Celebrating the laid-back nature of Australasia and the cheeky personalities of the AAT Kings Tour Directors and Driver Guides who share their destination knowledge and local expertise on every AAT Kings holiday, are the core elements behind the iconic travel brand’s relaunch unveiled yesterday.
Simultaneously revealed at industry events in Auckland and Sydney yesterday, the new look AAT Kings branding; ‘Bringing Australia and New Zealand to Life’ tagline; signature smile, staff uniforms and new coach livery were all on show as the future for a company with a proud history that dates back to showing guests around Australia since 1925.
AAT Kings Global Managing Director, Anthony Hayes, says the new direction better reflects the travel experiences guests enjoy as part of their Guided Holiday, Short Break or Day Tour in Australia and New Zealand when travelling with AAT Kings.
“When guests travel with us, it is the characters that they meet along the way including our Tour Directors, Aboriginal and Maori Guides and Local Staff that they remember as part of their holiday memories. These personalities are the key to showing our guests the culture, heritage and landscapes of both Australia and New Zealand, sharing their stories, experiences and simply having a good laugh with our guests, which make their holiday with us so enjoyable,” he says.
The relaunch is backed up with an $21 million investment in a new coach fleet across Australia and New Zealand and new in-house staff training initiatives across the business. As well as better tailoring its products for AAT Kings’ traditional western markets, the company has created an Asia Sales Manager role to boost tourism into both Australia and New Zealand from the region and China in particular.
A focus on AAT Kings’ trade relationships is also key to the relaunch, says Hayes.
“Ultimately our guests are their customers too so we are actively re-establishing our relationships with our travel agencies and our other partners in selling Australia and New Zealand.”
He says the relaunch is designed to stimulate greater consumer interest in guided holidays, making it easier for agents to grow their domestic and trans-Tasman business.
“We are seeing strong growth in the guided holidays market, so we believe this is the perfect time to get right on the front foot with our new brand. Our holidays are all about inspiring our guests, giving them the kind of experience they can’t possibly have if they try to organise it all themselves – and we’ll do all the driving for them. We offer outstanding Guided Holidays, Short Breaks and Day Tours throughout every state of Australia, and Guided Holidays and Short Breaks in both the North and South islands of New Zealand.
“A key partnership opportunity for us is to grow the short breaks market. Australians and New Zealanders are busy, but we all have a week here and a couple of weeks there. Working with trade, AAT Kings can play a key part in changing the holiday patterns of busy Aussies and Kiwis who still want a rewarding break.”
To this end, AAT Kings has simplified its brand story and terminology to make it simpler for trade partners and guests to understand the various holiday options available.
“We offer something for everyone in each destination, whether that be our AAT Kings Inspiring Journeys premium small group experiences; our signature AAT Kings Guided Holidays, Short Breaks and Day Tours; or our affordable, easy going small group AAT Kings Aussie Adventures,” adds Hayes.
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