NEWS ROUND-UP


Cruise lines bolster sales teams to support agents


Harry Kemble


Major cruise lines are expanding their UK trade sales teams as they look to increase support for new agents and boost bookings. Royal Caribbean International,


MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises and Cunard have either recently recruited new staff or are actively looking to fill trade-facing roles. MSC and Royal are continuing to


recruit sales staff despite exceeding their pre-pandemic head counts. Royal’s UK sales director, Stuart


Byron, confirmed the line’s 20-strong sales team was “bigger than ever” but he was still aiming to hire key account managers across the UK and a training manager. He said: “The trade remains a


key focus and we’ll continue to invest further in the support we offer. The new vacancies are just the start of this.” MSC is looking for a regional


sales manager to help agents in the northeast, and a training support executive. Once recruited, the trade sales team will comprise 19 staff, up from 16 pre-pandemic. Steve Williams, UK and Ireland


sales director, said agents remained “a huge priority” for the line. “This is why we’re fully equipping them with everything they need so they can


confidently sell our cruises,” he said. “Throughout 2022, our trade


partners did a fantastic job and we are predicting that sales will continue to grow via the trade throughout 2023.” P&O Cruises wants to recruit


a trade training manager and three partnership development managers. Rob Scott, vice-president of sales, marketing and brand, said the line would continue to expand its team if agent bookings continued to grow. “We’re now above 30,” he said.


“We’re certainly getting back up to pre-pandemic levels.” He went on to explain how


partnership development managers secured new accounts and worked


Travel Counsellors showcases client experiences in peaks push


Travel Counsellors has launched a multi-channel peaks campaign which showcases the experiences of its customers to make it more “relatable”. The campaign also features hotels, cruises, deals, destination overviews and complex itineraries that can be tailor-made by the company’s 1,900-plus counsellors. The agency topped £800 million in sales for the first time last year.


8 12 JANUARY 2023


with agencies that normally “would not get face-to-face time but are quite strong sellers for us”. Cunard added a fourth business


manager to its sales team last week. James Scott joined the line from Oceania Cruises where he had worked since 2019. Tom Mahoney, who has made


several internal appointments since becoming Cunard’s UK sales director last year, said: “We’re set up incredibly well for the year. “We’re looking to work with


a range of travel agents who may already book Cunard but with whom we’ve not yet had the scope to work closely.”


Dnata expands trade team with McErlaine and Coulbeck


Dnata Travel Group has appointed Raymond McErlaine as trade partnership manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland with a remit to support agent partners and homeworkers. Additionally, Kym Coulbeck is to return to


the group as head of trade support. i Get Social, page 39


Lisa Henning, Lucy Huxley, Tony Mann and Gemma Antrobus


Wizz Air to stop flying from Cardiff airport from January 25


Wizz Air will permanently cease its operations at Cardiff airport from January 25. The airline’s two routes, to Milan and Bucharest, will end, with affected customers given the option of taking a 120% refund in airline credit, a 100% cash refund or an alternative flight via a different airport. The carrier blamed a “challenging macroeconomic environment” and high operational costs.


travelweekly.co.uk


Southampton, pictured hosting five cruise ships


Operators ‘losing bookings’ due to poor service levels


Agents are switch-selling away from operators that offer poor service levels and slow responses, but were keen to praise others, such as Jet2, that are supportive. Speaking on a Travel Weekly


webcast, Idle Travel director Tony Mann said some operators were “brilliant” but others were “absolutely dire” and cost him time, money and reputation. “I’ve taken business away from them,” he said. Lisa Henning, Inspire Europe


managing director, added: “Maybe it’s a staffing challenge…we’re just told that they’re inundated. But we want to confirm and sell the holiday. So we need answers.” Gemma Antrobus, owner of


Haslemere Travel, said: “Some operators are offering really poor service and response rates, and are not valuing their relationships with agents who could give them a really


good revenue stream.” iWatch the webcast in full at travelweekly.co.uk/media


PICTURE: Claire Adam


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