Cornish Gems seeks trade partners for first time in 18-year history

Holiday home specialist Cornish Gems is seeking travel agent partners for the first time in its 18-year history.

The company, which has more than 180 properties in its portfolio, is inviting “premium” and “boutique” agents to discuss opportunities for working together as it aims to diversify beyond its direct-only model.

Founder Nadia Macer-Wright said: “I really want to explore a unique way of accessing customers and an income stream that isn’t just succumbing to the big guys.”

She added she is looking for trade partners who understand the needs of high-net-worth individuals, including celebrities, while wishing to promote sustainable travel and the importance of supporting the local economy.

“I really want to protect what we have here [in Cornwall] because it’s so unique and it’s so important to protect it,” she said.

Asked how many agencies she would like to work with, she suggested it would likely be one or two. “I don’t want to spread myself too thinly,” she said.

There might be scope to work with one UK-focused partner and one international-focused partner, she said, or there might be an agency that can handle both source markets.

The industry has become increasingly competitive, she said, which has led to some “negativity” around tourism in Cornwall, but she wants to change perceptions.

“We want to fight back against the online travel booking giants. They’re eroding the ecosystem we have here, and Cornwall is a unique place,” she said.

Cornish Gems’ properties cannot currently be found on other websites or booking platforms and Macer-Wright wants to continue “sidestepping the big guys”.

“I don’t want to be a sausage in a sausage factory,” she said.

Since Macer-Wright founded the company in 2007, its property range has grown to include two-person “countryside boltholes”, riverside properties sleeping up to 20 and “eco-conscious” options that continue to offer luxury accommodation.