FRONTLINE
CLARE DUDLEY managing director, Ponders Travel, Cambridge
A few weeks ago, I was travelling
from London to Porto on an easyJet flight to the naming ceremony on the Douro for APT’s fabulous Estrela. I feel embarrassed admitting this, but I was a little nervous and out of my comfort zone. This may seem strange, as I’ve been in travel for so long now, but as I get older I’m losing my confidence. At the airport, I hadn’t seen many people I knew, so this feeling had grown and I was feeling super anxious as I boarded the plane.
AND RELAX... It turned out I really didn’t need to feel that way at all. Once on the aircraft, I was so pleased to be sitting next to Jonny Peat from Advantage. We chatted the whole flight and, by the time we landed, I felt much more like my old self. But what was really brilliant was that, just by chatting to Jonny, I realised how important it is to have time with key industry people such as him. In that short flight, we worked together on a ‘cunning plan’ to help me at Ponders with a strategy to increase our already successful group business. We discussed ideas, key contacts, the correct approach and timelines. We also chatted about how valuable the many departments at Advantage are, especially to a business as small as ours. At one point in my career, I knew all our
travelweekly.co.uk AGENT
Spending time with key industry people is invaluable and you never know what you might learn or plan
key cruise contacts and would help others get their voices heard by the right people. But rapidly changing personnel makes this much harder, so people such as Jonny and his contacts are invaluable. Not only this, but talking through your ideas – and listening to the support from the many departments at Advantage – is almost essential. Why don’t I use Advantage’s resources more? We already use its marketing department a lot, taking many of the over-branded magazines, e-blasts and window cards. But my time with Jonny reminded me there is so much more on offer than I had realised.
I vowed that, as a result of our chance chat, I would make sure to look at more of the things that Advantage has to offer.
FULL SUPPORT It’s timely that at the partnership’s recent conference, Advantage has rebranded and has a fabulous new look and vision. So there has never been a better time to work with your consortium. If you are looking for managed services and commercial partnerships, or marketing support, networking opportunities, global connectivity, business insurance, bonding services or cutting-edge technology platforms, Advantage delivers everything its stakeholders need to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving travel ecosystem.
As I said to Jonny later that same
day, he has no idea how much of a big hug and comfort he was to an old girl in travel – thank you. On the subject of ‘It’s not what
you know, it’s who you know’, I am currently on the Seine with 40 clients with Riviera Travel, and it is beyond lovely that I know all of them very well. The beauty of taking escorted tours that you host yourself means you will come to know your clients better. They genuinely become like family.
WELCOME COMPLAINT
A dear couple in their 80s who book with us regularly came in the other day, saying that during the holiday they’d just
returned from, they had a bit of a situation they needed my help with. Of course, it’s always a
worry when we hear such things from clients – especially those who are in the later stages of life. Concerned, I assured them that whatever they needed, I could help. They could not have shocked me more when they revealed that they had got engaged and needed my help arranging their honeymoon! Wow, what a lovely surprise, and what an absolute pleasure it was to book them onto a Uniworld river cruise along the Rhine for the special occasion.
A special voyage
29 MAY 2025
19
Sharon
SharonAndreaJenniJenniferferColin Helen
diary Andrea
diary Colin Helen
Clare
Clare
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
