With more routes into Europe than ever before, the short-break market is increasingly fertile.
This summer’s high-profile advertising campaign by Eurostar has kept Paris on the top spot for many tour operators. And the success of the campaign, combined with a raft of new flights from low-cost airlines, has not only fuelled interest in accommodation-only sales, but also introduced a number of new locations to the market.
For some operators, the success of low-cost carriers such as Go and EasyJet has led to an increasing demand for accommodation, as holiday-makers have realised booking their own flights can help bring costs down.
Mundi Color consultant Tony Maniscalco noted that a number of packages have always been sold without flights. But while the trend is on the up, he said it need not be interpreted negatively.
“We think of Mundi Color as the John Lewis of Spain and Portugal operators. The level of service we offer encourages clients to come back again and again, perhaps booking a more expensive package the second time around,” he said.
This level of service includes free museum passes in cities like Madrid and Barcelona, as well as free private transfers to and from the airport. “It’s the extras that keep people coming back,” he said.
Citalia spokeswoman Amanda Ramsay said sales of the operator’s accommodation-only packages are also up.
“There’s been a big increase in accommodation-only sales, up 70% year on year. We seem to be attracting a whole new category of clients rather than losing out to new suppliers.
“Citalia’s reaction to the new low-cost airlines is entirely positive. We haven’t lost any of our core scheduled sales. In fact, we’ve gained new clients by incorporating Go flights to Bologna, Milan, Rome and Venice to our city-breaks programme,” she added.
The Italian specialist – which recently added Spain to its portfolio – is launching a new city-breaks programme in July 2000, which will feature between 12 and 15cities, with hotels in the two to five-star star range.
According to Magic Travel Group marketing director Helen Baker, low-cost carriers are a double-edged sword.
“They may discourage people from booking all-inclusive deals, but they bring in a lot of trade at the same time,” she said.
According to Baker, the market is changing and the city destination itself is no longer enough.
“Magic offers a number of tailor-made options with a range of pre-bookable add-ons, including tickets for the football, the opera and the Orient Express, as well as some museums.”
Magic recently refocused its Cities programme solely on European breaks.
“It made sense to focus on the countries where we have a specialist knowledge. This move will differentiate us from our competitors,” added Baker.
The move away from long-haul and the introduction of 30 new cities has led to a stronger Italian programme. The new destinations include Assisi, Gubbio, Padua, Parma, Perugia, Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, Turin and Venice Lido.
Overall, 1999 has proven to be a buoyant year for the short-break market. Kirker Holidays reports a revenue increase of 20% on 1998.
Sales director Ted Wake said: “Every doctor should recommend at least two short breaks a year.”
The short-break specialist does offer accommodation only, though according to Wake, Kirker’s core clientele prefers the fully inclusive option, with a number of add-ons to choose from, such as pre-bookable opera tickets.
“We organise as much for the client as possible. Everybody is met from the airport and transferred to their hotel privately,” he said.
Added-value extras do not have to be elaborate though.
According to Wake, one of its most popular items is Christopher Kirker’s ‘no-nonsense’ restaurant guide, which includes entries for each city featured in the brochure.