Tui has seen “significant double-digit growth” in sales through independent agents since committing to working more closely with the trade, according to its marketing chief.
Neil Swanson said the operator has received “incredibly good” feedback from agents since making the push, though would not give an exact figure for the increase in sales, and said he hopes to “continue to drive more volume through that channel”.
His comments came after the operator expanded its trade team to 17 with nine appointments, four of whom have already started visiting agencies across the country to educate agents about Tui’s product.
More: Tui’s first-ever Christmas ad will put operator ‘ahead of market’
“The feedback so far has been incredibly good which is backed up by the increased sales from the trade – we’ve seen significant double-digit growth,” said Swanson, speaking to Travel Weekly at an event on November 27 to unveil the operator’s first-ever Christmas advert.
“We’ve gone out with new commercial terms and enhanced support and all of that is paying dividends,” he added.
Swanson said the operator will look at putting on fam trips in 2024 “because we need to get more agents away” and confirmed it is considering hosting a conference to engage with agents.
He stressed strong communication between Tui and agents as the two work together closely will be “key”.
“Ultimately the sales are what tell us if it’s working or not and currently they’re brilliant, but we’ll be listening all the time to agents – the communication element is key,” he said.
“At the moment it’s all really good. It’s a case of a step at a time and hopefully we’ll continue to evolve and drive more volume through that channel.”