US sales slow amid cost challenges
Juliet Dennis and Samantha Mayling
The trade has reported a slowdown in US bookings but says it remains a top-selling long-haul destination, with extra capacity and its more-stable exchange rate tipped to boost future sales. Agents and operators attributed
the sales dip over the past six or seven weeks to high prices in destination, hotel and flight costs, and capacity issues. Love To Travel owner Joanne
Dooey said: “We’ve seen a slump for Orlando. The big issue is cost. We’ve got Florida regulars who go every year but they are put off booking
for next year because of the cost of living in the US.” Dooey said her branches were pushing multi-centre, escorted tours to the US as a “value-for-money” option. Kelly Cookes, chief commercial
officer at The Advantage Travel Partnership, admitted: “We initially saw strong sales to the US. These have dipped in recent weeks, possibly due to us moving into a lates market, or due to flight prices. Despite this, it remains one of our best-performing long-haul destinations.” Trade-only operator If Only
general manager Gordon McCreadie described the US as “a real slog” to sell at the moment. Premier Holidays product
OTA Flightcatchers opens virtual store in the metaverse
Andrew McQuarrie
An online travel agency has claimed an industry first by joining the metaverse in a push for a “new audience” and continued growth. Hounslow-registered
Flightcatchers has teamed up with King Meta Ltd to open a virtual store in the World Travel Village, accessible through a virtual reality headset. Robin Sohdi, a consultant at
Flightcatchers, said: “We’re targeting a new audience. It’s old-fashioned footfall traffic, but in the virtual world.” Flightcatchers, part of Polani
Travel, focuses on selling flights to the British market. Its most popular
6 6 JULY 2023
destinations include Pakistan, India, the UAE and Thailand. The company’s annual revenue
has risen from £50 million before the pandemic to £175 million now, according to Sohdi, helped by growing demand for Europe and Africa. But supplier relations director
Nasser Siddiq told Travel Weekly he would like revenue to tip beyond £200 million, and he hopes Flightcatchers’ presence in the metaverse will contribute to that goal. Through the agency’s joint venture
with King Meta, Flightcatchers wants to strike deals with airlines and potentially offer “metaverse fares”. When visiting the metaverse
We’ve seen a slump
for Orlando. The big issue is cost. Florida regulars are put off booking for next year
manager Jayne White cited “exceptional” sales but said the price-sensitive lower end of the market was most affected by cost concerns, adding: “Demand has slowed a little in the last month. We’re hoping prices have peaked, with exchange rates more stable and increased capacity from airlines.” Newmarket Holidays’ 2023 US
sales are outperforming 2022 but behind pre-Covid levels. Product director Richard Harrington said: “Interest from UK travellers is strong and it’s definitely back as one of our top-selling destinations.” Ocean Holidays co-founder Harry
Hastings said April and May were the company’s busiest since 2019, with many booking as far ahead as 2026 thanks to guaranteed prices, low deposits and flexible payment plans. Hastings said: “This really helps customers budget.” G Touring sales director Sarah
Weetman was also upbeat, adding concerns about the cost of living and exchange rates were “not affecting forward bookings”.
From left: David Murray, King Meta, with Flightcatchers’ Nasser Siddiq and Robin Sohdi
shop, customers will be able to learn about destinations and book tickets through the Flightcatchers website without taking off their headset. Siddiq, who believes others in
the industry will follow suit, said the company might supply staff members with headsets too, so they can guide customers through the experience. “We don’t want to be left behind,”
said Siddiq. “It’s the Google of 1995.” King Meta director David Murray,
described by Sohdi as the “technical guru” behind Flightcatchers’ move, believes major metaverse developments are just around the corner. “Within five years, you won’t have a mobile phone or a computer,” he
said. “Over the next five to 10 years, this headgear will be as small as a pair of glasses.” Asked if virtual reality could
spell the end of tourism, Sohdi replied: “I don’t think so. It will complement or augment it.” He suggested the technology
could help customers make more-informed decisions about their holidays, while travel agents and operators might eventually use the kit as a training tool. Sohdi said Flightcatchers
had talked to the Saudi Tourism Authority about the technology and the agency also plans to hold an event with airlines in the coming months.
travelweekly.co.uk
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