Involved Holidays is hoping travel agent bookings will account for 10% of sales within a year following the appointment of former Newmarket Holidays trade sales boss Richard Forde.
The walking specialist, which has an Atol for 2,000 passengers a year, is now proactively targeting sales through agents.
Forde, who has been appointed sales director, said: “I’d be delighted with 10% of bookings from agents in year one and 25% in year two.”
He promised ‘generous’ commission for agents selling Involved Holidays, which offers 40 holidays out of 19 airports, including 12 with no single supplements.
Forde plans to have conversations with agency consortia to discuss commercial agreements, but said: “I’ve already had phone calls from agents keen to sell us. One agent asked for flights out of Teesside airport and as a result we have already added them. It’s great to be able to react straight away.”
He added: “My job is to get the name out there and start to sell through the trade. Last year we had business from a handful of agents but I want to grow that as much as I can.”
Forde hopes to attract private walking groups to book via agents as well as individuals. “Agents can reach out to these smaller groups,” he noted.
The operator offers ‘relaxed’ guided walking holidays, which include rest days, in the UK and Europe, in groups of maximum 24 people.
It has just launched its latest brochure, which agents can request, and accepts agent bookings online.
The Market Harborough-based company is in its fourth year of trading after managing director Steve West set up the business after buying the database of Preferred Travel Services, which was dissolved in 2021 during Covid.
Forde, who left Newmarket Holidays last summer, said he had been attracted to working for a smaller, family business. “I needed a change. I had a couple of job offers but decided I wanted to work somewhere smaller where I could make a difference, so I saw an opportunity here,” he said.