ber will focus on upmarket product such as cruises and trips on the Orient Express. Chairman and chief executive officer Harry Goodman said: “It will carry five-star deluxe product, it will be mainly long haul and every deal will be exclusive to the TV Travel Shop.”
The market for luxury product is there to be tapped into – around 46% of the company’s current business is long haul and the average customer spend on TV Travel Shop is higher than on the high street – £580 compared to £420.
The company also plans to launch a Web site in April to carry special offers, insurance and corporate information to target the PC audience. In the same timeframe, it aims to revamp its travel text service to go head to head with Teletext.
Goodman said: “Up until now, our text service was factual, straightforward resort information. Now we plan to use it as a selling tool for holiday deals. Every offer in the text will be exclusive to us. And it will be much quicker to use than Teletext – sometimes it takes up to an hour to see all the offers on Teletext, whereas we will have just eight pages, which you will see in less than five minutes. With the new channels, the Web site and the revamp of the text service, we are getting more aggressive.”
Goodman says he is unfazed by the entry into the market of a second player Travel Deals Direct, the former Travel Shop Direct, run by commercial director Gary Wardrope. “There is room in the market for both companies. The only problem before was the name, which is now resolved. With two of us it will draw attention to the medium and the best will succeed,” said Goodman.
At the moment Travel Deals Direct’s product is limited. The company sells mainly Airtours summer sun product but it does plan to offer a mix of short-haul and long-haul product.
Film footage will be shot over the next six months to a year. Booking, like TV Travel Shop, is via a call centre, but Wardrope sees future booking with the remote control.
Wardrope said: “TV sets are in every home. It is a trusted technology, even your grandmother knows how to use it. The quality of pictures is better than on the Net. The TV will win the war over the Net.”
Wardrope added: “Distribution of digital TV sets is growing massively with Sky shipping 250,000 set-top boxes out the door every month. Zooming in on all the extra information during a show is much more informative than using a brochure.”
Travel Shop Direct. TV Travel Shop aims to launch two channels with a specialist focus in July and October this year. The first will promote three as yet unnamed tour operators’ products, while the second in October will focus on upmarket product such as cruises and trips on the Orient Express. Chairman and chief executive officer Harry Goodman said: “It will carry five-star deluxe product, it will be mainly long haul and every deal will be exclusive to the TV Travel Shop.”
The market for luxury product is there to be tapped into – around 46% of the company’s current business is long haul and the average customer spend on TV Travel Shop is higher than on the high street – £580 compared to £420.
The company also plans to launch a Web site in April to carry special offers, insurance and corporate information to target the PC audience. In the same timeframe, it aims to revamp its travel text service to go head to head with Teletext.
Goodman said: “Up until now, our text service was factual, straightforward resort information. Now we plan to use it as a selling tool for holiday deals. Every offer in the text will be exclusive to us. And it will be much quicker to use than Teletext – sometimes it takes up to an hour to see all the offers on Teletext, whereas we will have just eight pages, which you will see in less than five minutes. With the new channels, the Web site and the revamp of the text service, we are getting more aggressive.”
Goodman says he is unfazed by the entry into the market of a second player Travel Deals Direct, the former Travel Shop Direct, run by commercial director Gary Wardrope. “There is room in the market for both companies. The only problem before was the name, which is now resolved. With two of us it will draw attention to the medium and the best will succeed,” said Goodman.
At the moment Travel Deals Direct’s product is limited. The company sells mainly Airtours summer sun product but it does plan to offer a mix of short-haul and long-haul product.
Film footage will be shot over the next six months to a year. Booking, like TV Travel Shop, is via a call centre, but Wardrope sees future booking with the remote control.
Wardrope said: “TV sets are in every home. It is a trusted technology, even your grandmother knows how to use it. The quality of pictures is better than on the Net. The TV will win the war over the Net.”
Wardrope added: “Distribution of digital TV sets is growing massively with Sky shipping 250,000 set-top boxes out the door every month. Zooming in on all the extra information during a show is much more informative than using a brochure.”
TV Travel Shop is planning a raft of new services in order to capture 3%-4% of all holidays sold in the UK and keep one step ahead of its newly launched rival, Travel Deals Direct, formerly Travel Shop Direct. TV Travel Shop aims to launch two channels with a specialist focus in July and October this year. The first will promote three as yet unnamed tour operators’ products, while the second in October will focus on upmarket product such as cruises and trips on the Orient Express. Chairman and chief executive officer Harry Goodman said: “It will carry five-star deluxe product, it will be mainly long haul and every deal will be exclusive to the TV Travel Shop.”
The market for luxury product is there to be tapped into – around 46% of the company’s current business is long haul and the average customer spend on TV Travel Shop is higher than on the high street – £580 compared to £420.
The company also plans to launch a Web site in April to carry special offers, insurance and corporate information to target the PC audience. In the same timeframe, it aims to revamp its travel text service to go head to head with Teletext.
Goodman said: “Up until now, our text service was factual, straightforward resort information. Now we plan to use it as a selling tool for holiday deals. Every offer in the text will be exclusive to us. And it will be much quicker to use than Teletext – sometimes it takes up to an hour to see all the offers on Teletext, whereas we will have just eight pages, which you will see in less than five minutes. With the new channels, the Web site and the revamp of the text service, we are getting more aggressive.”
Goodman says he is unfazed by the entry into the market of a second player Travel Deals Direct, the former Travel Shop Direct, run by commercial director Gary Wardrope. “There is room in the market for both companies. The only problem before was the name, which is now resolved. With two of us it will draw attention to the medium and the best will succeed,” said Goodman.
At the moment Travel Deals Direct’s product is limited. The company sells mainly Airtours summer sun product but it does plan to offer a mix of short-haul and long-haul product.
Film footage will be shot over the next six months to a year. Booking, like TV Travel Shop, is via a call centre, but Wardrope sees future booking with the remote control.
Wardrope said: “TV sets are in every home. It is a trusted technology, even your grandmother knows how to use it. The quality of pictures is better than on the Net. The TV will win the war over the Net.”
Wardrope added: “Distribution of digital TV sets is growing massively with Sky shipping 250,000 set-top boxes out the door every month. Zooming in on all the extra information during a show is much more informative than using a brochure.”