• Thomas Cook announces no-deposit payment plan: Not uncommon in some major South American markets, the practice of paying for holiday over time is being introduced by Thomas Cook. The new payment plan means customers will be able to book a trip with no upfront deposit and then pay the balance off in monthly direct debit installments. The service began last week.

UK managing director Chris Mottershead said that the new “zero-deposit-buy-now-pay-later” offer “means that they can get the holiday in the diary now, and then spread the cost over the coming months,” adding, “Our existing direct debit payment plan is very popular with families and we expect this new offer to appeal to them too.”

The announcement of the new payment plan coincided with the launch of Thomas Cook’s summer 2019 holiday program, which went on sale at the same time.

 

• Kuoni UK to launch a new brand this summer. After having acquired Kuoni UK in 2015 and announcing at the beginning of February the takeover of Kuoni France, the German tour operator Der Touristik seems determined to transform the former Swiss-owned company. The as-yet unnamed brand will be launched at the end of June and aimed at offering a modular approach to packaging online.

Of the new brand, Derek Jones, chief executive of Der Touristik UK, said: “We have a name, we have a plan, it will be happening in the next four to five months.” He said the new brand, the first from Kuoni in a decade, would be “an online first proposition”.

The new brand will allow UK customers to make their own tailor-made trips from pre-built but fully customizable routes. To see if the new brand will be available in other markets, including France … The bets are open but the probabilities very strong!

 

• Intrepid Travel launches new campaign—hopes to change world views of travelers: Intrepid Travel has launched a new creative effort, “Be Intrepid,” aimed at encouraging people to be more open and curious about the world. James Thornton, chief executive of the Intrepid Group, said the new campaign speaks to the company’s ethos of purpose beyond profit.

“Be Intrepid is a brand platform that allows our company to talk to its purpose, values, and vision of changing the way people see the world on issues from animal welfare to child protection and gender equality,” he said.

Added Thornton, “We live in the era of Trump, Brexit and debate over same-sex marriage. There’s a notable division between those who are small minded and live in fear, and those of us who are open, optimistic and inclusive. Travel has the opportunity to create awareness, change perceptions and behaviors’. Intrepid Travel has been doing this since inception but now it seems more important than ever.”

A series of personal first-hand stories will be rolled out across Intrepid’s platforms including online and at cinemas and gyms. The Intrepid Group, which includes Peregrine Adventures, Urban Adventures, Geckos Adventures and Adventure Tours Australia, now employs 1,800 staff in 30 countries.