Greece specialist seeks more agent partners as sales soar

A Protected Trust Services member is seeking to work with a wider range of travel agents after seeing sales for his Greece tour operation soar, thanks in part to B2B sales.

 

Chris Wouldhave sells holidays via his agency brand, Verini Travel, and also puts together packages for his operating brand, The Greek Specialist.

 

He announced to fellow members at the PTS conference in Warwickshire in September 2024 that he was starting to sell Greece packages via the trade, alongside his existing B2C channels, offering agents 10% commission and price parity.

 

Revenue from sales from May to August this year soared by 180% year on year, he noted, thanks in part to “very positive feedback” from B2B bookings.

 

He had also stopped paying for Google Ads and is now seeing organic growth via referrals, returning customers and the trade.

 

Now he plans to sell via agents from other consortia and launch another tour operating brand, called Wintasun.

 

He aims to unveil Wintasun at the next PTS conference, which will be held at the Belfry Hotel, Sutton Coldfield, next March.

 

Wintasun will be sold direct and via the trade, offering winter-sun holidays to the Caribbean, Far East, Africa, Europe, Indian Ocean, Middle East and Central and South America.

 

More: CT4N Travel to offer Greek island-hopping services to PTS members

 

Your Stories: Chris Wouldhave set up a travel agency to help support local charity

 

“This year has been really busy for me, it’s fantastic,” said Wouldhave, who renamed his agency Verini Travel after a management buyout last year of CT4N Travel. 

 

He has recently relocated to Newcastle and works from home with partner Ian.

 

“Travel agent bookings are helping – I have had really good feedback from travel agents, especially when they are looking for an expert in Greece,” he said.

 

“I have got so much knowledge [for example] something as simple as turning an itinerary around and finishing in Athens instead of starting in Athens in case there are problems with the ferries.”

 

Wouldhave has worked in travel for 29 years and helped set up CT4N Travel in Nottingham in 2020 as the subsidiary of a charity, in a bid to drive a new stream of income.

 

He has also visited 55 Greek islands over the past 33 years.

 

“I saw agents posting online that no one had ideas for trips to Greece, so I started with PTS agents at first,” he said.

 

“The feedback has been fantastic – one agency has made a booking of £27,000.

 

“I am looking to expand to agents outside PTS too; that is my next step.”

 

He says his knowledge and contacts means that he can offer agents great service and rates – and help clients when there are problems on island-hopping holidays.

 

“I have some great rates as I have lots of direct contracts with hotels in Greece,” he said.

 

“I will be at the Philoxenia trade show in Thessaloniki in mid-November as it is brilliant for making contacts in Greece.”

 

He is signed up to a ferry global distribution system (GDS), enabling him to print ferry tickets for customers in the UK “so they don’t have to stand in a Portakabin on Piraeus harbour at 6am – they can get straight on the boat”.

 

His contacts also mean he gets alerts about weather problems affecting ferries, so he can quickly make other arrangements.

 

Earlier this summer, some clients in Folegandros had their return ferry cancelled but he quickly arranged an extra day on the island while he sorted alternative ferries, taxis and flights.

 

And earlier this month, he heard bad weather was threatening services back to Athens on his own trip, so made a dash to catch a ferry and avoid the problems.

 

“That’s why agents should book with a specialist; if anything goes wrong, I can sort it,” he said.

 

He also can arrange more fun activities, such as an impromptu drinks reception with clients in Sifnos, when he realised that he was there at the same time as 14 customers.

 

About 95% of sales are with The Greek Specialist and the rest with Verini Travel.