CONFERENCE


Lally reports rise in package sales since revision of PTRs


A


leading luxury agent told delegates she is selling an increasing number of tour operator


packages since the new Package Travel Regulations came in. Jeanne Lally, joint managing


director of Travel Bureau Gosforth, said before the PTRs were revised last summer she had to “really carefully look at our obligations” on dynamic packaging. Lally said her agency’s proportion


of package sales had risen from about 70% before the PTRs were updated to about 90% now. But the luxury specialist, whose


agency is a Kuoni partner store in Gosforth, Newcastle, said that by working closely with supplier partners it was possible to tailor holidays to meet the demands of high-net-worth customers.


We tried taking


everything out of the window, but we found footfall and enquiries dropped


“Te benefit of having a tight


relationship with suppliers is that you know they will drop everything at 5.30pm on a Friday if they need to,” she said. “Tey become an extension of your family.” Lally explained how a “light-


touch” approach worked with wealthy customers, who typically “don’t like to be sold to”, and that she plays the long game with such customers, including atending events and dinners to build relationships. To drive walk-in custom, luxury


stores must be “different” from their high street competitors, Lally added. “Our shop has to look like it


means business in terms of luxury,” she said. “We tried taking everything out of the window, like other luxury shops, but we found footfall and enquiries dropped. So now we have 12, very professional-looking offers in the window display.” But she insisted personalisation


was the key to luxury. Ahead of Lally’s interview,


suppliers discussed how luxury means different things to different people in a Family Fortunes-themed session on defining the luxury travel market. Explaining how she wouldn’t


choose to have a butler, Avalon Waterways sales director Janet Parton said: “I don’t like strangers unpacking my bag and going through my knickers.”


‘Neat and tidy shops give a good impression’


Kuoni’s marketing director urged Advantage members to boost their brand image simply by keeping their shops “neat and tidy”. Dean Harvey said: “Branding is far more than just


the logo or advertising. It is about the impression you want to create for your customers. “[Branding] creates


recognition, trust and credibility, and people are more likely to purchase from businesses that look polished. “Consumers are


savvy and expect high standards in retail environments. Messy retail environments are a reflection of the brand


10 23 MAY 2019


Dean Harvey, Kuoni


and not a positive one. Neat and tidy shops please.” Te session explored the value and role of branding


within small businesses. He said “there’s no place now for brands to hide”, as the internet and social media has created a two-way dialogue between consumers and brands. Harvey added:


“Te vast amount of information available to customers online is causing confusion. Tey don’t know who to trust. “Tere is a revolution


coming. We are going out of our way to seek the opinion of experts in the industry we are in and within the brands we represent.”


Paula Lacey,


Advantage MOTIVATIONAL LIFT:


Former elite forces soldier Ant Middleton gave delegates in Cadiz a lift in more senses than


one. Strongman Middleton, a star of TV show SAS: Who Dares


Wins, gave a speech promoting a positive mindset, understanding


your fears, being “brutally honest” about your flaws and championing


teamwork. He also ran an 8am boot camp for 15 delegates on the beach outside the Valentin Sancti Petri


conference centre. He is pictured holding aloft Emily Salisbury, of


homeworking agency Guru Travel, flanked by Jackie Steadman (left)


of Hertfordshire agency TravelTime World and Claire Moore of Peakes Travel Elite in Shropshire.


travelweekly.co.uk


Jeanne Lally, Travel Bureau Gosforth


Advantage Conference 2019: More than 120 agents headed to Spain


Caption for the pic

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