Midcounties’ new tour op breaks sales targets
Midcounties Co op has proved it can go it alone after its new ‘Co-op Value’ tour operator has exceeded its sales targets by 400% in its first month.
The travel agency chain launched the new website in January, as a joint venture with On Holiday Group, to give agents its own ‘tour operator’.
It has seen a turnover in excess of £1 million in its first month of trading.
Agents, homeworkers and call centre staff can access hotels and flights through the portal designed by On Holiday Group, see previous story.
It follows claims that Thomas Cook is no longer giving independent agents ‘any form of support’ for the ‘first time ever’.
Alistair Rowland, group general manager of travel services at Midcounties, said: "We’ve given agents an alternative product at the right time. It offers great value and is a slick and easy site.
"Agents wanted something that felt like a tour operation.
"Independent retailers have to accept that the major tour operators have sufficient in-house distribution via shops and the internet to allow them to only work with independent retailers that add value due to the strength of their retail network in specific geographical areas."
Midcounties plans to offer the website to its consortium members and may consider making it available to the public although it admits this could conflict with its cooptravel.co.uk website.
There are also proposals to include more of its own contracts in the ‘Co op Value’ site.
Alistair added: "I think tour operations like Co-op Value will rapidly grow, since they allow agents to tailor-make holiday requirements, but still call upon the tour operating skills of the On Holiday Group team when it comes to delivering the tour operation and negotiating extra discounts from hotels to be featured at the top of our destination searches, email shots and window displays.
"It is not a full replacement for the major tour operators, but does allow our agent to offer quality holidays that earn good commission levels."
Diane
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