Mark Warner targets older families with summer discounts

Tuesday, 16 Apr, 2002 0

Independent tour operator Mark Warner is offering up to £500 off family holidays in July and August in an attempt to boost bookings during the peak summer period.

Head of marketing Nigel Ragg told TravelMole that while bookings were “slightly ahead” for May, June, September and October the company was around 2-3% down for July and August. He said: “We are marginally down. It’s only by 2 or 3% on last year so it’s not much but we would like to get it up. When the market is like this you have to be proactive.”

The operator is offering discounts for holidays taken between July 1 and August 31, if booked before May 7. All children will be entitled to a minimum discount of £100 per child. If the child is sharing a room with two adults, the discount is £100 for seven nights and £150 for 14 nights. For children staying in their own room, the discount gives £150 off a seven night holiday and £250 off a 14 night holiday, per child. All children of the stated age qualify for the discount, regardless of how many are booking and no minimum number of travelling adults applies, allowing single parents to benefit from the offer.

While teenagers usually pay full adult price, the discount applies to anybody aged 2 – 17. Mr Ragg said this was an “added incentive” to encourage older families to book a holiday with Mark Warner. He explained: “For teenagers July and August are the only times they can have off. Families with pre-school children can travel outside those months.”

The family offer applies to Mark Warner’s summer Resort Hotels in the Mediterranean and Aegean. For example, a week’s stay for a family of four at Mark Warner’s Resort Hotel in Lemnos is available from £3,694 (saving £300). This is based on a holiday departing London Gatwick any time between 11 July and 22 August 2002. The price includes return flights, accommodation, three meals a day with free wines at lunch and dinner, windsurfing, sailing and water-skiing with tuition, tennis, aerobics and children’s clubs for 2-17 year olds.