SCOTTISH ENTREPRENEUR LAUNCHES ONLINE TRAVEL SUPERMARKET

Award-winning Scottish travel agent Douglas McCarthy has launched the FIRST ever online travel and holiday shop at www.in2hols.com where you can book anything from package holidays to car hire from the comfort of your armchair.

The site’s unique data marketing system means it is the only one to offer such a broad selection of ‘Dynamic Packaging’ suppliers which means you can keep up to the minute with the latest deals and special offers that have been specifically tailored to your individual needs – and no junk mail.
Prompted by an increased demand from the public to book online, this is the only travel agent to launch an all encompassing online holiday booking service which gives the public their very own electronic travel agency offering the widest selection of operators which are all bookable online.

Douglas McCarthy set up McCarthy Travel Ltd with his father Bill, in Bathgate, central Scotland in 1986. McCarthy says: “Back then it was all about people getting the best holiday to suit their needs and budget through a local service of industry knowledge – what I am offering is a travel agency services online, giving the best of the travel trade industry knowledge available through the internet.

We are offering many of the major players in the industry such as Airtours, Expedia, Thomas Cook, Cosmos, Royal Caribbean, Direct Holidays, Super breaks, Holiday Extras and much more. Other companies will join as they develop their technology. With the special software we have behind this site, www.in2hols.com is able to offer the public what they want when they want it.”

McCarthy dreamed up the idea of a holiday supermarket online last summer, and by chance met Glasgow based IT specialist Ian Barclay, on holiday in the Caribbean. Ian’s speciality is data marketing which is key to the workings that make tailor made travel very possible and personal on www.in2hols.com.
“By registering at www.in2hols.com, you will be kept in touch with the best offerings for your favourite destinations as they become available. That’s one of the best features of my new venture.” says McCarthy. “You enter the destination , accommodation type , departure airports , and our system keeps you in touch with UP TO THE MINUTE special offers only travel agents or individual travel providers SUPPLY. Our site is able to search many different products at one time to build a holiday which is truly tailor made, giving you great value and choice as you have requested. This ‘dynamic packaging’ means we can offer far more than any one company and the public deserve this service.”
Tour operators and airlines are supportive of www.in2hols.com. Travel industry veteran, Steve Endacott, chief executive of On Holiday Group (formerly ceo of Airtours) says: “The offline to online channel is absolutely vital for any small business to get an internet presence. If an agent has a strong presence in the local community, trust and brand heritage, they’d be daft not to use that business strength on the internet. Customers on the internet are looking for specialists who can deliver high quality holidays in a tailor made fashion rather than the traditional one size fits all, offered by a lot of the major tour operators. Dougie sees this opportunity, and is driving full steam ahead to exploit it. I wish more agents had his get up and go to make things happen!”

Gordon McCreadie, national account manager for Cosmos Air/Somewhere2Stay, said: “This concept is very exciting. It’s unique, I don’t know of anyone else offering the depth of product in this way. It seems to be a one stop shop where you can buy everything from flight only, to hotels and apartments, to attraction tickets, to a cruise. We have seen a move away from customers buying a traditional package holiday to putting together their own tailor made holidays and what Douglas McCarthy is offering is the way to do it!”

Craig Davidson, Business Development Manager at Flexibletrips a Thomas Cook Company says: “We are really pleased to be involved with www.in2hols.com – it offers holidaymakers a great choice of options and makes it easy to book.”

Sharon Wilson, district sales manager Scotland, Cumbria, Isle of Man for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises says: "Bill McCarthy Travel has been a great supporter of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line over many years. This new online venture is an innovative step for this independent agency and we at Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises wish Douglas McCarthy every success and look forward to working together in the future."

Ian Scott, Head of Sales and Operations, Direct Holidays UK & Ireland says: “It’s easy to use, it gives you access to every possible travel need you may have.”
McCarthy aims to make www.in2hols.com a household name, and has already developed www.in2sun.com and a range of other specialist sites for travel and holidays.