Luxury travel advisors can have successful sales days on a budget by following a few simple steps, according to Beaver Travel.
Based in the Hertfordshire village of Radlett, this small business has been a magnet for holidaymakers since its move from selling affordable to upmarket trips back in the 1990s. It has gone on to win numerous industry awards, and today, boasts a reputation for offering bespoke experiences with an enviable client retention rate of 82%.
Like many small agencies however, Beaver Travel hasn’t been unscathed by the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. Costs for a sales event, which typically requires venue hire, equipment and catering, have gone up and marketing budgets have also had to tighten, while consumers are also considering their own leisure spend more thoughtfully.
“The major trend that’s undeniable is how people are thinking a lot harder about what they book, decisions are slower than what they were,” Jason Palmer, business development manager at Beaver Travel tells TTG Luxury. “Doing these events gives a lot of impetus for someone to make a decision, and it’s us putting a stake in the ground. If you don’t put yourself out there as a travel agent, those clients could read an offer in the newspaper and book elsewhere.”
Never one to let a challenge stop them, Beaver Travel decided to hold a cost-effective sales show focused on luxury cruise, and one that would still deliver the VIP service and products its clients expect.
The event was a massive success, with bookings totting up to £91,000 in the fortnight after it wrapped. Palmer estimates that, ‘judging by the dozens of hot enquiries we are still working on’, sales are only set to increase in the coming weeks.
So, what does it take to create a cost-effective and business-boosting event? Palmer shares his tips.