Universal has reported continued strong sales for both its Orlando and Hollywood parks and resorts as it hailed the response to new trade tools and exclusive ticket options.
Speaking at the IPW conference in San Antonio, senior director of sales EMEA Paul Kelly said the company’s key ticketing partners and a growing number of its tour operator partners were now using its in-house e-ticketing system to offer a broader range of options, including VIP tours and accessible rooms.
Kelly said the response to the system had been “incredible”, with agents now able to access a broader range of product and amend bookings with ease.
He said the strong start to the year had also been bolstered by access to ticket options exclusive to the UK trade, including a second-day-free ticket for Universal Studios Hollywood.
Kelly said Universal’s strategy “remained 100% focused on the trade” with plans to host more agents on fam trips than prior to the pandemic and sales “very close to 2019 levels”.
Dennis Quinn, who has returned to Universal Orlando Resort from Hollywood as senior vice-president of hotel commercial strategy, said the availability of hotels at all budget points had also driven growth from the UK.
“The growth of the hotel product is a great story, we now have 9,000 rooms across eight hotels and there are so many options (at Universal Orlando),” he said.
“It’s not just about price, we have single rooms, accommodation with kitchenettes and multi-room options for families. The response from the UK has been fantastic.”
Quinn also hailed a strong opening for Universal Hollywood’s Super Nintendo World, with Universal Orlando Resort also preparing to open its Minion Land this summer.
Kelly said the range of accommodation available meant the Universal sales team was now able to offer options to all partners, “whether they are a traditional charter operator or a high-end tailor-made specialist”.
And he said the company was also increasingly focusing on twin-centre options “on land and sea”, having attended the Clia Conference in Southampton to build relationships with cruise specialists.
He said: “We had a very strong peaks and that was maintained by the halo effect from our relationship with Saturday Night Takeaway when others may have seen a tail-off.
“We are also seeing strong demand for 2024 and sales consistent with those last year for 2023, which is impressive given the pent-up demand that drove that. The longer lead-in window is undoubtedly coming back and that is good for us, our trade partners and their customers.”