blackpool, has been given the go-ahead to use The Co-operative Holidays brand on its shop fascia to encourage customers to book. It is the first time the brand has been used by a member in this way.
Alistair Rowland: Jet2holidays’ offering is ‘really compelling’
14
travelweekly.co.uk 17 November 2016
Managing director David McDonald said: “It just gives people confidence to book knowing we are part of a bigger Co-op group. It has helped us gain bookings.”
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