I expect they will consolidate as the leases expire.

It's really sad for the folk employed at these branches
- but it's the same situation in my town and across the UK, and it has to end soon I reckon.

They are selling exactly the same products at exactly the same prices with exactly the same company policies.
First Choice vs Thomson or Thomas Cook vs MyTravel - it's just a mirage maintained by these two German giant monopolies to create the impression that the previous organisations still exist.
The costs of two real businesses maintaining two false businesses must be huge, and when one monopoly cracks and cuts costs, then I'd bet the other will follow within months.

As you say - Internet sales are eating way at volumes for both shop fronts - and that's going to continue to increase. The argument that one could in the past obtain real travel experience and advice from the shops is going away rapidly, as they cut costs by hiring cheaper inexperienced juniors, and actually, the whole selling model of the shops in these times is probably doomed.
In store they simply cannot put in the same amount of research time at zero cost that customers can put in themselves at home in just one evening on the internet.
One sees lots of posts on HT suggesting that one finds a holiday oneself on the internet, then ask the store to "beat the quote". The only way that can be possible is by cutting their margins - to the bone - and eventually eliminating the stores completely.

It's sad - but unfortunately it's the future, unless the stores can find some real added benefit for their continued existence.

According to a survey done by The British Travel Awards there are less people feeling happy to book individual parts of their holiday from different suppliers. There was also a 5% increase in the number of people who said they would seek the professionalism of agents and book through them.
One way the high street agent matches/beats internet quotes is to package their own.

According to a survey done by The British Travel Awards there are less people feeling happy to book individual parts of their holiday from different suppliers. There was also a 5% increase in the number of people who said they would seek the professionalism of agents and book through them.
One way the high street agent matches/beats internet quotes is to package their own

That's interesting.

I wonder if that has anything to do with the dramas last April due to the volcanic ash flight problem ?

We did a 7 night package in Malta through Thomas Cook - many of the guests, including a large contingent from Ireland attending a wedding, had booked flights, accommodation and local transfers separately.

When the planes were grounded those travelling home independently were left in to make their own arrangements. I believe Ryanair were particularly bad (no surprise there then ?) at helping customers, they more or less washed their hands of the whole situation.

The Irish party had to either pay for extra hotel nights or get themselves home. In the end they had to hire a coach from southern Italy to take them all the way up to one of the French channel ports to catch a boat back to Eire. I'm not entirely sure how they got to Italy, probably a ferry. It cost them megabucks of course, they were talking about approximately 900 Euros each for the bus trip alone.

Meanwhile TC kept us on in the same 4 Star hotel on the same board basis for a further 4 days until an Air Malta plane could be chartered to get everybody back to Glasgow.

It was then we realised the benefits of having booked through one of the High Street names.

Relatives who were holidaying in Tenerife at the same time had a similar experience and have vowed, in future, only to book through a big operator.

It's not so much who you book through but what you've booked - ie package, flight only etc. Package holiday makers were generally well looked after. Flight only passengers varied.
We returned home from a package to Portugal the day before it happened. The package holidaymakers, that were stuck, with the same company were looked after. Flight only with the same company had to fend for themselves.
I would still rather DIY though.

Sunaddict wrote:

According to a survey done by The British Travel Awards there are less people feeling happy to book individual parts of their holiday from different suppliers. There was also a 5% increase in the number of people who said they would seek the professionalism of agents and book through them.
One way the high street agent matches/beats internet quotes is to package their own.

I think it is a security thing, during these uncertain economic times.

A combination of worrying that small companys or airlines are going to go under. Especially the really cheap ones that DIYers tend to favor as they are on a budget. XL cut their costs so much they ended up going out of business which in the long term helps no one.

Also you know if you go on a package holiday and something goes wrong, they will try and find you a bed somewhere, whereas when you are on your own you normally have to kip at the airport or somewhere equally awful. and re-book your own flights.