Agent David Coulter secured a £124,500 booking to Beaches Negril resort in Jamaica just weeks after joining Blue Bay Travel’s homeworking division.

It was Blue Bay’s largest-ever booking and the biggest he’s taken in his 17 years as an agent.

David, 33 from Londonderry in Northern Ireland only joined Blue Bay as a self-employed Personal Travel Consultant in September.

He was previously a homeworker with Hays and, prior to that, worked for high street travel agency Worldchoice in Portrush, where he moved through the ranks from travel consultant to MD. 

 “I’m absolutely thrilled to have secured such a big-ticket booking, especially in the current climate as we emerge from the pandemic. The largest booking I’d had prior to this was £50,000, so this is a new record for me,” he said. 

“I was excited but also really nervous as I loaded the booking, making sure I didn’t make a single mistake and holding my breath until I knew I’d secured all the rooms I needed. When I quoted the price to the customer and he replied with ‘Well, I’ll just go and get my credit card then’, I nearly fell off my chair!

“The booking came from a totally new customer – new to me, new to Blue Bay Travel and, in fact, new to Sandals & Beaches Resorts.”

David revealed his customer was based in London and he managed to secure the booking even though he’s based in Northern Ireland.

“Working in partnership with Blue Bay Travel has really opened up my client base. When I worked in a high street travel agency, my customers were very much Northern Ireland-based, but I can now sell to customers all over the UK, including affluent areas such as London, where this customer is from,” he said.

“The fact that I was available in the evening to make the booking is what sealed the deal, I believe. It’s one of the biggest advantages of being a homeworker, versus a high street travel agent.”

Gary Atwell, Business Development Manager for Sandals and Beaches Resorts said:
“It was a pleasure to work with David on this massive booking. This is actually the largest booking that I have received in my 20-year career with Sandals & Beaches Resorts.

“I take my hat off to David for his outstanding knowledge of our product and his commitment to excellent customer service. I know how hard he worked on this booking – what an amazing achievement after such a difficult 18 months.”

Abbie Heaton, Sales Manager for The Personal Travel Consultants in Partnership with Blue Bay Travel, added: “We’re absolutely thrilled for David. It’s a prime example of a high-quality customer lead, generated by Blue Bay Travel, that was successfully converted through the hard work, flexibility and superb customer service skills of an experienced PTC. 

“David only joined in September so to have secured such a lucrative booking already has really impressed us.”