A prosperous future is predicted – for some

A prosperous future is predicted – for some

The package tour is here to stay and the industry will continue to prosper according to Vladimir Raitz, who, in a career spanning more than 50 years, has experienced the extremes of both success and failure.

At its peak in 1970, Horizon was unquestionably the most respected mass-market tour operator in the business, with a quality product that set industry standards.

Expressing optimism about the future, he is confident that not only will numbers continue to increase, but most holidaymakers will continue to opt for easily arranged packages, rather than attempting to do it themselves, despite access to the Internet.

“There will always be an articulate sector of society that will make their own arrangements but the vast majority want it done easily and will continue to do so,” he said.

“However, the poor agent is being squeezed from all sides. Unless he is really very creative and is perhaps prepared to do some tours of his own, he is doomed to extinction, something which has been said for many years,” said Raitz. “There are still some good people who have a personal clientele and who will continue, but there have been a lot of closures and takeovers by the larger chains – a trend likely to continue.

“As with every industry, it grows up and is run not so much by travel people, but by accountants, lawyers and the City. From 1970, with one or two exceptions, it was taken over by what Nye Bevan, architect of the National Health Service, called ‘dessicated calculating machines’,” said Raitz. “The business has been institutionalised which has taken away much of the entrepreneurial flair. However, there are still a few unexplored areas such as South America and parts of Africa, and there are still a few entrepreneurs left,” he concluded.