Tailor-made tour operator Audley Travel has appointed Cox and Kings’ Greg Thurston as its first trade sales manager role as it targets increased sales through agents.
Thurston is to head up a dedicated team to work with agents and help them understand Audley’s product.
Audley Travel chief executive Nick Longman, who joined a year ago having left his role as managing director for Tui UK and Ireland, said: “The vast majority of Audley’s trips have historically been sold direct to consumers through our in-house country specialists.
“However, we recognise the significant importance of the travel trade in a wider distribution model and are delighted to be able to offer external agents access to a dedicated team who will work with them on a daily basis to design tailor-made trips for their clients.”
Greg Thurston, who worked for Cox & Kings for more than nine years, most recently as head of agency sales, said: “It’s a really exciting time to be joining Audley Travel and I am delighted to have been asked to head up the new trade sales team.
“I’m looking forward to meeting up with agents and sharing the excellent product range and experiences that a trip with Audley can offer their loyal customer base.”