Coach operator sees fourfold rise in 2011 bookings
A Nottingham-based coach operator has seen its bookings for next year grow by 400%.
Skills Holidays believes the fourfold increase is partly down to its new-look holiday offers, but also to travellers’ concerns about climate change and the increasing, and sometimes unexpected, costs of air travel.
Managing director Nigel Skill said it was the best pre-season tally in the firm’s 91 years.
“It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why this massive increase has occurred but I have a feeling that it may be a lot to do with the way we’ve improved the choices in our holiday programme,†he explained.
“Here, we’ve increased the emphasis on higher value for money, increased the range in cost, destination and style while promoting the benefits of land and sea based travel.
“However, none of these adequately explain the gratifying increase in sales which began soon after we released a pre-brochure leaflet in June.
“In this we highlighted only a few of the hundreds of holiday programmes and destinations that’ll be detailed in our full brochure later. What is apparent that many people want to enjoy themselves and yet keep a bit back for spending money.â€
Among the main growth areas are bookings for the Italian Riviera, London weekend and theatre breaks, and UK-based themed holidays centred on festival and carnivals, ghosts and gardens.
New tours include the Monaco Grand Prix, the Isle of Man and round Britain cruises.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent