Travel 2, a UK-based long-haul tour operator, is set to launch a new cruise programme on Monday, as it continues to establish stronger partnerships with agents.
Cruise Plus, which goes live today, comes as Travel 2 has developed several cruise products with preferred suppliers. Its trade partners include P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Cunard, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian, Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises.
Travel 2 has trained eight call centre staff in the Glasgow tours team to focus on custom-made cruises.
‘Cruise has always been part of our portfolio. Over the last six to 12 months we have lined up better deals with several good partners and packaged that up for agents,’ said Travel 2 managing director, Andy Freeth.
Gordon McCreadie, sales, marketing and commercial director, said that the company had no plans for a brochure this year. ‘This will add value in long-haul destinations – cruise as part of a bigger itinerary,’ he added.
Meanwhile in the car rental sector, Travel 2 is not looking for a standalone product but is pressing agents for a strong presence following the trade exit of Holiday Autos.
‘When a player pulls out of the market, as regrettable as that is for people involved, there will always be business to pick up,’ Freeth said. ‘We’re looking at how we can be stickier to our agent partners. You have to build up trust for them to trust you with their clients’ hard-earned money. Travel 2 has that trust.’
In the travel business for more than 30 years, Travel 2 specialises in tailor made holidays to New Zealand, Australia, South Pacific, Asia, Africa, Middle East, America, Canada and Latin America, as well as round the world travel. Specialising in holidays for the independent traveller through its travel agency partners, Travel 2 works with some of the world’s major airlines, hotels, car hire and cruise operators.
Travel 2 is a subsidiary of Stella Travel Services, a UK-based integrated travel business. It is fully bonded with the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA V0156) and holds an Air Travel Organisers’ License (ATOL 3228) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
