The consortium has collaborated with destinations to launch a series of country campaigns that will dovetail into its wider ‘Say hello again to…’ campaign.
Advantage has already partnered with Italy, Madeira, Morocco, Tenerife and Gran Canaria to create B2C and B2B material and is in discussions with other tourist boards.
The consortium has also created customer magazines and booklets, plus email marketing opportunities including offers.
There is also ready-made blog content and digital assets for agents to use across their own social media pages as well as video content for in-store televisions and agents’ websites and social media channels.
Everything is underpinned with the strap line “Count on Us” to highlight how customers can depend on agents.
Advantage will also host ‘supplier buzz sessions’ to expand product knowledge “from early May”.
In addition, Advantage has produced a checklist to enable members to give accurate advice to customers. It includes entry requirements on testing, quarantine and vaccinations and lists sources where agents can look at local restrictions around social distancing and wearing of masks.
Kelly Cookes, Advantage leisure director, said: “As we await the details of the country classifications and Green List announcement, we want to ensure our members have all the tools needed to handle any travel enquiries and bookings.
“There’s never been a better time to book with a travel agent, as they will be able to guide their clients through the booking process, testing requirements, travel and in-destination protocols and be on hand to answer any queries or handle necessary changes.
“As we saw last year, destinations can move on and off the Green List, and we expect this will be the case this summer too, so flexibility is key from agents, suppliers and consumers alike.
“Ultimately, when planning a holiday, my recommendation would be to think about the criteria of what the client needs, rather than the specific destination.”
