TUI boss encourages creativity in travel agents

According to Dermot Blastland, the managing director of TUI Travel UK, independent travel agencies must become more innovative and diversify the services and products they sell if they are going to stay viable in the future.

 

Today's world requires updated business models, according to Blastland. He suggests that travel agents sell products such as airport transfers and currency exchange in order to provide more value to their customers.

 

Blastland said: "It's not just about selling a Thomson holiday; you have to work for it."

 

TUI Travel own Thomson as well as First Choice Holidays. Thomson uses online and third-party agents to sell its products.

 

"There is lots of value in someone who can bring us early sales," he said. "If you perform and support Thomson and First Choice you will get paid what we consider a good rate. There is not enough innovative thinking," he added.

 

Sales from independent travel agents account for over a quarter of TUI's total sales.

 

Blastland said he would like to see some creative sales ideas coming from the travel agents. According to him, many of the independent agents are "highly motivated and clever".

 

"We would not mind a sales pitch coming back the other way," he said.

 

 

 


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Jennifer Jones Editorial


06/12/2007



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