OPERATORS are banking on the next two weekends to
bring in much-needed bookings for 2002 as sales remain sluggish.
Despite improved sales for the second week of January,
brochure pick-ups have failed to result in any significant increase in
bookings.
While some operators were buoyed by record sales days
at the start of last week, the market is still 15%-20% down. Winter bookings
remain strong following last year’s capacity cuts.
Most operators admitted they were pinning their hopes
on the end of January when customers have received wage slips and paid off
credit-card bills.
Thomas Cook distribution businesses managing director
Andrew Windsor said: “The last two weekends of January are always the biggest –
no-one should be panicking yet. But I’m not jumping up
and down with joy. As an industry we have a lot of catching up to do.”
Cosmos commercial director Stuart Jackson said:
“People are going into shops but it’s not translating into bookings.”
Libra sales and marketing director Paul Riches agreed.
“We’ve a long way to go yet,” he said.
Observers claim Going Places and Lunn Poly are leading
the way in terms of sales on the back of their high-profile campaigns.
TUI director of marketing Hugh Edwards said
flight-only bookings enjoyed a record day on Monday following the weekend
launch of its campaign.
“We have put capacity behind it and we are beginning
to see the results,” he said.
Lunn Poly shops sold one in
four holidays over the past week on the back of its Great Escapes campaign