VISIT SCOTLAND Grow your tourism business internationally Karin Gidlund, Product Manager October 2018
QUESTIONS • Is my product ready for the travel trade? • How can I explore new markets?
WHO IS ABBEY IRELAND & UK? • DMC Founded in 1978 • 5 offices in 3 locations - Dublin, Edinburgh and London • 186 members of staff • Bring 200,000 international visitors to Britain and • Ireland each year, from 62 countries • Main markets: North America, Europe, Australia Part of Abbey Group •
WHAT IS A DMC? • “Destination Management Company” B2B • One-stop shop for anything international tour • operators require Tour Operators Abbey Suppliers Worldwide
HOW DO WE WORK Contract products • Create itineraries / packages • Price the itineraries / packages • • Promote to our clients Newsletters – Online – Webinars – – Tariffs – Trade shows – Sales calls • Book and operate everything for them
TRENDS WE ARE SEEING Small groups • FITs – self-drive and train • FIT = Foreign independent / free international traveller Experiential, unique • Meet the locals • • Convenience, one-stop shop Quick turn-around on bookings •
ITINERARY CREATION We need to identify: Gateways to suit markets • – International airports – Ferry ports • Locations where there is a good selection of hotels and B&Bs – B&Bs, guest houses, unique properties – 3-5* hotels / group hotels Attractions and suppliers that work with the trade – • groups and FITs
CHALLENGES 1. Group rates 2. BAR rates 3. Group hotel space 4. Pre-book 5. Pre-pay 6. Booking forms 7. Misc.
1. GROUP RATES • Not just discounted group rates, we also require FIT rates • “Travel trade rates” – discounted rates for any business we send you When do we need your rates? March 2018 for 2019…
2. BAR RATES • Need fixed rates • Not BAR (best available) rates • With fixed rates we can quote without contacting you • Only book once confirmed Saving on time and staff resources
3. GROUP HOTEL SPACE • Lack of group hotels in some locations • To grow our businesses, we need to encourage individuals (not just groups) • Support smaller hotels, B&Bs, unique accommodation etc in your local area
4. PRE-BOOK AND FREESALE We pre-book groups If we need to pre-book individuals: a lot of admin and time Free-sale: clients turn up on the day, exchange • our voucher for a ticket, you invoice us Freesale notification: you receive a • notification when someone books with us Sample voucher Client expectation: confirmation within 4 hours
PRE-BOOK VS FREESALE Client books We contact Supplier re- We issue a The client A request is We arrange online or by the supplier / confirms voucher and visits the sent to us payment email book online booking send to client attraction Can take days, staff involved Client books Download The client visits Supplier invoices online voucher the attraction monthly / weekly 5 seconds, no staff involved
5. PRE-PAY OR CREDIT CARD To enable free-sale for FITs, a DMC would need • credit and be invoiced regularly (monthly) For groups – time and staff consuming to arrange • pre-payment for each individual booking Abbey Group - named as one of Ireland’s ‘ Best • Managed’ companies by Deloitte 2010-2018 Credit with a DMC – one UK based company, • instead of hundreds of overseas companies We take the financial risk •
6. BOOKING FORMS • If you want volume bookings, let us send you a list of our bookings • Booking forms are time consuming, and draining on staff resources This would also apply to online bookings for FITs
National Trust for Scotland Similar organisation in England Rates Trade rates – discounted rates Discounted group rates for both groups and FITs Public rates for FITs FITs Free-sale Pre-book Groups Email bookings Fill in individual forms for each group Payment Invoice monthly Pre-pay Staff Highly trained, understand Volunteers travel trade
6. MISC. • Languages • Images • “Blurbs” “Free of charge visit” No - free admission Meet & greets, cream tea etc (groups) Expert tours (groups and FITs)
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU IN RETURN? Online booking platform • Sales calls and trade shows • Annual marketing spend • • Overseas representatives Clients across the world in 62 countries • Get you into brochures overseas • • Promote you – tariffs, online, sales calls, trade shows, webinars, e-zines, newsletters etc
THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH A DMC Promotion of your products in international • brochures Access to a worldwide client network • Extensive sales network • • Innovative business development teams Regional spread of business • Security – we take the risk for you • • Partnership approach
SUMMARY • Discounted “travel trade rates” Free-sale instead of pre-booking for FITs, • where possible Work together to streamline booking and • payment process, to make it less time- consuming for all Work in partnership to promote Britain and your products
QUESTION Is my product ready for the travel trade? • Do you have trade rates? Do you offer free-sale? Do you offer credit to UK based companies? How can I explore new markets? • Let us help you!
THANK YOU!
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