Production / TO / Brochures
The "TOURISM" image has always been very strong in the VERNEY GROUP.
The president Yves- Michel VERNEY decided to give it new impetus in 1990 by bringing together the different activities within a TOUR OPERATOR .
This centralisation was initially regional at three locations: RENNES for the large West / Central West region, LYONS for the East and Rhone Alps regions and PARIS for the Ile de France, and this would be the start of a great adventure and above all a recognition of the profession to a coach operator who had come to 'play' in the big leagues.It was at RENNES that production for the whole of France was consolidated (Spring 1998).
This centralisation of activity will allow unity in all actions and in particular to speak with one voice to our clients. This will result in better purchasing conditions for our customers who will be the first to benefit, and also a guarantee of departures emphasised by the fact that there will be year on year an increasing number of trips common across the three regions.
Communication was controlled at all levels by the President, who told us regularly: "Never forget that every time a coach leaves it carries my name."That meant that we had no right to make mistakes but the main reason for his daily commitment was that he had an immeasurable respect for his customers.When one reads again the editorials from the brochures you will find this respect "Your presence on board honours us...".
This required quality and he was one of the first to say that we do not have the right to cause a client to miss the holiday he had anticipated for a year. To do this our teams had to give their best.
When we saw the bankruptcy of one of our suppliers (we had 80 clients in Mexico who in one minute found themselves in the street as the local agent had not been paid by our supplier ) we could have done as other companies might have and said let the insurers bring the customers home. The President took an instant decision, "make a bank transfer immediately so that the holiday proceeds". We were the only ones to guarantee the continuity of a tour, but it cost more than 400,000 francs at the time for the company. But "HIS" clients completed the journey he had sold them.
He attached great importance to the documents that we distributed to customers whether the brochure, the travel wallet and its contents or the travel bag, you should always keep in mind that all these products carried his name so quality had to be there. It was the same for advertising campaigns in various media whether daily newspapers, free media, television or radio, messages had to convey the seriousness of the business and its respect for the customer.
Since 1995 he had understood the importance of diversification and the need to adapt to the market. Indeed, the "baby boom" was transformed little by little, over the years, "papa boom" and the new young retirees could not imagine traveling like their parents.
They had seen the development of air transport, the first charter flights but mostly they were freedom-loving and could not conceive of doing a European tour by coach whereas they could do as they wish individually.
The President acceded to our request for setting up air holidays. The first appeared in the 1995 catalogue before a full brochure in 1996 under the name "DREAM ESCAPES".
The coach tour brochure appeared under the name of "ESCAPES IN EUROPE."
These air holidays were designed in the same spirit as the coach tour brochure.
Diversification did not stop there because there were also sea cruises which consisted of the total charter of a ship under VERNEY colours. Whenever the President Yves- Michel Verney and his wife were on board it was the delight of our customers who could accost him or her and take lunch or dinner at their table.Its simplicity made it accessible to all, his presence at events such as brochure presentations, inaugurations of travel agencies, etc. was for us a guarantee of success as customers were honoured by his coming. It was natural for him, he had to be there to thank "HIS" customers for the confidence and loyalty they showed him.
Our offices in NEW YORK and LONDON were the spearheads for our incoming tour reception based in Paris, and this activity was also included as part of diversification, but especially for the future to be well placed on local tourism .
The circle was complete, the VERNEY GROUP was present in all areas of tourism development and a rare thing in the profession, he was master of the entire chain from production to distribution:
• A service TOUR OPERATOR at RENNES for the production of all trips .
• A CRUISE service at LYONS.• An INBOUND service at ASNIERES .
• An office in NEW YORK .• An office in LONDON.
• A network of more than 50 TRAVEL AGENCIES distributed over the northern half of France .
• 23 bus companies that can make available more than 300 passenger vehicles bearing the same livery .
These were the tourism activities of the VERNEY GROUP, number 1 in coach tourism.
Dominique Malassis