Dnata B2B brands see call volume reach pre-pandemic levels

Dnata Travel Group has reported that its B2B peaks campaigns are driving a triple-digit year-on-year growth in bookings and a 50% increase in the number of calls from agents.

The Gold Medal parent said more calls are being handled each day, with the total volume “on a par” with pre-pandemic levels.

Demand is increasing across all four B2B brands: Gold Medal, Incredible Journeys, Pure Luxury and Cruise Plus, thanks to the newly launched campaigns and investment in staff and marketing.

Almost half of Gold Medal bookings are for the US and Caribbean, with Florida, Thailand, Dubai, New York and Mauritius also popular.

Pure Luxury has seen a 50% year-on-year increase in sales, with Dubai, the Maldives, Barbados, Spain and Bali its most in-demand destinations.

More: Gold Medal to launch three separate campaigns across all brands

The Cruise Plus bookings have increased by more than 400% year-on-year, with Florida and the Caribbean, and Canada and Alaska proving to be the best sellers.

European and Japan cruises are also proving popular.

Average booking values for the brand are up 50%, with Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises the most in-demand cruise lines – with some cruisers booking as far ahead as February 2024.

Incredible Journeys has already surpassed January 2022 bookings and is taking twice the number of calls from agents, thanks to the creation of a dedicated sales team, the recruitment of a product and commercial manager, and membership of the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers.

Demand is strongest for South America, with 50% of sales, followed by Australia, Africa and India.

Gold Medal and Pure Luxury are also seeing demand for late bookings, with January and February 2023 among their most popular departure months – 20% and 30% of departures for new bookings taken, respectively.

Simon Applebaum, dnata Travel Group B2B managing director, said: “All of our brands are enjoying an extremely promising start to the peak sales period.

“The campaigns we have launched are our most extensive ever and its fantastic to see all the hard work that the team put into pulling them together pay off.

“The investment we’ve made in recruiting and training our contact centre team over the last 12 months is also making a big difference.

“We have a team of over 100 agents processing volumes of calls each day that we’ve not seen since before the pandemic, so wait times are also the lowest they’ve been for several years as well.”