Tui hails rise in third-party sales Robin Murray


Tui’s UK sales and marketing director has revealed third-party sales are the operator’s fastest- growing distribution channel as he reiterated confidence with its decision to hold capacity flat for this summer.


ts Bart Quinton Smith,


who started as director of marketing and sales for the UK and Ireland in December, reported double-digit growth in third-party sales year on year, which he attributed to the operator’s increased trade focus.


e “We’re really happy with the level


of growth and we have no limit to where we see it going,” he said. Tui recently handed an expanded


role to Jill Cunningham, promoting her to director of retail, omnichannel and third-party sales, which Quinton Smith (pictured) hopes will further bolster trade performance. He said he understands if there is still a degree of “nervousness” among some


l


ome agents about working with Tu


om those who are doing so shows the operator’s long-term commitment.


ui but the “i from sho


om “We want to keep winning tth that trust to show that we’re here


to stay and hopefully our actions demonstrate that,” he added. “All we can do is continue to be consistent in our actions and our approach.” He pointed to Tui’s expanded


trade team, which has grown from five to 17, as well as an extensive fam


Cookes tasked with taking InteleTravel to ‘the next level’


Juliet Dennis


InteleTravel aims to boost agent productivity and supplier engagement to attain the “next level” of trading following the high-profile appointment of Advantage Travel Partnership chief commercial officer Kelly Cookes. Cookes will join as commercial


director on September 1, reporting into managing director Tricia Handley-Hughes, who said the the homeworking agency was now recognised as a “robust business”. She said: “We feel bringing in a


6 5 JUNE 2025


high-profile person like Kelly, who is really experienced and a good fit for the business, can help us to achieve the next level. We’re performing well. People are sitting up and taking note.” Bookings for the year to date


are 59% up year on year and revenues 57% up for the agency, which boasts 35,000 homeworkers in the UK and Ireland. Cookes’ remit will be to help


raise productivity among agents at a “basic” sales level to become thriving businesses; develop InteleTravel’s luxury sellers and new accessible travel specialists;


positive feedback”


trip programme and new trade hub, which has been “very well received”. “We hope that, with these


initiatives, more people will continue to put their trust in us,” he added. Tui’s own UK retail network


stands at 330 shops, with a Next concession store in Bangor, Northern Ireland, on the horizon. Quinton Smith said: “We’re


seeing good strength on the high street across the UK, both in terms


We want to keep


winning trust to show we’re here to stay and hopefully our actions demonstrate that


of our own stores and those operated by the independent agents working with us. We’re happy with the level of the estate but will always look at opportunities when they come up.” Tui will launch its ‘Don’t Skip


Summer’ campaign in the coming weeks to “try and stimulate last- minute bookings” but Quinton Smith stressed the operator is “confident” about its level of business ahead of the peak season. It chose not to boost capacity for this summer but has expanded its range of partner airlines to 46, which “puts us in good stead”. “It’s a really competitive market


and consumers are price-sensitive,” said Quinton Smith. “We’re happy with the choices we’ve made on capacity and increasing our flexibility by adding more partner airlines.”


Kelly Cookes


Tricia


Handley- Hughes


optimise supplier relationships; and bring in new operators. Handley-Hughes said: “We


know a lot of our successful agents because they’re so engaged at events; we want more of them. It’s about showing agents it’s not as difficult as they may envisage. The focus is on productivity and what we need to do commercially to help these advisors grow their businesses.” The group is considering more


events to develop agents’ knowledge through its Pathway to Pinnacle programme. It already runs one-day educationals and training events.


InteleTravel also wants to develop


its luxury agents. It currently has around 40 to 75 selling “real luxury” travel. “Have we got the right product mix? Could we do more to nurture these agents?” said Handley-Hughes. On suppliers, she said there were


“a lot more” the group could work with but stressed there was also “more work to do with existing suppliers”. “We have about 85 preferred


suppliers,” she added. “[One question is] how many of these truly engage with us on a daily basis? I’m having to turn suppliers away; not everyone can be a preferred supplier.”


travelweekly.co.uk


Horaczko Photography; Andrew Fosker/PinPep


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