Tui has rolled out its accommodation-only sales platform in Ireland, a month after debuting it in the UK – and after promising agents it would eventually launch the tool to the trade.
Launched in Sweden in December, the platform offers thousands of hotels that can be booked without having to be packaged with a flight, and comes as part of Tui’s focus on dynamic packaging and accommodation-only sales rather than traditional packages.
Tui brought the platform to the UK last month, with UK and Ireland managing director Andrew Flintham confirming plans to roll it out to the trade. TTG understands the platform is not yet available to trade partners but agents can still make bookings through Tui’s website.
According to Tui, the new platform will become an “important driver for dynamic packaging”, offering a “modern way of booking holidays”.
“This new booking platform is another important development for Tui as we know our customers want to book different holidays and experiences throughout the year,” said Tui’s Ireland head Craig Morgan on Friday (4 August).
“We are hopeful that by giving customers an amazing range of hotels, along with amazing TUI customer service, that they will then stay with Tui to book flight options, destination experiences and car rental."
Tui’s new vision for distribution seeks, in part, to redress the imbalance between its sales through its own agents versus independents and other third-party agents.
"We recognise that if we don’t work with independent agencies, we’re missing out on part of the market," Tui’s commercial and business development director Richard Sofer told TTG in June. "And to be honest – [it’s] part of the market that our competitors are working with.
“From a business point of view, it makes sense, from a relationship point of view, it makes sense, [and] from the customer point of view, it makes sense.”
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