Sell boutique and make a buck

AAT Kings is head over heels for its boutique Inspiring Journeys product, pushing it to the forefront of its unique offerings.

First launched back in 2011, Inspiring Journeys started as a standalone brand, but after being integrated into the AAT Kings brand as luxury product, it has seen sales jump by 30%.

“People still want to get off the beaten path,” AAT Kings’ global manading director Anthony Hayes told Travel Weekly.

“Inspiring Journeys is a luxury product, with groups of no more than 20, that focuses on things like food and wine, and unique experiences along the way.”

And Hayes says this particular product has a “lot of potential for growth”, not to mention a neat little commission for agents.

“It is a value for money product, but it’s not a cheap product,” Hayes told TW, instead calling it an “upmarket, boutique” offering.

“This is where you’ll make the most commission.”

The Inspiring Journeys collection includes 11 small group tours, from Kakadu and the Red Centre all the way across the ditch to New Zealand.

The new Inspiring Journeys itinerary is the 7-day Tasmanian Harvest that travels from Hobart to Launceston, where guests stay at luxury boutique accommodation including The Henry Jones Art Hotel, Quamby Estate and Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge and have many gourmet food and wine experiences.

“The growth in the last 12 months has been with the Aussie market,” Hayes said.

“Now the Australian dollar has come down and the market is thinking more about domestic holidays, there are plenty of domestic products to sell to your clients and earn some good commission on.”

And with guided holidays such as the ones in the Inspiring Journeys catalogue sitting at around 50% domestic travellers according to Hayes, it’s the prime time to earn some extra dollars on some more upmarket holidays close to home.

But Hayes told TW that AAT Kings is not resting on its laurels, instead working to bring out “new innovations and new ideas” every six months to keep their brand fresh.

In the next 12 months, Hayes wants to focus on picking things up in the international markets, particularly the UK and US, as well as NZ.

“We want to work with our international partners to say there’s no better time to come to Australia,” he said.

In that case, agents can expect to keep seeing new things from AAT Kings. Stay tuned.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

@australia aat kings anthony hayes inspiring journeys