Club 18-30 to launch dynamic packaging
Consumers and travel agents will be able to book Club 18-30 holidays of any duration following the launch by the operator of dynamic packaging technology.
The Thomas Cook-owned youth brand will continue to offer seven and 14-night packages, but says customer demand for more independent travel has led it to make its holidays more flexible.
The technology will allow customers to package together a flight with a no-frills, full service scheduled or charter airline from the airport of their choice. The dynamically-packaged holiday will be fully bonded.
The technology is being made available to agents to book through viewdata from December 16 and in the New Year, agents and consumers will be able to dynamically package together a Club18-30 holiday online.
The technology is being provided by Travelink and the project is being overseen by UP Trips, the specialist group headed by the ex-Club 18-30 boss Andy Tidy. UP Trips is also overseeing the launch of Thomas Cook’s flexibletrips.com and earlier this year launched the accommodation-only website, roomsandhotels.com.
UP Trips head of worldwide sales Stephen Vaughan said: “Customers still want our highly valued expertise, but because they are more organised and independent, our overseas offering has to be more adaptable in the same way that our core product has to be.”
Travelink managing director David Jones agreed that operators were going to have to start selling their product differently.
He said: “There is growing demand for greater flexibility and this is not met by the traditional package model. So smart technology is leading the drive towards a more flexible ‘über-package’.”
Report by Ginny McGrath
Ginny McGrath
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025