The tour operator has had a team of three out on the road since it started selling through the trade at the end of 2014, but is now looking to take on three more regional representatives, as well as its first cruise-specific account manager.
“Our on-the-road team of Sukhina, Liz and Kate have been our biggest weapon, and they’ve done an incredible job in introducing us to the trade,” said director of marketing operations James Gambling.
“But it’s difficult for them to see 5,000 agents as regularly as they would like. And given the success we’ve had with three, imagine what we can do with six?” he added.
The operator is also looking to appoint an account manager to focus on cruise specialist agencies, as it seeks to bolster sales of its two cruise ships through the trade.
“We have very much focused on Saga Holidays since launching to the trade, as opposed to the cruise side, but we’re starting to get those relationships with the cruise specialists going now,” said Gambling.
“Agents are a channel that people want to use [to book cruise] so it would be remiss of us not to be talking to cruise agents,” he added. “A cruise account manager will help us deliver cruise specifically to the trade.”
Saga’s 2017 cruise brochure is released on March 14, and will see Saga Sapphire sail to Canada. Other destinations featured in the programme include the Baltic, Mediterranean, Canaries and Canada.
“We first sailed to Canada in 2015, with Saga Pearl II, and those itineraries sold out almost immediately, so we’re pleased to be going back with a bigger ship this time,” said Gambling.
He added that the operator had had a very strong start to the year through agents. “We did £2 million of revenue through the trade in January, which was a massive increase on last year, and the only way it appears to be going is up.”
