Wendy Wu Tours has doubled its trade sales team as it reveals its ambition to make South America as big as its core China programme.
The team increases from four to eight in the restructure, with the creation of a new global destination management company and key account manager position, two business development executive roles, and an additional member of its head office trade support team.
It means six staff will be on the road meeting travel agents.
Mark Zissler, former account and business development manager at JacTravel, has joined as global DMC and key account manager. He is responsible for new trade partnerships, group bookings and cruise extensions.
The two new business development executives are Rose Gibbon, who joins from ski specialist Interactive Resorts, and Liam Brophy, who will be returning to the operator after travelling around Asia.
Recruitment is under way for a new trade sales support assistant.
Also new are business development managers Sarah Budgie, Joe Lavers and Nicholas Hindle.
Budgie, formerly of Insight Vacations, joins as BDM for the east, replacing Karen Milward; Lavers, formerly of Cruiseco, is BDM and key account manager for the south, following Mark Harris’s departure; while Hindle is BDM for the west, succeeding Liz Ryan.
Global sales director John Warr said: “Currently we are not able to maximise demand and service so we are doubling our trade sales team and adding field sales roles so we can work closer with agents.”
The call centre team is to increase by 25% as Wendy Wu Tours seeks to grow its new South America programme to the size of its core China programme over the next five years.
“There is no point driving additional growth if we cannot service it,” Warr added.
He said there were opportunities to increase sales from existing agents who may not be aware of the operator’s full destination portfolio. Trade sales currently account for 55% of Wendy Wu Tours’ sales.
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