Caroline Paatzsch, VIK Hotels Groups contracting director, spoke exclusively to Travel Bulletin at YouTravels 15th anniversary roadshow.
Taking to YouTravel's 15th anniversary roadshow to showcase all that's on offer across VIK Hotels, Caroline Paatzsch elaborated on the role of the UK trade, the group's unique offerings, and more.
"We're a small hotel chain with six hotels, around 2,500 rooms in total. We're in the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, and the Dominican Republic."
What does 2022/23 have in store at VIK Hotels?
"Our immediate plan is to recover from the pandemic, to get back to where we were. We also want to get back to the UK market for our Punta Cana hotels - Lanzarote and Malaga of course have strong bases in the UK market and we want to expand this to our Dominican properties.
"In terms of 2022 and 2023, we are still updating our hotels, refurbishing all our rooms in Lanzarote and we're hoping to have some big plans in store for our Punta Cana property."
How are you looking to develop your relationships with travel agents?
"We have a dedicated landing page for our agents, with exclusive discounts and commission. We're keen to strengthen our repeat clients, and I'm sure agents love working with people looking to go back to their favourite destinations after Covid-19."
What do you feel Brits are looking for at VIK Hotels?
"In Lanzarote, we've had a lot of repeat customers for many years now. Some people, especially Brits, even want the same room as they love the environment and comfort. We've very much adapted our entertainment and facilities for these kinds of customers.
With Spain as one of the most accessible destinations at the moment, have you noticed that more customers are coming round to the idea of a Spanish escape?
"Luckily, Brits booking Spain holidays was one of the markets where we didn't really notice much of a halt during the pandemic or recent events. We'd like to continue this, and we have a great agreement with YouTravel for our Malaga hotel to make it as easy as possible to book.
What's your mission statement now that you're back on the road in the UK?
"I'm here for the first time since Covid-19 specifically for our Malaga property. We don't have special agreements for our other hotels but they are, of course, ready and waiting for UK guests. We're going to be more present in the market, and this is the first step to get back to where we've been.
"Our work has to be face-to-face, and keep this contact with travel agents and tour operators. We're really focussing on the UK market - it's a strong market and we want to make the clients welcome."
