The new managing director of Prestige Travel has said travel agents will be "vitally important" to the brand’s success as it emerges from the pandemic with a new look and expanded trade team.
Lee Hamilton was recently named as the new managing director for the operator as part of a rebrand from Prestige Holidays to Prestige Travel.
Speaking to TTG following the announcement, Hamilton said Prestige would focus on enhancing both the consumer and agent booking experience as it looks to increase its presence amongst the travel trade.
"The travel trade is vitally important to us at Prestige Travel," Hamilton said. "It accounts for 96% of our business. We have implemented a new phone system, new booking systems and our trade website is due to launch soon.
"It is all about making the booking experience easier for agents, in today’s day and age everything is about speed and efficiency.
"We have very competitive commission rates, which will continue. We are massively grateful to the agents who have supported us throughout the pandemic, and they have been fantastic, and we hope to attract new agents moving forward."
As part of the rebrand, Prestige also recruited two new business development managers for the north and the south of England. A third member, who will cover agencies based in central England, will be recruited before the end of the month.
"Unfortunately that was a part of the business we had to scale back on during the pandemic, so it is great we are able to increase that now," Hamilton added.
"Agents, overall for the whole industry, have been vitally important, and they always have been, but even more so during the pandemic.
"There was a massive shift during the pandemic, trends changed massively, and agents are key to support this. They are the front line for us."
Find contacts for 260+ travel suppliers. Type name, company or destination.