NEWS ROUND-UP


COMMENT: “One of the things that sets the travel industry apart is the sense of excitement a brochure can generate” Gordon McCreadie, page 30


Millennials ‘turn to agents to book domestic breaks’


Benjamin Coren


benjamin.coren@ travelweekly.co.uk


Almost 60% of millennials used a traditional travel agency to book a domestic break in the last year – more than any other age group, according to new research.


By comparison, only 19% of 54-72-year-olds and 36% of 40-53-year-olds used a high street agent for the same type of holiday. Tourism marketing


organisation MMGY Global, which commissioned the study, said high street agents had an opportunity to capitalise on the trend. Its Portrait of UK Travellers


report found 57% of millennials – those aged 18-39 – used a high street agent to book at least one UK break in the last 12 months. The trend was reversed for


overseas travel, with 84% of millennials surveyed saying they had booked a trip with an agent in the last year, compared with 97% of 54-72-year-olds and 88% of 40-53-year-olds. More than 2,000 active leisure


travellers participated in the survey in January and February. Respondents had to have an annual household income of at


Carrick Travel gives four desks to schools in The Gambia


Desks from a refurbished branch of Carrick Travel have been donated to a school in The Gambia. The four desks were removed


in October from Roma Travel in Newark, Nottinghamshire,


DONATED: Desks were shipped to a school in The Gambia


12travelweekly.co.uk14 March 2019


Co-op homeworkers post record sales of £10m during peaks


Homeworking group The Personal Travel Agents at Co-operative Travel has reported its highest-ever peak booking period with sales of more than £10 million in the six weeks after Christmas. The group, which has 160


homeworkers, said it was the most successful sales period in its seven-year history, with bookings up 5% on the same period in 2018. Sales generated via social media


grew by 20%. In January, the homeworking


division of Midcounties Co-operative Travel reached £50 million of sales for its 2018-19 financial year. The seven days from January 7


RELAXED: 84% of younger adults book overseas breaks through agents 57%


Proportion of holiday- going millennials who use agents for UK trips


least £30,000; to have taken at least one overnight holiday outside the UK in the past two years; and be intending to take one during the next two years. The survey did not include bookings made with online travel agents.


Agents and operators echoed


the findings. Tony Mann, director of Idle Travel, said: “We’ve noticed an increase in millennials booking


with us for holidays abroad, and in turn we’ve noticed an increase in bookings for cottages, lodges and London breaks. “Online, I think there’s too much


information; once they come in here, we can quickly match what they’re after.”


Gary Gillespie, head of trade


sales at Super Break, said he could “understand a trend suggesting millennials are using agents to book domestic breaks” but added it was a trend for all age groups. He said: “It is much easier to


research and book an overseas city-break online than it is a UK one as [the latter] doesn’t always fit the standard dynamic package’ model that most OTAs work with.”


after it underwent a renovation and name change following its acquisition by Carrick Travel a year earlier. They have now been delivered


to the school via charity New Life Gambia. Carrick Travel agent Leanne Kelham had the idea as a friend of hers is involved in the cause. Kelham said: “They took the


desks in a big container with a lot of other things. It’s nice


to see them go to a good cause rather than just being thrown away. “We sell a few holidays to The Gambia, and now we’ve donated these desks it’s a country I’ve learnt a bit more about. “We might sell more now,


or at least drop it into the conversation. “The shop is also a lot more spacious now we’ve got new desks – the customers love it.”


was its highest-ever week of sales and January 8 was the best sales day the group has ever had. Sheena Whittle, head of


The Personal Travel Agents at Co-operative Travel, said: “We’re thrilled to have achieved £50 million in sales – a major milestone in our young history. “We’re also delighted with how our homeworkers have performed during a challenging peaks period that’s been dominated by political headlines that have caused uncertainty among some consumers.”


PICTURE: SHUTTERSTOCK


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