In her first trade press interview since becoming Newmarket’s head of trade and partnerships, Hayley Morris tells TTG launching a new trade website, getting agents on fam trips and expanding the escorted touring specialist’s product portfolio will be key to growing its trade operation.
“Trade is such an important part of our business – it takes 50% of our booking share, so it’s always at the forefront of our discussions,” she says.
Morris is no stranger to agents. She succeeds Richard Forde, a Newmarket stalwart of 15 years, following a two-year stint as Titan Travel’s head of trade, bringing experience from trade-facing posts with Saga, Monarch Airlines and Thomas Cook.
Developing Newmarket’s tech and sharpening its focus on building agents’ knowledge of the brand, which has an Atol for 44,000 package sales, are among her main priorities, as well as building on “the momentum and growth” she identifies the brand as already having achieved.
“Product and technological innovations are at the heart of our future growth vision,” she explains. These include a new trade website, improvements to which include a new commission calculator, while a focus on the cruise and solos markets will see Newmarket expand to new destinations.
“We’ll be looking to work with cruise partners within the industry to develop our tour and cruise offering, including the release of a US West Coast tour and Alaska cruise.”
Morris reveals she has been working with her team on a new brochure showcasing the operator’s 2025, 2026 and 2027 tours, which includes new offerings in South Korea, Indonesia and Japan. It will land with agents in the new year.
Another priority for Morris is reaching more agents and using fam trips to educate them about "what Newmarket Holidays is all about”. The operator has three fams scheduled for next year, and expects to announce more at a later date.
“Fam trips are the best way to educate our agents,” Morris insists. “But I want to make sure they are educational, and that we give agents everything they need to sell Newmarket Holidays.”
She predicts fierce competition among operators when it comes to peaks, but is confident about Newmarket’s outlook. “We’ve got some great competitors out there, but we just need to stay on top in the sector, identify what sets us apart, and continue to grow even further,” she says.
So what tempted Morris to join Newmarket from one of those competitors? “It was just the right time,” she says. “Newmarket Holidays has some great growth plans. The role also has a bigger remit and there’s a larger team to manage so it was an exciting prospect for me.”
Her appointment follows that of former dnata UK and Ireland boss Ailsa Pollard to Newmarket’s board as a non-executive director, who brings experience overseeing dnata’s Gold Medal brands, and fresh investment from private equity firm Soho Square Capital.
“We are one of the leading tour operators in the industry and we’ve got a loyal customer base of both agent partners and customers,” Morris adds. “We’re excelling in many ways, but there’s always room for growth and fresh ideas.”
