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Agents encouraged to ‘put effort in’ to touring and adventure
Agents who invest in training and marketing about touring and adventure holidays will reap the benefits of more-profitable sales, delegates heard at the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers.
Tricia Birmingham, Hays Travel commercial director, said the agency chain put more focus on the growing touring and adventure sector after seeing the benefits of developing expertise in cruise.
“We got the agents to understand touring and adventure partners and created experts in each region to engage the rest of the community,” she said.
“As a collective – with shops, the Independence Group and homeworkers – we are getting better and are doing training, roadshows and events.
“If you put the effort in you see results.”
She said Hays also benefited after taking over Miles Morgan Travel in May 2024, as “touring was part of their DNA and agents were attuned to their customers”.
Furthermore, Hays has seen “fantastic success” with its twice-yearly Best of Touring publication and the only mistake was waiting too long “to embrace the touring sector”, she added.
Hays Travel again scooped the top honour at the Atas Recognition Awards, being named the Touring & Adventure Agency of the Year, retaining the title it won in 2025. It also won High Street Agency of the Year and its Miles Morgan Travel brand won South West England Agency of the Year.
Geraldine Sproston, a Hays Travel personal travel consultant, is a touring ambassador and shares ideas every day with fellow agents.
“Atas has helped me to change what I sell and helped me to be more profitable – taking advantage of what we learn here [at conference] is priceless,” she said.
She told delegates about visiting India on a fam trip with Titan Travel and Virgin Atlantic.
“I took all my social media followers on the trip with me, seeing tigers, the Taj Mahal, hotel rooms,” she said.
“As a lady of a certain age and solo traveller, I sold two places to solo travellers while I was on the trip.”
Daniel Oates (Awesome Adventure Co) said he expanded his knowledge of suppliers thanks to Atas and developed sales with marketing and social media.
“Margins are 15-18% compared to cruise, about 10%, and holiday packages at 5%,” he said.
“I would rather sell bucket list [holidays] than a weekend in Benidorm.”
Sharing his social media tips, he said he posts every day on Instagram and sees the best results “with my face”, adding: “Keep it personal; branded reels don’t do so well. Give your personal opinions; that holds weight.”
Hannah Porter, owner of Travel by Hannah in Marlborough, said her marketing “builds trust” and researching companies in the sector can help to generate that trust.
“I was posting [online] during a Trafalgar fam trip; the clients saw that I could do what I wanted to in the evenings,” she said.
“Clients ‘get it’ such as solo females.”
Emma Andrews, an independent personal travel consultant backed by The Holiday Village, told delegates about the many highlights of a foodie fam trip with Not In The Guidebooks, staying in a restored palazzo in Tuscany.
“I tell clients about our hosts Mirella and her husband Francesco,” she told the conference.
“I’ve done a blog and emails to share with the wider group; I can’t wait to tell people about it.”
Alex Maxwell-Clarke, a Travel Counsellors agent, visited Peru on an Intrepid Travel fam, seeing Lima, Inca sites, community projects, the Sacred Valley guide and “breathtaking” Machu Picchu.
“The people, communities and food will stay with us long after we came home,” she said.
More: Atas reveals winners of 2026 Recognition Awards at conference
