ON-LINE travel company iglu.com claims to have already generated more than 1,000 bookings for the 1999/2000 ski season – more than its total business in its first season.
Speaking at the Genesys/ ABTECH conference ‘Century 21 – The Shape of Travel to Come’ held in London last week, chief executive officer Richard Downs admitted the company had not yet made a profit. But he added: “That’s almost a badge of honour on the Internet.”
Iglu.com launched on the Internet in October 1998 as a tour operator and travel agent specialising in the ski market.
The company is unusual among on-line travel companies in that it contracts and sells its own product as well as that offered by other operators.
“It came about because customers were asking for that,” said Downs. “Some customers prefer existing packages, but others prefer a more bespoke service.”
He said a second reason is that there are many chalet owners which are not already packaged by an operator, and which see Internet sites like his as a way of gaining access to foreign markets. In addition to ski packages, iglu.com also sells insurance, ski passes and kit.
Downs claims iglu.com is now receiving around 1m hits a month, mainly concentrated on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. Up until now, customers have booked via e-mail or through the company’s call centre, but an interactive, real-time booking facility is due to be launched before Christmas.
Downs said he had no plans to launch a Web site aimed at the higher-volume summer sun market at present, but he did not rule it out. “We have had a number of offers from potential partners who want to set up a summer sun model,” he said.