Exodus Adventure Travels is considering expanding its on‑the‑road team as it looks to deepen trade relationships and run a 50th birthday mega-fam.
To mark its half-century, the operator is giving away 50 places on its November fam trip aimed at supporting Morocco’s recovery following last year’s earthquake. Half of the places will go to UK agents and the other half to US agents.
The operator, which changed its name from Exodus Travels to Exodus Adventure Travels in a brand refresh last year, is also running 50 departures this year with additional, “special” experiences and offering 10% off as an exclusive trade incentive on all trips booked between February 20-29.
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It plans further fam trips this year, including to Vietnam and Portugal.
Managing director Sam Seward hailed strong sales through agents, which account for 20% of business, particularly for Asia.
Exodus Adventure Travels is now looking to bolster its trade team if sales continue to grow at the current rate, but is focused on improving current relationships rather than expanding agents’ share of sales.
It currently has an on-the-road sales team of three. Seward said: “They have never been busier. We are looking at growing that team if we carry on the way we are going because there is high demand for their presence.”
But he noted: “This year is about deepening and growing existing relationships. We are looking for quality over quantity in terms of agents. We want meaningful connections with agents. I’d like to see growth from all our accounts.”
He added: “We want to invest time in agents, give them the depth of understanding of the products and highlight the importance of the right holiday for the right customer.”
Seward said it was encouraging to see agents taking a “slightly larger chunk” of business than last year, adding the operator was “always delighted to hear from agents who want to branch into small-group, ethical adventures”.
The operator, which recently became B Corp-certified, is working to reach more agents online through webinars on topics such as wildlife tourism. “As a new B Corp company, this is a good opportunity to grow that base of agents who are looking for holidays and experiences with those credentials,” Seward said.