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Kuoni plans to treat partners like own stores
Juliet Dennis
juliet.dennis@
travelweekly.co.uk
Kuoni intends to move its relationship with partner stores “up a gear” by treating them like its own shops.
Speaking for the first time
since restructuring its call centre team, managing director Derek Jones also outlined plans to improve Kuoni’s relationship with agency consortia by appointing Brad Bennetts to the new role of national sales manager. The company confirmed this
week four staff had been made redundant at its Dorking call centre following the decision to create a service hub for partner stores and key accounts. Calls from agents will be fed to Kuoni stores. The hub will be staffed by seven Kuoni personal travel experts from May 1. Jones described the shake-up as
an investment to bring partners closer. This could see them being invited to the same events as Kuoni shop staff.
He said: “Through the hub
we can deliver the best possible service to partners. “We want to treat our partner
stores as similarly as possible to our own stores. It’s not just about the service hub, we are looking at how we can integrate partners into our own conferences and events.” He said partners would be
consulted about a dedicated summit, which had been due to take place in June, but added: “I’d rather they were involved in our events.” Kuoni is likely to make another appointment “over time” to take on the day-to-day running of the hub under new sales director Helen Roberts. Africa Collection sales manager Bennetts, who starts on April 22, will look after non-partner stores and identify potential partners. Jones added: “The relationship
at a senior level with consortia is really important to us and has been diluted between support for partners and the rest of the trade. “This is recognition we want to work much closer with them.”
VisitEngland ads rated ‘Amazing’
Amie Keeley
amie.keeley@
travelweekly.co.uk
The travel trade has praised VisitEngland’s new domestic tourism campaign promoting memorable ‘moments’ that can be experienced only in the UK.
The tourism body’s ‘Home
of Amazing Moments’ initiative launches next month across TV, print, digital and outdoor marketing. It will showcase ‘one- of-a-kind’ holidays encouraging people to share their own experiences on social media with the hashtag #OMGB. The £2.5 million campaign
is running in partnership with Thomas Cook, Tui, The Travel Network Group, Advantage Travel Partnership, Bourne Leisure, Hoseasons and SuperBreak. Barrhead Travel, Premier Travel, Shearings and Attraction World have also signed up. VisitEngland’s TV campaign last
Derek Jones
year featured an animated travel agent created by the makers of Wallace and Gromit. John Sullivan, head of commercial at Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “We believe it is
a really fresh bold campaign. It will inspire consumers and capture the imaginations of both agents and consumers alike, making them proud of the diversity and the beauty of their home nation.” Bourne Leisure’s head of travel
trade, Neil Davies, said: “It’s a complete departure from last year and has a broader appeal towards older customers and couples.” A similar inbound campaign launched to foreign markets in January and, as in previous years, will be run in partnership with the tourist boards of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. SuperBreak said it was
working with several agencies, including Thomas Cook and The Midcounties Co-operative, to include VisitEngland’s campaign message in point-of-sale materials. It also plans to launch a competition for agents. Sales director Jane Atkins said:
“The creatives are stunning. If you are a customer you would think ‘where is that? I want to go’.” Hoseasons managing director Simon Altham described the
campaign as “right on trend”. › Hoseasons seals tie-up with Gay Star News, page 8
14 April 2016
travelweekly.co.uk 5 3
Cumbria: an image from the ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ campaign
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PICTURE: VISITENGLAND/CUMBRIA TOURISM/TONY WEST
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