Jet2holidays has vowed to continue supporting independent travel agents by running a number of high-profile campaigns to help retailers engage with customers and drive sales.
The commitment came as the UK’s second largest operator detailed the number of winter destinations affected by the latest UK lockdown measures.
Trips to the Canary Islands, Madeira, Turkey, Majorca and Faro are cancelled until February 11.
City breaks to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Krakow, Paris, Prague, Rome and Venice are also affected.
Holidays to Cyprus and Malta have been cancelled until February 12.
Refunds are being offered to agents on all cancellations, according to the operator.
An exclusive promotion for independent agents features a £110 discount on bookings made until March 1 for travel until November 6, 2022.
The promotion applies to Jet2holidays, Jet2CityBreaks, Jet2Villas, Indulgent Escapes and Vibe by Jet2holidays bookings.
A new ‘Jet2holidays Celebrity Come Book With Me’ campaign is designed to help independents boost their social media presence.
Four celebrities are posting video messages on its Instagram and Facebook pages, talking about the benefits of booking with the company.
Agents are encouraged to ‘like’ the post and comment with their Abta number to have a chance of winning a personalised video message recorded by the celebrity, which they can then post on their own social media profile to engage with customers. The winning agency can also take part in a virtual meet and greet with the celebrity in the campaign which runs until April.
The first winner was HD Travel in Northwich, which received a recorded message by X Factor quarter finalist Chico.
Westlife member Brian McFadden is appearing as this week’s celebrity.
Head of trade sales Alan Cross said: “These may be unusual times, but that means that the Jet2holidays trade team will work even harder to support agents through our partnership approach.
“In the spirit of that partnership we have spent a lot of time listening to what agents want, and as well as fantastic offers for customers, we know they want to drive awareness and engagement including via social media.
“That’s why we are giving agents the chance to add a bit of showbiz to their social media profiles, and we know that Jet2holidays Celebrity Come Book With Me is already a big hit with independent travel agents.”
He added: “As ever, we are speaking to agents every day as part of our Virtual Partnership 2 Success programme and the engagement we are seeing is fantastic.
“Our honest and transparent relationships with independent travel agents are more important than ever, and they are enabling us to really build on the work we have done to look after them during the pandemic.
“As well as helping to raise the profile of independent travel agents on a national level, speaking to agents day in day out helps us work on a micro-level with them, meaning we can provide tailored support for each agent no matter their requirement is.
“That approach is what differentiates Jet2holidays when it comes to working with the trade, and we are already seeing great successes early on in the new year.”