NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW 4
US lates market shrinks as Brits book in advance
Ben Ireland
ben.ireland@
travelweekly.co.uk
Operators claim there is “virtually no lates” market for the US this year as families book further in advance for value.
US operators’ upturn in forward bookings comes as the pound hovers at $1.32 following a sharp fall from $1.50 after the Brexit vote. USAirtours chief executive Guy
Novik said families were booking further in advance for 2019 to lock in better deals. He said: “There has been virtually no lates [this year],”
adding that winter deals were offering savings of “at least 20%”. The operator said sales were up
16% to Florida, 5% to Las Vegas and 4% to California against last year, with self-drives increasingly popular, but New York was “flat”. Gold Medal’s 2019 Florida sales
are up 49%. Marketing manager Kerry Gallagher said agents were seeking more “added-value” for customers, such as inclusive theme park dining plans. Its multi-centre bookings are 12% up this year. Multi-centres make up 60% of
If Only’s US bookings and account for all bookings to California.
Sales and marketing director Gordon McCreadie said demand for its recently-added destination was “massively surpassing” expectations, boosted by interest in themed itineraries. Funway Holidays said US bookings had been “flat” due to a “volatile” exchange rate but higher in value. Product destination manager Malcolm Davies attributed a rise in advance bookings to families “not wanting surprises”. He noted a trend towards on- site theme park hotels with early
5 STORIES HOT
Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando
park access and a shift away from villas in Orlando. Davies also said multi-centres had increased in popularity and that agents were adding ancillaries on “every second booking”. Funway printed 10,000 extra copies of its US brochure to meet demand, he added. Market analyst GfK reported summer 2018 US bookings 6% behind 2017, but winter 2018-19 bookings 16% ahead of last year. Family bookings were 11% behind for summer but 3% up for winter.
5 CMA censures online booking sites
Lee Hayhurst
lee.hayhurst@travelweekly.co.uk
A crackdown by UK regulators on pressure-selling techniques and other illegal practices on hotel booking websites has been welcomed by the trade as creating a “level playing field”.
The Competition and Markets
Authority (CMA) has sent warning letters to a number of websites as part of an ongoing investigation that started last October. The regulator wants to secure
legally binding commitments from the sites to change their business practices or it will take them to court. The CMA says it has “widespread concerns” the sites are breaking UK consumer protection law. Concerns centre on how search results are ranked, pressure selling by using urgency and scarcity messages, claimed discounts and hidden charges. John Sullivan, head of commercial
at Advantage, said: “Anything that creates a level playing field and ensures we’re competing on the same terms can only be a good
6
travelweekly.co.uk 5 July 2018
“Anything that ensures we’re competing on the same terms can only be a good thing”
thing. This isn’t the sort of thing you see on trade sites, so why shouldn’t these websites operate within the same regulations?” Travel Counsellors managing
director Steve Byrne said: “Customers need reassurance that their travel providers have their best interests at heart.”
Abta said: “It is important the same rules apply across the industry to ensure a level playing field for all travel companies.” CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said: “We’re demanding sites think again about how they present information to customers and make sure they’re complying with the law.” Although not named by the
CMA, Expedia issued a statement saying it “aims to deliver the best travel options at affordable prices in transparent, clear and easy to understand ways”.
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