NEWS YOU CAN USE — OPERATOR NEWS


OPERATOR NEWS YOU CAN USE


Intrepid Travel unveils four Arctic itineraries in 2016 programme


Intrepid Travel has introduced four itineraries to its 2016 Arctic programme.


The new trips, including an


ice camp at 89 degrees north and Eurasia’s northernmost archipelago, offer some of the most-seldom-visited destinations. The five-day North Pole Express: Barneo Ice Camp leads in at £19,795 and departs on April 13 and 15, 2016. The ice camp is constructed each year as a functioning Russian science and logistics station. The Arctic Archipelagos: Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land, from £5,100 on July 5, 2016, is one of the most remote archipelagos in the world. Franz Josef Land in the north of Russia consists of 191 islands and was discovered 150 years ago. It is home to walruses, polar bears, seals, Arctic foxes and beluga whales. The other new trips are Arctic


Express: Greenland’s Northern Lights, from £4,100; and 15-day Scotland to Spitsbergen: Across the Arctic Circle, from £5,600. Early-booking offers include


25% off premium cabins and 15% off non-premium cabins on Sea Adventurer and Ocean Nova on bookings before May 1, 2015. intrepidtravel.com


Beach Cove Coastal Retreat, Devon


Neilson courts indie agents with prize of 20 fam trip places


Neilson is running a fam trip for 20 independent agents as it continues to seek to raise its trade profile. The independent


active-holidays specialist is offering the places on an educational to its Phokaia Beachclub in Foca, Turkey, from June 6-9, in a prize draw. It is also promoting an incentive


Hoseasons reduces on-road sales team in new approach to the trade


Juliet Dennis


Hoseasons has restructured its sales team with fewer staff on the road but a more focused approach to the trade.


The changes come as it reports sales up 5% for the year to date on the same period in 2014. The operator now has


two national account managers, backed by a four-strong, office-based, agency sales team. Previously there were three sales executives on the road. The national


account managers are Sarah Smith, who deals with independent agents, and Ryan Carroll, who handles the multiples. Carroll was previously one of the on-the-road sales executives and prior to that worked for Thomas Cook. Managing director Simon Altham said: “The feedback from agents is that the whole ‘travelling salesman’ approach is not working: agents are busy and


22 • travelweekly.co.uk — 5 March 2015


Year-on-year sales increase reported by Hoseasons


5%


have not got time. As a result, we have taken a decision to have a strategic restructure.” Tariq Khan, head of trade sales, said the operator now aimed to use trade conferences, roadshows and social media to raise its profile with agents, while its national account managers would adopt a “quality over quantity” approach to meeting agents. “Conferences and roadshows will be key. We will use them more and we are already doing a lot of social media. It’s about working smarter,” he said. He stressed there


would not be a loss in face-to-face contact with agents, adding: “We will use conferences to make sure we still get that face-to-face time. “What we are finding is that


rather than being able to visit lots of agencies in one town, there might only be two now, so you have to consider whether you are getting the best use of your time.” hoseasons.co.uk


of two weeks for the price of one at four of its Beachclubs – Adakoy and Andriake in Turkey and Messini and Retreat in Greece – in May and June, leading in at £665. Lindsay Dixon, business


development manager, said: “The objective for us is to increase trade awareness of our product. “When we were owned by Thomas Cook, Cook’s shops sold half of our product. Now our biggest challenge is educating independent agents to enable them to actively sell it rather than waiting for customers to ask.” At the end of last year, Neilson


became one of only a handful of operators to be sold through Kuoni shops. The operator was sold by Thomas Cook in November 2013 to private equity firm Risk Capital Partners for £9.15 million. ❯ More fam trip details, page 28


Kayaking is included in Neilson holidays


WIN!


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76