Agent relaunches business in bid to re-focus on luxury market

Agency owner Dan Salmon has relaunched his business with a new identity as he looks to strengthen its position in the luxury market.

 

Previously trading as Never A Wasted Journey, the agency will now operate as Xanari, featuring a new website, refreshed branding and a focus on “authentic holidays, privacy and unique access” for high-end clients. 

 

Speaking to Aspire, Salmon said: “I felt that I’d taken Never A Wasted Journey as far as I could and it was time for a refresh both for me personally and for my clients.

 

 I felt it was the right moment to evolve the business; I want my brand to reflect the future and where I’m heading, rather than where I’ve been.

 

“There have been some personal challenges but I’m back, bigger and better than before.”

 

Salmon said Xanari would place greater emphasis on higher-value bookings and delivering “honest advice, personalised service and a holiday designed around [each client].”

 

He added: “[Never A Wasted Journey] had started to become a little bit more mass market and I wasn’t really giving people that personal service, so it’s about getting back to my goal of making sure the service feels personal from the very first conversation.

 

“I want to really focus on the luxury end of the market and offering my clients experiences that they just cannot book elsewhere.”

 

While Xanari will maintain his “personality”, Salmon said he intends for his messaging to be more “elegant”.

 

Alongside the new branding, Salmon has restructured the business to allow him to focus on sales and client relationships, with supplier partners taking on a greater role in areas such as payments and concierge services.

 

He said: “Previously, I was taking on every single role, whereas now I want to just focus on the sales side of things. My supplier partners are going to be dealing with payments and speaking directly to clients for concierge services. I’ll still be that middle person, coming up with the idea, but I’m going to be leaning on them.”

 

Salmon indicated that the new structure could also pave the way for future expansion, with potential plans to recruit support in areas such as marketing and accounting as the business grows.

 

The launch of Xanari has enabled Salmon to reconnect with existing clients while setting his sights on attracting new business through driving social media leads and enquiries, as well as encouraging referrals and building a bank of reviews.

 

He said: “The best thing is that all the clients I’ve spoken to are wanting to continue to book with me, but I also want to be going out there and meeting new clients.”

“I’ve come back re-energised and have great new ideas to move forward.”

 

The name Xanari was inspired by Salmon’s three children, who he described as his “greatest inspiration”.

 

He said: “When you look back at travel many years ago, people used to look to the stars to direct them, and my children are my stars in life; they guide what I do.”