SCANDINAVIAN Travel Service is investing thousands of pounds in a training scheme to encourage independent agents to pick up on growing consumer interest in holidays to the region.
The Scandinavian Travel Academy opened its doors at World Travel Market and has already signed up 225 agents – 90% from the independent sector – almost half the target figure of 500.
The aim is to focus resources on this group of agents, to help them increase their knowledge of Scandinavia and their ability to sell the region.
In return for their commitment, there will be presentations for members, who gain a minimum 13% commission compared with the standard 10%. They can also join educationals and receive prizes in return for bookings.
Scandinavian Travel Service managing director Iain Cottam said:”When we started, the budget was £150,000 for the year, but it is going to exceed £200,000.
“It is a lot of money for a small company but we want to increase bookings through a select number of agents by investing in them. Before, we were taking a shotgun approach and were never sure what we were getting back.”
Cottam is considering whether to try to incorporate the Viking Challenge training programme (see story below) into the scheme but is more keen to produce a £50,000 training video on Norway and the Norwegian Coastal Voyage which draws on agents’ experiences of the country.
“It is expensive but it is the simplest way to get product training into the shops,” said Cottam. “If it is successful, we want to develop a Scandinavia video but it is a major project.”
Meanwhile, the first series of academy presentations gets under way this month, with Norwich on February 28, followed by Guildford on March 1; Manchester, March 7; Edinburgh, March 9; and Newcastle, March 14.
Each event starts at 6pm and will last about 2hrs. There will be presentations from the Scandinavian tourist boards – Norway, Finland and Denmark have signed up so far – and product information from Scandinavian Travel Service.
“It will be fun, informative and interactive,” said Cottam. “As part of their commitment to the academy, agents are expected to attend and we will ask them to do their own presentations for clients.
“We know it works as we ran about 30 evening events for consumers last year and they were an enormous success,” said Cottam.
“We had an average 75 people each evening and took 10-12 bookings every time. We need to adapt this for members of the academy so they can start to benefit from the interest.”
As well as the higher commission, paid to every agent who joins the academy, rewards will be handed out in return for bookings.
Three bookings earns a shop prize with a Scandinavian theme, five bookings gain a guaranteed place on an educational and 10 bookings earns a three-night short break for two. Shops that make 20 bookings will get two free places on an 11-night Norwegian Coastal Voyage cruise.
“These are realistic targets,” said Cottam. “Of the agents signed up, there are 50 who could make 20 bookings. They know Scandinavia and see it as a good seller.”
He added: “Scandinavia Travel Service took about 9,000 to Scandinavia last year, including our bookings on the Norwegian Coastal Voyage rather than those mad through other operators, and I want to increase this to 10,000 by 2001.”
Scandinavian travel service training update by Jane Archer