Escape Travel is enlisting the help of real-life parents and social media as it seeks to position itself as a specialist within the family travel space.
Adelaide mum Bianca Wordley was on Friday named the family holiday reviewer for the retailer, winning three major holidays and the opportunity to share her experiences with the public.
Her appointment follows a competition which saw “hundreds” of entries flood in, Escape Travel general manager Mark Hodgson revealed.
“We see family travel as one of the biggest growth segments in our business. We’ve always appealed to families but now’s the time to really take it to another level with regards to how we’re speaking and delivering our holiday expertise to them," he told Travel Today.
"There is a certain level of knowledge and expertise that families need to have a great holiday so we're getting some real information, knowledge and expertise from real mums and dads – I don't think it gets any better than that."
While there are a number of smaller niche operators that service the sector well, nobody is tackling it on a “broad scale”, according to Hodgson.
“Having 145 stores around the country, we think we can position ourselves as specialists within the space.”
Social media has been a "big part" of Escape's strategy over the last 12 months, with Hodgson pointing to its strong Facebook following of 175,000 fans along with its high level of engagement.
Meanwhile, he revealed the US has really gained momentum as a family travel destination over the last 12 months, and was unfazed by the dollar’s weakening.
“Airfares are the main barometer for people,” he said. “If airfares remain competitive, demand will stay strong.”
