TRAVEL City has joined Advantage Travel Centres after admitting it needs greater marketing muscle to compete with the multiples.
The 24 retail shops and seven call centres have joined as non-franchised members.
It is the second miniple within three weeks to confess it can no longer compete on its own. Just before Christmas, 16-strong Premier Travel signed up with ARTAC, confessing it could get better terms as part of a larger organisation.
Travel City sales and marketing director Tony James said it is becoming increasingly tough for the independent sector. “Being a member of Advantage allows us to make full use of its purchasing power and it provides us with the opportunity to compete on a national basis against the multiples,” he said. “It’s safety in numbers.”
It will enable the miniple to compete head to head on discounting with the multiples as well as retaining its independence, he added.
James said they had not yet looked at joining the franchise despite being strong performers for Airtours.
“Our main objective was to get membership in place by the end of the year,” he said. “Joining the franchise is something we have not even considered so I can’t comment on whether we will join.
“But we are aware of the commission differences between franchise and non-franchised agents. We will review where we are at the end of our first three months in Advantage.”
The news of Travel City’s membership will ease Advantage’s disappointment at the mass exodus of SWIFTA members who defected to join ARTAC at the beginning of last month.
“It is tough to compete on your own which is why consortiums continue to grow,” said Advantage managing director Ron Muir.
Meanwhile, Halifax-based Whitesands Travel has joined the Advantage franchise. It brings the number of franchised agents to 323. The agency specialises in tailor-made and package breaks.