intense competition in the New Zealand holiday market has seen UK operators jockeying for position with an extensive range of new products and partnerships.
Overbranding of specialist programmes has also increased. Travel 2 has launched a joint brochure with Newmans Holidays; Jetset has linked up with Mount Cook Line for its second dedicated NZ programme; and Travelpack has confirmed a deal with Australasian operator Sunbeam Tours for an April launch. All the link-ups have led to coach touring products from the specialists appearing in their partnered companies’ programmes to New Zealand.
Travel 2 has switched to Newmans from Mount Cook Line. Director of marketing and ground products Frances Blair said: “Mount Cook Line is now focusing very strongly on independent business. While we will continue to sell its products we also needed a recognised programme of extended tours in New Zealand.”
Travel 2 is featuring Newmans’ range of Premier, Affordable and Value escorted tours, with a 13% discount on the middle-category product booked before March 31 1999. Jetset’s tie-up with Mount Cook Line includes a greatly expanded selection of mix-and-match coach and train journeys and activities.
Head of marketing Roddie MacPhee said: “Our first dedicated New Zealand programme attracted a steady increase in interest, with bookings up in 1998 compared to ’97, when New Zealand was featured in our Round the World brochure only.”
In another alliance, Travelpack director of product Peter Allen said the company linked up with Sunbeam Tours to feature a wide selection of its product in three first-time brochures on New Zealand and Australia.
“We will include eight tours in New Zealand, as well as a separate New Zealand tailor-made programme. The new brands will be in addition to our existing Australia, New Zealand and Far East Agents’ Tariff,” said Allen.