TTD: Thomson high street shops will become internet guidance centres

Monday, 02 Jun, 2006 0

Thomson high street shops will eventually become just advice and guidance centres to help customers book on the internet.

At a press briefing today, the tour operator said in five years it will still have a network of shops but there will be less.

Sales and marketing director Miles Morgan said high street agencies were necessary “reassurance” for customers.

“Having a high street presence is better than being a faceless organisation,” said Morgan. “It’s a great combination to have them both.”

He said Thomson was looking to grow its business by moving more towards DIY bookings.

The company currently sells 4 million package holidays a year, but believes that by moving to dynamic packaging – combining Thomson accommodation with flights from the likes of Easyjet and Ryanair – it would be able to significantly grow that figure.

“Our sales will no longer be stuck around 4 million. The growth is limitless,” said Morgan.

Thomson claims that by the end of the year it will be able to offer DIY options for all of its existing product.

By Linda Fox and Bev Fearis

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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.

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