Campaign takes off


Check out our campaign to support agents who sell short breaks and short haul holidays – then join our online community and attend our special events designed to help you sell...


As 2011 gets underway one resolution is set to hold fi rm throughout the year – our support for agents selling short breaks and short haul holidays.


We’re Backing Agents! Our WE’RE BACKING AGENTS campaign is already reaping concrete rewards for those who have got involved. Many who attended our Destination Dialogue Iceland event were subsequently invited on a related fam trip to the destination – and have made bookings based on their ‘new-found knowledge’.


Destination Dialogue - Italy, April 5


Expert Help While the fi rst Destination Dialogue event focused on Iceland, the second put the spotlight on Portugal. Both saw representatives from tourist boards, airlines, tour operators and ground suppliers meet with a select group of our committed travel agent readers. The aim of the events was to support agents by giving them a unique brainstorming forum for debate with destination experts. Editor Steve Hartridge and publisher Steve Thompson acted as moderators in a productive dialogue, and ensured agents were updated on the latest product news and trends and could share conclusions that could help them better sell the destinations.


There was plenty of lively discussion


and lots of practical solutions to sales ‘diffi culties’.


Read All About It If you couldn’t be there in person, you can read all about the Portugal Destination Dialogue on page 46 and the Iceland Destination Dialogue on page 48. The latter subsequently helped inspire a fam trip, sponsored by Iceland Express, taking agents to experience the destination fi rst hand. You can read about their educational on page 50. Editor Steve Hartridge said: “Iceland


had an interesting year in 2010 and in that respect it was a great destination to kick off our Destination Dialogues. Portugal is a classic favourite, which just keeps reinventing itself. Feedback from the events has been fantastic and we look forward to more throughout 2011. “The positive response to our WE’RE


BACKING AGENTS campaign shows the short break and short haul sector


They’re also backing agents... “Travel agents are an


important channel for Norway. Geographically close to the UK, it is a destination people still don’t feel they know enough about so they seek the knowledge, expertise and reassurance that booking


with an agent offers.” Kate Foster, Country Manager, Innovation Norway


is most defi nitely alive and kicking. Concerted support from a destination clearly reaps rewards for all involved – as the prompt feedback from agents attending confi rmed.”


More To Come Throughout 2011 our WE’RE BACKING AGENTS campaign will continue to offer short breaks and short haul news online and will stage further Destination Dialogue events. Check the dedicated microsite regularly for all the latest.


Join In Join our WE’RE BACKING AGENTS campaign. Simply register as a user on the www.wearebackingagents.ning. com website and start sharing your short break and short haul holiday news, views, tips and ideas.


May Swan-Easton Travel Counsellors “Just after the Destination Dialogue Iceland event I sold


my fi rst weekend break to Iceland - three nights Hotel Klopp, Iceland Express fl ights plus excursions! I seriously couldn’t have done it without the help the Selling Short Breaks & Holidays training!”


Amy Stafford, Travel Consultant, Wexas “Just a couple of weeks after learning about Iceland, I


confi rmed my fi rst booking! It was a three-day trip including excursions to the Blue Lagoon plus Super Jeep trips touring the Golden Circle and seeing the Northern Lights. My client was very excited by my suggestions.”


Niall Douglas Full Circle Travel “I’d had clients enquire about Iceland before but was not overly


confi dent in what I was telling them! They came back in after I had attended your event and they were astounded by what I knew! Regent Holidays quoted for me and they booked. I will always make sure my agency attends future Destination Dialogues.”


Destination Dialogue


Norway, Estonia, Slovenia and Italy have all been earmarked as destinations to watch in the 2011 - which is why we are delighted we will be working with them all in the coming year. ABTOI - the Association of British Travel


Organisers to Italy - is the lastest trade organisation to offer its support to our campaign. Italy will be the subject of a


Destination Dialogue event on April 5. Innovation Norway is also backing


agents by revamping its Travel Uni training programme. The new- look Norway Knowledge is due to go live at the end of this month with a revised easy-to-use structure and updated information. www. norwayknowledge.co.uk


“ABTOI is delighted to support this campaign. Many of our members recognise the important role agents play today. If we can arm them with destination knowledge as well as our continued support, it must surely promote a greater confi dence”


Carolyn Spinks, chief operating offi cer, ABTOI


www.shortbreaksholidays.com • Spring 2011 05


FOTOTECA ENIT


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