Two travel industry veterans, John Wales and Sean Sweeney, have launched a trade-friendly ticket agency for West End shows.
Ticketpipe will be promoted next week at World Travel Market London (November 7-9) to woo travel trade businesses.
Wales and Sweeney were two of the founding team behind the launch of Encore Tickets in 2000.
They will work with travel agents, tour operators, group travel organisers and tourism businesses to book the shows for their clients.
Wales said: “Tourism to London is returning and those visitors want to experience the capital’s theatreland and see the shows they have heard so much about.
“But, during the pandemic period there has been a void in serving the travel trade.
“As a result the important business sector has not had the attention it needs so has not been recovering as quickly as it should.
“We understand the needs and working solutions that make it easy to book London theatre which Ticketpipe now provides.”
Sweeney added: “Tourism business for London theatres year-round is vital, which is why Ticketpipe connects commercially-minded theatre productions with regular business from tour operators seven days a week.”
Ticketpipe’s launch at WTM London follows work over the summer agreeing primary agency status direct with theatres and operating a few hundred groups before officially opening for business this month.