Husband-and-wife travel agents book £200,000 trip for bell-ringing group

Husband-and-wife Not Just Travel agents Louise and Lee Trowbridge have highlighted “niche group tours” as particularly lucrative bookings after arranging a £200,000-plus trip for 24 bell-ringers.

The couple, based in Stubbington, Hampshire, worked with Exsus Travel to secure the booking, which will see the ‘campanologists’ travel to Australia and New Zealand to ring bells in more than 13 locations.

Louise said: “I feel bell-ringing groups could be an untapped lucrative market. Niche group tours offer high-value repeat bookings, yet demand the highest amount of communication and organisational skills. I’ve been juggling a lot of spreadsheets.”

The booking came through a recommendation from one of Louise’s existing clients, who put her in touch with a member of the bell-ringing group. 

“He knew exactly the itinerary the group were looking for, so we worked with Exsus to put this together,” said Louise.

“Once the main itinerary and group quote had been agreed upon, that was when the personal variations started.

“Different group members wanted various bespoke itineraries, including trip extensions on both sides and various flight options.

“At one point, in the middle of January, during our busiest booking period of the year, we were dealing with eight different itineraries and having to requote the entire trip every time the group numbers changed. I was spinning a lot of plates! Working with a trusted supplier is key.”

Locations being visited by the bell-ringing group include Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Christchurch.