Kelly Cookes (second right) hands award to World Travellers’ Lydia
Ripley, Adam Swift and Anna Gilmour
Group to give turn-of-year sales material to members
Agents in the Freedom Travel Group are to receive point-of- sale materials for a turn-of-year peak-season sales campaign for the first time.
Traditionally, the group has sent
out a magazine with special deals to promote post-Christmas. But in January and February, agents will receive window posters and postcards free of charge with the words ‘Freedom to...’ followed by examples such as ‘set sail’ or ‘unwind’. Digital versions will be produced for Personal Travel Advisors homeworkers. These will include the new
branding, and will be followed by different marketing promotions on a monthly basis, supported by different suppliers. Kelly Cookes, head of Freedom
Travel Group, said: “This year we are taking it one step further with point-of-sale materials for stores and digital versions for PTAs. “Each month we will have
marketing materials with a different theme; in March we will be doing bucket-list trips.” Agents will also be given the
chance to feature in consumer press advertising for free, which will promote the Freedom name. These will be co-branded press advertisements with a supplier. Agents will be given the chance
to have their name in the ads to drive more bookings. In addition, the group is designing logos so that agents can promote themselves as specialists in different areas, for example, as a cruise, ski or weddings and
honeymoon specialist. The logos can be printed on business cards, as well as used at specific events and appropriate times of the year. Similarly, there are ticket
wallets and e-shots with the new branding.
Agents and homeworkers in the consortium will also have access to hotels through Expedia and Sunhotels following recent partnerships announced by the Thomas Cook Group.
Agent ‘ambassadors’ to help new-starters
A team of agent ‘ambassadors’ who can act as mentors for new homeworkers has been set up by Freedom Personal Travel Advisors. The scheme has launched with 13 homeworkers who have
volunteered for the role to show new-starters the ropes. They are set to attend recruitment events and will be paired up with newcomers to talk to them about what the job involves and how to switch to working in a home environment. Kelly Cookes, head of Freedom Travel Group, said: “When we get
a potential new PTA, they want to talk to someone doing the job when they come to recruitment events, and someone to mentor them through the decision process.” A similar scheme is due to be set up for Freedom Travel Group consortium agents.
SHOWTIME: (back row) Gay Morgan, Cruising Excusions; ‘Larry Sparkle’; Julie Parkhouse and Gill Preston, both Freedom PTA; (front) Paul Dale, Central England Co-operative; and Sally Savage, Freedom PTA
Cook negotiates with banks ahead of ban on card fees
Thomas Cook is in negotiations with banks to lower fees for Freedom Travel Group agents in the run-up to the ban on charging for using credit cards. It hopes to make an announcement in the “near future” on what the change in the law will mean for its Freedom homeworkers and consortium agents. The EU’s Second Payment
Services Directive comes into force on January 13 and agents will not be able to pass on charges for credit or debit cards to customers from that date. Kelly Cookes, head of
Freedom Travel Group, said: “We are still working through it and negotiating with our banks. “Our power is greater because
we are negotiating on behalf of the whole of Thomas Cook. We will make an announcement in the near future.” She said the group would
give agents advice on how to deal with the new cost to their business. “A lot of our agents have heard about it but are not fully aware what it means. We are pushing hard to support them,” she added.
7 December 2017
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