Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has announced three appointments to its UK trade sales team in response to “increased demand”.

Edwina Coppock has joined as key account manager for the south, following 11 years as head of trade sales at Titan Travel.

Lucy Hone, formerly of Uniworld and Scenic, has come out of retirement as sales manager for the south, while Margaret McCorriston comes in as sales manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland, having previously held roles at Planet / Iglu, Minoan Group and Barrhead Travel.

McCorriston will be responsible for bolstering key accounts, “in response to an increase in luxury business from those markets”, Uniworld said.

In July, the operator also welcomed new sustainability officer Julie Higgins to the business.

Uniworld to grow agent partnerships

Uniworld UK head of sales Angela Sloan said: “We retained our sales team throughout the pandemic, which has really helped us to maintain that continuity of service, brand knowledge, experience and strength of relationships that our trade partners really value, especially at the moment.

“The new appointments are not replacing lost head count, they are building on the strong foundations we already have in place, and will enable us to grow our business and that of our partners by continuing to provide industry-leading customer service.

“Edwina, Lucy and Margaret already know and love the Uniworld brand, having worked with and travelled with us for many years.

“They bring highly relevant experience and extensive contacts in our space so they are a perfect fit and can hit the ground running. We forward to welcoming them to the team.”

In a joint statement, the three new appointments said: “We can’t wait to get out on the road and talk to agent partners about Uniworld, which really is the best in class in river cruise.

“For our partners, it’s a great time to be working with Uniworld, with some fantastic agent fam opportunities, benefits and pricing, and with lots to look forward to on the back of a bumper summer season and a very promising 2023.”

McCorriston will start with the river cruise line on 8 August, while Coppock will join in October.