| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 08/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 13 |
| Copyright: Other |
The national press continually portrays the UK holiday market to be expensive compared to Ireland and Germany. What they fail to realise is that retailer discounting is unheard of in these countries
ED SIMS
Once again, the holiday sector of the travel industry is coming under attack from all sides of both the trade and consumer press, for the way we bring our products to market.Some consumer media believe our products are now part of the ‘rip-off Britain’ culture. National newspapers have run lengthy articles with ‘proof’ that brochure prices are lower in Germany and Ireland than the UK. As any close observer of the industry knows, this is far from the truth. Had operators even taken annual inflation rates into our prices over the last 10 years, all brochure prices would now be considerably more expensive than current levels.
But perhaps the biggest point of difference is that retailer discounting is unknown in both countries – a point ignored in the superficial media price comparisons.
The British high street is alive with discounted messages for kitchen extensions, home improvements, cut-price lawn mowers. If the UK travel industry doesn’t compete as visibly, then a combination of the weekend press and Ground Force will turn a nation of holidaymakers into an army of landscape gardeners.
But do we get any respite from our colleagues writing in Travel Weekly?Not much. The launch of summer 2001 has been described as ‘pathetic’ and ‘boring’. Now these brochures might not have launched with the short-term hype of many years ago, with limited availability free child places, or two weeks for the price of one.
But don’t believe that they have lost their competitive edge. The early-booking battle has shifted to service enhancements, pre-bookable benefits and value-added extras.
We all want to buy whenever, wherever we choose. The ‘whenever’ we can satisfy, by ensuring that new programmes are brought on sale as early as physically possible to reattract this year’s customer. I appreciate that not every retailer greets a new season launch with open arms and empty brochure racks. But in this most competitive of environments, we have to provide new brochures for those that will.
The ‘wherever’ is harder to predict. Some independent retailers have traditionally shunned early launches to concentrate on their core current season. It is these businesses who will come under the most intense pressure from virtual retailers who do exactly what their name suggests. Last minute, cheap flights, bargain holidays are unlikely to threaten a conventional retailer’s earning potential on these first edition brochures.
Don’t scour the new brochures looking for miraculously undiscovered beaches in Majorca. Enjoy all the operators fresh new designs – and, just as importantly, the fresh new approach to personal customer service.
“The consumer media believes our products are part of the ‘rip-off Britain’ culture”