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Continental Tour Operators Hit by Unlicensed Work

14th March 1958, Page 117
14th March 1958
Page 117
Page 117, 14th March 1958 — Continental Tour Operators Hit by Unlicensed Work
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

APLEA that licensed Continental tour operators were facing increased competition over which they had no control from sources outside the licensing system was made by J. Smith and Co. (Wigan), Ltd., at Manchester, last week. They asked the North Western Traffic Commissioners to add a seven-day Continental tour to their excursion licences from Wigan, Southport, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Blackburn and Black pool.

Florence Motors, Ltd., Morecambe, objected to the application, which was refused.

Splitting Holidays

Mr. H. Backhouse, for Smith's, said the nine-day Continental tour was on the way out, except for long-distance cruising. People were tending to split their holidays into one week abroad and one at a British resort, and because Smith's had nothing less than nine days, they were facing competition from organizations who could offer the equivalent of a licensed tour by road or rail to London and' thence by air to Paris.

Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., who were in competition with Smith's all over the North Western area, were intensifying the drift by advertising "Easy Way" holidays to the Continent, via their express services from Lancashire to London. These connected with five-day Paris and Ostend air tours.

The effect was reflected in the figures for Smith's nine-day Paris tour, which carried 895 passengers in 1954. This dropped to 709 in 1955, 530 in 1956 and 425 in 1957. This year's bookings were 68, compared with 252 at the same time last year.

Mr. S. Moss, for Florence, said Smith's already had a wide range of tours and, if they were allowed an unlimited variety of destinations, Florence would be put out of business. The figures quoted were only those for the Paris tour. Smith's total carryings on all nine-day tours had increased.

Mr. Backhouse submitted that within the past three months the Traffic Commissioners had departed from their principle of protection and were proposing to grant Florence a 14-day Continental tour from Morecambe, restricted to picking-up points north of Garstang. This would be in direct competition with Smith's.

Previously, Florence's seven-day Paris tour had been the only linked one, but the Commissioners were now proposing to allow linking from Carlisle to Knutsford for three tours at once. Florencewould thus have four times their previous facilities in the north.

Of Smith's allowance of 50 vehicles, 15 were earmarked for the Continent only, and if traffic were lost they would stand in the garage. However, Florence had never offered more than one tour in previous seasons and could use all their vehicles on British tours if necessary.

To Lose Picking-up Points

Twenty towns, including Liverpool, Southport, Blackpool and Blackburn, where Florence had no picking-up points should not be deprived of seven-day tours in order to give Florence a monopoly.

The chairman, Mr. F. Williamson, said it was quite clear that it was intended to run a seven-day Paris tour if the application were granted. This would prove "a dagger in the back" for Florence, and might result in neither tour being economic.

[Florence Motors' application for new Continental tours to link with picking-up points in the Northern Area was heard at Blackpool last year (The Commercial. Motor, November 29, 1957). The decision has not yet been published, although the Commissioners have sent a letter to the parties indicating their decision.]


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