Riviera Travel has seen a substantial increase in trade bookings, boasting a 35% rise over the previous year. This marks a significant achievement for the company due to strategic improvements.
- The surge includes a notable 51% increase in river cruises and a remarkable 66% boost in solo departures across its offerings.
- Long-haul Signature Tours are also in high demand, witnessing a 38% growth, prompting expansion in tour itineraries.
- Riviera has reinforced its agent engagement, hiring new key account managers and expanding its trade marketing team.
- Innovations such as a new trade app and e-learning platforms have streamlined operations and enhanced agent relationships.
Riviera Travel has seen a substantial rise in trade bookings for 2024, boasting an impressive 35% increase compared to the previous year. This upsurge highlights the success of the company’s strategic efforts to enhance engagement with travel agents. Within this growth, bookings for river cruises have surged by 51%, and solo departures have seen an even more impressive 66% increase across the board.
Long-haul Signature Tours have not been left behind, experiencing a 38% rise in trade revenue year-on-year. In response to this demand, Riviera Travel is set to add four new itineraries for the coming year. These will include trips to Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Jordan & Petra, South Africa, Japan’s highlights, and Southern India’s beautiful coastal routes. This brings the available worldwide tours to a total of 20.
The travel company’s success can also be attributed to its significant expansion in agent engagement. At the start of the year, Riviera introduced four additional key account managers, expanding the team to seven. Alongside, two distinct roles – national sales manager for retail and OTAs, and national sales manager for homeworkers – have been created, and a dedicated trade reservations team is in place. Furthermore, the trade marketing team has expanded from three to five members.
Riviera Travel’s relationship with travel agents has been bolstered through various initiatives. The bi-annual trade engagement committee, which includes agents from a wide range of industry sections, has been actively collecting feedback. A record number of 100 agents participated in 10 fam trips, enhancing their familiarity and commitment to the brand.
Riviera Explorer, an e-learning platform that was recently launched, has gained over a thousand users, with half of them being brand new. Additionally, a newly designed internal trade application has been implemented, enabling key account managers to efficiently track visits and significantly reduce administrative tasks by approximately 50%.
Riviera has also strengthened its ties with The Travel Network Group and Advantage Travel Partnership, aiming to secure collaborations with more independent agents. Vicky Billing, the head of trade and partnerships for the UK and Ireland, expressed gratitude for the support received from trade partners and emphasised the importance of maintaining and expanding these partnerships. She highlighted the momentum gained with established partners and the formation of new alliances as pivotal to their success.
Riviera Travel’s strategic enhancements have propelled its growth in trade bookings, setting a promising course for the future.
