Cadogan Holidays is embarking on a series of roadshows and fam trips among 2,000 agents to sell Italian tour operator Valtur’s first programme to the UKmarket.
The move follows Cadogan’s decision to sign a £4m, four-year marketing deal with the all-inclusive specialist.
Around £500,000 will be spent on sending 25 representatives to over 2,000 agents in eight-week rotations.
A specialist bookings department is also being set up at Cadogan’s Southampton head office premises.
A ‘sexy’ advertising campaign featuring supermodels in beautiful Italian vistas has been toned down for the UK and will be seen in newspapers and trade publications.
“If we had used the Italian brochure, people would have been dumbfounded,” said a Conrad Advertising Group spokesperson.
The Rome-based operator produces 400,000 brochures with target sales of 8,000 in its first year, rising to 30,000 by 2003. It aims to be the number-one all-inclusive operator in the UK within five years.
Under the agreement, Cadogan will handle UK bookings and administration as well as running the marketing campaign.