TRAVEL agents are losing their grip on ski holiday
sales as a marked bookings shift to the Internet continues.
Crystal Holidays’ 2004 Ski and Snowboard Industry
Report shows all holidays booked through UK agents have slipped from 55% of
sales in 2001 to 49% in 2002 and 44% last year (see table).
Over the same period, sales through the Internet have
grown from 3% in 2001 to 14% in 2003. Sales direct with operators are up
slightly – from 18% to 21%.
Although these figures are for the whole market,
including beach packages, and are compiled from a variety of trade sources,
Crystal managing director Stuart McLeod said ski figures are likely to be more
marked as winter holidaymakers increasingly choose to book online, direct or
independently.
He said a reduction in year-on-year ski sales volumes
of vertically integrated operators First Choice, Thomson, Neilson and Panorama
reflected the move away from high-street agents.
Although Crystal – which has seen sales rise – is part
of TUI UK’s Specialist Holidays Group, McLeod claimed Lunn Poly agents sell
Thomson Ski first and so Crystal is not viewed as part of a vertically
integrated group.
He said agents with specialist ski knowledge are
starting to dominate the travel agency share of ski sales.
“Travel agency business is moving towards
knowledgeable ski specialists or shops where individuals are making an effort
to understand what customers are looking for and therefore can sell and provide
information to the customer.”
Ski sales are also growing through operators’ call
centres where there are knowledgeable agents, McLeod added, which is why the
larger operators are investing “significantly” in call-centre staff.
Holidaymakers’ thirst for more information than before
is fuelling the continual growth of Internet ski enquiries and bookings, which
have more than doubled for Crystal, Inghams, Thomson and Neilson, according to
the report.
Crystal’s web hits have risen
from 57,000 for January 2003 to 157,000 for January 2004 – a growth of 175%.
For Inghams, hits are up from 52,000 to 153,000 – a rise of 194%.