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Selling package holidays isn’t the only way to make money. A little creative thought can open up a whole world of profit opportunity – and you’re only selling something your clients would have got elsewhere anyway

David cockerton

&#42 David Cockerton is managing director of Seligo

If you would like to be a guest columnist in Travel Weekly contact Lisa James on 020-8652 8239

Attention all travel agents who want to make a lot of money for very little work!

Holiday add-ons represent the greatest opportunity for travel agents to increase their commission earnings since the invention of package holidays.

If a customer walks into your agency to buy a holiday, how many of you sell any extras? You probably sell insurance (so that you can take money off the holiday), but do you offer car rental, airport car parking, airport hotels, overseas accommodation or attraction tickets?

Many more agents are now selling holiday add-ons.

As an example, it is widely reported that the 2001 market for Florida is 20% down on last year, but Seligo theme park ticket sales have increased by over 40% this year – and we only sell through travel agents.

A family of four going to Orlando, buying a Seven Day Disney ticket and an Orlando Flexticket, will spend more than £1,100, which will provide around £130 of commission. This can be more than is earned on the holiday sale.

And why is the family going to Orlando? To go to the theme parks. And if the travel agent does not sell the tickets, the clients will buy them in Florida.

The same logic can be applied to all add-ons – sell your customers what they will buy anyway. A few simple questions will help your cause.

“Will you be driving to the airport?” Car parking is at least £50 for 14 days.

“Your check-in is very early, so will you be needing a hotel room near the airport?” If they are travelling some distance, a hotel is a good idea. That’s at least £60 for a night.

“Now you have booked your flight, will you need somewhere to stay?” Even if they have booked with Go, EasyJet or Ryanair, they need a bed. A hotel room or apartment can cost between £100 to £2,000 for seven days.

In the future, it will be even easier for your customers to buy their add-ons over the Internet after they have left your travel agency. So you will need to make the sale while they are in your shop, or alternatively, make sure your customers visit your website to browse or buy their add-ons.

You can arrange for your customers to click from your website to a car rental website or airport hotel website (so long as you arrange to get your commission). And soon the Seligo website will allow you to book overseas accommodation and attraction tickets.