PRICE WARS
Our two biggest golf travel operators are set for battle. Will we see the benefit?
A price war looks set to erupt in the golf
travel market as two of the UK’s biggest
firms prepare to duke it out!
Your Golf Travel.com – now Europe’s
leading golf travel company after acquiring
previous No.1 Inta Group last month – and
arch-rival Golfbreaks.com are about to go
toe-to-toe in the war for UK golfers’ custom.
This battle could prove great news for
British golfers looking to pick up some
bargain breaks abroad.
After taking over the assets and brands of
the bankrupt Inta Group for an undisclosed
sum, Your Golf Travel.com’s managing
director Andrew Harding is buoyant and says
golfers everywhere should rejoice too.
“Prices will be coming down,” he promises.
“We’ve always been price-conscious and
committed to driving prices down.
“The Inta Group ran into difficulties
because they were badly affected by the
discount pricing models operated by
ourselves and Golfbreaks.com.
“So this is fantastic news for golfers.
We’re totally committed to giving golfers the
lowest price – that’s our whole ethos.”
Golfbreaks.com are equally upbeat and
confident about their chances, being set to
report year-end revenues of more than
£20m, bolstered by three consecutive
months of record-breaking bookings.
Online Marketing Manager Michael Birch
said: “We’ve had a 60% increase in the number
of golfers making bookings this year.”
The holiday and short break market is
fiercely competitive and this is one of the key
factors that is benefiting golfers according to
Golfbreaks.com supremo Andrew Stanley,
who says: “We offer breaks to over 900
venues across the UK, Europe and further
afield and I believe 90% of those have lower
prices than they did this time last year.”
And the odds are that prices will continue
to tumble, meaning it could be a case of
survival of the fittest… and cheapest.
Who will land the knockout blow? Only
time will tell, but for now it seems the real
winners will be the British golfer.
| SHOCK DEMISE OF INTA GROUP |
|
The Inta Group hit the buffers with
massive debts and ceased trading in late
October, the downfall of the then No.1 UK
golf travel company being blamed on the
economy and general recession.
Inta’s collapse affected hundreds who
had booked holidays with them, but Inta’s
membership of ABTA fortunately means
most will get the chance to cancel and rebook.
Confirmed Andrew Harding whose
Your Golf Travel.com has taken over the
stricken company:” Nobody has lost any
money – everybody who booked with Inta
can get their monies back and re-book
their holidays with us at a discount.”
Inevitably though there are victims and
the big losers are the suppliers – the
hotels and resorts who apparently are
owed an estimated three million euros.
Inta Group’s brands included
established operators such as 3D Golf,
Bill Goff Golf Tours and Longshot. All
these, say Your Golf Travel.com, will
remain visible in the market place.
|
IN THE RED CORNER
YOUR GOLF TRAVEL.COM
Started: July 2005.
Employs: 60 people at its London HQ.
Position in market: No.1
Top deal: £1 for the group organiser accompanied by three
others (paying a discounted rate of £79 each) on a UK break.
Holidays sold in 2009: Booked in excess of 100,000 golfers.
IN THE BLUE CORNER
GOLFBREAKS.COM
Started: 1988 by founder and CE Andrew Stanley.
Employs: 80 people based at Windsor, Berkshire, HQ.
Position in market: No.2
Top deal: Three nights’ self catering at La Torre Resort,
Murcia, Spain, plus three rounds, from £155.
Holidays sold in 2009: 130,000 golfers booked in 2009.
