Airtours re-launches with new straplines
Airtours has been re-launched as a value-for-money brand, with the strapline ‘Pack More In’.
All hotels will be exclusive to Airtours with no cross-over to the Thomas Cook brand and each property will have a minimum TripAdvisor rating of three to safeguard quality assurance.
The company said the re-launch has been made as a ‘direct result of customer feedback’, enabling customers to ‘more easily identify and choose the holiday that’s right for them whatever their needs’.
In a statement, the company said: "A team from across the business was pulled together to transform Airtours, allowing it to offer great value holidays in familiar sun and beach destinations such as Spain, the Balearics, Canary Islands, Greece and Mexico, flying from regional airports and sold through local travel agents."
Thomas Cook UK and Ireland managing director Chris Mottershead said: "Airtours remains one of the most popular brands in travel, yet it doesn’t have a significant presence on the high street.
"Even though little has been done to promote it recently, it’s doing really well, representing around 40% of UK sales.
"It’s very much our value-for-money brand, and we’re looking to give it the boost it needs to remind people about the great value for money holidays it offers."
The Airtours brand will be sold through the 258-strong Co-operative Travel group as well as partnerships with major independent agents including Barrhead Travel and Hays Travel.
Thomas Cook has pledged to invest heavily in marketing Airtours, with regional campaigns including radio and outdoor which will focus on travel from regional airports to popular destinations.
Posters will incorporate all-new family-focussed imagery with slogans designed to bring the brand to life, such as ‘The Funny, Sunny Holiday’ and ‘Ha Ha Ha Holidays’.
New-look brochures including refreshed front covers have also been introduced to mark the re-launch, along with a new all-inclusive brochure and twice as many year-round sun brochures available than last year.
It is anticipated that the Airtours brand will be given an entirely new look and feel for summer 2017.
Mottershead added: "Airtours has a strong position in the market, which we are looking to further strengthen. With Airtours promoted in our Co-operative Travel shops as well as via our partnerships with the major independents, this is a clear statement that it’s back and it’s here to stay."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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