Paul Bamber

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Seligo An example of a successful e-mediary?
Work in Progress
Paul Bamber Birmingham College of Food, Tourism
and Creative Studies
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Background

• Consultancy work for Seligo, 2005\2006
• Conversations with Chief Executive of Seligo
  David Cockerton
• Independent tour operator continuing to be being
  transformed by the development of online travel
  sales

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Seligo

• Supplying inventory for infomediaries
• www.travelsupermarket.com
• www.teletext.co.uk
• Servicing requests from the leading Uk tour
  operator
• Turnover of over 25 million (Seligo, 2006)
• Massive shift to internet booking since 2005

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Aims and Objectives

• To examine Seligo as a case study for the
  changing online travel market
• To critically examine drivers for the growth in
  online travel business
• Can the development of Seligo help to clarify \
  develop the idea of e-mediaries \ online
  intemediaries ?

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Methodology

• Preliminary informal discussion
• David Cockerton, Chief Executive, Seligo
• Peter Barnsley, Information Systems Manager,
  Seligo
• Undertaking literature review of key academic and
  trade sources
• Semi-structured interviews planned

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Definitions of E-mediaries

• virtual travel agencies
• electronic booking systems (usually web-based)
  fulfilling the traditional intermediary role of
  travel agents
• online intemediairies (Frew and Daniele (2004)
• organizations offering services via a network of
  virtual channels to stakeholders (Dale, 2003)

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Types of e-mediaries
Sites relying on consumer imput eg. Trip advisor
Traditional full service tour operator
Niche site Eg. Responsible travel.com
Established - Online tour operator
Types of e-mediary
Other collaborative sites eg. Canadianaffair.com
Destination DMS Eg tiscover
Infomediaries www.travelsupermarket
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Drivers in accelerating the growth in online
bookings - Technological Development

• Growth in broadband
• 73 of UK households connected now use broadband
• 14.3 million households (60) are connected
• 60 of Uk households now connected
• ONS (2006), taken from www.bbc.co.uk

• Growth of dynamic packaging capabilities
•  Assembling components into a single user
  generated content
• Seemless connection to multiple sources of supply
  PhoCosWright (2007)

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Drivers of growth

• Legal ruling, November 2006 Court of Appeal
  reaffirmed that components of a trip sold
  separately but billed together do not necessarily
  constitute a package
• Still debate
• dynamic packaging does need ATOL protection
• Increased offerings from leading brands
• Niche and specialist sites
• Blogging and experience sharing
• Evidence of a growing consumer confidence

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Concluding thoughts

• Development of e-mediary networks continuing
• On the one hand traditional tour operators fight
  back
• on the other hand responsive and dynamic
  companies like Seligo continue to develop and
  grow in importance
• Seligo is an excellent case study
• Ultimate aim is to suggest a more developed
  definition of e-mediary using Seligo as an
  example