Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group officially relaunched the Cox & Kings brand in New Zealand last night, at a time when its vp sales Susan Haberle says its group investment in this market has never been higher.
AKTG acquired Cox & Kings at the end of 2019, and since then has been heavily focused on getting things right before bringing it back down under. There has been a complete rebrand, Haberle says, adding that Cox & Kings is very much aligned with the Kiwi market.
This sentiment is echoed by Cox & Kings’ director of product George Colvin-Slee. “It’s not just about doing the tick box top destinations, it’s about really getting under the skin of a destination,” he says.
The product is pitched as ideal for repeat travellers. “It’s not necessarily for first time international travellers, it’s looking for people who want that great depth,” he adds.
There are tours available to more than 100 countries including unusual options such as Tunisia and Pakistan. Colvin-Slee adds that there are more itineraries coming to destinations such West Africa and Algeria; and where possible he says clients will stay in historic and cultural properties.
Some 75% of its travellers add on a tailormade extension to their tour, which Colvin-Slee says is a great upsell opportunity. In addition, 25% of Cox &Kings guests are solo travellers, and in 2027 the brand will launch solo departures to cater to the growing demand.
. . . Support
The group’s reservation team in Melbourne has upskilled on Cox & Kings to support Kiwi agents, while AKTG’s sales director Anoushka Kudav will spend the coming weeks in New Zealand meeting with Kiwi trade partners as well.
“We wanted to make sure we had support and that we could execute a really successful relaunch,” says Haberle. AKTG has also appointed Australia-based Sara Puglia as a dedicated sales director for Cox & Kings. Haberle says she will host a series of webinars for the Kiwi retail trade and will visit in person multiple times a year alongside Kudav. Agents can reach out to the duo by emailing akudav@abercrombiekent.com.au.
A digital Cox & Kings brochure is HERE, and advisor guides HERE.
