spoke to Travel Weekly in 2016. “We have a simple mantra since


I’ve taken the helm,” he says. “We are absolutely focused on growth in every one of those businesses.” Those businesses are Saga


Holidays, Saga Cruises, Titan and Destinology. Their combined pre- tax profitability was £15 million for the year ending January 31, 2017. “The agenda is growth,” Shaw adds. “Whether it’s cruise, holidays, Titan or Destinology. Finding the areas where we can achieve growth is important.” Talk of growth is in stark


contrast to the 100 redundancies announced at the end of last year. The job losses were partly down


to a £2 million Saga hit following the Monarch collapse, and Shaw stresses the roles only accounted for 2%-3% of the thousands of employees at Saga. “That’s not to diminish the


impact it has had on those individuals, which is regrettable,” he says. “But, from time to time, organisations take a long hard look at their cost base. Ultimately, it will safeguard jobs in the future.” Fewer than a third of the


redundancies were on the travel side of the business, he says.


Trade relations


Perhaps the biggest shift within Saga Travel is its growing commitment to the trade. Shaw admitted that the trust in the Saga brand, which includes insurance and financial services, means customers have long been happy going direct. But he sees the trade as a “huge”


growth area. “We are under- represented in the trade,” he says, without invitation. “And we have to target that channel aggressively.” Saga only started selling through


agents in 2014, and Shaw admits it will take time for trade sales to increase to the level he wants them at. But a 50% year-on-year rise in trade sales is good progress. Titan leads the way, with about 30% of sales via agents, while the percentage of Saga Holidays sales via the trade remain in single figures. Shaw blames that number on a “previous business model” focused on direct marketing. While Saga does not turn down


direct customers (75% are repeat bookers) Shaw says a lacklustre trade presence could scupper his ambitious growth targets. “It’s a channel we can’t afford


not to be in,” he says. “It’s still where most customers in our demographic book.” He stressed that over-50s now use the internet more than ever, but still want advice to cut through the vast amounts of information before booking. Saga offers price parity and regular monthly incentives. Shaw adds: “We’ve been shouting long and hard now that we are here for good with the trade; we hope that message is getting through.”


Family breaks


Shaw says multigenerational holidays for over-50s and younger family members, announced in December, would not realistically be on the market until 2019. “It’s something we believe in and there will come a time when we need to find a route into that marketplace that is effective with our existing customers,” he says. “[Multigenerational holidays] is something Saga needs to address, but there’s always a lag between idea generation and putting products into the market. We see increased demand, but not a huge demand. Timing will be critical.”


We are under-represented in the trade and we have to target that channel aggressively. It’s one we can’t afford not to be in as it’s still where most of our customers book.


Cruise strategy


A large part of that growth strategy will come from Saga Cruises, which has two new ships in the pipeline. Shaw says 50% of the 19


itineraries planned for Spirit of Discovery, which sets sail in 2019 was sold 18 months before the


maiden voyage. The second ship, Spirit of Adventure, will make its first sailings in 2020.


“No one else is building cruise


ships for the UK market. We are very confident with how this business has started.” In the short term, Saga will look


to improve personalisation in its holidays. The key, Shaw says, is flexibility. “Our customers want culture, music or walking; holidays that are linked to something our customers have a passion for. “The size of groups comes up a


lot well,” he adds. “Personalisation lends itself to small group tours. People want unique experiences and excursions money can’t buy; so we are working to provide that.” Shaw also says Saga would continue to offer more regional flying options, having increased its offering to fly from 29 airports. “People will fly from the airport


they want to fly from,” says Shaw. “The trade should be well aware of our growing flexibility.”


Service sells


Shaw says “the trade can rest assured that nine out of 10 of our customers are blown away” by Saga’s service and with “generous commissions” there are two key reasons to sell its product. “I’ve worked for three or four big companies that would all say the customer is the most important thing,” he says. “But Saga is the only one that truly puts the customer at the heart of everything it does.” Saga’s new branding, introduced


just over six months ago, was designed to reflect the energetic nature of over-50s in the 21st century.


And its new chief executive for


travel hopes agents can help them Keep Doing just that.


2. What’s the best advice you have ever heard? Most strategies can work, but most fail due to poor execution.


3. Do you have any bad habits? My wife would say snoring; I can tend to get a little over competitive and, more of a vice than bad habit, but good red wine is definitely my weakness.


4. What was the last book you read? Embarrassingly, it was To Kill a Mockingbird for my English Literature O-level.


5. What’s your party trick? I’m hugely untalented in terms of song, dance and music but do have a reputation for a mean curry...it’s not for the faint-hearted.


6. Do you avoid telling people you’re a trained accountant? Not really, but I was recently helping my seven-year-old with some maths homework saying that I started work “adding up numbers”. His response was fairly typical: “How boring, I will never do that. I am going to be racing driver or a professional golfer.”


7. What is your favourite film? The spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood [A Fistful of Dollars, and For a Few Dollars More]


8. What do you value most? My family is the most important thing to me. I am lucky to have a very understanding wife and three characterful, occasionally well-behaved, children under 10.


WITH ROBIN SHAW


1. What’s your favourite holiday destination? It has to be Tuscany with the family; fabulous landscapes, wonderful food and great wine... although I am quite partial to a few days golfing in the Algarve.


15 February 2018 travelweekly.co.uk 15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88