Collette has expanded its UK sales team as it bids to increase visibility among travel agents.
Head of UK partnerships Stephen Mills said the expanded team will mean the operator attends more industry events to boost Collette’s presence among the UK trade, through whom around 90% of sales are made.
The appointments of Lisa Rhodes for the north and Tony Mahoney for Wales, Northern Ireland and the southwest bring the regional sales team up to four and follow the earlier appointment of Simeon Douglas, who looks after the Midlands, in March.
The team reports to head of UK sales Neil Sehmbhy, who said a ‘Why Collette?’ flyer has been distributed to agents, listing Collette’s unique selling points.
As part of its marketing assistance, Collette is also planning to help agents host in-store events for customers.
Mills said: “We haven’t had a full team for about a year, so this shows Collette’s continued investment in growth across the UK. We are really excited to galvanise the Collette brand and are looking forward to what the next five or 10 years bring.”
Collette’s top 10 destinations in the UK market are all long haul, including its Exploring New Zealand tour at number one.
It has been running a ‘save on 10’ promotion that will continue into April 2019, offering savings of up to £600 on 10 popular tours.
Mills also revealed the operator was planning to increase the number of fam trips it runs for UK agents to help them learn about Collette’s tours first-hand, with details yet to be announced.
“When people experience our product, they fall in love with us,” he added. “And we want to support our trade partners, big and small. We want to be a relationships-led business offering amazing products, amazing experiences and trips of a lifetime to guests.”