| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 23/10/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 22 |
| Copyright: Other |
Specialist slams majors’ discounting strategy
CRESTA has attacked the mass-market operators, including parent company Airtours, amid claims that discount campaigns are damaging the short-break market.
The operator said customers have seen the massive discounts offered on package holidays and believe it also applies to city breaks.
Speaking at the launch of its 2001 Cities and Short Breaks brochure, head of marketing Jane Williams said conversion rates have worsened as customers increasingly shop around for late deals.
“The more the mass-market operators hike brochure prices to enable discounting, the more false expectations are raised in the customer’s minds,” she said. “Late deals are simply not dealt with in the sale way in the short-break market where distressed stock is not an issue.”
She said the expectations of a discount was heaping more pressure on specialist operators.