Holiday Extras bolsters team of marketers

Leisure group Holiday Extras is ramping up its marketing efforts to take on rival online operators such as Lastminute.com.

The company is more than doubling the size of its ten-strong marketing team as it expands its product range and builds its website. It is currently hunting a head of e-commerce, the first of 12 appointments it hopes to make this year.

Holiday Extras was founded in 1983 and originally sold discounted airport parking primarily to travel agents. It says its aim now is to develop a “strong and recognisable online brand” selling a wider range of services.

The company has expanded its portfolio to cover hotel bookings, short breaks, theatre trips and theme park breaks through its play-and-stay.- co.uk and show-and-stay.- co.uk brands.

The Kent-based company, which underwent a management buyout in 2005, says it will overhaul its main brand this year and add new services to its portfolio. It is hoping to build a customer-facing presence rather than just selling through travel agencies.

This strategy will be overseen by the head of e-commerce, who has yet to be appointed, and the newly appointed marketing team.