Jet2holidays has launched a campaign designed to tap into consumer demand for a travel professional’s expertise as it hosts more than 100 travel agents at its annual VIP conference.
‘Travel Made Simple with Jet2holidays’ has been developed to help agents provide the advice and knowledge they need to expertly sell the tour operator’s holidays.
The campaign, unveiled at Jet2’s one-day trade conference in Leeds ahead of the turn-of-year peak sales period, aims to work help agents capitalise on their position of trust among consumers and to turn enquiries into sales.
It will include a dedicated training programme for agents and bespoke marketing materials for use online, in emails, on social media and in stores to help the trade hold customers’ hands whether it is researching, booking or travelling on a Jet2holiday.
Badges which read ‘Ask Me Anything’ will be available for agents who have taken the operator’s training in a bid to give clients confidence when in store, while marketing materials can be used by agencies to help entice customers into their shops.
Alan Cross, head of trade sales, Jet2holidays, said the campaign aimed to ensure agents were seen as ‘trusted friends’ to help navigate current travel restrictions and testing requirements as well as prepare them ahead of the busy peak sales period.
He said: “Stores are open and demand is growing all the time, so we will be working alongside independent travel agency partners to give them everything they need to not only customer questions but to turn that dialogue into sales too.
“We know how much customers value the expertise and knowledge that independent travel agents provide and we believe there is enormous potential in unleashing the power of that trust.”
He stressed the importance of working in partnership with agents, adding: “By launching this campaign now, we are supporting independent agents so that they are ready for the demand out there. Not only will it equip independent travel agents to inspire confidence amongst customers wanting to book a package holiday but it will enable them to get onto the front foot when it comes to promoting holidays too.”
The Jet2 conference is also set to unveil a new approach to brochures, including a series of new-look brochures to be launched to agents in December.
Cross said the main message to agents at the conference was to get them to use their expertise to capitalise on “enormous customer demand” for this winter, summer 2022 and summer 2023, adding this was “the perfect time to get ready and turbocharge sales”.
“We are delighted to be hosting our annual VIP conference once again, and we have been genuinely amazed at how much independent travel agents wanted us to host it after missing out last year,” he said, adding: “We have put together a bumper agenda for our agency partners and we are very excited about what we have to tell them.”