Selling tickets not only helps to boost agents’ margins, it can also help develop customer loyalty, says Annabel Cove, head of trade sales and marketing at DoSomethingDifferent.com.

“Experiences and attractions are what make the holiday so special, so should never be an afterthought or just added on at the end of a sale,” she says.

But when there is an opportunity to upsell from basic tickets, how should agents go about it?

“Agents can use resources such as posters, websites and training videos to highlight the extra special elements available with more expensive ticket options.

“Often a multi-day ticket will offer much better value for money and more flexibility. Also stress USPs such as early entrance times or queue-jumping ticket options,” she advises.

A misconception that everything can be booked in resort is one obstacle that Cove identifies. “Draw on specific benefits of pre-booking such as securing availability and maximising holiday time. Things like Discovery Cove, Alcatraz, or a helicopter flight may well be fully booked on arrival, which would cause disappointment,” she says.

So how should agents try to close the sale? “We have a robust set of selling points including free cancellations, no amendment fees and no deposits, which help agents to close a sale as the customer doesn’t feel pressured.”

“Most agents would suggest adding car hire, airport hotels or hotel upgrades but think about the fun experiences too – they are much more emotive and likely to get the customer excited about their holiday and booking with you rather than someone else.”

Quality information

Gail Dunwoodie, head of product and marketing at Attraction World, says it’s an agents’ “duty” to provide their customers with the best possible knowledge of the destination, which includes new things to do.

She views it as part of the customer service that agents offer their customers.  “A great selling point is that attractions can be secured with a simple deposit and customers won’t have to pay the full balance until eight weeks prior to departure,” she adds.

Looking at obstacles that agents might come up against, the key one that Dunwoodie highlights is cost. “Customers often don’t like to commit to additional spend when they are already forking out a large sum for the actual cost of the holiday. Neither do they want to commit and often prefer to wait until they get there.”

Yet, she counters: “More often than not customers will end up purchasing tickets when they get there at a much higher cost. The tickets we offer are open dated so it is worth mentioning that they are not tied to a specific date and can use tickets as and when they wish.”

“Just make sure customers understand the advantages of pre-purchasing. UK-exclusive tickets are a no-brainer as well as tickets that offer added value and savings on gate rates.”

Dunwoodie adds that Attraction World is there to offer support too. “We are producing destination training guides to help our agents understand the top things to do in each destination and know the logistics of doing so when on holiday,” she says.