p36-37 frontline luxsem Nov13 10/11/09 12:48 Page 36
knowledge ttgluxury seminar 2009
ttglive.com
Sales strategy
Luxury agents must
offer the feel deal
Retailers at last week’s ttgluxury seminar heard that they should
strive to meet the requests of affluent clients seeking experiential
holidays. April Hutchinson, editor of ttgluxury, reports
Permeate your customers’ life: Black Tomato’s Tom Marchant gives his “Dare to be Different” presentation
A
gents attending the seminar, such offers and inspiration to clients will be just similarly inspired: “I took away lots of
as Stefan Shillito of Sovereign that from now on – more authentic, more elements from the seminar which can
Cruise Club and Mark Hurrell inspiring.” help form new business ideas, including
of Mark’s Travel, reported brisk Since the seminar, Douglas said he has pointers on 2010 ‘hotspots’. I’ll be looking
business even in the downturn, proving that been looking at setting up a section on his to plan our peak campaigns around the
the bookings are out there among wealthy website for experience-based holidays. ‘in’ destinations for next year.”
travellers – if you can reach them. “I have a feeling this may completely take Other ways agents can ensure they
Constantly assessing travel and lifestyle over from destinations as the core search maintain their share of the luxury wallet is
trends and what is important to your method,” he said. to “speak to clients in a voice and language
customers is crucial if you want to appeal “There is scope now to upload inspiring they understand”, according to Tom
to discerning travellers, according to the itineraries and group them into categories Marchant, founder of Black Tomato.
founder of The Future Laboratory, Martin such as ‘Animal Encounters’, for cage diving “We constantly try to think of what else
Raymond, a speaker at the seminar. or polar bears in Spitsbergen; ‘Tastebud our customers are engaged in and enjoy
He said today’s “affluent” travellers were Tours’, for wine tours or gastronomic doing. We want to permeate more of their
increasingly searching for “experiential holidays; or ‘Out of reach, out of touch’, for life than just being someone they come to
destinations which are rooted in local culture complete escapism, for example.” occasionally for travel. To do this, we think
and environment” and “spiritual” journeys He added that it was important to keep an about what kind of art they might like, what
that are not about religion but about “how eye on “destinations to cuisine, what hobbies they have and then
they will feel when they are there”, adding watch”. “That was clear try and come up with ways to engage
that agents needed to respond to this trend. from the seminar and that with them on that level as well as
Many said they recognised this and would has always been important just finding out which destinations
adapt their product offering accordingly, for us. Thinking like this they like to go to.”
including Niall Douglas, managing director provides excellent material He said staff at Black Tomato
of Full Circle Travel. and ideas for our blog and spend a lot of time looking through
He said: “Experiences and authenticity emails in order to make magazines such as Vogue to
was a theme that had a big impact on me sure we keep our clients understand what trends might be
at the seminar – and I really do think our ahead of the pack.” affecting how their clients think.
market is changing and changing fast; this Richard Dixon, director “Seeing Bollywood fashion
kind of travel will be the way forward. Our of Holidaysplease, was shoots in magazines ages ago
36 13.11.2009
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