Focus on luxury service

Service is the differentiator at the top-end of the market, backed by technology and bespoke itineraries, Elegant Resorts managing director, Michelle Sephton tells TTN in an exclusive interview. The Thomas Cook-owned luxury tour operator company, which was acquired by Al Tayyar Travel Group ‎for £14.3 million ($22 million) in February 2014, celebrated its official Middle East launch last month at One & Only The Palm in Dubai.

'The size of the opportunity is huge. In two to three years’ time, we hope to double the size that we currently are,' says Sephton.

'Ours is a luxury product, delivered with personal dedicated service. It’s a 360-degree experience, under which we see to accommodation, airfares, transfers and all facilities in resorts. This is delivered with one-to-one service to the client and supported by a 24-hour network in the resorts and in the UK.

'We are a strong brand in the UK for 27 odd years.'

Sephton is confident of tapping into the first mover advantage here in the region. 'There is no one doing exactly what we do. People do bits and pieces here and there but not exactly what we do.'

Elegant Resorts plans to use its presence in Dubai to establish a wider network in the region in the future. 'Chester is the headquarters in the UK and Dubai feeds from Chester so it has all our systems and network, like an extension of Chester. We see Dubai operating as a hub for the rest of the GCC, but with agents or consultants in various countries,' says Sephton.

Saudi Arabia seems to be next on the cards, with the team already reporting interest from the Saudi market. 'Early to middle of next year we are looking at having people in Saudi Arabia. We get the vibe that they have been crying out for something like this. Based on the success is where we go next,' says Sephton.

TAILOR-MADE TRAVEL

One of the potential areas of interest is luxury tours that cater to powerful women, something that Elegant Resorts has experience with in the UK. 'We are working quite closely with female networks in the UK where city women, people who are career driven, have a network in a city environment. Our brand is a very gentle and nice brand that would like to do business with a female audience,' says Sephton.

While drawing on strengths from their existing market, Elegant Resorts’ strategy is also customised for the region. The team has spent some time understanding the region and the needs of the specific clientele here, whether it’s do with the destinations on offer, the nature of requests from guests or tailoring the existing portfolio to suit this audience.

'There is a little bit of crossover in what the clients here and in the UK will look for but we have been researching and contracting new products for European cities in Germany and Switzerland. There is more experiential travel, larger villa and private island travel. In Germany it is cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich where there are cultural experiences. There are also destinations such as Seychelles, Monte Carlo and river cruising in Europe, which there seems to be an interest in.

'There is a lot of the USA that has been contracted. There is also Maldives for honeymooners and Seychelles and Thailand in Asia.

'There is skiing in Canada and there is a nice product to be putting together where you can do three or four nights to make it quite varied. From our investigation, we have looked at where some of the locals have their young people schooled. We work out when the graduation period is, so we can tie in some of the itineraries when they go over there,' says Sephton, outlining the variety in the product.

GENERATIONAL TRAVEL

Generational travel with experiential itineraries, catering to a demanding clientele and using technology to deliver better 360-degree experience are part of Elegant Resorts strategy to ensure that in two years the newly launched Middle East office would account for 50 per cent of the entire market base for Elegant Resorts.

One of the advantages of being close to three decades old with a thriving loyalty programme is that many of their clients have grown up with them. Not only is this an edge in the global marketplace, it also uniquely positions Elegant Resorts to cater to this market where generational travel is more the norm.

'It’s the second generation travel coming along now that want to go to the same places, want the same level of luxury but they want excitement. We are looking at the younger market, to put together things that look a lot more exciting than what they see their parents doing,' says Sephton, listing a variety of activities that include surfing, Segway and Ferrari rides in Miami, zipwires and culinary experiences. 'All very bespoke, of course,' she says.

Regardless of which generation is travelling, technology is at the helm of making businesses tick. Elegant Resorts is using technology as a differentiator not only to record and share guest special requests, anniversaries and reward points but plans to ensure that speed to market is quicker when exclusives or promotions come up.

'We want to develop a loading system for all the hotel offers so when they come through, the speed to market is very quick. If a hotel suddenly thinks that they will do a special at this time, they can come in and load it. It will there ready for us to review, check off and load it to the system and push it out into the market as quick as possible,' says Sephton.

The future is indeed digital. 'In lots of different areas we are looking at technology to say how service can be improved to the suppliers and also to the clients,' says Sephton.

'We are developing apps now that hotels can use to come online with. What we want is a two-way street so that we have systems that speak to each other,' she concludes.  

By Shalini Seth

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Deal Alert

A Silversea Silver Spirit Fort Lauderdale Roundtrip with Elegant Resorts will set you back by Dh36,635 ($9,975) per person. Depart on January 7, 2016, on an eight-night cruise, staying all-inclusive in a Vista Suite, taking in Fort Lauderdale and Key West in Florida, Belize city, Santo Tomas in Guatemala, Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, and back to Fort Lauderdale. Includes business class flights with Qatar Airways and private transfers