Airtours stands by family package holidays

Airtours has put its weight behind the traditional family package holiday with “guaranteed” free child places with the launch of its mainstream 2006 Summer Sun brochure.

The operator has added Djerba in Tunisia and Croata but is emphasising the benefits of taking packages rather than other companies which have attempted to strip out elements of the foreign holiday offering.

Head of marketing Owen Whitehead said: “We’re not a specialist tour operator; we’re in the business of offering package holidays. And that means that wherever our customers travel with us, they always know that they can expect certain things. That’s why we still devote a huge amount of time and effort to our family proposition – our children’s clubs, our entertainment programmes and our family friendly properties.

“Again, there’s been talk of how people no longer want the services of a rep, or how entertainment programmes are seen as out-moded and surplus to requirements. Well we’re continuing to develop our entertainment programmes whilst others are scaling them down.”

Airtours Holidays managing director Steve Barrass, revealing plans to move away from date-specific deals for free child places, said: “Unlike other companies, who offer free child places on selected flights and dates, we guarantee that if the room is available at a property featuring the guaranteed free child places on the date the customer wants to travel, then they will get that guaranteed child place.“

And he added:  “There is a lot of talk about new trends, and a thirst for new and authentic holiday destinations. If you listened to some reports, you’d think that everyone wants to go and live in a tent in Outer Mongolia eating dried Yak meat for a month. Well, yes, perhaps some people do want this – and we have other businesses within the MyTravel portfolio that are there to service the specialist travel market – but our customers are looking for something more familiar. 

“New trends are important – and you do have to keep your eye on new and emerging markets – but we are a customer focussed business, and will only ever go to where our customers tell us they want to go. So we have introduced two new destinations – Croatia and Djerba. They fit with what we know our customers want: they are both relatively young resorts in terms of a UK customer base – so they have a freshness that customers find exciting, and with the increased spending power of the customer whilst on holiday to these non Euro zones, both represent good value for money.”

The operator is offering adult savings of up to £100 off selected holidays and deals for single parents travelling with children. 

Report by Phil Davies