During a business update at its overseas conference in Dubai this week, the agency revealed an 85% year-on-year increase in cruise bookings since April. Co-owner Karen Pocock told TTG how focusing on key cruise suppliers had paid off over the past few months.

Overall, Designer Travel has seen its sales during 2022 rise by 78% compared with the same period in 2019. Since the start of the pandemic, its homeworking cohort has grown by around 25% from 80 to more than 100, including the addition of both experienced and new-to-travel agents.

“It has been going really well, and we’re so proud of the team,” said Pocock. “The mood was very positive at the conference.”

Held at Atlantis, The Palm resort, the conference was attended by more than 80 people, including homeworkers and suppliers.

Initiatives announced at the event included a new Partnership Pledge, which sets out Designer Travel’s “commitment to growing their business with carefully selected key suppliers in a reciprocal honest, upfront and supportive manner”.

“This sets out what we will do for our suppliers and what we expect in return,” explained Pocock. “We’ve not finalised the list of suppliers yet but it will probably be about 30 suppliers.”

Other plans include the Warmer Winters programme, designed to encourage clients to book longer stays in the coming months, as well as offering special incentives and some changes in the commission structure to help homeworkers “get through critical months” this winter.

“We are putting in support to smooth everything over – we’re looking to try lots of things to see what works,” added Pocock.

There will also be a focus on sustainable travel through Designer Travel’s Little Steps Big Impact working group, which will include hosting weekly webinars for suppliers to explain their sustainability policies and strategies.

During the conference’s grand dinner at Atlantis’s Ayamna restaurant, homeworker Angela Mayall was announced as Designer Travel’s Associate of the Year, with the 16 award winners being invited on a two-night cruise on an AMA Waterways ship in November.