Former Thomas Cook and Tui boss Chris Mottershead is looking to work with more travel agents after taking over at specialist operator The Discerning Collection.
He has agreed to buy the business from founders Nick and Viv Wrightman who set up the company in 2010.
“Nick has stepped into the background and is handing over the reins. His wife Viv is very much engaged in the business,” said Mottershead, who is also president of the Institute of Travel and Tourism and Just a Drop trustee and director.
He has also been a consultant to Barrhead Travel parent Travel Leaders and was chief executive at Travelzest.
Mottershead’s wife, Vivienne, has joined him at The Discerning Collection, and his daughter Lily Hood will join in March to help the company expand its portfolio.
“When Nick Wrightman approached me about The Discerning Collection, I felt things are going well and I am not ready to hang up my passport,” he said.
He has known Nick Wrightman for many years, as they worked together at Travelzest.
The Wrightmans also previously had a Turkey specialist operator, Tapestry Holidays, and Mottershead has a boutique hotel in Kalkan, Turkey, called the Oasis Hotel & Spa.
The Discerning Collection has an Atol for 870 passengers and a team of six, with a repeat customer rate of 80%.
Destinations include Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Morocco and the recent introduction of Sri Lanka.
As well as expanding the range of boutique and specialist properties and destinations, Mottershead is investing in the website and looking to add more experiences for clients – with more agency sales as part of his growth strategy.
“We work with a number of agents including Travel Counsellors…and we are happy to work with other agents,” he said.
“We are very much about personal connections.
“We do not want to compete with the big guys; we want to offer something different such as smaller boutique hotels.
“For agents, it is a way to sell something that is different from the main guys and bookings can be worth £6,000 to £10,000 per week – it’s good commission to earn.
“Luxury agents know their customers.”
He said his own boutique hotel, the Oasis Hotel & Spa, is also expanding to cater for growing demand, with 13 rooms being added for 2025, bringing the total to 44.
The adult-only property also features in Tui’s top 100 hotels, out of the operator’s 13,000 properties worldwide.
More: Chris Mottershead takes back role as Thomas Cook UK boss [December 2018]