Avanti Destinations, a wholesaler that offers bespoke independent holiday packages exclusively through travel agents, is set to launch its first packages in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji this month. News editor Johanna Jainchill spoke to Avanti CEO Paul Barry about the new destinations and the company’s recently launched travel agent portal.
Paul Barry
cue: You mentioned that travel agents have been asking for world-class experiences in this region. How have pandemic-era trends affected this demand?
all: Travel agents have actually been asking for this area for years. We were planning to launch in 2020, but the pandemic changed that. This area was the last to reopen, so we’re only launching it now. The positive side of the delay is that it gave us more time to prepare for the launch, which includes a wider range of tours, experiences, and hotels.
cue: Have you customized this itinerary in a similar way to itineraries offered in other regions?
all: Yes. We offer a variety of options for travel agents to offer to their clients in each region, allowing each client to create the type of vacation they want, tailored to their specific interests such as active travel, culture, food and wine. Our recommended itineraries include the best experiences and tours, and for each itinerary, travel agents can choose between 3-star, 4-star and 5-star hotels (most hotels are 4-star or above), based on the client’s preferences. We offer Essentials itineraries that include what is generally considered a must-visit destination, and then offer longer Discovery itineraries that add recommended destinations and experiences for clients who want a longer, more in-depth vacation.
cue: You launched the group division in 2019. What has the response been like?
all: This is a custom group segment, meaning that we do not provide pre-determined itineraries and departure dates. This is a group tour where an advisor contacts a specific pre-defined group of travelers who wish to travel together by requesting a specific type of itinerary (e.g. sports-related, wine-related, or garden-focused). This is not an itinerary that is open to anyone outside the group requesting the tour.
The Custom Groups division has successfully run hundreds of custom group tours. The interesting aspect about groups is that the most popular independent destination is not the most popular group destination. For individuals, it is Italy. For Avanti groups, Dubai has so far surpassed Italy.
cue: We launched our new travel agency website in October 2021. What can travel agencies expect in terms of technology and the booking process?
all: Our agent website has new features including advanced features that allow travel consultants to create, save, price and share customized FIT vacations 24/7 in less than 5 minutes. These improvements accelerate and streamline the quote and booking process. The new site combines the accumulated destination and planning knowledge of the most experienced travel consultants with the vast array of travel services available at every destination. It then uses artificial intelligence to create truly personalized and inspiring itineraries or proposals in less than a minute. It adapts to the destination, travel themes such as history, family, history, nature, food or romance, and hotel ratings chosen by the consultant. The consultant can share these suggested themed itineraries with clients to get feedback and make revisions. Once you select your dates, you can price your trip in less than a minute. It’s fun, fast, interactive and intuitive. We’ve found that most full-time consultants now use this tool to start planning and then collaborate on itineraries.
