Speaking exclusively to TTG during a press trip on the Rhine, Brad Bennetts, head of sales and business development, revealed trade sales were up 110% year-on-year and homeworker bookings up 78%.
Bennetts hailed his expanded UK sales team, making it the largest in APT’s history. “We do a huge amount of work to make sure that what we do for agents is on point,” he said. “It’s been a collaborative effort.
“Agents have very much appreciated the support. I’ve been working with the trade for 18 years now so I understand what they need.”
He added: “We’ve got fantastic skills and people coming into the business.”
The brands’ UK teams have grown by 30% in the past six months.
Marketing and brand expert David Winterton, who joined APT in September, is one of the recent recruits. He left Scenic Group earlier this year.
Bennetts added: “We’re busy recruiting a national sales manager to support our key accounts, our retailers and wholesalers. They will also source new sales opportunities.”
APT will return to TV screens with two new adverts in “early January” that will appear on Sky channels, just weeks after APT and Travelmarvel launch their wave campaigns.
Bennetts confirmed there would be an agent call to action in the adverts, which will focus on the company’s river cruise products in Europe and on the Mekong.
“It will be aimed at our core client demographic, 55-plus, who spend more time watching daytime TV,” Bennetts added.
“We will have our best offers out there, so we’re putting our best foot forward. We’re going to go live with our campaign quite early, which will be great for our trade partners.”
