The new spirit of co-operation on brochure launches (see front page), shows how much the industry has changed.
At least three of the big four are sending out messages about waiting until at least June before releasing summer 2000 brochures.
A while ago it would have been impossible to imagine Thomson co-operating with any of its rivals on anything. Many of our readers will remember former managing director Charles Newbold’s famous ‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you’ column in this paper a few years ago.
Then we had Airtours saying that what the industry wants isn’t important and operators have to give the customers what they want. That was marketing-speak for ‘we can get some of our rivals’ share by coming out early, because they haven’t got their programmes ready yet’.
It’s a different story now that there are plenty of holidays left to sell for this summer and no-one can get an advantage by coming out early because everyone else is ready to launch.
This mature attitude is certainly good for the trade and will be largely welcomed by agents.
But is it in the public interest? Strangely, some people want to book next summer’s holidays in April and they certainly like the fact that there are plenty of bargains in May and June, partly because agents are not focussed on selling just one season.
Jeremy Skidmore – editor