Brad Bennetts, head of sales and business development, promised to continue to be proudly agents-first in everything the company does.
APT & Travelmarvel has promised an 'aggressive' trade and business strategy, but what exactly does that entail? Brad divulged: "Our goal is simple: to make the APT a household name. We want to be the brand of choice when it comes to luxury river cruising and touring throughout Europe, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand. With a proven track record of excellence, forged over more than 95 years, we’re already in great shape – APT & Travelmavel are both well-known brands within the industry.
"We want to continue to build on that and ensure that we are THE company of choice for any prospective traveller that wants to explore the world’s most thrilling destinations by land, rail, sail, or any combination of the three.
"We back this with a mission to ensure that our agent partners are fully equipped for success, giving them the right training and support so that they can convert red-hot APT & Travelmarvel leads into bookings, every time."
That support comes in the form of the brand's largest-ever sales team and three times as many fam trip places on offer this year than in 2022. Brad made the strategy behind this approach clear: "The company has been proudly and staunchly trade-focused since it first began operating in the UK & Ireland, and agents will always be at the heart of APT’s commercial and growth strategy.
"Today, 75% of APT & Travelmarvel’s business comes through the trade and all activity, whether B2B or consumer-facing, is designed to bring sales opportunities through the doors of our agent partners."
Fancy bolstering the 75% of business that APT & Travelmarvel does through the trade? There are plenty of opportunities to join in, as the head of sales and business development emphasised: "The first stop for any agents who wish to become an APT & Travelmarvel partner is the APT Agent Club, which they will find at www.APTAgentClub.co.uk. This is a one-stop-shop for all the training, marketing assets and sales collateral needed to sell both the luxury, five-star APT, and flexible, four-star Travelmarvel brands.
"We have put together what is, to my mind, the industry’s most outstanding Sales team. Our talented and passionate business development managers host regional events throughout the year and conduct personalised agency visits, training sessions, fam trips. They offer tailored sales and marketing support to help agents build their knowledge of river cruising and touring, and identify, engage and convert leads.
"Agents that work with APT and our expert team of BDMs are enjoying outstanding results, growing their businesses, and netting impressive profits."
Of course, the rise of homeworking has presented a new funnel of agent sales beyond the high street: "APT also recognises the unique requirements of homeworkers, and we are very proud to have introduced a dedicated BDM, Becky Baumbach, for these agents. Becky fully understands the nuances of homeworking and has created a unique, supportive and interactive community, with events, training, sales and marketing tools, tailored to meet the specific requirements of these individuals.
"Ultimately, the opportunity for agents is this: APT & Travelmarvel holidays are consistently awarded five stars on Trustpilot and selling them creates a contract of trust between agents and their customers, leading to long-term repeat business. When you put your clients onto one of our river cruise, yachting or touring itineraries, our goal is always to make you look like a rockstar to your customers."
