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Travelsphere to sell through trade
Rob Gill. TRAVELSPHERE HAS promised not to undercut agents with its direct prices after deciding to sell through the trade for the first time. The operator, which is part of
the Page & Moy Travel Group, announced this week that it would start selling through agents immediately. Colin Wilson, head of sales at
two brands are already suc- cessfully selling through the trade.” Wilson said there was no target for the number of Travelsphere trade sales dur- ing the first year. “We have not set a target
Colin Wilson: “Consistent pricing”
the Page & Moy Travel Group, said the move was part of its strategy to have “multi-channel” distribution for all three of its brands, which also include escorted-tours spe- cialist Page & Moy and singles operator Just You. “We will be offering a competitive rate of com- mission and there will be consistent pricing across all channels,” he said. “Agents will not be undercut by our direct prices, which means they will not have to discount.” Travelsphere, which has been operating for
more than 30 years, specialises in long-haul and European escorted holidays. “Travelsphere is a value-driven operator and will be distributed through independent agencies and homeworkers,” added Wilson. “It makes sense to make it available to agents, as our other
because it is too early, but we expect that it may follow the same pattern as with Page & Moy, where trade sales now account for 15% of all
business,” he added. Page & Moy began selling through the trade
three years ago while Just You began agency sales last year. Wilson said sales through agents achieved a higher average price than direct bookings for the Page & Moy brand. Agency sales averaged £1,300 per person, compared with an overall average of £1,100. The group is launching a major TV advertising campaign this month with a direct call to action at the end telling viewers to “ask their travel agent for more details”.
■For details of Page & Moy’s new Wildlife & Culture brochure, see p23
Aircraft delivery ‘on target’
THOMSON AIRWAYS has said it still hopes to take delivery of its first Dreamliner aircraft in January 2012 despite Boeing announcing further delays with the production schedule. Boeing said it expected the first 787 to be
delivered to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways in about February 2011, rather than before the end of 2010.
Thomson is the European launch customer for
the Dreamliner and hopes to operate its first commercial flight on the aircraft in January 2012. The company said its “initial understanding” was that the delay would not affect its own delivery date.
10 03.09.2010
Thomson was confident that Janu- ary 2012 was “still very
much achievable” and was working
closely with Boeing on timings, it said in a statement. The delivery of the Boeing Dreamliner is
already about two years late. The new delays are a result of the availability of engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce, which are needed for the final phases of flight tests. Rolls-Royce was forced to close its Derby test site earlier this month after a Trent 1000 engine blew up.
Boeing added that it was working closely with Rolls-Royce to “expedite engine availability”.
ttglive.com
Leger to educate kids on world wars
LEGER HOLIDAYS has unveiled an online survey designed to test customers’ knowledge of history after research showed many children believed World War Three had already happened. The battlefield-tours specialist has created the
Test the Nation — World War Survey with battle- field historian Paul Reed to emphasise the im- portance of key moments in recent history. As part of the campaign, Leger will be visiting schools throughout the UK with local veteran groups to give children the chance to hear first- hand memories and look at memorabilia. Children will also be encouraged to speak to their family about the First World War and Sec- ond World War, and to upload a memory at
www.keepthememoriesalive.co.uk. Leger’s research found that one in 10 under- 16s believed World War Three had already hap- pened, while the same proportion learned about the Second World War from computer games. Additionally, 22% had no idea if their family
was involved in the Second World War. Anyone can take part in the survey at
visitbattlefields.co.uk/keepthememoriesalive.
In brief
■ Kenya bounces back to pre-crisis levels Visitor numbers to Kenya in July were higher than for the same month in 2007, the country’s best ever year for tourism. A total of 116,759 people visited in July, compared with 97,611 last year and 101,988 in 2007. It means the country’s tourism industry is back to the levels enjoyed before the political troubles of 2008.
■ Silversea simplifies web bookings for agents Silversea has introduced 24-hour access to its online reservations system. Agents in the UK and Ireland can now access the reservations system without paying the previous membership fees or extra service costs of outside providers.
■ Delta eyes flights to Boston and Miami Competition on two of the busiest transatlantic routes is set to intensify after Delta Air Lines took over several of British Airways’ Heathrow slots. The US carrier is seeking permission from the European Commission and US department of transportation to run twice-daily flights to Boston and Miami.
ttglive.com
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