Exclusive: Ponant to bolster team as GM eyes ‘exponential’ growth
The new general manager UK and Ireland for Ponant will look to bolster his sales team and secure bonding in the UK after identifying the market as a key growth area for the French brand
Speaking exclusively to Cruise Trade News, Anthony Daniels says despite the UK market “growing significantly” for the company in recent years, “we want more”.
Daniels will look to use his experience with lines such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Hurtigruten and Regent Seven Seas Cruises to put Ponant’s fleet of 15 ships – including luxury icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot, yacht Le Ponant and the new Paspaley Pearl – front of mind for agents across the UK.
Since Ponant started operating in the UK, it has steadily become a well-known name by rolling out Sterling-based pricing for agents, increasing its sales team headcount and cementing the market as one of its biggest growth ambitions.
And Daniels’ appointment encapsulates that. However, he admits the UK hasn’t been one of Ponant’s top performing markets. “But that’s not the future,” he adds.
“It’s simple; the UK can absolutely be one of our biggest markets up against the likes of France, but we’ve just got to get that foundation right.”
A key pillar of Daniels’ planned foundations for the brand is to make working with the line easier for UK agents.
To achieve this, in the next few months he will look to take on a new team member to alleviate the administration, marketing and planning pressures from his on the road sales team.
Ponant to seek ATOL bonding in ‘next few months’
Another short-term goal for Daniels is to secure bonding in the UK for Ponant by beginning the process of gaining ATOL certification from September to make packaging holidays easier for agents.
There’s also scope, he says, for the brand to open a dedicated UK office to further enhance the booking journey and support for the trade. “But that will take time,” he admits.
“Right now, I am focussed on bringing someone in to take away a lot of the admin work from the guys on the road because they are the focal point for everything for agents right now.
“The new hire will allow both guys on the ground to spend more quality time with our key agents, who aren’t necessarily the biggest, but those who understand our ethos, what we offer and are willing to work with us.”
He believes the line can partner with myriad agencies due to the brand’s product range, which includes luxury sailings, expedition cruising, itineraries to popular destinations like the Mediterranean, Asia and Australasia, and touring holidays.
We’ll refocus our ship visits, so they are an immersive experience for our partners, where they get an in-depth tour, lunch, and anything else they need to better sell our product
One thing that is not lost on Daniels, having been a key part of his 30-year tenure in the cruise industry, is the importance of agents to the success of a cruise line.
However, although Ponant has hosted several trade ship visits already this year as well training and engagement events, he believes the line can “be a bit smarter” in how it works with agents.
“Rather than trying to cover every base with every ship visit – and we had a lot this summer, and we’re going to do more again next year – we need to be a bit more focused on how we execute those,” he says.
“We’ll be more involved in things like expedition conferences and training sessions, and we’ll refocus our ship visits so they are an immersive experience for our partners, where they get an in-depth tour, lunch, and anything else they need to better sell our product.”
Daniels identifies increase in further out bookings
So far this year Ponant has seen a “steady” stream of business, Daniels adds. “There’s been nice growth year-on-year and considering we don’t have that full structure in place, what we are achieving is fantastic.
“Our clients want to book a year in advance most of the time, if not a bit more, for those big-ticket items.” Despite seeing an uptick in further out bookings, Ponant’s lates business is also continuing to perform well.
“Any kind of hook or campaign that we come out with, we don’t want it to be price-led, we don’t want to focus on discounts, but we will be focussing more on the added value proposition, as that’s what our clients in the luxury end of the market look for,” he continues.
“We’ve got to find the right balance between filling the ships at the right price to making sure our guests are happy. And by working with the key agents, we’re looking at how we can engage more with the consumer profiles outside of our original pool, but to drive them to book via travel agents as they are the experts.”
