Author Topic: Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey  (Read 7864 times)

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Offline JohnF

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Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey
« on: February 09, 2016, 10:10:17 AM »
The TUI group (owners of Thomsons) are the first of the major operators to lay out exactly what this lack of confidence in travelling to Turkey has done to bookings.  They've reported that bookings are 40% down on last year with the focus shifting to Spain, Greece and the Canary Islands.

More at TD & BBC

I suspect that 2016 will be one of the most challenging seasons for a long time for many small businesses along the coast.  Lets hope they dont take the short term approach by trying to make up for the lack of customers by simply jacking up prices - that'll just hit those that have shown loyalty to Turkey by holidaying there.

JF



Offline usedbustickets

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Re: Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2016, 10:31:57 AM »
No great surprise really.  I just wonder if it will also lead to flight consolidation and cancellation, particularly in the 'shoulder' months like April, May, June and September, October??  If they do then there are reduced chances of recovering the situation later in the season, through late booking to fill plane seats.

As to whether there will be any compensatory jacking of prices.  Sadly experience has taught me that there will be a clobbering of those who do come, the only difference may be that this year the price clobbering might start earlier :(

Offline JohnF

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Re: Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2016, 11:19:45 AM »
Fairly sure there have been a few cancellations and consolidations already, couple of threads last month about flight times and dates being shifted.  They won't be the last unfortunately as the charter operators don't give toss about paying customers and juggle things around to maximise profits from those already committed.

JF

Offline davybill

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Re: Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2016, 12:46:01 PM »
We are in a hotel in Titreyengol, near Side, and its full at the moment,and its wintertime, but its lovely and sunny today.
Folks are out on their sunbeds by the pool, so the problems dont seem to have deterred them,

Offline pops

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Re: Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2016, 17:41:49 PM »
I did mention Thomson price increases in Scunners "Hesitant an Turkey" thread.
From watching prices for some friends it appears that Thomson prices have been steadily increasing since the beginning of January and it's no small price increase either.

Offline maclarke1

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Re: Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2016, 23:31:32 PM »
I think Turkey is going to struggle with tourists this year. We let our apartment out and every year for the past 3/4 years it has always been booked out by the end of Jan. This year we have one booking - they booked last year. The number of hits on our "holiday letting page" was over 400 in January 2015, it was just under a 100 January 2015. Which makes me think that tourists are going to avoid Turkey this year.

Thomas Cooke stated in the Times a couple of days ago that there booking to Spain this year are up by about 28%, they also said big increases to Greece & Portugal - no mention of Turkey!

Offline fernando torres

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Re: Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2016, 11:05:40 AM »
I looked on the Thomson site yesterday and put in the first flight out of Manchester end of March returning a week later £ 293 and stating that this was including a £ 30 online saving !!!! without baggage

Offline MarKar

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Re: Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2016, 13:23:09 PM »
End of March does coincide with the start of the school holidays though, try a week or 2 later and its much cheaper, there are some absolute bargains to be had for May.

Offline madmart

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Re: Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2016, 20:09:02 PM »
Has anyone looked at Thomson's fares for flight only for next year? They have at least doubled from last year, it really is no wonder that their bookings are down.

Thomson's appear to have changed their business model and are now whining that it does not suit them!! That therefore is their problem.

Offline Scunner

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Re: Thomsons bookings down 40% for Turkey
« Reply #9 on: February 11, 2016, 23:50:34 PM »
Absolutely agree Madmart (assuming you mean this year not next). Thomson flights are priced shockingly high up here too compared with last year. Even by Scotland standards. For what they want for October flights to Dalaman I'd be expecting a package holiday not flight only.

The prices for flights elsewhere are pretty much as bad too. 40% down this year? No surprise at all.




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