Neilson has launched its strongest and simplest turn-of-year campaign to date in a bid to increase bookings and awareness of its summer beach clubs in the trade.
The independent active holiday specialist, sold by Thomas Cook in November 2013 to private equity firm Risk Capital Partners for £9.15 million, is offering a guaranteed £200 per person off for every booking for any date during the summer season.
In addition, each child booked will get £50 “pocket money” per week in the form of in-resort credit.
The campaign offer – which goes live today (Friday) – means a family of four could save them themselves £800 off the headline price and a further £200 on children’s spend in resort for a two-week break. A week for family of four at Andriake Beachclub on a club board plus basis, which includes all breakfasts, lunches, dinners, wine and soft drinks with dinner, leads in at £1,452.
In a special drive to kickstart early bookings, the operator is offering £50 “pocket money” to the first 20 travel agency bookings made through the new Beachclubs campaign. Agents must email their booking reference to agencysales@neilson.com to qualify.
Andy Furlong, sales and marketing director, said: “Last year we focused much more on deals to benefit people who travel out of high season with two weeks for the price of one. But we wanted to put something in place that benefitted everyone.”
The move comes as the operator puts a trade distribution strategy in place to get more independent agents on board.
Already the share of business from Thomas Cook agents, which traditionally made up more than 50% of trade sales and has inevitably decreased since its buyout, has been “largely replaced” by independent agents, said Furlong.
But he admits there is work to be done to educate the trade on its summer product which is currently around 80% direct.
“Where Thomas Cook agents are not performing at the same level as before we have to replace that and equally we are looking to grow the business,” he said.
Already the operator has produced posters for travel agents’ windows and for use online with its key selling points.
Furlong anticipates the operator’s beach programme will be 16% larger in terms of passenger numbers this summer compared with summer 2014 and more beach clubs are being sought for the future which the operator can run on an exclusive basis outside of its traditional destinations of Greece and Turkey.