Carrier is to launch an accreditation programme to help its top agents, in response to what it says is an “influx of inexperienced agents”.
Revealing the plans at its now annual Retreat for agents, the luxury operator gave 21 of its highest-level trade partners a first look at the course, which has been designed to “elevate authentic luxury travel professionals”.
The certificate will be awarded only to agents who meet a strict set of criteria, including proven industry experience and first-hand product knowledge.
The news was shared on the final morning of Carrier’s three-day retreat, which was held at Forte Village in Sardinia and focused on intensive business development.
Alongside the accreditation preview, the company gave updates on its advisor support strategy for the year ahead, including news on Alchemy – its business acceleration programme designed by Marmalade Development founder Sinead Healy – and its upcoming events calendar.
Lee Marshall, head of trade partnerships at Carrier, shared details of the operator’s plans at the event, which follows on from last year’s inaugural retreat held at the Grecotel Corfu Imperial.
Panel discussions made up much of the agenda, each aimed at helping top-performing agents further evolve their businesses. Attendees of last year’s retreat took centre stage, with Janey Berry of Berry Travel, Sara Greene of Travel Counsellors, and Helen Thomas of Luxury Travel Studio all reflecting on how the inaugural event in Greece had directly impacted their growth.
Berry, for example, revealed she had gone from selling just one safari a year to a staggering 14 after positioning herself as a specialist in this type of holiday based on advice she picked up at last year’s retreat.
Greene shared how small personal touches, like sending a breakfast hamper to returning clients, led to a £40,000 booking, while Thomas highlighted the increasing value of AI tools in content creation and customer engagement.
A second panel on Tuesday featured Kathryn Tomlinson of Elite Travel Boutique, Nici Davies of Travelwise, and Carrier’s own Ahmed Ali, private client manager.
The trio shared insights into servicing high-net-worth clients, with Davies reflecting on the benefits of transitioning from a high-street store to a remote model, and Ali emphasising the importance of always being available for his clients, something recently highlighted in TTG Luxury’s own recent research.
Tomlinson also spoke about the power of ongoing post-booking communication in building long-term client relationships.
Training was once again delivered by Sinead Healy, who returned after impressing agents of last year’s retreat with her no-nonsense approach to professional development. The business coach ran interactive sessions over the three days, focusing heavily on the importance of emotional intelligence amidst the rise of artificial intelligence.
She also encouraged agents to embrace AI resources like ChatGPT and Canva to improve efficiency, demonstrating how these tools can lighten workload and leave advisors with more time to nurture relationships with clients.
