The move comes after the over-55s specialist announced last week that it had created an agent-focused role, with former sales and marketing executive Kate Smith promoted to the newly created position of B2B sales and marketing executive.

Smith, who joined the firm in 1999, will focus on strengthening Grand UK’s ties with agents by helping to build travel consultants’ product knowledge, sending email newsletters, providing materials for in-store events and vouchers for promotions.

She will be based at Grand UK’s Norwich head office but will travel around the UK to meet agents in-store.

Sales director Harold Burke told TTG that the new position was part of an “overhaul” of the operator’s trade strategy: “The trade is so important to us and they’re our advertising boards in many ways,” he said. “Creating this new role reinforces that.

“Kate knows the brand very well and is dedicated to helping agents grow their businesses.”

Burke added that the operator, which currently makes 50% of its sales through agents, was speaking to its “key agent partners” to discuss what future initiatives the trade would want Grand UK to launch.

The company is also aiming to launch new online agent training schemes “in the new year” and offer more fam trips in 2017.

He revealed that Grand UK had added two members to its marketing team over the past 12 months and was currently looking for a third.

“Our clients are in the age group that shop for holidays on the high street, and going into an agency is their first port of call, so strengthening our ties with agents and getting new partners onboard is vital,” Burke said.

“Some agencies that used to sell us in the past have now closed down or their owners have retired, so we know how important it is to reinvent the way you do business and build new relationships.”