Advantage is to announce a number of new members in the coming months and aims to grow the membership further, chief executive John McEwan has said.
Speaking at the Advantage conference in Heathrow on Sunday, he said: “You can expect to see more recruits in the next few months.
“We want to expand and we are seeking like-minded agents. We know of business travel agents who are not in a consortium and we want to bring them in.”
The protection offered by Advantage’s group ATOL will be an added incentive for potential new members, he added.
Advantage sales and marketing director Colin O’Neill said leisure travel sales had held up well for members, falling just 2% on this time last year. However business travel has fallen 30%.
He said: “Leisure agents are bucking the trend by adapting to the changing market. However, if a corporate decides not to spend, there isn’t much a travel management company (TMC) can do about it.”
There are likely to be more company failures before the end of the year, he predicted.
“We will lose TMCs over the next few months but those who survive will reshape their business and emerge stronger.”
The consortium aims to help members by launching a consumer-facing website, introducing a new booking tool and offering more exclusive product from new and existing partners.
Advantage also hopes to build brand awareness through marketing and social media.