Kiwis not Cancelling despite AB Loss

Kiwis not Cancelling despite AB Loss

House of Travel is seeing no cancellations to travel plans as a result of the All Blacks’ shock loss to France yesterday.

New Zealand largest privately owned travel company currently has 1,700 customers away on formal tours throughout the United Kingdom and Europe, with the World Cup rugby games the main draw card.

Brent Thomas, retail director for the House of Travel remarked that while the Rugby World Cup was the instigator for the tours, there was no doubt customers were also looking at the tours as a holiday.

“There are a dozen or so different tours which take in all sorts of sites and areas of interest, in fact there is even a tour which specialises in farming. Events, such as the remembrance service at Passchendaele are a huge draw card for new Zealanders wishing to pay their respects and honour the past.

Because of the type of tours we have arranged people aren't cancelling, sure there is huge disappointment that the All Black’s are no longer a contender but the tours are varied and allow people to have a great trip in addition to the rugby.”

Thomas said that 90% of the customers were travelling together as couples, which again showed the diversity and appeal the tours provided.

House of Travel has 35 coaches in Europe at the moment all with professional tour managers onboard to ensure the tours run smoothly. Former All Blacks will be rotated around the tour coaches every few days to give customers the opportunity to mix and mingle with more than just one. Former All Blacks include Brian McKechnie, Bill Bush, Steve Gordon, Jock Ross, Stephen Bachop, Graeme Bachop, John Time, Arran Pene, Melodie Robinson (Black Fern) and former Wales and British Lions captain John Dawes.

Thomas commented that the tours were huge for the company and Christchurch based House of Travel Young and Lee, who specialise in sporting tours.

“We had to put on our own charter flights for our groups between Cardiff/Nice and Cardiff/Amsterdam as the scheduled flights could not cope with our numbers. Not many people realise that one in 50 people at the RWC final will be a House of Travel customer. It’s just such a real shame we won’t be cheering for the AB’s but regardless it will be a fantastic sporting event, the crowd will be hugely vocal especially if the French make it.”ENDS

The House of Travel Group has forecasted turnover in of $8000m for 2007, it has 90 retail outlets (with specialist corporate, adventure and leisure and group travel outlets) throughout New Zealand, its own award winning aggregated booking website www.houseoftravel.co.nz and two wholesale companies (both inbound and outbound). It employs in excess of 1,100 people and is privately owned (by New Zealander Chris Paulsen) and operated since it was established in 1987.

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