TRAVEL For Business managing director Ronnie Findlay is in talks
with seven agency chains about providing them with a way to sell own-label
holidays.
Findlay’s
new tour operator Own Label Holidays is working with the Exceptional Travel Company,
makers of the CheckT bar-code system. Using the CheckT concept – whereby
customers scan holiday cards to check availability and price – OLH cards will
be branded with each agency’s name.
The
seven agency chains in talks with OLH are: Worldchoice Travel, Barrhead Travel,
Premier Travel, Lets Go Travel, West Midlands Co-op, Galaxy Travel and Leeds
Co-op.
The
idea behind OLH is to allow retailers to set their own commission and rely less
on the money earned from selling packages provided by the big four tour
operators, Findlay said.
“Everyone
talks about cutting out the travel agent – it’s time agents started cutting out
the tour operator,” he said.
OLH will put
together the packages itself. Findlay – who was previously head of sales
development for national accounts at Thomson Holidays – claims to have
contracted 49 ground-handling partners, giving access to 100,000 hotels
worldwide. Product will be offered under a range of themes, such as family,
summer sun, winter sun, as well as holidays headed under prices, such as £99.