The Interview
5DFKHO &RƈH\ The Travel
Corporation
The group’s director of sales and business development tells Samantha Mayling how an ‘agent-first’ philosophy is key to its touring brands’ strategy for 2020
A
n “agent-first” SKLORVRSK\ ZLOO help The Travel Corporation’s JXLGHG KROLGD\
EUDQGVbPDNH WKH PRVW RI opportunities in the UK PDUNHW LQ Rachel Coffey, who looks
after Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Costsaver and Luxury Gold, believes “the trade is key to our success”. “We want to be the best team
on the road and provide the tools the trade needs,” she says in the lead-up to the peak selling season, adding: “2020 will be better as the general election is out of the way – there is lots of pent-up demand.” Coffey joined TTC in March 2019
after a stint at G Adventures, and in November recruited Vicky Billing from Royal Caribbean as head of UK trade sales to help drive growth. They oversee a team of four sales
managers, a head office trade sales executive and a team of five in the Guernsey contact centre. About 80% of sales come via
agents so Coffey is focused on showcasing the four brands via fam trips. She explains the difference in
12 9 JANUARY 2020
products, from Costsaver, “a more independent and flexible guided experience”, to Luxury Gold “which offers money-can’t-buy experiences”.
6XVWDLQDELOLW\ Coffey is eager to highlight the brands’ sustainability credentials as more consumers ask agents about responsible travel. “It is part of the TTC DNA,”
she says. “It comes from the top; for example, we’re not allowed single-use plastics in the office. “It differentiates us from other
touring brands and we want to make sure our message resonates.” To back this up, TTC has pledged to plant a tree for each client who opts for e-documents rather than paper. Trafalgar has an initiative called
JoinTrafalgar, which aims to make travel a “force for good” by “helping
people, preserving places and wildlife, and caring for the planet”. It features Be My Guest, the chance to dine with locals and experience destinations’ culture first-hand. Coffey reports an increasing
demand for personalisation of trips, which TTC caters for via its My Travel Portal platform. “Agents can input preferences
– the information goes to the travel directors who can make the experience more personal,” she says. “For example, on battlefield tours, they can find the grave of a relative.”
)DP WULSV Upcoming fam trips include Paris, which will showcase all four brands. It is likely to include a walking tour of the Latin Quarter with a Costsaver Local Specialist, a Trafalgar cookery class, a Luxury Gold wine tasting and
an Insight Vacations food tour. Places will be won through a peaks booking incentive. There is also a Costsaver Top Achievers trip – called Crew – for the top-four performing agents, who will visit Costa Rica in May. Also planned are mini-fams in the
UK to give agents a flavour of what the brands offer overseas. Last year, agents visited a vineyard near Cardiff and sampled Welsh cuisine. Trafalgar and Insight Vacations
are both members of the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers (Atas), meaning there are plenty of opportunities to educate agents about guided holidays and sustainability. “With Atas, we can explain the
market and differences between operators,” says Coffey. “Agents need to ask the right
There are big opportunities out there for
agents – there are lots of last-minute bookings but people are also planning 2021
questions to get them on the right sort of tour. Our new tours tap into trends, offering the chance to get off the beaten track in places such as Georgia and Armenia, or explore our new destination Colombia. “There are big opportunities out
there for agents. There are lots of last-minute bookings [for 2020] but
people are also planning 2021.” i Competitions, page 46
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Phase Photography
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