Susana da Graça

Sama Travel - Tour Operator

Could you describe your role and main responsibilities in the International Department of Sama Travel?

I am the Director of the International Markets and New Business Development Department for Sama Travel. Opening of a subsidiary in Portugal. Opening of new business lines for the Tour Operator. Air Distribution Channels for maximum profitability of charter operations, called “single flight”. In this way we optimize that customers who also want to buy our routes without the need to have them associated with a Tour can buy them online for their own interests. Mostly sold by online travel agencies. 

Negotiation with airport authorities, Government Offices, Ministry of Tourism, Embassies and all kinds of institutional relations at international level, of the countries that are of interest at Tour Operation level. General Coordination of the International Department.

What are the main objectives of Sama Travel in the international market and how are they being achieved?

Sama Travel is a totally disruptive Tour Operator, we are characterized by reaching destinations where no one has gone before and from airports that have never been explored before. This has awakened the interest of the international market to have the necessary approaches to enhance the tourism development of the countries to which we provide direct flights. Especially from Spain, which is our operational base.

We have a subsidiary in Portugal in which we are working to have a replica of our business model and go with the same structure and strategy “to go where no one has gone before”.

At the level of new destinations in our Tours, we work together, the Product and International Department to establish all possible connections, based on three aspects: design of the tours with charter planes that allow us to have freedom of decision in the airports where to fly, work together with the Ministry of Tourism, designated Tourism Offices, and other governmental and airport authorities, to create the promotional plans, learning for travel agencies in familiarization trips, and all those activities that enhance the destination, as well as establish the commercial and strategic plans for the entry of countries in our portfolio of destinations and tours.

What have been the biggest challenges you have faced in bringing Sama Travel's services to an international market and how have you overcome them?

Perhaps the most challenging part is the VUCA environments, those environments that due to their volatility or sensitivity make us make very quick turns and changes to ensure the success of our business. The tourism sector is very sensitive to issues affecting politics, conflicts, security, and we are in a time where these points are the order of the day.

Therein lies our success: resilience, flexibility and agility, quick turns to guarantee our scheduled operations or quickly offer new options.

How does Sama Travel handle cultural differences and travel preferences in different international markets?

These differences are the must of our core business.

We need that variety to be able to build great travel experiences, adapting to the needs of travel agencies and their clients. Our Product Manager takes care of and pampers each and every one of these details.

Betting on the traditional is undoubtedly the easiest thing to do, but we always go one step further.

We are very consolidated in the market in Spain thanks to our ability to differentiate what we do, and we also adapt to tailor-made trips, according to what our clients demand because we do not have it in our portfolio, or because they want a tailor-made experience, for characteristics such as: luxury, adventure, private, whatever our clients demand.

How is Sama Travel positioned in comparison with other international travel agencies?

We are a Tour Operator with the best track record in Spain in outbound tourism to Egypt,

A normal Tour Operator can schedule one flight or five. We have been the first and pioneers in the Spanish market to have direct flights to Egypt from 22 Spanish provinces, and we are simply experts in our business and we work every day to remain so.

What technologies has Sama Travel adopted to facilitate its operation and expansion abroad?

In terms of air distribution, we work with state-of-the-art technology platforms that reach markets all over the world online. In just one flight, an online booking can reach us from Spain, or from any continent thanks to our agreements with technology experts.

What marketing strategies do you use to attract international clients and what have been the most effective?

We have a communications team that works every day to reach more and more potential clients. We carry out our own campaigns and we also work with the tourism offices on joint plans focused at all times on a specific type of client.

The four pillars: our interest in promoting a destination in our own way, the interest of the country involved, the authority of the country involved and the training on the destination for the agencies in Spain.

The most effective are always through social networks and influencers with repercussion in each country. The current campaigns have yielded very positive statistics and a good return in terms of business figures. In the tourism sector, we always work with local media.  These media have a high visibility among travel agencies.