IRISH Ferries has slashed prices by up to 15% in its second-edition Holidaysby Sea and Air 2000 brochure in a move to be more competitive.
A three-night short break has been cut from £189 to £159 per person, and the price of a week’s self-catering holiday for four in County Wexford is down from £636 to £558.
General sales manager Daragh O’Reilly admitted the move was intended to match lower prices set by Irish Ferries’ rivals.
He claimed that ferry bookings for this year were running ahead of last year’s but refused to reveal exact figures. The company is attributing the positive sales trend to its new, simplified pricing strategy, which sets out three different fares for three different periods of the year on each of its routes (Travel Weekly September 27) .
“Our policy is what you see is what you get,” said O’Reilly. “We have guaranteed fixed prices, plus increments for additional passengers. There is no confusion.”
Irish Ferries plans to boost its sales through the trade by taking more travel agents on educationals this year.
It expects to host trips for up to 500 agents this year,compared with 200 agents last year.
It is about to launch the third module in its distance-learning training course for agents (see panel below).
The first module was a general introduction to Ireland and Irish Ferries; the second covered routes out of Holyhead and the western counties region of Ireland; and the latest tackles the Pembroke-Rosslare route and the southern counties.
A fourth module, which is due out later this year, will focus on the ferry operator’s holiday programme.