Hays Travel to relaunch in-house tour operator as 'standalone B2B brand' Vista
James ChappleHays Travel will relaunch its in-house tour operator – Hays Travel Tour Operating (HTOL) – as a standalone B2B brand in the new year, which will be rebranded Vista.
Former Travel 2 manager Kathleen Molloy, HTOL’s sales and product lead since last May, will assume the role of head of sales and product at Vista, while Tracey Luke, who has been with HTOL since it was created in 2012, will serve as Vista’s head of operations.
Hays has confirmed it will create a dedicated in-house product team to drive the brand’s growth, with the aim of providing agents a wider range of beach, city, cruise-and-stay and touring options.
Vista will also have a dedicated cruise team to serve "ever-increasing" cruise-and-stay demand. "It’s an opportunity to move our operation to the next level," said Molloy, who vowed to strengthen the brand’s existing relationships with agents and build partnerships with new ones, and to deepen the operator’s connection with and visibility within the wider travel industry.
“Our newly-expanded team can develop bespoke itineraries, particularly around cruise, touring and adventure, to ensure they are available to support travel agents in converting enquiries," Molloy continued. "We will also launch a refreshed portal for agents to respond to queries and confirm existing quotes.
"Our Vista team receive regular learning and development opportunities including overseas visits, supplier training, and progression plans to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver a first-class service to agents.”
HTOL is licensed to carry 129,299 Atol-protected passengers in the 12 months to the end of September 2024, less than 20,000 shy of its nearest trade-only rival Gold Medal, which is licensed for 148,838 Atol-protected passengers across its brands over the same period.
Hays Travel’s director of strategy Lisa McAuley, who was formerly managing director of B2B tour operations at Gold Medal parent dnata Travel Group, said: "We are excited to see the opportunities that emerge as we develop Vista as a standalone B2B brand.
"The travel sector is in constant flux, and we know that customer expectations and ambitions continue to rise – Vista is expertly placed to support travel agents with meeting the growing needs of their customers."
Aftersales, meanwhile, will be handled by the Vista’s operations team, who will support agents and supplier partners, and operate a 24-hour emergency line for customers.
“We are focused on delivering exceptional service, efficiently and accurately, every time," said Luke. "Some of the feedback we have received around the service we provide has been amazing, including for the 24-hour emergency line we have in place for customers at UK airports or overseas.
"Our aftersales team benefit from a continuous customer excellence development programme to support this and the results have been transformational, as an example our average speed to answer calls is now well under 60 seconds."
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