ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Julian Tours, the first and only tour operator
to join ARC, pulled the direct-booking function off its Web site.
When consumers click on "reserve now," they see a page that
reads "Contact your local travel agent!" Randy Julian, president of
the 20-year-old operator, said.
"We wanted to make a positive statement to the travel agency
community. We feel our growth is tied directly to building
relationships with travel agencies, and the direct-booking aspect
of our Web site was inconsistent with that," Julian said in an
interview.
The Web site has been up since 1997 for the company's student
tours. The leisure section, featuring the firm's escorted
motorcoach tours, was added in August, with a direct-booking
function that never generated a lot of sales, he said.
The new page reads "Julian Tours is committed to local agents --
people in your community who are ready to serve your travel needs
with speedy, top-quality service. After you have selected a Julian
Tours package, contact your local travel agent to book your
tour."
The page invites consumers to contact Julian Tours "if you need
help finding a local agent."
Julian said, "Here in the Mid-Atlantic, we'd naturally try to
refer callers to travel agencies we're familiar with and that have
sold us. For other parts of the country, I guess we'd pull out our
trusty ASTA directory.
"Later this year," he said, "we may do some links with
individual travel agencies or organizations."
The operator's tours can be sold on ARC tour orders and reported
in the regular weekly ARC sales report. Commissions start at 13% on
land portions, 10% on air.
The Web address is www.juliantours.com.