Baldwins sets up franchise business Samantha Mayling


Baldwins Travel has created The Travel Specialist, a franchise division aimed both at entrants to the travel industry and experienced agents. Nick Marks, managing director


of Baldwins, told Travel Weekly he felt now is “the right time to get into that marketplace”, adding the agency has “something great to offer”. A member of The Advantage


Travel Partnership, the miniple has 11 branches across Kent, Sussex and Lincolnshire. Its 10th store opened recently in Grantham, Lincolnshire – the first store outside the southeast in Baldwins’ 129-year history – while its 11th is former Kent agency Westerham Travel, which it


acquired last month and rebranded. Marks said: “Baldwins has


been going since 1895. We’ve got great relationships with our tour operators [and] partners, not only in retail but also business travel – and our membership of Advantage. “We want to get people earning


what they think they should be earning as a franchisee.” Marks said the franchise aims


to support homeworking agents, who may also be able to help with answering calls to Baldwins outside normal office hours. However, he already has two


potential franchisees interested in establishing bricks-and-mortar premises, located away from other Baldwins branches. “It is yet to be decided whether


Royal Caribbean explores closer ties with Celebrity


Lucy Huxley


The new regional boss of Royal Caribbean said he is exploring opportunities to work more closely with sister brand Celebrity Cruises. Gerard Nolan was last week


named vice-president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, succeeding Ben Bouldin, who will become president of Royal Caribbean International China in August. Nolan has worked at Royal


Caribbean Group brand Celebrity Cruises since 2016, most recently as associate commercial vice-president.


6 27 JUNE 2024 “We use the same platforms, we


speak to the same players, the teams that support us are the same – so there is a huge amount of synergy in the background,” said Nolan in a webcast. “With Giles [Hawke] heading up the Celebrity brand [as vice-president and managing director for the UK, Ireland and EMEA], there’s a real opportunity, not just from the local market but across the European markets – and how we tap into Miami [headquarters] in a bigger way. “There are common partners


that we work with together [and] common distribution that we use,


There are a lot of people out there doing [franchises]. I think we can add something a little bit more fun


they’ll be called Baldwins or under their own name – they’ll certainly be owned by different people from Baldwins, but they’ll be under the Baldwins franchise,” he said. “There are a lot of people out


there doing [franchises]. I just think we can add something a little bit more fun, a bit more different.” The franchise business’s website


is live at thetravelspecialist.co.uk and it will be promoted on LinkedIn


and Facebook. Furthermore, a bookable website for Baldwins Travel is being developed, enabling customers to book outside normal shop hours – and to attract clients from beyond the agency’s heartlands. Sally Ward, senior retail manager


at Baldwins Travel, has been appointed business development manager for The Travel Specialist. “I will be looking after anyone who


comes on board: nurturing, providing training resources, and helping with the day-to-day aspects of owning your own travel company and being able to do the best you possibly can – and make the most money,” she said. “We have put a lot of research into


this. We have plans for expansion and to get as many on board as possible to work under our umbrella.”


Utopia of the Seas; inset, Gerard Nolan


so it’s just thinking about how the enterprise gains by coming together.” Nolan told the webcast he had


been “blown away” by the reaction to his appointment from trade partners across the UK, Ireland and EMEA region. “The relationships are there and it is something I am looking forward to building upon,” he said. Nolan aims to “immerse” himself


in the brand, spending time with Bouldin on Oasis of the Seas, then experiencing Utopia of the Seas, which is due to launch in July. Royal Caribbean International’s


new UK and Ireland sales boss, Aaron Langford, reaffirmed the importance


of travel agent partners as the line targets further growth. He took up the role of UK and Ireland senior sales director three weeks ago, tasked with strengthening trade partnerships. “The one thing I’ve been very


clear about is that we have ambitions to grow and we will not grow without the trade,” Langford said. “There is a lot of opportunity for the trade – a lot of cool stuff that’s coming out.” He pointed to Icon of the Seas’


inaugural in January; the forthcoming launch of Utopia of the Seas; and Star of the Seas, which sets sail in 2025. “The trade is super-important to come on that journey with us,” he said.


travelweekly.co.uk


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