All Leisure Group is to relaunch its Just You tour operator brand to tap into the “huge potential” of the singles market.
The announcement follows the appointment of three on-the-road sales executives to pro-actively cross-sell its cruise, escorted tours and singles brands to high-street agents for the first time since the group bought Page and Moy Travel Group a year ago.
Group sales director Colin Wilson said the company was currently undertaking customer and market research on its Just You brand.
“Singles travellers are serial bookers. I don’t think the trade has latched on to the singles market yet. We believe it’s a huge untapped market,” he said.
Just You will be relaunched in September and is likely to include a broader product range aimed at attracting more customers.
Wilson added: “We are doing face-to-face interviews and asking what people want from the brand. We will launch the new look and feel with the new 2014 programme.”
Currently more women book through the brand than men, while 20% of customers are married or in relationships but want to take a holiday on their own. “We’re looking to bring more men to the brand,” said Wilson.
Just You sells 8% of its holidays through the trade, and is market leader with passenger carryings of 16,000 a year.
Already the group is exploring ways to increase sales of Just You by cross-selling it to agents promoting its Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic cruise brands.
“If cruise agents have a singles database we’ll say let’s joint market Just You to your single cruise customers. We see this as incremental business.”
Wilson is confident the new united sales team will boost sales of its Travelsphere, Just You, Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic brands.
The new sales team – northern sales executive Sue Cragg, Midlands sales executive Hayley Anderson and southern sales executive Polly Lyons – is headed up by group national account manager Julie Franklin.
Currently, around 35% of the group’s cruise sales are through the trade and 11% of sales of its escorted tours come via agents. “If 40% of cruise sales come from the trade in a year’s time I’d be delighted,” said Wilson.
“There is a lack of awareness of our brands among high-street agents. We have a big job on our hands but we’ve realised there is a huge cross-selling opportunity.”
Wilson said many agents were not aware Swan Hellenic’s product was all-inclusive and pays commission for all elements, including for example, excursions.
He admitted the company’s round-UK itineraries were struggling, and said some prices had been reduced to fill ships. “We probably over-egged the pudding for 2013 with our round-UK sailings,” he admitted.