Sharon


SharonAndrea diary diary


A Jennifer ndrea


Jennifer MattMatt


& Ashley Helen Ashley Helen


Clare


Clare


FRONTLINE


CLARE DUDLEY managing director, Ponders Travel, Cambridge


Many agencies may be quieter than


would have been expected at this time of year because of the current world situation. It’s the kind of time when you could sit back and say, ‘It’s so quiet and there’s not much to do’. Or, you can embrace it and get ahead for when we get busy again. I recall the Gulf war in 1990-91, the ash cloud flight disruption in 2010, Covid, the impact of elections and so on, when we felt as if someone had turned off the tap for new business.


In those situations, my team and


I always pulled together and had motivational, inspirational meetings about what to do with the time.


WRITE IDEAS We write a lot, including top tips about destinations we enjoyed visiting; we write about our careers, who we are and what we love about travel; we write a little about ourselves outside work and where we want to visit next.


Having time to do this is always impossible when we’re busy, but such content can prove invaluable for future social media posts, website material and client emails when relevant. We engage with clients. We ask how they are and say that we’re just checking in – nothing more needed. We think about upcoming events


and plan shows or client-facing events, either in-store or at local


24 2 APRIL 2026 AGENT


It may be quieter at the moment but using this time proactively can pay off when it gets busier again


venues. Once that’s decided, we start planning and inviting clients, even if it’s quite a way off. We think about our office – is it time for a good clean, tidy and refresh? That job is often at the bottom of the list, but well worth it once it’s done. Fresh windows and a declutter are good for the soul! If we have any leftover flyers or


brochures that are still in date, we do a local door-drop. We enrol for extra operator


training and use the time to be more knowledgeable and up to date. We think about group


opportunities and explore which travelweekly.co.uk


clubs are worth pitching to, and ensure that our ideas are relevant and will appeal to them. We focus some marketing on


future dates and work on getting more bookings a long way ahead. We encourage staff members to have time off now, while it’s quiet. We also ensure that all staff have had one-to-one catch-ups and make sure they are OK. And we can spend more time with our lovely suppliers when they call to visit us.


KEEPING IN TOUCH You could write a heartfelt newsletter to your database, show empathy about the current situation and say you understand some travel plans may be on hold, but that you simply wanted to keep in touch and share some idea for travels in the future. Don’t be afraid to consider new ideas – our escorted departures continue to be a huge success and this could work for you too. Speak to suppliers and consider what might work well. In summary, it may be quieter at the moment but if you use this time proactively, you will feel more motivated – and I can guarantee your hard work will achieve some great results.


OUR GROUP HAD A WHALE OF A TIME


Don’t be afraid to think big! We decided to do an Antarctica escorted trip. It was planned within a year as we had a special offer and we took seven guests. They travelled with Millie Windeler, our shop manager, sailing on Ponant’s


luxury expedition cruise ship, Le Boréal. The group visited the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula, and saw amazing wildlife such as seals, penguins and whales. Two years ago I would have been so pleased to book seven clients to


Antarctica in a year, let alone in just one departure like this. Everyone in the group has booked something else, either while on board or on other escorted trips. It was a hugely successful departure that I’m sure will keep on giving.


P-p-picking up more bookings


PICTURE: Shutterstock/Faraz Kalmati


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