MIDCONSORT Elite is courting direct-sell tour operators as it sells less of the big four and seeks ways to differentiate its high-street offering.
The consortium has already signed up two niche operators – Gap Adventures and Travelscope – to its preferred supplier list.
Chief executive Charles Eftichiou said for the first time he had begun negotiating with direct-sell operators, with many keen to start working with agents and paying commission.
“It’s a case of approaching direct-sell operators and asking if they ever thought about working through the trade. The response we are getting is amazing,” said Eftichiou.
The move comes as the consortium starts to cut out operators it has previously worked with on a preferred basis. It will not hesitate to “name and shame” those it stops working with, said Eftichiou.
Since cutting ties with Thomson Holidays, the operator’s business has dropped by 20% through members, he added.
Currently around 23% of the consortium’s sales are with the big four operators. “I’d be happy if we got this down to 15%,” said Eftichiou.
Mid-market operators would ideally each have at least a 5% share of sales with specialist operators making up the rest. “It would mean specialists could get at least 60% of our business and agents would be earning decent money.”
Gap Adventures has a capacity of around 20,000 passengers each year. Meanwhile, Travelscope has traditionally sold through reader offers in newspapers but started to work with the trade last year.
Midconsort agents will now be encouraged to put a notice in their windows to show they support Travelscope. “Travelscope is already a familiar name and it will be a way to bring in customers,” he said.
Eftichiou claimed the move could help Midconsort agents by having different product to compete against high-street rivals.