The agent contract is different from a franchise contract. The customer contracts directly with TUI France when he purchases his trip in a “TUI store”. There is therefore less administration for the travel agency. And TUI assumes legal responsibility for the matter. For example, when there are repatriations to be carried out, TUI France can in certain cases take care of customers.
The agent network also benefits from many other advantages:
● Visibility for agencies, generated by marketing operations carried out by TUI France. Beyond the national communication carried out by TUI France, the manager can also communicate locally. For example, a marketing box is provided. It offers ready-to-use marketing content to communicate locally. For example, if the manager wants to create an Instagram or Facebook publication to communicate about an event, the “templates” are available. Simply add the name of the agency then send their communication.
● Help for commercial actions. The managers propose their action plan to TUI France at the start of the year (radio, cinema, etc.) and depending on the relevance of the operation, TUI validates financial support or not. A fairly substantial budget can support these actions.
● A very powerful CRM tool, Fidélis, allows the TUI France headquarters to communicate 4 to 5 times a week, on behalf of the agency, commercial offers to a customer base. The entire TUI database (including website customers) is referenced in this CRM. Which means that when an agency opens, all customers on the base and who are used to purchasing via the website are informed of the opening of this agency. This ensures excellent visibility when starting. The manager can supplement these centralized sendings with communications on his own initiative to his customer base for events specific to his agency.
● Synergies implemented with the tui.fr website, which is a business generator with 40,000 to 50,000 visitors/day. Agencies benefit from the full commission when an option is placed by a customer on tui.fr then paid in agency.
The agency also benefits from “web call back”, particularly on the Nouvelles Frontières web pages. When a customer is on tui.fr, a pop-up opens offering them the opportunity to be put in touch with an advisor. If he accepts, a “TUI store” travel agency advisor will take care of this customer.
Each agency also has visibility on the tui.fr site, which can be personalized with, for example, the photo of the advisors, etc.
● On the hardware side, the computer installation is the responsibility of TUI France, as well as access to computer software.
● The digital screens in windows which are expensive, the signage and signage in windows are also supported by TUI France.
● On the training side, access to a network of work-study students already familiar with the profession of travel agents has been set up. Indeed, from September 2024, students will be able to join the TUI school in order to follow work-study training in the tourism sector. These bac +2 level students join ESCAET for a year and spend 70% of their time in a company, in one of the 191 “TUI store” travel agencies located throughout France.
