Elegant Resorts keen to 'strengthen and grow' trade relationships

Elegant Resorts is keen to “strengthen and grow” relationships with the trade as the industry recovers from the pandemic. 

To help achieve this it will introduce a dedicated trade portal by the middle of this year, as well as "learning from" sister brand If Only’s established trade infrastructure. 

While Elegant Resorts and If Only will retain their distinct brand identities, managing director Lisa Fitzell said they would be sharing best practice and “working more closely moving forward”.

Elegant Resorts “made the move to really grow its B2B business” in 2019 when Jon Hardcastle was appointed head up trade sales.

Fitzell said: “We’re 100% committed to the trade and it’s great because we’re learning from If Only, who have complete trade distribution and have a fantastic infrastructure when it comes to servicing agents. 

“We only want to strengthen our relationships and listen to what [agents] need to ensure we meet that expectation. It’s a case of ensuring we use best practice between the two companies.”

She claimed Elegant Resorts “would be stronger on the agency side” because it could work alongside If Only on commercials and incentives where relevant. 

She said there was a big focus on “technology, efficiency and diving up productivity” across the businesses which would result on If Only having a bookable website by the end of the year and Elegant Resorts developing an agent portal which she hopes will be up and running by the middle of the year. The portal will house training materials, white-labelled marketing products, event information and recorded webinars. 

The operator also intends to grow agent sales through its network of private travel designers – homeworking staff who book travel for their own clients as well as their own agent databases. 

Fitzell said two new private travel designers join the brand in recent months taking the current total to seven, with further opportunities to add more in the future. 

“These people have their own clients,” she said. “But it also affects our agency business because these are people who are really connected in trade and bring in new agent business because of that.

“Its something I'd like to grow but it has to be the right fit for them and us. We tend to attract people that want to be their own boss and they already have a great network. They’re passionate about luxury travel and they want to do focus on very high-end luxury, so it needs to be a good fit from that perspective. We offer them the systems and the licencing and all of the behind the scenes aspects but these people want to be part of a community and that’s key because there is a really amazing culture within Elegant Resorts.

“If we could have 10 private travel designers by the end of this year I’d be really happy with that.”

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