Club Med has revealed plans to launch new trade and consumer websites as part of its commitment to working more closely with travel agents.
The new trade site, which is expected to be launched within the next six months, will feature increased information on promotions, price reductions, resorts and any changes to programmes the operator makes.
UK managing director Benoit Anger said: “Not only do we want to ensure that travel agents have a tool that allows them to book through the Internet but we want to make sure there is a facility that keeps them up to do date on all our offers as they happen.
“We will also be giving them information on the commissions we offer as well as the booking habits of their customers. It will provide them with everything they need if they want to keep a serious account on their Club Med customers.”
The business-to-business website will be updated in conjunction with the consumer facing site. However, Anger denied this was to increase direct bookings pointing out that around 90% of Club Med customers research the operator’s product online, no matter how they end up making a booking.
He added agents accounted for around 30% of all UK bookings made for summer 2006 and this has allowed the operator to achieve high single-digit growth in UK sales this summer.
Forward bookings through the trade are up 20%, year on year, helping the operator achieve double-digit growth on next summer’s bookings.
Anger said as well as improved relationships with the trade, this performance was chiefly driven by the decision to launch a preview brochure for summer 2007 in the autumn, the first time the operator has done this.