It’s not uncommon for agents to send clients gifts as a thank-you for bookings – and to encourage repeat business – but what’s an appropriate present for those high-value customers?
Susi Stimpson, who runs Pastures New Travel in Nuneaton, said: “I’ve gifted airport lounge access, car parking, a rucksack, afternoon tea – it depends on the overall cost of the booking.”
And Cassy Cullen from CC-Travel in Wakefield said: “I sent a magnum of champagne to [a client for] a big cruise booking last week. I’ve sent flowers, fizz and a voucher for a massage for one client.”
Some agents prefer to send gifts to clients when they return from their holiday. “We gift as a welcome home,” said Martine Elms MacDonald, Director at Pebbles Travel in Chippenham.
“We always send a welcome home card to every booking, whatever they spend. For big bookings or honeymoons, we gift flowers, fizz, afternoon tea in a local manor house or plants for their garden – theme-oriented to the country they have just returned from.
“For honeymooners, we send flip flops with their tickets, with bride & groom on the soles.”
Suffolk-based Travel Counsellor Sally De Jong said that, since COVID, she now only sends gifts ‘on an ad hoc basis if a very high value booking’. When she does, it’s ‘something travel related, in theme with the trip’.
“It’s just as and when I feel it appropriate,” she said. “Unless it’s a hotel bottle of wine or similar, it’s usually no more than £10 even though it’s a high-value booking. For example, a mini fluffy panda toy for clients going to China, a guidebook or city map, Japanese chopsticks, a travel journal, or hand and foot warmer pads for Alaska or Norway.”
Birmingham-based Not Just Travel agent Ushma Valerio said: “I used to send a Lonely Planet guide but rarely got an acknowledgement. I’ve always emailed hotels or contacted BDMs to advise of the booking and ask them to assist in welcoming the travellers – hotels have been very generous and upgraded where they can, or left a bottle of wine or a voucher for a drink.”
She added: “The pandemic was the turning point, now as long as there is margin in the booking to do this, almost everyone gets something, however small, as a thank you.”
Some agents say luxury clients can be particularly difficult to buy for. Alison McGinn said: “It’s tricky as we really can’t buy them anything they can’t afford themselves. However, if you can wangle a room upgrade, that’s nice.”
Sometimes it’s the smallest gestures that are the most appreciated.
Jake Todhunter, who runs There.travel in Darlington, County Durham, said: “People can be hard to buy for and it is not always about fancy gifts. One of our luxury customers was concerned that the hotel they were staying at wouldn’t have Heinz ketchup, so I sent a bottle ahead. She absolutely loved that.
“We’ve done nice little touches for big bookings but prefer in-resort treats like an upgrade, or some extra on-board credit rather than a bottle of fizz – but it depends on the client.”
Julie Breckon, who runs Earthwise Travel in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, makes sure every client gets a gift, adding: “Everyone gets something in proportion to their spend.
“For luxury travellers, that would mean something like an excursion, a crate of wine or massages. I’ve also gifted things like a food luxury hamper for their return, containing foods and wine from where they have been.”
