Marella Cruises strengthens UK travel trade support with two appointments - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

Marella Cruises, TUI’s UK cruise brand, is expanding its support for travel agents with two appointments to its Trade Relations team. Effective 9 November 2026, Gavin Enever takes on the newly created position of Key Account Manager, while Conor Braniff becomes Trade Training Manager. The changes are intended to strengthen relationships with travel agency partners and improve access to product expertise and sales training.

Enever’s appointment marks the first time Marella Cruises has established a dedicated Key Account Manager position. His responsibilities will cover travel trade partners throughout the United Kingdom, with particular emphasis on Northern England. The new role introduces a more focused approach to account management, giving agents a dedicated contact for commercial relationships and sales-related support.

The second appointment focuses on training and professional development. Braniff will oversee the cruise line’s trade training and engagement strategy, helping travel agents develop their understanding of Marella’s products and improve their confidence when advising customers. Together, the appointments reflect the company's efforts to strengthen its distribution network through closer cooperation with independent and partner travel agencies.

Dedicated account management for travel partners

Gavin Enever joins Marella Cruises from another position within TUI, where he has served as Key Account Manager for Northern England since 2023. His previous responsibilities included developing relationships with travel agencies and supporting commercial partners across the region.

Before moving into account management, Enever worked in Learning & Development, gaining experience in staff training, partner engagement and business development. This combination of commercial and training expertise is expected to support his new responsibilities at Marella Cruises.

The creation of a dedicated Key Account Manager position represents a change in how the cruise brand approaches its travel trade relationships. Rather than relying exclusively on existing support structures, Marella will now have a specialist responsible for maintaining direct contact with agents and helping them develop their cruise business.

For travel agencies, dedicated account management can provide more consistent access to product information, commercial guidance and assistance with sales activities. Such support is particularly relevant in cruise distribution, where itinerary details, onboard services and booking conditions can require specialist knowledge.

Training becomes a separate priority

Conor Braniff takes over as Trade Training Manager following Sarah Whitehouse’s move to another position within TUI.

Braniff previously worked in TUI’s Content team as a Marketing & Lifestyle Copywriter. In that capacity, he collaborated with the Marella Cruises brand team on customer-facing communications, gaining familiarity with the company's products and marketing approach.

His new responsibilities will centre on developing and implementing training activities for travel trade partners. The objective is to strengthen agents’ product knowledge and help frontline sales teams communicate the cruise line’s offering more effectively.

The appointment also illustrates the transfer of expertise between different areas of TUI’s business. Braniff’s experience in customer communications will now be applied to training and engagement activities designed specifically for travel professionals.

Investment in distribution relationships

Marella Cruises CEO Chris Hackney emphasised the importance of travel agents to the company's commercial strategy.

“Travel agents are hugely important to Marella Cruises and these appointments demonstrate our continued commitment to giving our trade partners the support, knowledge and expertise they need,” Hackney said.

He also highlighted the significance of introducing a dedicated field-based account management function for the first time, alongside the expansion of the company's training capabilities.

The two appointments address complementary aspects of travel trade support. While Enever will concentrate on direct relationships and account management, Braniff will focus on developing the knowledge and skills required to sell Marella Cruises products.

For the UK cruise distribution market, the changes underline the continuing importance of specialist travel agency support. Despite the availability of direct booking channels, cruise products often involve detailed customer advice, making product training and established supplier relationships important elements of the sales process.

By investing in dedicated account management and structured training, Marella Cruises aims to strengthen its position within the UK travel trade and provide agency partners with more direct access to commercial and product expertise.

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