United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Endacott forecasts ‘virtual tour operating’ trend
Virtual tour operating is emerging as the next travel industry activity as hoteliers begin to offer ‘packages’, according to On Holiday Group chief executive Steve Endacott.
Endacott told visitors to London’s Travel Technology Show that hoteliers will be offering flights in a natural extension of a trend that is already seeing airlines like Easyjet and Ryanair selling ancillary product so successfully that it is supporting their low-cost model.
“Hotels are set to go into dynamic packaging. If they sell accommodation then why not flights? We are going to see more asset holders coming into this arena,” said Endacott.
“If 20 million people are still buying package holidays from the big operators, they must be doing something right and there must still be a market there for the seven or 14-night holiday.”
Like many of the show’s other speakers, he also predicted that this would eventually spell consolidation and rationalisation of the broker market, with dynamic packaging retailers vertically integrating with bed banks to control product delivery.
By Dinah Hatch
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Walt Leger on New Orleans’ Resilience and Major Events Ahead
Cindy Mackin Shares Estes Park’s Winter Thrills
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel
Report: Cruise guest died after ship lashed in heavy storm
British teen in serious condition after paraglider collision