In a surprise announcement at its annual national conference in Honolulu, TravelManagers has revealed that its newest supplier partner is the e-commerce travel provider, Luxury Escapes.
The news was well received by the more than 230 personal travel managers (PTMs) who have been attending the conference over the weekend, along with NPO staff and 90 suppliers representing 53 partner supplier brands.
House of Travel Australia chief executive, Joe Araullo announced that TravelManagers’ PTM membership now stands at close to 550.
Araullo spoke of disruptors that had come into travel over the years, from the advent of online travel agents (OTAs) quite a few years back to more recent e-commerce suppliers such as Groupon, TripADeal and Luxury Escapes.
Then he dropped the news of the new relationship with Luxury Escapes, the “online travel agent offering bucket list experiences at unbelievable prices”. PTMs were pleased and impressed.
Crucially, no other retail travel network has direct access to Luxury Escapes’ prominently advertised and promoted holiday content.
The new partnership will provide TravelManagers PTMs with access to Luxury Escapes’ offering of great deals in amazing places.
TravelManagers’ finance and commercial manager, Tanyu Cilek, describes the partnership as “a real coup for both our PTMs and our clients”. That’s no exaggeration.
Luxury Escapes’ co-founder and chief executive, Adam Schwab, says from his company’s point of view, the value of partnering with one of Australia’s most experienced retail travel networks is indisputable.
“Luxury Escapes is proud to be associated with TravelManagers in this pilot program and excited to be working with a network of personal travel managers who are highly respected within the travel industry.”
Luxury Escapes is a B2C business with a community of 2.6 million travellers with whom it communicates daily.
“Luxury Escapes is not only a travel e-commerce site: we see great value in supporting a trade partner who deals with its existing and potential consumers on a face-to-face basis,” Schwab said.
Cilek said over half a million travellers would enjoy a Luxury Escapes experience this year, and the new partnership would let PTMs add value via flights, insurance and pre-and post-arrangements for clients who want Luxury Escape product.
“In the past, customers have been able to browse holidays and pick their Luxury Escapes experience, but now they have the additional benefit of being able to process their Luxury Escapes experience and book related supplementary arrangements via their very own personal travel manager,” he said.
Written by Peter Needham
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