Libra Holidays plans to target agents with exclusive deals and more UK-based training.
New sales and marketing manager Riccardo Benzo said he was hoping to offer selected agents one-off deals following negotiations with hoteliers abroad and regional UK airports.
He is hoping the exclusive nature of the deals will drive sales, adding: “If everybody’s got everything then it doesn’t work people want exclusivity.”
Benzo said an enhanced training schedule should be in place by the summer and fam trips will be reviewed.
The operator’s 2008 brochures, due to be launched next month, will devote a considerable amount of space to the introduction of flight and accommodation-only programmes.
Benzo said he will be looking for agents to support the operator, which he added offers better commission than he had expected, coming from the cruise sector.
Benzo added: “One of my understandings of tour operating was that cruise operators pay much higher commissions but that’s not true. It was surprising because I thought all operators had been paying around 2% or 3%.
“If agents want to earn more from traditional operator sales they should be looking at selling add-ons or try to upsell more.”