Two agents have urged those who are new to the touring and adventure market to grab “a massive opportunity” by focusing on sales in the sector.
Speaking at the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers (Atas) conference, Zoe Franklin, sales manager at Travel Club Elite, and Joan Jones, owner and founder of Once in a Lifetime Holidays, outlined how they trained their staff about the suppliers and products – and have since reaped the benefits.
Travel Club Elite agents began learning about Wendy Wu Tours about 15 years ago when the Asia specialist wanted to sell more through the UK trade, and then expanded to look at training with other companies such as Hurtigruten – and started to earn higher commission rates, said Franklin.
The Once in a Lifetime team is a more recent convert to touring and adventure, having been “wowed” at an Atas conference and spotted the opportunities, said Jones.
“We were inspired by operators and their enthusiasm,” she said.
“I am nervous about selling something that I don’t know, so as a team, we invested in getting experience.”
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She said staff paid £300-£400 each to book themselves on a festive Newmarket trip to Switzerland, adding: “We have got that back 10-fold or 100-fold.
“We realised it was great – the trip was full of young people and the tour director was so much fun. We had a really good time.
“I’ve since been with G Adventures to do the Inca trail in Peru, which was amazing, and another trip was private touring.
“Invest your own time and money; you won’t look back.”
She also pointed out that agents “can get on with their day jobs” while customers are on an escorted tour.
“On a tour, that reassurance is valued more than ever,” she said.
Jones added: “It is such a massive opportunity – margins are increased and booking values are up.
“We are doing less work for more money and our clients are looked after in resort.
“Once you have sold that first tour, you get more confident.
“You’re selling holidays that the client cannot get. It is a ‘win win’ and there is no reason not to begin.”
Franklin agreed, and highlighted: “We will always get repeat business as [customers] have faith and trust in you.
“A lot of suppliers want to work with us as we bring the business in.
“The more you promote a particular operator, the more you sell of them, and the more likely you are to get places on fam trips.
“Everybody on our sales team has been on three or four adventure or touring fam trips so our experience is wide.”
Jones said her company will increase its focus on touring and adventure as customers are “more adventurous” and the mainstream market is such a “crowded marketplace”.
Both agents hailed the benefits of working with Atas members and attending the annual conferences.
Jones said: “Atas has been absolutely fundamental for our focus on this sector.”
The agents were speaking on the first day of the Atas conference, held in Liverpool (October 10-11) during a session introduced to the event, aimed at agents new to the sector.
The session also featured entertaining “myth-busting” presentations from Atas suppliers, showing agents how the sector is not just for older travellers, adrenaline junkies or those with big budgets.
Another panel during the session featured Rich Forde, head of trade sales at Newmarket Holidays; Joanna Reeve, head of partnerships at Intrepid Travel; and Bhav Taylor, head of sales at TProfile, outlining more benefits for agents.
Ford said the average commission is about £900, compared to £200 for bookings of mass-market holidays – and noting that Newmarket sometimes runs trade-only promotions, so holidays are cheaper than going direct.
Reeve urged agents to scan TV schedules and tie in their marketing messages to popular travel shows – and also highlighted how customers like the safety of being on organised tour, as operators have experts on the ground if there are problems in a destination.
The afternoon session ended with a tribute to Liverpool star Cilla Black, with a ‘Blind Date’ style competition called ‘Lorra Lorra Laughs’, in which operators ‘wooed’ agents with their suggestions of tempting tours and adventure holidays.
Pictured at the ‘New to Touring and Adventure’ session are, from left: Claire Brighton, Atas director, and Travel Weekly editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley.