Prestige Travel scraps BDM team as sales director leaves business
Gary NoakesPrestige Travel director of sales Shubhra Halliday has left the business, with Prestige setting out a change in tack in how it engages with the trade after promising just a fortnight ago to invest in agent relations.
Halliday departs after 16 years, while a further agency sales manager role and business development role have also been made redundant, Prestige has confirmed to TTG. Two other Prestige BDMs have left the business in recent months and have not been replaced, resulting in the brand’s business development team effectively being dissolved.
The move comes after the operator last month revealed record profits up 149% on 2018, then its most profitable year. Prestige said the surge in income was “attributed largely to ongoing agent partner commitment”, with trade sales making up 96% of bookings.
However, after Prestige polled agents on the kind of support they valued the most, in-store visits by BDMs ranked ninth out of 10 options, prompting the redundancies.
Managing director Lee Hamilton was promoted to the role in April from his previous job of general sales manager, pledging to bring in three new members to Halliday’s business development team.
Charlotte Sargeson subsequently joined the business, taking responsibility for its agents in the north, and Denise Bridgeman its agents the south, with a third BDM role covering Prestige’s central region.
Hamilton told TTG on Thursday (8 December) the retail picture had changed since Covid: “A large amount of employees from the travel sector have moved to new industries and have sadly not returned," he said.
"Agencies are still facing recruitment difficulties, and there is a large influx of new recruits with little industry knowledge. While this is exciting to see, the strain on time and resources is even greater due to the need for increased training.
“This made the task of our team of BDMs challenging as it was increasingly difficult for agencies to dedicate time to in-store visits, understandably due to the strain on their time.”
However, he added: “Currently 96% of our business comes from the trade, and I have no doubt that we will hit 100% very soon. This is a big decision for us and one which we have not taken lightly.
"It is still very much a people driven industry and we have no intention of lowering our personal touch. Our plan will be much more focused and we look forward to building on this year’s successes and doing all possible to provide the trade with the support they need."
Hamilton added not a single penny would be lost from Prestige’s budget to support the trade.
Prestige was sold to M&A specialist Embrace Travel Group in July 2021 by founder John Dixon, who began the business in 1989.
- This article was updated on Friday 9 December to clarify the roles that were made redundant and the timeframe of the departures.
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