Last week, travel agent Thomas Cook, the company that invented the package holiday announced that it was borrowing £100 million in order to stay afloat during the lean winter months. The news sent shock waves through an already struggling travel industry that has experienced one of the most troubling years in recent memory. Usually popular summer destinations such as Egypt, Tunisia and Greece have been plagued by civil disorder, while common winter break destination Thailand has seen unprecedented flooding since July and many Alpine ski resorts are yet to even see a snowflake. Adding to this is the global economic climate, which sees most workers more concerned about ensuring their continual employment than booking their next summer holiday.
But while tour operators have struggled this year, independent travel providers have seen an increase in business. Is the way that we are planning, researching and booking holidays changing, or is this merely a blip in a notoriously changeable industry?
While package holiday providers have struggled to entice travellers and therefore turn a profit, the independent travel market appears to be growing. Easyjet, British Airways and Ryanair have all announced healthy profits, and online travel companies are taking a bigger share of the market each year. There has also been an increase in the popularity of websites such as Wimdu that allow people to advertise spare rooms or in some cases entire houses for holiday lettings, giving customers that are looking on finding apartments in Berlin, Paris, Madrid and a myriad of other destinations the opportunity to see new places in a way that tour operators simply cannot offer.
Gone are the days of travel agents offering a service that would otherwise be unavailable to those looking to book holidays. If travellers are planning a visit to a destination they have been to before, they can often be more knowledgable about the place than the agent dealing with them. Agents’ hands are also tied when it comes to those who want to avoid large hotels and crowds but are looking to find a break in a tourism hotspot such as Paris.
This is where sites like Wimdu come into their own. Potential holiday makers can search through all the rooms they have on offer in various cities, for example; Paris apartments. Through client testimonials and information provided by the host, you can be safe in the knowledge that you have somewhere to stay during your visit. All that is left to do is arrange travelling to and from the destination. With a host of no-frills airlines offering cheap flights and easy to follow booking instructions, extras that package holidays provide- like coach travel to and from the airport- are not required.
But how much is piece of mind worth? Not all holidaymakers are looking for unpredictable adventures. Many want safe, relaxing and hassle-free trips abroad. As long as tour operators like Thomas Cook can adapt to the changing needs of their clients, there will customers looking to have every aspect of their break planned for them. The biggest worry for them should be whether the population at large can afford to take holidays in the first place.
Tags: apartments, Wimdu, wimdu apartments
