The trade team at easyJet holidays will expand to seven by the end of next month as the operator targets sales via travel agents.
Kelly Walker, head of distribution at easyJet holidays, told a Travel Weekly webcast that she has been focused on recruiting the “right people” for “Team Orange” since her appointment in September.
When she joined, the trade team consisted of Walker and two colleagues but she has been busy bringing in new starters, who will bring the department up to seven by the end of February.
“We have got some great experience within our team – people who have been travel agents or worked with travel agents for other tour operators,” she said.
“That grassroots knowledge is so important for us to succeed – that has taken up a huge part of my time, getting the right people into Team Orange.”
She will be deciding which recruits will work with which parts of the trade over the coming weeks to make the most of their existing relationships with agents – and potentially taking on more staff if the right opportunities arise during 2023.
“[My role] is trade-only – my complete focus and my team’s focus is on travel agent partners,” she told the webcast.
“It is where my heart lies, it’s where my passion is, 100%.”
She said the chance to work with agents was the “biggest draw” when she saw there was an opportunity to lead travel trade partnerships at easyJet holidays.
Walker was most recently trade and partnerships manager at villa specialist Oliver’s Travels and previously James Villas.
The distribution team works with more than 3,000 agents and recently launched a new portal and trade incentives to boost interest in its ‘Big Orange Sale’ in January.
“We really thought long and hard about how we wanted to create some buzz and excitement, we hope this will be a brilliant January for everybody,” she said.
“We wanted to listen to travel agent feedback so we did a variety of surveys, asking what they would like to win and receive through peaks.
“Travel agents were saying to us all the big prizes are brilliant but actually, with the current economic climate…we would rather have a bigger chance to win a smaller prize than a smaller chance to win a bigger prize.
“We’re going to be giving away prizes every single day. Of course, we’ve got some holidays in there.
“The more bookings they do, the more chances they have to win.”
The new booking portal launched before Christmas “to take advantage of agents’ quieter period”, she added.
“The feedback has been fantastic. We will see improved conversion throughout January because of the site,” she commented.
More features will also be added by the end of February in response to the feedback.
Furthermore, her team will be arranging more activities and events for agents, called Team Orange On Tour – aka ‘Toots’.
These face-to-face events are held in partnership with hotel partners and saw a “brilliant turnout” during 2022.
“We want to get out there; we want people to really buy into easyJet holidays,” she continued.
“It is so nice to have that conversation one-to-one and then follow up if they have done a booking.
“A lot of new people are coming into travel industry – they are key to us too.”
She said hybrid events such as training webinars can continue but commented: “You can’t beat face-to-face, that for me is the way to go forward.”
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