AIRTOURS, the holiday operator, has signed a three-year, eight-figure deal with Teletext to publish all its products on the service`s various platforms and to develop technologies for distributing holidays.
Teletext, which is 90pc owned by the Daily Mail Group Trust, is well-known for its analogue service on ITV and Channel 4. Sales of holidays and leisure flights via the service currently account for 10pc of the total market and 40pc of the distribution of late deals within the United Kingdom.
However, the company wants to capitalise on its position by selling more holidays over new media such as digital TV and the mobile internet. The deal with Airtours, which is the first of its kind for either group, will see the two companies work together to develop and exploit new and evolving forms of digital media.
Both companies will invest in making the new technology. “We are developing technology that places offers direct from the operator`s database on to all of Teletext`s platforms,” said Lawrence Lawson, commercial director of Teletext.
“It will allow them to input offers once and update them, live, on all of our platforms - analogue, digital and internet - in one go.” Mr Lawson added: “This deal has secured guaranteed content for us and means Airtours is dealing with a major player which is increasing its presence in new media.”
Seamus Conlon, deputy managing director of Airtours Holidays said: “We see Teletext as a major advertising medium for our holidays and are pleased to be developing distribution channels and new technologies for the future.”
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