It’s refreshing to chat to a travel leader so unequivocal in their view as new Scenic Group managing director Richard Twynam, who stresses the trade remains "vitally important" to the group and its brands.
Twynam, who joined Scenic at the end of October, is in good spirits, buoyed by the cruise and touring specialist’s prospects in 2023. And his bond with the trade is real – it’s personal, it’s deep-rooted, and it’s authentic.
"Agents – they are our lifeblood," he tells me. "They are vital to what we do. My career in the travel industry has been built by partnering with the trade, and one of things I’ve noticed since coming back is that the conversations we’re having with the trade are much deeper.
"I’m really pleased with where we are as we sit here at the end of January. We are well up on where we were this time in 2019."
In the coming months, a key focus for Twynam will be increasing the brand’s trade partnerships by further extending its reach. "People are really keen to have conversations with us – and we are super keen to have conversations with them," he continues.
Twynam’s plans to boost the business’s links with the trade follow an uptick in demand for the company’s yacht product, driven by "significant growth" in bookings from Hays Travel, Travel Counsellors and World Travel Holdings.
"We are picking up significant business for Antarctica because we’ve now announced Eastern Antarctica as an additional destination," Twynam explains.
New opportunities
Twynam will utilise Scenic’s commission structure – which he believes to be "one of the biggest" in the travel industry – to attract the new partnerships.
"We are seeing people booking a river holiday – and then a yacht holiday," he reveals. "The commission you can earn on yachts is obviously bigger because the price point’s bigger, and agents are recognising that."
Since the turn of the year, the company has seen an increase in demand for long-haul tailor-made trips, particularly to Asia, New Zealand and Australia.
"They’ve done phenomenally well because people have missed travelling," Twynam proffers. "Looking ahead, I think we may see, in the river cruise space, a longer, flatter period of demand.
"We are currently seeing really good, consistent levels of sales, and I don’t think it’s going to fall off a cliff on a certain day in February."
Despite the cost of living squeeze, Twynam says Scenic has already taken "a large amount" of sales for its 2024/25 yacht product, but warned river cruise customers may "be a bit more cautious" when it comes to booking in advance.
"They want to take their time and book when they know they’ve got the money," he cautions.
A key prong of Twynam’s plans to bolster Scenic’s relationships with the trade will be through additional training initiatives and ship visits.
The group recently announced plans to host between 50 and 100 agents onboard upcoming ship Scenic Eclipse II in a number of UK ports later this year.
