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[Val_A]

From the Caravan Club website:
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The Caravan Club acquires Alan Rogers Travel Group

Published: 09 October 2012


The Club is delighted to announce it has acquired the Alan Rogers Travel Group, allowing it to enhance its already renowned Overseas Travel Service.

The Alan Rogers Travel Group is a market leader: it publishes Alan Rogers Guides, provides extensive campsite information, sells sites and ferry crossings and is the exclusive UK agent for Camping Cheques. It also owns Belle France, a specialist French tour operator, and a digital media company.

This acquisition will enable The Club to add the extensive range of travel products, expertise and service offered by The Alan Rogers Travel Group to its Overseas Travel Service. Please be assured this news will not have an impact on members' existing overseas bookings.

Nick Lomas, Director General of The Caravan Club, said, "Club staff will be working with the team at Alan Rogers Travel Group to make products available to members and further details will follow shortly."

[markf]

Big news thanks Val, wonder how it works for non members.

[shipbroker]

Thanks Val.............I believe that 'others' have persued the Alan Rogers camp for some years so pleased it is in good hands.

eoff

[Val_A]

It's interesting, though, that what appears to be a club for members, run by committees, etc., acquires a commercial company.  Is the Caravan Club another 'club' which has been taken over by Venture Capitalists (like the AA and RAC?)

[shipbroker]

Val_A, on 09 October 2012 - 01:02 PM, said:

It's interesting, though, that what appears to be a club for members, run by committees, etc., acquires a commercial company.  Is the Caravan Club another 'club' which has been taken over by Venture Capitalists (like the AA and RAC?)

No.........and unlike those two organistations the CC is making money not heavily in debt.

geoff

[Challenger]

Anybody know how much of our money they spent?

[Val_A]

A bit more than the price of a Camping Cheques holiday, I would imagine!

[shipbroker]

Challenger, on 09 October 2012 - 07:50 PM, said:

Anybody know how much of our money they spent?

You can ask at the AGM?

geoff

[bobnchris]

Interesting thought that Geoff, but how many of us go?

[bi6als]

It will be in the accounts next published

If you feel strongly enough, go to the AGM and ask.

[Blue Louis]

I actually think that it is a sad day for the Club, but is the CC actually a Club anymore?

Yes in theory it is a Club, but in practice isn't it a non profit making organisation masquerading as a Club?

I suggest in my intro line that I believe it is a sad day for the Club, or rather it could be a sad day for so many sites throughout Europe who are in the excellent CC's publications because they are there as a direct result of members using the reporting camp sites slips and not by paying to be there.

Like all businesses the CC is taking all possible measures to reduce costs.  Isn't this why they employ seasonal wardens in the way they do rather than employing full time staff?  
As another indication of the cost reduction strategy, only recently in the CC's monthly magazine we have seen the significant reduction in free adverts for members caravans for sale, at one time these used to run to 3 or 4 pages and now there is only a single page.  That was because whereas at one time there were staff within CC who used to receive the details from the members, it is now handled by Ten Alps Publishing, the media advertising sales organisation contracted to the Club who handle all forms of advertising in the Club's publications.

I wouldn't mind betting that the reason why the Club has taken over the Alan Rogers Travel Group is to reduce the directly employed staffing levels at the Clubs HQ by pushing out some if not all of the publications in their direction.

[Challenger]

Blue Louis, on 10 October 2012 - 05:26 AM, said:

I actually think that it is a sad day for the Club, but is the CC actually a Club anymore?

Yes in theory it is a Club, but in practice isn't it a non profit making organisation masquerading as a Club?

I wouldn't mind betting that the reason why the Club has taken over the Alan Rogers Travel Group is to reduce the directly employed staffing levels at the Clubs HQ by pushing out some if not all of the publications in their direction.

I agree that it isn't a club any more but can't see that pushing work out to an organisation they own is going to make any difference at all.
It certainly isn't a club for members run by members anymore!

[Steve&Tracy]

With the Caravan Clubs acquisition of the Alan Rodgers who are the agents for Camping Cheques in the UK does this now mean that the clubs site network will now be open for use by Camping Cheques as this would be certain to diminish availability for club members?

[Challenger]

Steve&Tracy, on 10 October 2012 - 06:55 AM, said:

With the Caravan Clubs acquisition of the Alan Rodgers who are the agents for Camping Cheques in the UK does this now mean that the clubs site network will now be open for use by Camping Cheques as this would be certain to diminish availability for club members?

I reckon Camping Cheques will disappear!
They have been losing favour for some time.

[Steve&Tracy]

Challenger, on 10 October 2012 - 07:11 AM, said:

I reckon Camping Cheques will disappear!
They have been losing favour for some time.

And what do you base that statement on as a regular user of Camping Cheques the use of them seems to be fairly consistent on continental sites in relation to the amount of occupancy certainly amongst the people we speak to.