The app is the first of its kind and will be a ‘one stop shop’ for all the information that Thomson customers need at their fingertips, once they have booked their holiday.
TUI Travel, a FTSE 100 company and owners of Thomson, is introducing the MyThomson app as the summer holiday season gets underway. The app is the first of its kind and will be a ‘one stop shop’ for all the information that Thomson customers need at their fingertips, once they have booked their holiday.
With a portfolio of 240 brands, TUI Travel is Europe’s largest and most successful leisure travel company with a track record of innovation. The MyThomson app is an exciting industry first and will act as a blueprint that will be rolled out to other TUI Travel brands across Europe. The app includes:
- Flight information, from check-in times to luggage allowances
- Maps to help customers plan their journey to get to the airport, whether by car, bus or train
- Destination guides and ‘Top 10’ must-sees
- Weather updates
- Links to Facebook and Twitter so that friends and family can stay in touch.
Johan Lundgren, Deputy Chief Executive of TUI Travel, said: “TUI Travel is an online driven business and we will continue to enhance our mobile offering. The launch of the MyThomson app is an exciting new way of connecting our customers with Thomson anytime, anywhere, anyway. Innovation is at the heart of our strategy to deliver future growth, and the launch of the MyThomson app reflects our position as market leader. The annual summer holiday is a significant purchase for our customers and we know that they not only spend time choosing and planning their holiday but also looking forward to it. The app is a fantastic way to get customers more excited about their holiday and will help them keep up to date with all the information they need in one place, just a tap away.”
Rolling out innovation on the High Street
One of the key aspects of our strategy is selling directly to our customers through multiple channels, and so our retail network remains important to us. With 700 Thomson shops on the High Street in the UK, TUI Travel is set to harness technology to attract customers in-store with the launch of their first next generation of shops in the summer. The emphasis of these new shops will be on service in a modern environment.
Kathryn Ward, Director of Retail and Financial Services for TUI UK & Ireland, said: “Our next generation store recognises the importance of people when it comes to choosing and booking a holiday, whilst integrating technology into the whole experience to really bring it to life. Customers will be able to immerse themselves in stunning, rich and evocative content as they research and browse our unique holidays in-store.”
Thomson’s first next generation shop will open in late summer and its location will be confirmed next month. By Christmas, a further 10 stores will be refitted with the new design and it is planned that 100 shops will be ‘next generation’ in the coming few years.
Key features of the next generation Thomson shops include:
- The shop front will have a giant immersive video wall (2m x 3m) to showcase new video content and imagery of the holidays combined with evocative sounds and aromas
- At the entrance an interactive map and interactive table will entertain customers and help them research holidays and find out more about the broad range of product available
- The Advice Bar will give customers the chance to browse the Thomson and First Choice websites on self-service laptops with staff on hand to answer any questions
- Free customer WI-FI will also enable customers to use their own devices to research in store and check out review content
- High definition screens and booth projections around the store will feature changing images and videos to inspire customers and give them a feel of what to expect from their holidays before they book
- The store will be zoned to meet the needs of all customers and staff will join them to help with their holiday decisions.
- Customers can choose from sitting around a laptop in the pool area, self-serving at the Advice Bar or have a more personalised experience in the booths where images of their chosen holiday will be projected on the wall
- All customers will be served with barista style coffee to further enhance the booking experience.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
