Interview: Holiday Extras group CEO Matthew Pack

So what can travel agents expect in terms of Holiday Extras’ product offering? Transfers and car hire are both fairly new propositions and both will be “relaunched shortly”, with the user journey improved for both agents and consumers. Pack adds that while Holiday Extras has tried car hire in the past, he believes this time it’s here to stay.

“We’re very happy with the start... we try to make the whole booking process as simple as possible. We have a good number of partners who will sell the whole range now.”

Elsewhere, the company plans to double its insurance business in the next five years, while lounges are very popular and growing and there is “oodles” of growth to come in parking and hotels. I ask whether there are any new products up Pack’s sleeve, perhaps ones that haven’t been thought of before.

“We’re always looking,” he answers. “There are definitely things in the background we’re working on. We’ve spent a good amount of money – and two years – getting the system to a place where it can accept lots of products quite easily.”

He adds after a pause: “Our mission at the moment is to offer the partner, the travel agent and the customer one search for everything.

“I’ve been working on that for about five years and it’s probably coming into effect to a good percentage this year – and next year in a big way.

“Hopefully all our partners – direct, intermediary and retail – should have that capability by 2020.”

Conscious that, like travel agents, brands such as Holiday Extras have to contend with the direct- sell drive of some hotels and airports, I ask Pack what the future looks like.

“No one’s got a monopoly in that market yet, it’s still nicely fragmented – especially hotels,” he tells me, before adding: “The travel agent is not going away. More than 4,000 different Abta numbers have made a booking with us in the last year.

“We don’t wish we got all our bookings [direct]. We like to have a good spread.”

And will an increase in consumer awareness around sustainability affect the business’s areas of focus?

“Some 2% of our customers are parking with electric cars now and we’re getting more into offering them a way of charging it up while they’re away,” Pack reveals.

“We also believe 5-10% of cars on the road will be autonomous [driverless] by 2030. We’re making a serious plan for that. They’ve got to go somewhere, but do they need to park?” he questions.

As proof of the company’s focus on exploring this, Holiday Extras now has an autonomous electric vehicle and mobility team.

And what of Pack himself?

He insists the company is not looking for another sale, adding the second MBO renewed enthusiasm and the plan for the next five years.

“We’ve got a really good five-year plan to grow the size of the business and we may need some help acquiring other businesses along the way,” Pack reveals, although he won’t give details of any possible impending mergers or acquisitions.

“I’ll have to keep that under my hat,” he teases.

As part of last year’s MBO, Gerry and Carol Pack stepped down as non-executive directors, although both still offer advice and guidance.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Pack adds. “I have a young family and live nearby. I’m here as long as I can carry on adding value and making a difference.”

Mottoes

“No fun, no point”; “be one team”.

Studies

Cambridge Business College and Bournemouth University, achieving a diploma in business and a BSc in information systems management.

Hobbies

Adrenaline sports including snowboarding, skiing and windsurfing “whenever I get the chance”.

Place

India, with his latest two family trips to the country organised by Trailfinders.

Twitter

@matthewpack