Travellers seek security in return to travel agents

Brits are visiting travel agencies looking for financial protection in the current economic downturn.

Travel Insurance News - 13/10/2008

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Travel companies are reporting that the public is booking in greater numbers with high street travel agencies, especially following the failure of XL Leisure.

In September, Telegraph Travel reported that many UK holidaymakers were moving to the purchase of package holidays for the financial protected offered in the event of an operator’s collapse.

This move back to the use of travel agencies is an important one in the industry, as TUI and Thomas Cook, combined, closed down 250 high street retail shops over the last two years.

Dermot Blastland is the UK managing director for TUI, the owner of First Choice and Thomson. He noted that their recent advertising campaign on television, encouraging British travellers to visit their local travel agent for advice, was working well: “Currently, in our shops, bookings are up around three per cent compared with the same period last year.”

Virgin Holidays’ director, Stewart Baird had similar news to report. He indicated that most of their bookings for next summer were being made through travel agents as opposed to on the Internet. “Families are booking for next year and a disproportionate number are coming from travel agents,” he noted.

Mark Tanzer, who is the chief executive of ABTA confirmed this trend: “People want a place of safety and they can get that reassurance and advice about their holidays from travel agents.”

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