Travel agencies might start to charge for holiday brochures
By Darren Cronian on Saturday, October 25th, 2008

Interesting survey undertaken by Travel Weekly, which highlights that 64% of those who took part want to charge consumers for holiday brochures. It is outrageous that travel companies could think about charging consumers for what is marketing material.

Travel agencies might start to charge for holiday brochures

Hat Tip: Travel Weekly

Very few travel agencies provide comfortable seating areas where you could sit down and look through the brochure, so if we are going to be charged to take it away then I would do all of my research online, visit the agency, if they cannot book the holiday I want, I will book it online.

Bye bye high street travel agent

If the travel agency asked me to pay a minimal fee and if I returned the brochure, I would get a refund that sounds fair. This reminds me of the 80’s growing up though, when you took your lemonade bottle back to the shop to get some money back.

Greed or the environment

The environment issue, yes, I can imagine how high those non-recyclable brochures are stood, but rather than charging consumers why not provide free PDF brochures online. This benefits the environment and it means that we are not going to be charged yet another ridiculous fee.

Travel agencies have to be careful; they do not want to be cutting off their nose off to spite their face. I am interested to read what you think about this issue.


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8 responses to “Travel agencies might start to charge for holiday brochures”

Andy Hayes | 25 October, 2008 at 8:48 am

That’s ridiculous. Banks don’t charge you to take home a leaflet on their account types and services. The local grocery doesn’t charge you for a copy of their flyer with that week’s specials and deals. I don’t charge people for my business card or handouts in hopes they’ll hire me for a writing project.

If I was charged for a promotional flyer, I’d think twice about booking with that company, because it sends a negative message: if they can successfully charge me for the flyer, what else will they try to charge extra for? The sky is the limit so consumers have to vote with their wallet!

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Darren Cronian | 25 October, 2008 at 8:54 am

@ Andy

I agree it’s ridiculous, but it’s not a leaflet, but a hefty brochure, which is not printed on recycleable paper, and is not environmentally friendly. That said, charging for it is not going to make consumers go into their shops, if it means paying for a brochure.

In my opinion, I do not think that they have thought about this properly.

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Nick | 25 October, 2008 at 12:33 pm

Darren,
This came on the back of a story that a travel agency has started charging for brochures. They charged £1 to let you take them away and give you £5 off when you booked. As currently a travel agency gives out 30 -40 brochures per booking (at cost of around £7 for the larger ones) it makes sense to cut this down. The vote was who is in favour of this.

Oh and btw brochures in the whole are printed on recyeable paper, we have no problem in send our extras to be recycled.

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Nathan Midgley | 26 October, 2008 at 12:28 am

Hi Darren,

Yes, what Nick says is right. I agree that the phrase ‘charging for brochures’ sounds bad on first hearing (mainly because it’s counter to what we’re used to) but-

- Consumers make the money back (with interest) if they make a booking
- The scheme cuts down on waste
- It worked – the agency’s sales rose 20% in July and August

IMO it’s a gutsy move and it seems to have paid off.

One other thing: you say ‘instead of charging, why not provide brochures as pdfs’ – which’d be great, but isn’t within a travel agency’s power because they don’t produce the brochures. Best they could do would be to put pressure on operators to produce and distribute pdf versions.

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Rohan | 26 October, 2008 at 11:05 am

If they started to charge for me to use the brochure then I would not go into a travel agency. Even if as Nathan suggested that you would get a refund back with interest. We usually go into 3 or 4 agencies to collect one brochure to find the best deals.

I might as well do that online now.

I am surprised that sales rose 20% I would like to see more stats behind that, as they could be clouded by the fact that more people I think were looking for last minute deals this year due to the poor weather.

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Darren Cronian | 26 October, 2008 at 11:20 am

@ Nick & Nathan

Apologies, I jumped in rant mode without the full facts. Okay though, if the money is returned then fair enough, and yes I guess it would cut down on waste, and like Rohan I would like to know more about this 20% sales increase.

PDF’s in my opinion would be the solution.

@ Rohan

I agree, whilst I do not use brochures to be completely honest, I do know of people who visit a few local agencies, pick up 1 brochure from each place that interests them and go home, relax and go through them.

People won’t do that now, and instead you’ll find more people researching online. That’s fine for the agencies that do business online, but for those small agencies who do not then I think they could struggle to get people through the door.

I would like to read the comments from a few independents and see what they say.

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Nick | 29 October, 2008 at 1:33 pm

Darren

The other thing is when people come in and we ask can we help you; we often get the reply just browsing. If there was a charge they may take us up on the offer, so they get the correct brochures. You be surprised at the number of brochures that are taken because:

1) Well it said Spain and I want an apartment (having taken a hotel only brochure)
2) Just after something to read while I am having lunch
3) I used to live there/ always want to go there, so just keep them so friends can see.
Or other similar reasons.

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David Wood | 11 November, 2008 at 4:17 pm

Darren
As a travel agent of more years than I care to remember I feel that charging would cut waste and costs for all.

1) The brochures are not “free” , the cost has been absorbed into the holiday price.

2)Many folk book direct or via the internet, they then go into a travel agency and ask for a copy of the brochure, having been advised to by the operator! Does the public expect that as they have booked direct the travel agent should provide offices,staff and expertise simply to supply someone who clearly will not ne making a booking with them.

3) Boredom as families wait for parents/wifes in Tesco or the like also prompts pickup. Once the shopping is done, the brochure ends up in the bin.

Travel agents are “professional” people, mostly, and should be applauded for attempting to cut down on waste and encourage responsible behaviour from the general public.

3)

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