Goodman guarantees 14% commission and return to ‘good old days’

Harry Goodman will pay 14% commission to agents selling his Totally Travel holidays, promising a return to the “good old days”.

The founder of Sunair, Air Europe, TV Travel Shop and now Totally Travel said: “I can promise that we won’t sell direct, we won’t undercut you or mail your clients. We want your business.”

Speaking at the ITT Odyssey Dinner at the House of Commons last night, he added: “Agents might ask ‘why should I book with you rather than Gold Medal or Kuoni?’, and the answer’s easy – they are using agents as a convenience. They will take your business, but undercut you if they can. We won’t.”

So far, Goodman has been selling his Totally Cruise & Stay and Totally Worldwide programmes largely in-house from his call centre that serves his 1st4cruising online cruise agency, also part of Totally Travel.

He said he was now keen to sell through third parties and was looking for 300 independents agents initially, “but only those with four and five-star long-haul clientele”.

Goodman said Totally Travel was able to afford 14% commission because he had managed to contract hotels at particularly competitive rates.

“All the contracting has been done personally by me – I’ve been to Spain, Miami, Las Vegas, LA, Cuba, Mexico, South Africa, Mauritius…you name it. I’ve known some of these hoteliers 40 years – we are old mates and go back a long way, so I have got the best deals.”

Goodman believes he’s the first person to bring out a cruise-and-stay brochure where he has bought cruise-only from the major lines and packaged it up with other land content to make unique packages.

“Others are doing it online on demand, but no one else has brought out a brochure containing cruise-and-stay packages,” he said.

Goodman also reminisced about his 56-year career in the trade, saying, “The travel industry is my drug of choice. It’s been my one lasting love affair and I’m absolutely passionate about it.”