Thomson has extended its strategy of bringing product supply in-house to the tickets and attractions sector by setting up its own supplier.
Thomson Tickets started operating last month as part of parent Tui Travel’s Spain-based Hotelbeds wholesaler division.
Thomson Tickets will provide competition for the multiple’s current sole specialist third-party tickets supplier, Attraction World.
A Thomson spokesman said: “Thomson has sold many products alongside those provided by third party suppliers for a number of years. Thomson Tickets is intended to utilise the services of our in-house businesses where it makes sense to do so, alongside our third-party suppliers.”
Tony Seaman, group sales and marketing director at Attraction World, said the move was not a shock and had been expected.
He said although Attraction World had quadrupled Thomson’s attractions business over the past six years, the supplier had diversified to make sure it was
not over-reliant on Thomson.
Seaman said the travel giant currently accounted for about 12% of Attraction World’s business, a proportion that was declining.
“Thomson has always been very clear they don’t particularly like having an exclusive supplier,” he said. “This is something we have seen coming, and been planning for, for eight years.”
It is understood Thomson Tickets’ trade call centre is based in Palma, Majorca, and certain Thomson regions have been directed to prioritise the supplier in trials.
Attraction World will remain an option for agents to book alongside Thomson Tickets.
Seaman was confident Attraction World would be able to compete in what is a complex sector in terms of technology and customer service. He claimed a similar move by First Choice prior to the Thomson merger saw its attractions business slump 90% due to operational challenges.