Elegant Resorts is just weeks away from launching its new sports travel brand, Elegant Sports, which will offer packages including tickets to major events such as the Grand Prix and Test matches.
The luxury operator’s new sports division is being led by former Carrier Head of Product and Commercial Simon Jeffries, who joined Elegant last year.
Jennie Carter has also just joined the team as the Product and Sports Operations Manager.
Elegant Resorts’ new Managing Director Gordon McCreadie, who replaced Lisa Fitzell at the end of February, said Elegant Sports will launch before the summer.
“We’ll be offering something special, for example, packages that include tickets to the Roland-Garros and a game of tennis with a coach, or holidays in Australia that include tickets to watch the cricket, plus other experiences.
“We won’t be competing with the guys selling tickets to football matches, that’s not our market. We’ll be selling holidays that include access to major sporting fixtures, but the events won’t be the sole purpose of the trip.”
The new operator is working with Destination Sport, owned by the same parent company, to access tickets to fixtures around the world, said Gordon.
So far this year, Elegant’s bookings are up 10% compared to the same period of 2024, with bookings through the trade – which account for about 30% of the operator’s sales – up 14%.
Sister trade-only brand If Only, of which Gordon is also MD, is seeing a 30% year-on-year increase, he said.
“The trade is very important to us, which is why we are putting lots of initiatives in place to increase that business and make it easier for agents to sell our holidays.
“For example, we have online assets such as photos and videos agents can use in their social media marketing.”
Elegant Resorts has also revamped its agents’ loyalty scheme, and it will be taking its retail partners on fam trips to Marbella and Mauritius in 2025.
Destinations that are selling well this year include Asia, Australia and New Zealand, but the US and Europe are slower, said Gordon.
“I think bookings for Europe will come in, I think it will finish up on last year, but people are leaving it later to book. There is a lot of uncertainty, so people are waiting to commit, but I think the business is there.”
