Pictured left to right outside the new store are: Paul Hardwick, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Director of Retail; Emma Bailey, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents; Tutti Taylor, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents; Councillor Candy Vaughan, Mayor of Eastbourne; Trevor Ridler, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Business Development Manager; and Shirley Waters, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents..
Fred. Olsen Travel Agents had a successful night at the prestigious Carnival UK Cruise Awards in London, picking up two awards for Innovative Marketing Campaign and Partnership Achievement. The company’s senior management team were presented with their awards by TV presenter Mark Durden-Smith.
The Carnival UK Cruise Awards recognise cruise specialist agents for their business with the company’s six brands, Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Seabourn. Each brand presents two awards, the first for Partnership Development and the second for Outstanding Contribution. In addition, four additional multi-brand awards are awarded for Innovative Marketing Campaign, Outstanding Customer Care, Rising Star and Outstanding Contribution.
Fred. Olsen Travel Agents were delighted to be highly commended for their Partnership Achievement with Cunard in delivering 90% growth year on year.
The company was also thrilled to be awarded for their Innovative Marketing by the Carnival group. This award was in recognition of the company’s new Fred. Olsen Travel Agents concept store in Eastbourne which features a branded feature wall with hero image and logo; dedicated TV display for offers, campaigns and video footage; brochure display; branded brochure bin; and local events, such as an Afternoon Tea with Cunard, which provide a real product focus and drive consumers to book locally with their Fred. Olsen Travel cruise specialists.
Paul Hardwick, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Director of Retail, commented: “We were incredibly proud to be commended in Cunard’s Partnership Achievement Award category after a great year of growth. We were then stunned and delighted to win the Innovative Marketing Campaign award for our concept store in Eastbourne. I am so proud of our marketing team and Eastbourne staff for creating a fantastic fresh new look which is rightly getting recognised throughout the industry for giving great brand awareness opportunities to our operator partners on the high street.”
Fred. Olsen Travel has been a fixture on the high street for over 35 years with 19 travel agencies: ten in East Anglia in Ipswich, Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Framlingham, Colchester, Bury St Edmunds, Beccles and Norwich; six in Dorset and Hampshire in Hythe, Lymington, Westbourne, Christchurch, Ferndown and Dorchester; and three in Sussex in Heathfield, Eastbourne and Worthing. Each branch has its own strong identity and is run passionately by the branch manager and team who look to deliver unrivalled service and knowledge when sourcing the best holidays and cruises for their customers. In an age when much is made of the decline of the high street it is worth noting that Fred. Olsen Travel Agents have actually increased their number of high street outlets, adding seven new shops in the past four years.
