Virgin Hotels Collection chief executive James Bermingham revealed that Virgin Limited Edition and Virgin Hotels will both launch travel trade portals later in 2023 or in early 2024. Speaking to TTG Luxury at the launch of Virgin Limited Edition’s new Son Bunyola Hotel in Majorca, he explained: “It was my first request when we started planning new websites, and I think they will be very, very helpful and instrumental in product training and development.”
Virgin Hotels Collection was created in January as a parent brand for the two hotel arms of the Virgin empire. Bermingham said both brands will also roll out the existing consumer-facing Virgin Red loyalty programme to the trade early in 2024, allowing agents to earn rewards for making bookings.
While details are still being developed, Bermingham said it would offer “a reward system over and above your traditional rewards”. Agents will be able to gain points by making bookings, including through operators, and will be able to save for hotel stays and products from Virgin brands, alongside products from third-party companies.
Leaders from trade-friendly tour operators were invited to the launch of the Son Bunyola Hotel, including Carrier’s managing director Natasha Towey, Elegant Resorts’ chief executive Redmond Walsh and Lusso’s senior product manager Helen Brown. Bermingham stressed the importance of travel agents, explaining: “The prime focus for me and the sales team is luxury sales, and the primary customer there is the travel advisor. That’s how important they are to us, and we have a product that these folks are going to love, and they trust us to deliver a great experience for their clients.”
He said agents were “probably the single-most important source of business that we have”, and continued: “We are one of the few companies that understand the value of them. It’s a hugely important market to us.”
He said both brands offer ongoing schedules of fam trips for agents, and fams to the new Son Bunyola Hotel will start later this year.
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