Express Travel Group late last month announced a new “strategic partnership” with New Zealand’s First Travel Group – the network of independent agencies which saw its numbers significantly boosted earlier this year by a mass movement of former Helloworld members who were part of the disaffected United Travel network.
Express ceo Tom Manwaring described the alliance as a “meeting of very similar minds,” with both groups owner-operated and having “very close values and business goals which can be garnered to produce real benefits for our agency members, suppliers, customers and staff”.
The wide-ranging agreement covers a range of objectives which could see the development of exclusive products, revenue growth opportunities, innovation through technology development and operational process benefits, Manwaring said.
First Travel Group is headed up by Andrew Bowman, who is also vice-president of the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand. The organisation operates a number of brands including YOU Travel, First Fares and Lifestyle Holidays. It’s also a member of the Virtuoso Travel group, with Bowman saying the alliance with Express “allows for a joint focus on creating customer value whilst maintaining independence and local market flavour”.
First Travel Group’s 65-plus members last year transacted a collective volume in excess of NZ$500 million.
