Funway Holidays and AMResorts to redouble agent focus

The two companies, which both specialise in the Caribbean, announced the marketing agreement last year after Funway’s 10-year partnership with Sandals ended.

“We were looking to further drive our Caribbean product, while AMResorts wanted to tap into the travel agent market,” said Nick Talbot, Funway’s marketing director.

“It’s a very complementary arrangement – we’re getting AMResorts’ product out there to travel agents through Funway.

“It’s been hugely successful. It’s given us real focus and reach. We have around 10 people on the road, so we have huge breadth of coverage.”

Talbot said the focus for year one had been on agency engagement at branch and head office level, including working with “all the major consortia”.

Beyond relationship building, Talbot said the most tangible benefits were passenger and revenue growth.

“Since we started, passenger numbers for AMResorts products sold through Funway are up 110%,” he said. “We had targets and we’ve surpassed them.”

In year two, Funway and AMResorts will target the weddings and honeymoons market.

“We want to work with agents looking to expand in that sector,” said Talbot, who added there would be a concerted effort to promote the two companies’ LGBT offering in this sector.

Another focus will be “out of system range departures” – bookings taken more than 11 months in advance.

“We have capacity to do this on properties in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic,” said Talbot. “It’s a key area of demand we can fulfil.”

Closer to home, the target remains agents. Together, Funway and AMResorts have hosted 10 agent training events over the past year, plus eight dedicated fam trips.

“Agents get to see the AMResorts product, love it, and then book it through Funway,” said Talbot. “It’s a significant extension of our fam programme.

“They’re the first dedicated trips we’ve done with AMResorts,” he added. “Fam trips have always been key to our strategy, and AMResorts wanted that agent contact. We will definitely do more of them in year two, or at least match this year’s eight.”

While the fams are selective, prioritising agents who have shown an interest by booking AMResorts through Funway, they are not closed for interest.

“We are definitely looking at acquiring new agents who may not have been booking with us in the past,” said Talbot. “Anyone who is genuinely interested should just get in touch with us.

“It’s about striking a balance between rewarding those agents who have delivered for us while ensuring we are courting new blood. If that means fam trips, that’s what we will do. We want engaged agents.”

Agent visits will continue this year, said Talbot, with Funway and AMResorts “taking on feedback” to help them tailor their offering to various agents’ specific clientele.

“Some customers might prefer brochures to online so we can brand them for them,” said Talbot. “Others, particularly homeworkers, may prefer digital products, like social media assets.

“We want to sit down with agents, talk to them and plan what works for them. We want to work with agents who have chosen to engage with us. Our main focus remains providing them with the materials and expertise they need to sell AMResorts through Funway.”