inside
on knowledgable staff who you’d also want to hang out with.” All this means that Trafalgar has a new
philosophy: tours must be ‘eff ortless, authentic and leave clients understanding the essence of the destination; but most of all, they have to be fun’.
HOW DOES IT WORK WITH THE TRAVEL TRADE? Agents provide over 90% of bookings worldwide and Tollman regards them as “the single most effi cient way of distribution”. He adds that the UK is one market where Trafalgar can do more business with agents. “The average British traveller has ‘info-lust’,
that’s where Trafalgar plugs in perfectly.” Trafalgar is keen to make sure that the trade
understands how it’s changed and it wants agents to change the way they sell. A video produced for them urges them to appeal ‘not to the rational, but to the emotional’.
ANY ADVICE FOR AGENTS ON HOW TO SELL TRAFALGAR? Yes, Tollman says that guided tours, like cruising, are no longer all about the older client, but about a lifestyle choice. “Our fastest growth segment is travellers under the age of 50,” he says. Trafalgar has more than 20,000 unedited reviews from clients with a 97% approval rate. Trafalgar was one of the fi rst travel brands to
use social media reviews, which it describes as ‘transformational’ for the company. Reviews are grouped under individual trips, so both agents and clients will have a good idea of what a tour is actually like.
WHAT’S THE GROWTH STRATEGY? Trafalgar says that the UK is one part of the world where the brand is ‘under-performing’ in terms of growth, and that it’ll be investing in its home base. “We’re throwing out our hand to agents that would like to work with us,” says Tollman. Trafalgar has competitors, with Titan Travel
and Collet e Tours being two examples, but he believes the market as a whole is growing so there’s room for everyone. When it comes to destinations, Tollman
names Cuba as “probably a key focus for 2018” but admits that with the US being Trafalgar’s largest outbound market, there are “clearly some political issues”.
HOW IS IT MARKING THE ANNIVERSARY? Trafalgar is promising “something interesting” in late September in the UK for its 70th birthday, with agents that it works with notifi ed in good time.
VIEW FROM THE TOP
VIEW FROM THE FRONT
Ruth Hilton UK SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
How long has Trafalgar been an ABTA member? We go right back to the beginning, in terms of working with ABTA. We’re family-owned and ABTA has always been part of our DNA — it’s always been there with us.
How has your business changed since you first became a member? People want to do more things now than they’ve ever done. Guided tours are a bit like cruises six or so years ago. Cruise has done very well and I think adventure is the next sector to take off . We’re trying to bring something
extra to our tours; we stay in authentic properties and off er the chance to dine with a local or a celebrity. We’ve just introduced an exclusive VIP dinner within the Vatican; it took us 10 years to agree it.
What’s the biggest challenge to your business? Trying to persuade the industry to stop talking about the price, the hotel and the discount, and move to why people want to go on holiday, to think emotionally. We aim to lower our UK average customer age in the next 12 months.
What does the future hold? There’s a massive opportunity in the UK because of the country’s demographics. Our average client age is coming down to the mid-40s in the US and they really understand what a Trafalgar tour can off er. In the UK, more understanding is needed about guided trips, as we now call them. It’s not 50- and 60-year-olds going on a coach trip.
Dominic Harris TOUR DIRECTOR
How long have you worked for Trafalgar and how did you start? Aſt er university I went to Italy to do a grand tour and fell in love with it. I’ve been working for Trafalgar for 17 years. I started working with younger clients, in a language school and then with Page & Moy.
Tell us about a typical day. It’s like being an event manager; we have to make sure everything is in place and that it really is a holiday for clients. You get up early, check the weather, the news, make sure the luggage is being collected and that breakfast is OK. Then you check the driver is on their way and the guide is in place. Plus I give a commentary en route. Arriving at a hotel, I have to make sure all the rooms are correct and any dietary requirements are met, plus I’m on call 24/7 for emergencies.
What are the particular challenges of your role? You wouldn’t survive in this job if you didn’t care about people. You have to get it right. For example, if it’s the guests only night in Rome, you have to recommend the right restaurant for them.
What do you enjoy most about working for Trafalgar? It’s lovely on the first day to see clients from all over the world introduce themselves. A lot of them just don’t realise how much they’ll enjoy each other’s company. By the time of the final dinner it’s become a big party that they don’t want to end. That’s a lovely moment.
countrybycountry.com | ABTA Magazine
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