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.