Customers will be able to take out a secured loan or a mortgage when shopping for a holiday. Harvey World Travel’s larger stores will offer the initiative in early 2007 before it goes nationwide. It will include an in-store point-of-sale facility and an integrated direct mail and e-commerce platform.
The concept was created jointly by John Donnelly, managing director of Harvey World Travel (UK) Ltd, and Steve Walker, managing director at Promise Finance.
Walker said: “We will have an innovative distribution system on the high street that will cater for customers’ full financial requirements including unsecured loans, secured loans and mortgages. This is one of several key strategic alliances that Promise Finance will announce over the next six months as we develop into new markets.”
Donnelly said: “We regard this as a natural extension of the lifestyle proposition we are launching internally in our stores. We will be working closely with Promise Finance and feel confident this is the start of a venture that will add true value.”
However, Rod Murdison, proprietor of Murdison & Browning, said the move was an unusual one. He explained: “It seems a bit bizarre. There is no natural link between being a travel agent and giving mortgage advice.”
