Travel 2 is investing more than £250,000 in its biggest travel agent campaign for five years to turn the Caribbean and Indian Ocean into ‘cornerstone’ destinations of its business.
The tour operator has partnered with companies including British Airways and resorts such as Sandals and Elegant Resorts to launch the six-month marketing drive.
Agents can win weekly shopping vouchers as well as four seven-night holidays a month and places on two mega-fam trips to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean in May 2014.
In the style of former Channel 4 quiz show Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush, agents will not know until they get to the airport where they are flying to.
The fam trip places can be won at nine ‘beach’ parties across the country between now and March. The first this week, in London and Birmingham, hosted more than 100 agents each and included beach-themed games, cocktails and spot prizes.
Agents are also being encouraged to vote which destination they think is ‘hottest’ via the operator’s Facebook page to win £20 shopping vouchers.
Sales and marketing director Gordon McCreadie said: “We want to put the fun back into travel and make these destinations cornerstones of our business, which they haven’t been before.
“I want to make the brand as ‘sticky’ as possible to become the operator of choice and a credible player in these destinations.”
Not a ‘large enough percentage’ think of booking Travel 2 for the Caribbean or Indian Ocean, McCreadie said.
Travel 2’s top destinations are the US, Australia, the Middle East and Asia. After a similar campaign two years ago, the Middle East became its third-biggest seller. Previously it was not in the top 10.