Tour Operators who book ferry crossings for clients need to be able to so via their own websites. Not many companies who offer self drive holidays do so. This is often due to the high cost of booking charges and the lack of suitable software!

Happily, Mach Associates are one of the very few reservations technology suppliers that has developed their own on line ferry booking facilities. This includes Eurotunnel too! This allows us to keep the cost within reach of even the smallest operator.

The ability to book all packaged components in one transaction ensures that the booking is captured without the customer going elsewhere. Our MARS software is completely up to date (unlike some!) so features like bookable seats and cabins for the disabled can be reserved at the time of booking - no half measures. Some operators (a commercial decision) also offer a facility to compare ITX rates with the latest 'special offers' near to departure date so that customers can be sure that they are getting the best 'package' price.

So for the best option in Ferry and Eurotunnel bookings see www.machassociates.com

Mach Associates are members of ABTOF - The Association of British Travel Organisers to France. This is the body that provides a forum for all travel and travel related companys who sell products to France, the UK's biggest destination in terms of travellers.

We are members because we offer software and services that have a direct bearing to many ABTOF members. Principally these are our MARS reservations system and our VOIP/PBX telephone system. Both offer 'real' technology that benefits the user and their customers.

MARS has links to Ferry operators and Low Cost Airlines that allow travel organisers to book these travel options for their clients as part of a dynamic package. The customer gets the travel arrangements they want at the price they want to pay while the travel company offers a competive product that has decent margins - everyone is happy (we hope).

I was really sorry to hear that Apartments Abroad has ceased trading today, it will leave a big gap in the market. Ian Thirlwell and his team will be sorely missed by us all. I wish them all a speedy return to employment.

With the current freezing weather in the UK making it difficult or impossible for staff to get to work, technology is the answer to the problem!

Mach Associates' MARS Tour Management System delivers the right solution that ensures bookings continue to be taken, regardless if staff can make it to the office. MARS is a web browser based software application so users can login from any PC (providing they meet security criteria, of course) so if your call centre staff are snowed in at home or have made it as far as their Granny's house they can still take bookings. There is one major problem you are thinking, how do they get their telephone calls? Easy, MARS has an optional integrated VOIP telephone system so users can either take their phones from work or use their own handset and be linked to the call centre as a remote worker - brilliant! It saves time and really saves on costs!

So the next time your business is the victim of the weather, think how a small investment with Mach Associates can save your business money.

I see from a report by PwC that they expect the ski sector to have a particularly hard time, in terms of bookings, this year. But later on operators are saying that bookings have improved. What is happening?

It appears that the economy is forcing a change in booking patterns. The ski market is turning into a 'lates' market. People are waiting for last minute bargins and not taking as many breaks, for example instead of taking three short breaks skiing they may take one week but delay booking until late. So booking values are up but numbers are down!

Flexibility is the key word in any market sector and particularly so for those in a state of flux. Our client www.skiweekends.com is better placed than many. They have changed their product range considerably and now offer, what I consider to be one of the best ranges of ski product in the market today! As well as offering their traditional 'Ski Weekends' by coach from the Southeast of England they offer a great mix of Dynamic Packages based on low cost flights from all over the UK. In addition they now give clients the option of a wide range of ski destinations based on a new 'Fly Drive' option using Pierre & Vacances hotels. All products are bookable on line.

Don't just book it, book it on our MARS reservations software

Welcome to 2010 everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the holidays

The travel industry in general and tour operators in particlar are facing another tough year but most everyone I know are optimistic about the prospects for the new year. That is either they expect to improve business or simply survive but after the events of December 2009 we all hope that there will not be anymore failures.

The only crumb of comfort is that there may be more business around for the remaining tour operators. Just one small reminder - do not forget to make sure you have the best technology you can afford, if in doubt call me.

The recent loss of two well established tour operators, Allbury Travel and Globespan is a sombre reminder to travel companies and the wider public about what a precarious state the travel industry is in.

Is it me or are there some dark forces at work? E Clear a credit clearing company seem to be involved closely with putting Allbury and Globespan into administration. From their reporting, the press seem to be inferring that it was a deliberate act? If so why? The only reason could be money, surely. But who would have the most to gain and why on the face of it put major customers out of business?

Is the implication that E Clear engineered the travel companies demise to avoid making payments? In the case of Allbury Travel they had a financial interest, allegedly, so why let them go under?

As you can see there are more questions than answers at the moment, hopefully we will begin to get the answers as time goes by. Either way it is shaping up to be a major story in the travel industry's history.

I see from the travel trade press in the UK that the numbers of Travel Agents using bed banks to create dynamic packages has increased sine the CAA/Travel Repubic court case!

As I have said previously, I believe that the travelling publics interests are best served by using dynamic packages offered by tour operators. This provides not only expertise on the destinations offered but also and most importantly, the financial security of ATOL/ABTA or TTA covereage. There is no ambiguity about the security offered by Tour Operators in these cases. I fully accept that most travel agents offer great financial security, in the case of dynamic packaging - while there is cause to doubt i.e. an appeal by the CAA in the court case and then clear protocols for the future - we should always recommend the safest route, which is Tour Operator's who offers DP.

Of course Tour Operators do need to have the right reservations technology in order to offer customers DP products that work and that technology much offer real value for money. Naturally, the Mach Associates - MARS software offers just that. With links to major bed banks like Traveco, HotelConnect and P&V plus other suppliers like Multicom and Holidayautos life could not be easier! MARS is offered on a rental basis so little by way of capital expenditure is required. The real bonus is that because users pay rental fees these are tax deductible at source. the MARS WEBOOKIT Internet Booking Engine adds fully integrated booking pages to existing websites.

Tour operators have to think of new and different product ideas to offer the public. However, to get these ideas to the market quickly they do need to use the right technology. We at Mach Associates have a few thoughts!

Our MARS booking technology offers a wide range of links to suppliers so that tour operators can book transport and accommodation without having to take expensive allocations. These can be booked online by clients. Now we offer Car Hire links to Holidayautos which can book transport for the duartion of a clients stay as part of a fully financially protected holiday

But of course as a tour operator your might want to think a little out of the box! Why not sell car hire only? Cars and even Vans (invaluable to Golfers and Skiers!)can be booked as a stand alone item anywhere in the world - so why not make a few extra quid?

No sooner do we announce the signing of GolfPlanet Holidays as the latest users of our 'MARS' Tour Operator reservations software than two of the best names in the Golf Holidys business go bust! They cannot have been that worried - surely!!!

On a serious note, it is very sad to see more travel trade jobs disappear. 3D Golf and Longshot Holidays and the disappearance of other brands in the Intra Group will make a big impact on the Golf Holidays sector as a whole. The challange for the remaining tour operators will be to use their websites to ensure that they can gain additional business 'online'. GolfPlanet Holidays and particulary their French Golf Holidays brand have signed up specifically to sell holidays online. Great timing for them!

While on the subject of Golf Holidays I must not for get to mention our other Golf Holidays specialist, customer - Driveline Golf. They book holidays worldwide for individuals and groups. Like all our customers they make air and ferry/Eurotunnel bookings for the transport elements of their packages.