MYTRAVEL has restructured its Cresta Holidays, Bridge
Travel and Travel Service brands into full-frills, no-frills and
destination specialists in a £5 million cost-saving
move.
All Bridge brochures, except Cities, have been ditched with most
product in an expanded full-frills Cresta range. Travel Service
brands remain.
There will now be “minimal overlap” between Bridge and Cresta.
The two remaining Disneyland Resort Paris programmes will target
different markets – Cresta will focus on families and Paris
Travel Service on adults.
The brands form part of the new BCT Travel Group, operating
under one ATOL for more than 500,000 passengers.
Funds saved have been used to slash prices, according to BCT
managing director Steve Kimber.
“Cresta wanted to reduce costs – partly reacting to Bridge
which cut prices in response to the market, but both needed to
scale back prices.”
He added: “There will now be fewer brochures to rack but a
clearer proposition.”
The restructure follows the loss of 205 staff. There are now 530
staff, compared to 735 previously. Most staff are at Cresta’s
Altrincham base but 120 remain in Bridge’s Broxbourne
offices.
Kimber claimed agents would benefit by being able to choose the
best brand for their customers.
Cresta will be the most flexible, offering Cities, Eurostar,
Disney, France, Italy, Ireland, Scandinavia, Center Parcs, River
Cruise and Beach Choices programmes. Beach Choices combines
Bridge’s Sun Collection and Cresta’s Choices.
As the no-frills brand, Bridge will offer more aggressive prices
but less flexibility, higher deposits and charges for booking
amendments.
The brands sit in three divisions: cities, Disney and holidays.
Cities divisional director is Miles Hill, also deputy MD. Former
Cresta commercial director David Gaster runs holidays and Bridge
deputy MD Alan Croft runs Disney. A group sales team is headed up
by trade relations manager Zena Calderbank.