Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) Australia is taking its commitment with preferred agency partners to the next-level, capitalising on the thriving luxury travel sector.
Phil Hoffmann Travel in South Australia is the first agency A&K has struck a new long-term strategic preferred partnership with.
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Debra Fox, Managing Director, Abercrombie & Kent Australia told LATTE the enhanced arrangement with Phil Hoffmann Travel (PHT) prioritises meeting mutual business goals in the development of the luxury segment – currently in “high demand and high growth”.
“We’re focused on converting clients who have once-in-a-lifetime experiences on their list of must-dos, to do now,” she said.
“We want to grow the sector together, the experiences and satisfaction that clients can have when they travel in the post COVID world,” Fox said. “It’s an exciting time”.
“We’re evolving our current preferred partnerships to be deeper, more strategic and with a holistic approach that delivers impact and value for the consultants, the partner business and the customer.”
The new partnerships will be centred primarily on A&K’s tailormade, small group journeys (guaranteed departure minimum of 2 guests), Wings Over the World itineraries and luxury expedition cruising.
“It will be fit-for-purpose approach supporting the growth and business objectives of our partners,” Fox told LATTE.
A&K Australia kicked off the new PHT partnership with strategic meetings and a launch event with their teams in Adelaide last week. That included Abercrombie & Kent sponsoring Phil Hoffmann Travel’s end-of-financial-year (EOFY) celebrations on Saturday night.
“We are extremely proud of this new partnership, with PHT being a leading retail brand in the Australian market, an incredible success story of over 30 years in the making with an extremely talented, dedicated and passionate team. There is much excitement about the future of travel and this new partnership,” Fox said.
Michelle Ashcroft, General Manager, Phil Hoffmann Travel said the EOFY party was an opportunity to celebrate the retailer’s team and partnerships.
“The overall message of the night being of gratitude and resolve for the last 2.5 crazy years of survival,” Ashcroft said.
“Noting the time for looking back has finished, and it is now time to look forward, our focus is to look after our many new PHT recruits and make them part of the family, to continue to look after each other and our clients, and to rebuild to what we were and more, in this once in a business lifetime opportunity to own the South Australian market!” Ashcroft remarked.
Ashcroft said the company was continuing to recruit, “looking firstly for culture fit, with a bespoke in-house 8-week training program in place to induct our new team members with skills and inspiration, supported by our renewed incentive program with the highlight being an international Top Achiever trip, in addition to individual and team incentives.”
“Our PHT expo is this weekend, with record numbers expected, supported by over 50 of our preferred partners, we see this as an opportunity to surge even further forward into recovery, and grow our market share,” Ashcroft remarked.
Lead image pictured at Saturday night’s event, from left are: Ann-Marie Chapman and Michelle Mickan, A&K; Phil Hoffmann AM and Michelle Ashcroft, Phil Hoffmann Travel; Debra Fox, A&K; with Mary-Anne Guest and Peter Williams, Phil Hoffmann Travel.