In our latest instalment of ITTN Talks, we caught up with Caroline Quigley, from Keith Prowse!
In this ongoing series, ITTN speaks to members of the travel trade and gives them a platform to talk about industry trends, to celebrate successes and discuss challenges their business has faced, offering unrivalled insights into the goings on of Irish travel agents.
How has 2024 been for your business so far?
Business has been good so far this year. January and February were especially busy months for us. March was quieter but we saw strong sales for the first week in May. Overall, we are very happy with how the year is going so far.
What has been your biggest surprise this year?
One of the big surprises for us is the number of repeat customers who have booked multiple holidays with us for 2024. Testament to the quality of our holidays and our sales staff who do a terrific job looking after our customers. Customers still seem to be playing catch-up after the Covid period. We have one client who booked two future holidays with us while on holiday!
What has been the biggest challenge to your business this year?
The biggest challenge this year for us is probably the high price and fluctuating prices of airfares for a lot of destinations. The fluctuating airfares are definitely challenging for our sales team. We also launched our revamped website www.keithprowseattractions.com which was not without its own challenges!
Do you have any predictions or are you seeing patterns or emerging trends or destinations for 2024?
We are finding that our clients are making quick decisions from quote to booking. We have also seen our Sports Travel exceed expectations. We sold out for Wimbledon 2024 before Christmas, which I have never seen before.
Are you seeing longer lead times or last-minute requests?
We are seeing different lead time patterns across our different brands. We are getting a lot of last minute bookings on our London Theatre Breaks and Sports Breaks for our Keith Prowse brand. However, we are seeing longer lead times on our Institute for CultureTravel brand where clients are already booking for early 2025 for our music and culture holidays.
On a more personal note, what motivates your travel? New cultures/ sun worship/ exotic cuisine/ places of historical importance/ pure relaxation?
It really depends on who I am travelling with! I am definitely more of a city person than a sun worshipper! I am a big fan of short city breaks and exploring new cities. I enjoy 24-36-48 hours of exploring in a city. You can see a lot in a short time and I love to walk and take in the sights and museums. When travelling with the family, it’s a bit different and a pool and relaxation take priority. For the past couple of years, we have gone to El Delfin Verde on the Costa Brava for our family holiday. The pools and facilities are top class and keep my 8 and 10 year olds well entertained. My work definitely influences my travel and I know I am very lucky to get to explore new places.
What is your dream holiday, and why?
My dream holiday is to travel through Vietnam – It’s been on my bucket list for a long time. I would also love to return to Australia and visit friends that I have not seen for many years.
Where is 2024 taking you?
I am not long back from a fabulous 48-hours in Venice, where we had a choir singing in the beautiful Santa Maria church as part of the Venice Choral Festival. I’m heading off to Eindhoven with my sons football team in a couple of weeks and we are taking the boys to Efteling Theme Park as part of the adventure so I am looking forward to that. And then it’s off to Spain for the family holiday at the end of June so a busy couple of months coming up. I am also planning on visiting Marseille with a friend at the end of the Summer. I lived there for a year 25 years ago and have not been back since so I am excited to see how the city has progressed.
