I really enjoyed your special reports on Club 18-30 (Travel Weekly, October 11 and 18). May Ijust correct one myth, which is continually perpetuated, that when Club 18-30 was launched in 1965 the youth travel market was virtually non-existent.
Prior to Club 18-30, one of the fastest-growing tour operators with a substantial brochure was its forerunner, Under 30 Holidays.
I am not sure when it was launched as it was already operating when I joined it in the summer of 1962 and it was the only operator that would employ representatives and couriers under 21 years old.
Like many operators it couldn’t cope with rapid expansion. Following the purchase of or by Fiesta Tours, allegedly with huge debts, it went into liquidation in 1964.
Club 18-30 Holidays was launched in 1965, filling the void left by the demise of Under 30 Holidays. Sorry David (Heard) you weren’t the first, though you became the largest and most successful.
From reading your report I noticed many similarities between Under 30 Holidays and Club18-30 – profitable excursions arranged locally, sleeping in cupboards or on the roof when overbooked.
The only noticeable difference was the male/female ratio. Under 30 Holidays was top-heavy with women.
Is there any chance of more historical articles, about the pioneering tour operators, Lord Brothers, Wings, Horizon, Luxitours and OSL etc? Today’s tour operators might learn about more efficient marketing techniques from such articles.
Nowadays a merchandiser carries only a clipboard and is mainly employed to report back on which of their competitors are racked. How much more positive it used to be when they drove a transit van full of brochures, as Clarkson did, to ensure their own were racked.
RogerWaterfall
Waterfall Travel
Skipton
Yorkshire
n Editor’s note:Thanks for your comments and we’ll certainly consider some more historical articles.