NEWS es a record year and targets £1 billion in sales in 2024. Robin Murray reports from Manchester


Homeworkers urged to focus on complex premium sales


T Sara Davies eys range of itineraries


to put an itinerary together if you don’t know a destination, we’ve been building something that we hope will make your lives a lot easier.” The first phase of the launch, due


in December, will see “a number of itineraries” loaded into Phenix. Each itinerary will include hotels and flights. “You will be able to lift it, check the


availability for the dates and number of people you want, and then change and amend it as you see fit,” said Hughes. Phase two is scheduled for early next


year and will allow agents to share their own itineraries with their colleagues.


ravel Counsellors agents were encouraged to focus on complex, premium leisure bookings in 2024 by the firm’s managing director. Kirsten Hughes, who is also the agency’s


chief commercial officer, described such itineraries as “our absolute sweet spot” because they involve more human interaction between the client and agent, which leads to a stronger relationship and increases the likelihood of the customer becoming a repeat booker. Hughes also said these types of holidays are more


likely to be shared on social media, resulting in more enquiries, and they earn the agent a higher margin. “The more complex the booking, the more margin


you will make, and that doesn’t just apply to multi- centre holidays – you can make a single-centre trip highly valuable by adding on excursions, insurance, lounge passes and other things like that,” she said. Hughes said customers are also more likely to book


their holiday through an agent if it sounds more complex. “Your customers can look for something themselves,


so you need to make sure you add value and call on your experience. For more premium and complex itineraries, people value knowledge and care, and are much more likely to come to a trusted advisor than go online for it.” She encouraged agents to ask other advisors in the Travel Counsellors network for assistance if there is an


element of an enquiry about which they lack knowledge. “We currently convert one in three enquiries but


we want to convert three in three,” said Hughes. She noted that customers are increasingly looking


for authentic, personalised experiences and said “demand for going off the beaten track is rising”. “People want to visit local families, they want to go


to places that haven’t been discovered before,” she said. “Younger generations in particular will pay more


for an experience they will remember. Consumers want to experience local cultures and they want to give back; they want to make the world a better place.”


‘Your mental health is more important than your business’


Agents were urged to prioritise their mental health over their business in a panel discussion led by the hosts of a popular podcast. Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes, who host


The High Performance Podcast, were joined on stage by Travel Counsellors customer operation director Claire Hill and travel counsellors Katharine Cleall, Elliott Rouse and Paula Ross. Rouse told the panel he had recently “felt really


down and low” despite hitting his annual sales target the week before, and said this was a “massive wake-up call”. “It made me realise we have to take time


to look after ourselves and put ourselves first, because if we don’t look after ourselves then we can’t look after our customers,” he said. Hill agreed, saying: “Your long-term mental


travelweekly.co.uk


health is much more important than your business; you can’t run your business without it. “Our strength is that we care so much – we’re so


invested in our customers and teams – and that can be quite draining. The challenge is getting the balance right.” Ross encouraged agents to “reach out to others in the community” if they feel they need support.


30 NOVEMBER 2023 11 Panellists on stage


Kirsten Hughes


Caption for the pic


PICTURES: Simon Wright Photography


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