Scenic Group has hired Jo Reid away from Celestyal as part of a push to increase support for travel agents, bringing Lydia Tempest-Mitchell into the business in the same recruitment drive.

Reid joins the river and expedition cruise operator from Celestyal, where she built her reputation working with the UK trade. Her move signals Scenic Group's intent to strengthen relationships with the agent channel that drives the bulk of its premium cruise bookings.

Tempest-Mitchell rounds out the expanded team. Together, the two appointments give sellers of travel more direct points of contact within the operator as it competes for high-value river and expedition customers.

For agents, the hires matter because Scenic Group's products — luxury river cruises and expedition sailings under the Scenic and Emerald brands' parent umbrella — carry high average booking values and depend heavily on trade distribution rather than direct online sales. A larger support team typically translates into faster responses to enquiries, better access to training, and more marketing support for agencies converting high-ticket customers.

The recruitment also reflects a broader pattern in the cruise sector: operators are competing for experienced trade-facing talent as agent-led sales rebound and suppliers fight for share of the advisor channel's attention.

Scenic Group has positioned the appointments as a direct investment in the agent relationship, a claim sellers will be able to test in day-to-day service levels as the new team members settle in.

The company will expect the strengthened trade team to help convert sustained demand for premium river and expedition cruising into bookings through the advisor channel in the seasons ahead.