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Getting to Grips with Groups. Chris Wales, Chief Executive, Coach Tourism Council Gerald Tatum, Marketing Manager, Chester Marketing Sean Taggart, Group Managing Director, The Albatross Group of Companies. Getting to Grips with Groups A Commercial Perspective. Sean Taggart
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Getting to Grips with Groups Chris Wales, Chief Executive, Coach Tourism Council Gerald Tatum, Marketing Manager, Chester Marketing Sean Taggart, Group Managing Director, The Albatross Group of Companies
Getting to Grips with GroupsA Commercial Perspective Sean Taggart Group Managing Director The Albatross Group of Companies
Background • The Albatross Group of Companies • Albatross Travel Group Ltd • Success Tours Ltd • The Leisure Breaks Company Ltd • Albatross Travel Group Australia Pty • Door2Tour.com • Handle over 5,000 group movements annually • ATG UK is the largest UK-based coach wholesaler • Wholesaler of the Year 2006 & 2007
Is Group Business Cheap Business? • The average price of a coach holiday booking is: £150 pp £250 pp £350 pp • How many holidays does the average coach holiday passenger take each year? One Two Three • The average price of a package sold by ATG UK on a coach holiday (BEFORE coaching costs): • Domestic market - £160 pp • International market - £235pp - £1,165pp
The UK as a Coach Destination A very British Welcome?... Domestic versus inbound ‘Must Have’ destinations Travel by coach – or just tour by coach? Been there – done that! Accessibility issues Speaking the customer’s language Value for Money?
Who’s on That Coach? • Retired people on holiday • Foreign tourists seeing the sights • Employees on an organised event • Employees on holiday together • People celebrating and/or visiting an event • Young people & families enjoying a break • Members of private clubs & societies sharing a common interest
No such thing as a typical coach passenger ….but they are all real people that spend real money and might come back - really!
Key Players Trade bodies - CTC, GTOA, ETOA, BAWTA, CPT, ABTA Visit Britain at home and abroad Specialist trade media & show organisers Domestic and international wholesalers 400-500 key coach & group tour operators in the UK Overseas coach operators and group tour operators Major closed user groups that organise day trips and holidays Web portals
The Offer Commitment & Consultation Get local people and businesses on side Market positioning & priority audiences Get creative with your proposition Industry & local communication plans Build industry relationships Get the Welcome right Look around & don’t be afraid to copy the best!