LEISURE travellers
are looking for valuefor-money
luxury
products as opposed to
more expensive options,
Sue Garrett, marketing
and product manager of
Flight Centre Holidays,
reported at the Flight Centre
Travel Group Leadership
Conference at the Sun City
Convention Centre.
Sue says, with the
introduction of good-value
luxury products, the mass
market has realised that the
highest price tag does not
necessarily mean the best
product.
She says Flight Centre
Holidays has noticed a
significant shift in demand
for all-inclusive packages
versus traditional halfboard
packages requested
on luxury holidays. “All
tour operators who offer
value luxury packages are
flourishing!” she says.
Sue adds that Flight
Centre Holidays has also
seen an increase in demand
for premium economy
over business class, and
in four-star over five-star
properties.
She says Flight Centre has
seen a marked difference
in the increase in the
number of nights spent by
luxury travellers at four-star
and entry-level five-star
properties versus deluxe
five-star properties.
Since the beginning of
the year, stays at value-formoney
luxury properties
have increased by 1 968
room nights compared with
the same time last year,
whereas stays at deluxe
five-star properties increased
by 761 room nights.
Mary Shilleto, ceo of
Thompsons Travel, says
this does not mean that
customers are settling for a
lower standard of product,
adding that if a deluxe fivestar
property is going at
a good price, it is just as
appealing.
Other industry players have
seen the same trend this
year. Theresa Szejwallo, md
of The Travel Corporation,
reports a drastic increase
in sales of budget brands
that offer luxury for less,
such as CostSaver and
Busabout. Michelle Bergset,
chief operational officer of
Pentravel, says this growing
trend has encouraged
travellers to explore valuefor-money
destinations other
than Thailand. She says
Zanzibar and Bali are two
luxury destinations where
affordable deals are offered
and are seeing a huge influx
of travellers.
For more on the FCTG
Leadership conference, see
page 6
Leisure travellers look for luxury for less
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