p28 ops nov21 18/11/08 14:04 Page 28
Operators
Kay McLellan
020 7955 3867
kmclellan@ttglive.com
For the latest operator and supplier news, visit
ttglive.com/operators
Wandrian targets
operator sales
RAIL booking technology firm Wandrian
WTM rail firm reports
is calling on UK operators and agents
to offer train travel as an alternative
to flying as part of their packages.
The Boston-based company was
promoting its rail booking technology
at WTM and hopes to strike deals with more
companies, after signing up STA Travel’s UK arm
earlier this year.
By the end of this year it will enable users to
book UK trains as well as foreign rail travel.
Wandrian business development manager
Charles de Gaspe Beaubien said train travel was
becoming a viable option as new high-speed links
opened in Europe and flying continued to suffer
from security delays and environmental concerns.
The company is targeting large operators
such as Tui Travel, hoping that they will offer rail
as an alternative in brochures.
Luxury train is
Great Rail wants
‘first’ for Brazil
A LUXURY train operator looking to work more
agents onboard
closely with the UK trade is promising a unique
Orient Express-style experience with a Brazilian
Lucy Huxley.
customers with some joint
flavour. FORMER Cresta boss Steve Kimber (above) is marketing.”
The Great Brazil Express will officially start bringing his rail holidays to the trade for the first Kimber will pay agents
operations next June, although is currently time since he bought into the company three 10% commission on Treyn
running on a trial basis. years ago. and Rail Select bookings
It offers a range of itineraries of up to nine Great Rail Journeys is to begin paying agents and 7.5% on Great Rail sales.
nights starting from Rio and visiting Iguassu Falls commission to sell its three brands: Great Rail The average booking
on the Argentina/Paraguay border. It claims to Journeys’ upmarket escorted group tours; Treyn price for Treyn Holidays is
be South America’s only luxury tourist train. Holidays’ more affordable escorted group tours; £600 per person, £1,500 per person in Europe
Jasing Chu, sales and marketing director, was and Rail Select’s tailor-made rail holidays. and £3,000 worldwide for Great Rail Journeys.
promoting the tours at World Travel Market. Kimber expects the trade to do most bookings Special trade brochures will be sent to agents
“We want to show them Brazil in complete lux- for the Treyn Holidays range, launched in January. this week and Kimber promises to pay agents
ury, and have a lot of interest from operators, The company had a huge database of Great commission if a booking comes direct but can be
particularly luxury and South American special- Rail Journeys customers, had grown passenger traced back to an agency.
ists, and even small travel agencies,” he said. numbers from 19,000 to 34,000, and had sold He pledged trade prices would always be the
The two-carriage train can take up to 50 pas- 90% of capacity for next year – so there was lit- same as direct and pointed out that the company
sengers. Guests do not sleep onboard but in four tle space left for agents in that brand, he said. did not discount but gave all customers a refund
or five-star hotels in the towns on the tours. “But we have only a fledgling database for of the difference if a tour price was reduced.
Prices for the full nine-day tour start at ¤3,510 Treyn Holidays, so there’s a big opportunity He has also set the company up on the Abta
including internal flights, hotels and excursions. for agents and we will help them target their single payment scheme.
28 21.11.2008
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92