ITALIAN Life is to target its top performing agents and step up product training after admitting the programme is underachieving.
Launching the operator’s 2000 brochure, group business development manager David Stamp said the brand should be selling three times more than its current rate.
He said greater focus will be placed on developing business through specific agents.
“Italian Life is open to every agent to sell but while French Life appeals to a cross-section of the country, Italian Life is more niche,” he said. “We will therefore devote greater time and effort developing business through identified outlets in key catchment areas.”
Stamp added it will become a priority in the operator’s training programme after stressing the need to communicate with agents.
“It is key,” said Stamp. “It would be easy to blame the situation in Kosovo which may well have affected bookings. But ultimately it’s down to operators to get their message across. At the moment it is clear that Italian Life is not doing that as fully as it should. The product is right, the prices are competitive and the choice is there, yet the brand is failing to reach its potential through the trade.”
The Leeds-based company is offering self-drive and flydrive holidays to Tuscany, the Tuscan Coast, Umbria, Lazio, Veneto and Sicily. New for 2000 are flights to Bologna, taking the number of Italian destinations to eight. Most departures are from Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted and Manchester although flights are available from regional airports.
Prices include £430 for an apartment in Siena for up to three people staying for seven nights. The price includes Dover-Calais ferry crossing.