Articles tagged “package holidays”

The long view on packaged tours as a travel category is bright, said Christine Petersen, the president and CEO of smarTours, a private-equity backed operator. But the sector must adapt to a socially distanced world in several practical ways if it wants to stay relevant and profitable.

The absence of Thomas Cook has left a big gap to fill in a number of European markets. The early signs in the key January booking period point to a pretty good year for tour operators. Although as we know from experience, that can quickly change.

On the Beach's purchase of Classic Collection Holidays now looks like a strategic masterstroke in light of the collapse of Thomas Cook. Brick-and-mortar travel agents in the United Kingdom lost a holiday supplier, and the company has a ready-made alternative on offer.

With Thomas Cook out of the way, there's certainly more space in the package holiday market. People still want to buy these types of holidays, and EasyJet is a well-known brand. Can it be successful where other low-cost carriers have failed?

Package holidays are changing and under pressure, but in markets such as the UK, Germany, China, and Canada, these offline options still have their place. Failure to adapt was a contributing factor in Thomas Cook's demise, but there were a whole bunch of other things going on as well.

TripAdvisor offers a tiny number of flight-and-hotel deals bundled together. There are signs it wants to display more travel packages. But the product won't be the next big thing for the company.

Ryanair’s plan to “transform” the package holiday market is a bold one given that the company is late to the party. Other airlines have been supplementing their flights in this way for years.