APT Travel Group hails positive response to Travelmarvel rebrand

APT Travel Group co-owner Rob McGeary has confirmed both the trade and consumers have responded positively to this year’s launch of Travelmarvel as a standalone brand.

The move, which was implemented in August, included the creation of a new website for agents and an increased focus on four-star premium flexible travel.

McGeary told a Travel Weekly webcast that the initial idea was “heavily debated”, but the outcome has been successful.

“The feedback is that people are really loving it. They love the brand refresh and they’re loving the clarity, which is really great,” he said.

He added that the trade had always understood the distinction between APT and Travelmarvel, but there was a need to make it clearer for consumers.

Some had tended to compare Travelmarvel with the luxury-style product offered by APT, he said, when it ought to be judged against other premium operators.

“The four-star product, which is a really competitive product, is price competitive with the other operators in the industry,” he said.

He added: “I think the trade and the consumer understand different brands. When you look at most of the airlines, most of the big airlines have two brand levels. The Australian airline Qantas, for example, has got Qantas and Jetstar.

“Obviously car brands do it as well. Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley are all in the same company, but they’re branded very distinctly because they stand for different things.”

The operator’s incentive programme in the UK has been ramped up over the last 18 months, McGeary said, with the response proving strong.

“Trade partners really appreciate it and value it,” he said, noting the programme is based on the Australian scheme but tailored to the UK.

He added the trade is “very important” to operations and stressed the desire to be “respectful” when engaging with agents.

“We’ve always had a very good relationship [with agents],” he said.

“We’re always very cautious to ensure we don’t disrespect them and undercut them.

“We’ve watched from a distance and seen the trade get very upset when other operators put things to market that the trade can’t sell themselves – and that’s just disrespectful.

“We think that’s a short-term policy, and we know the trade trusts us, that we have price integrity and we’ve got the sales force on the ground in the UK to support the trade and provide direct training.”