In our latest instalment of ITTN Talks, we caught up with Terence Murphy, Manager of Terra Travel in Craigavon, Co. Armagh!
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 and NI travel agents.
How has 2024 been for your business so far?
After a very successful 2023, we entered 2024 nervously. January was a very busy month and we finished up on January 2023, and we were very happy with that. February and March were slightly down on last year with regard to heads, which we were half expecting, but the average spend per person was up, resulting with us finishing March level with 2023. April, May, June and July we have traded up on last year and as usual we had a very strong July for last-minute holidays as clients decided they had had enough of our lovely Summer Weather.
What has been your biggest surprise so far this year?
After having one of our best years in 2023 we were very surprised to find demand in 2024 as high, if not higher, than 2023. We are finding families looking to book well into 2025 to secure the best deals and pay it off. We are finding a lot of customers have reverted to travel agents post-Covid as they had bad experience with online agencies during it. A lot more younger customers booking through us (18-30 yrs old) as they are willing to trust our advice in sourcing a suitable holiday for them.
What has been the biggest challenge to your business this year?
The biggest challenge we are finding at the moment is price matching. We are having to compete with Tour operators offering 5-7% off online. We have customers who call in and they have spotted a holiday online but wish to book through a travel agent for peace of mind. In this case, there is little work involved so we are happy to do this. It’s when you spend considerable time sourcing a holiday for clients and then they go away and come back saying they have found it cheaper online and then you have to discount the booking to secure it.
Are you seeing patterns or emerging trends or destinations for 2024/25?
We have found families are booking well in advance for Summer 2025. They want to get the best value for money normally with a free child place and like to pay it off over the year. We have a number of new destinations from Belfast including Malta and Marrakesh. Malta is proving very popular with couples and families, and we have secured quite a few bookings for 2025. Florida was fairly quiet for us in 2024 but we are noticing an increase in demand for 2025 and have already made numerous bookings for early 2025. America in general is also very busy and we are finding clients looking to travel to new cities. Most have seen New York and Las Vegas, and we are getting more enquiries for Boston, Nashville and New Orleans.
Now that we are well into Summer, are you seeing more requests for 2025 or are there still customers looking to get away in 2024?
We have found already that we have made a considerable number of bookings for 2025. We have found families are looking to book in advance and get the best deals including free child places and be able to pay them off. We have also advertised a lot of price-led holidays for 2025 and have generated considerable sales from this. At this present moment, the majority of bookings are for the next 2- 8 weeks. A lot of people are looking for a last minute get away and a number of families are willing to take their children out of school for a few days to get the better prices early September or the Halloween break.
On a more personal note, what motivates your travel? New cultures/ sun worship/ exotic cuisine/ places of historical importance/ pure relaxation?
Personally, I like to get away a few times each year. I like a couple of 7-night breaks, just to relax. My preferred destination is normally Greece as I enjoy the beach resorts and the crystal-clear water. I also find the restaurants very well prices and quality of food very high. I like a few city-breaks and like to explore new venues. My favourite European city is Malaga and I like to visit here at least once a year. It’s a beautiful city with great architecture and really good value for money. It also has a real Spanish feel to it. For a main holiday I like exploring new destinations like the Far East, India and the USA. I usually do these by car, organised tour or a cruise. To date, the most amazing food I have had was in Vietnam.
Where have you been so far in 2024, and do you have any up-coming holidays?
So far this year I have been to Malaga at the end of February, Abu Dhabi in March, Tunisia in May, Pefkos, Rhodes in July. I have a 7-night Celebrity Eastern Med cruise in a few weeks’ time, a weekend in London in September to visit Abba Voyage and my main trip of the year is at the end of October – Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
What is the funniest request you have ever had?
The funniest request we have had is lady had returned from Holidays in Costa Del Sol and unfortunately, she was bit, on the beach, by a dog. She requested we contact the tour operator and get the local rep to find the dog and get it tested for rabies (she knew where it could be found at midday each day). We sent the request off, but the dog was never apprehended.
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