Club Med plans fams for 120 UK agents this year


Samantha Mayling


All-inclusive resort operator Club Med is “intensifying” its UK trade focus and plans to take 120 agents on 15 fam trips this year. Anne Browaeys, chief executive


for Europe and Africa, said: “A third of our UK revenue comes from trade partners and we aim to increase revenue by 10% in 2024. Agents are key to our success.” The first fam trip will be to


Marbella (April 24-27) with handpicked agents. Other agents can win spots on trips through a six-week incentive, starting on April 8. Destinations include Marrakech


(May 13-15) and, later this year, Sicily, Turkey and Mauritius. Club Med’s trade marketing


budget has increased and the operator now has a contact centre for agents plus a full team of four account managers. It also plans to offer more face-to-face training and webinars. Browaeys said the UK market


was showing some of the strongest growth in her region. Club Med’s UK revenue last year


was €93 million, up 30% compared with pre-pandemic 2019 and up 17% over 2022. The strong results followed a long-term strategy to shift resorts


Club Med Magna Marbella; inset, Anne Browaeys


from mid-scale to luxury, with the final renovation starting this month at Serre-Chevalier in France. “We’re switching to healthy


profitability – the upscale move allows us to have high satisfaction levels and return rates, and the desirability of the brand recruits new clients,” she said. “We’re now intensifying our actions


with agents. We want to tell trade partners about the incomparability of the client experience – that there’s no stress and it is seamless.” For ski holidays this includes a


promise to switch clients to another resort if there is a lack of snow, although this is rarely needed as locations are at high altitudes, she said.


Ambassador chief commercial officer Phil Gardner to leave


Ambassador Cruise Line chief commercial officer Phil Gardner is to leave the line, triggering a management reshuffle. Gardner, who joined the ex-UK line two years ago, helped shape the commercial and distribution departments. He said: “I have some priorities with my family right now and have an opportunity to take some time off over the summer before seeking a new role.”


6 4 APRIL 2024 The brand also wants to showcase


its ‘sun’ resorts to the trade, including facilities such as childcare and cuisine. Club Med reported strong sales


for the next winter season since holidays went on sale in March. Last week, revenues were 72%


up compared with the same booking week last year, with customer numbers up 65%. Since 2023, the operator has had


a pipeline of 13 new resorts and 10 renovated resorts, including one in South Africa due to open in 2026. Browaeys said: “[Clients] are


happy to spend money but demand value for money. Booking an all-inclusive holiday means you can secure the price in advance.”


Jet2 confirms plan to cut jobs


at airports and resorts in Spain Jet2 has confirmed redundancies are planned in Spain as part of an operational review but would not be drawn on numbers affected. An unconfirmed report by news website Canarian Weekly reported that about 35% of 996 staff could be at risk due to proposed changes to Jet2holidays’ in-resort and cabin crew teams.


Jobs at risk as On the Beach plots Classic restructure


On the Beach Group is proposing further job losses amid plans to combine its Classic Collection and Classic Package Holidays operations under a “single brand” for B2B sales. The move follows the


departures last month of Classic Collection chief executive Andy Freeth and product and commercial director Alex Gavalda. A spokesperson for On the


Beach Group said: “We need to operate with a simpler operating model for the benefit of suppliers, agents and customers. The overall outcome would be to support the B2B channel with a single brand and single platform solution. “This was not an easy decision


and we will be providing full support to those affected, both personally and professionally. They are our priority over the coming weeks.” Following Freeth’s departure,


agency sales and marketing director Si Morris-Green was promoted to B2B director for Classic Collection and Classic Package Holidays. On the Beach Group described


B2B sales as a “meaningful” part of operations, adding: “We remain committed to continuing the growth and supporting the trade with the service and product that


they’ve come to expect.” i Classic conference in Turkey, page 20


Jet2holidays remains biggest Atol holder after March renewals


Jet2holidays remains the largest Atol holder following the latest round of licence renewals confirmed by the CAA. A total of 1,630 businesses are currently licensed under the Atol scheme following the March renewal round. Of the 668 licences that expired at the end of March, 615 have been renewed, which compares with 604 granted this time last year.


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURES: Club Med; David Morganti


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