Escorted touring specialist Jules Verne has started actively selling through the trade as it enters its 45th year in operation.
General manager Debbie O’Neill, who was promoted last April and took over the running of the operator – part of Kuoni parent Der Touristik UK – said working with agents was her “number‑one priority”.
She described the decision as a “no‑brainer” and said selling through agents was “an obvious thing to do to take the business forward”.
More: The Interview: Jules Verne’s Debbie O’Neill and Abbey Renshaw on working with the trade
Jules Verne has never proactively sold through agents before. So far, the operator has agreed deals with Travel Counsellors, Midcounties and Hays Travel, and wants to be sold by as many agents as possible.
O’Neill, who has worked at Jules Verne for more than 30 years and was previously head of customer experience, said: “I’ve never understood why we have never done it before. I thought it was stuffy and old-fashioned.
“I think the fact that we’re doing this in our 45th year feels significant.”
She hopes the decision to open up to agents will increase awareness of the brand, which previously offered agents 5% commission per booking on an “ad hoc basis”.
Hays Travel made 35 Jules Verne bookings in 2021 even though Jules Verne’s products were not widely promoted or sold through the trade.
Jules Verne business development manager Abbey Renshaw said: “Our commission is now 10% and up. It can increase because it’s based on revenue and volume.”
O’Neill added: “We’re excited about building relationships with agents. We’ve got a repeat customer rate of 65% so we know that we’re doing something right.
“We’ll always strive to do better – we’re never complacent.”
Renshaw said: “We now want to open up this journey to travel agents. This is a call to action to say ‘we’re here’. We’re not limiting ourselves [to a number of agent partners].”
Senior personal travel expert Danielle Smith leads an eight-person sales team at Jules Verne that will split its time between direct and trade bookings.
Asked whether sales staff had received training ahead of the company’s trade launch on January 5, Renshaw said: “We got some people from our partner companies – like Kuoni, CV Villas, Journey Latin America, Kirker Holidays and Carrier – to offer staff some trade training.”
More: The Interview: Jules Verne’s Debbie O’Neill and Abbey Renshaw on working with the trade