NEWS — HOT STORIES 2
Super Saturday sees sales soar to January records
Travel Weekly reporters
Operators and agents have reported days of record sales this month, with one retail chain saying it had queues outside its shops. Thomson and First Choice said 1.2 million customers viewed its website or visited one of its shops last Saturday and bookings were up by 25% on the corresponding day in 2013. Independent agents and
operators have also reported record sales. Jane Schumm, retail director at Hays Travel, said the group’s bookings increased 23% on Saturday. Hays is currently offering up to 50% off holidays. She said: “Saturday was phenomenal. People were queuing outside our shops in city centres – it’s been a long time since we saw that. We’ve seen a real influx of family bookings.” Holidaysplease director Charles Duncombe reported a 48% year- on-year rise from January 1 to 14. He said: “The surprising trend
is how quickly people are booking [compared with previous years]. “People are enquiring and then booking straight away.”
Companies at last weekend’s Aito Agents 2014 domestic conference said they were enjoying some of the best peak-season sales in years. Specialist tour operator Classic
Collection Holidays said almost every day last week had been a record day in terms of sales. Head of marketing
Vanda Bauer said: “After a fairly average start to 2014, five out of six days this week were our best days ever.” Kirker
Holidays sales and marketing director Ted Wake added: “This year we are more confident than we have been for eight years.” Virgin Holidays said its
‘Tanuary’ campaign was paying off, with trade bookings over the weekend nearly 25% up on last year. Lee Haslett, director of sales trading, said: “We’ve been really encouraged by the way agents have got behind our campaign.” ❯ Virgin competition, page 48
3
Hays breathes new life into two Bath agencies
Chloe Berman
Hays Travel has reopened two Bath Travel stores closed over the previous two years as it integrates the two companies. The northeast agency group acquired Bath Travel in October 2013 in one of the largest deals in the independent sector in recent years. A Bath Travel shop in Boscombe, Bournemouth, reopened last
week with a new management team. The shop, which had been closed since August last year, is undergoing a refurbishment. Joe Field has joined from Thomas Cook as branch manager. He said: “Right now it’s me and an assistant manager but we are hoping to have a team of six. “People have already been coming in to say it’s
fantastic that we’re back up and running. I think once we get established we will fly.” A Bath Travel store in Honiton, Devon, which closed
in November 2012, has also reopened. Jane Schumm, Hays retail and training manager, said: “It’s great to have stores in these locations again.” Schumm said the integration of the two companies had made good progress in a short time.
“We’re very happy with the progress we’ve made. Some Bath
Travel managers came to our conference in Tunisia, which really helped the integration. We’ve also increased the number of regional sales managers out on the road. “All the Bath staff are now wearing the Hays uniform and have
had training on our selling system. We are delighted with how the staff have really embraced the Hays ways.” She said Hays was already benefiting from Bath Travel’s experience in the cruise sector. Schumm said: “We’re taking the best in class from both – we’re picking up their cruise expertise and, as a result, we’re seeing an increase in cruise sales across the group.”
16 January 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 5
“We are
more confident than we have been for eight years”
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