Entire Travel Group retires ‘Travel Connection’ as part of major brand overhaul

Wholesaler Entire Travel Group (ETG) has celebrated the arrival of a new era with the launch of a new brand and website that unites all of its specialist programs.

Rather than having to access multiple websites, agents can now access each of the company’s nine specialist programs through tabs on a single ETG site.

CEO Brad McDonnell (pictured above, far left) said the new site also offers agents a number of valuable new features, including the ability to search for a selection of popular activities or themes across ETG’s full range of destinations and experiences.

“That means that if an agent is searching for honeymoon options, for instance, they can with one click call up honeymoon experiences across all of our destinations,” he explained.

“They can do the same with other themes such as cycling, nature, wellness, cultural, and battlefields.”

As part of the image overhaul, ETG is retiring the ‘Travel Connection’ signature previously used to identify each of its nine individual brands.

Instead, the group’s wholesale programs will now highlight their key destination or product and combine it with the shared phrase, ‘brought to you by Entire Travel Group’.

The new brand also incorporates ETG’s first tagline – ‘When experience matters’ – which McDonnell said was added following industry research.

“When we spoke to agents, it became clear that what they value most about Entire Travel Group is the first-hand experience offered by our consultants, more than half of whom were born in the country’s they represent,” he said.

McDonnell said the changes will drive greater brand recognition and save agents time by providing easier access to ETG’s product suite. However, he noted that the rebranding strategy goes well beyond enhanced efficiencies.

“As we prepare for further growth, we recognise the need to establish a clear and simplified platform,” he said.

“Our new branding and consolidated website reflects our transformation and heralds the arrival of an exciting new era for Entire Travel Group.”

ETG’s new look will feature on its 2020 brochure range, with brochures now arriving in travel agents stores across the country. At the same time, the company is rolling out a variety of service enhancements.

“We have, for instance, now assigned every one of our products an exclusive ‘TourCode’ number, which agents will see featured on all collateral, including brochures, flyers and the new website,” McDonnell said.

“Using the unique TourCode, our expert consultants can now locate product details and prices within seconds.

“In addition, we are now providing agent-friendly (client copy) invoicing across all destinations.”

Speaking to Travel Weekly, McDonnell said the whole project took the most part of this year to design, map out and deliver, but refused to reveal the cost.

“What I will say is that in terms of what we’re going to save, it will pay for itself well inside a year,” he said.

On closer inspection of ETG’s new website, a notable omission is a ‘sustainability’ product category.

McDonell said that while the company offers sustainable product offerings, it is yet to bundle them under that umbrella.

“We understand the importance and realise that we should be doing it in the future,” he said.