ABTA TC2012: Hoseasons launches new collection
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Hoseasons has launched a new accommodation type to its portfolio named Daisy Door.
The new option has been developed from market research which found a need for multiple units in one for groups or families with consistency and the ability to connect with the local community. Its launch comes as more people holiday together or take a trip to celebrate a special occasion.
The first four Daisy Door properties will open in Looe, Cornwall; Colwell Bay, Isle of Wight; Ayrshire, Scotland and Harrogate, Yorkshire next year. Sites will include free WiFi, walking and cycling routes and a pub available nearby.
“This has come from a combination of people wanting bricks and mortar but a cluster of accommodation with flat screen TVs, DVDs and quality linen,” added Pali Badwal, managing director of Hoseasons Holidays at the ABTA Travel Convention on the launch.
As well as the new collection Hoseasons will also add five new Autograph properties next year and will have 10 more under the Evermore brand. Zena Calderbank, head of sales at the company said travel agents have embraced its niche products and has led to double-digit growth for the Autograph and Go Active brands. Cowley encouraged agents to sell a domestic break while customers are booking their next summer holiday, while Thomas Cook is selling domestic holidays as part of its ancillary products.
The new option comes as Hoseasons announced a rise in summer bookings this year. The company had 240,000 guests in the six-week holidays, up 9% on 2011, with a 24% rise in bookings taken in the six weeks to be taken in the six-week period.
Geoff Cowley, managing director of The Hoseasons Group said the bad weather, Olympics and Jubilee had disrupted bookings rather than halt them but the company has sold more discounted holidays after changing its marketing plans to suit the price conscious market.
