Comment by J.Skidmore: Domestic operators must help the trade
The pictures of coalition troops entering Baghdad seemed to lead to a sense of euphoria in the travel industry.
Everyone started predicting the end of the recession and an increase in people booking overseas packages this summer.
I tend to agree with Gary David, managing director of Cadogan Holidays, that all this optimism is a bit premature. There’s a long, long way to go before anyone can start talking about a reasonable year.
But it should, at least, be a decent summer for domestic operators.
For a variety of reasons – partly economic – more people are set to holiday at home this year.
The trade is keen to help, but they need support from operators and hoteliers.
Companies like Corus are putting together flexible packages for people who holiday for a minimum of five nights. We need more of these and, most importantly, competitive prices.
All too often, English holidays are just too expensive.
How on earth can you expect someone to stay here when they can escape to guaranteed sunshine for a fraction of the price?
Domestic operators often talk about wanting help from the trade. But travel agents are not miracle workers. They need help from the operators to be able to put together holidays that are attractive to their clients.
Read previous comments by Jeremy:
11-April-2003 Comment by J.Skidmore: Timeshare offers retailers a crumb of comfort
28-March-2003 Comment by J.Skidmore: A ‘good deal’ overcomes the fear of flying
14-Mar-2003 Comment by J.Skidmore: Late booking adding to the woes of operators
07-Mar-2003 Comment by Jeremy Skidmore: Let’s make best use of aviation resources
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