Thomson is to overhaul its website by merging its dynamic packaging and package holiday searches into one search facility.
The change is due to take place next month. Thomson believes it will be the first travel company to offer the one combined search facility.
It will be backed up by a multi-million-pound advertising campaign on television, online and other media, which aims to redefine the firm as a web retailer rather than just a package holiday provider.
TUI northern Europe new media director Graham Donoghue said the move would see all its content incorporated with its third-party content, including a new link to hotel inventory supplied by Pegasus.
“We have to start thinking the way customers think,” Donoghue said. “Customers don’t come to the site thinking I’m going to buy a package or a dynamic package holiday, they just want to go on holiday.”
Donoghue denied the change to the website was a sign that Thomson was ditching the package holiday, despite the fact Thomson dynamic packaging and accommodation-only sales are 100% up on last year.