The boss of The Travel Directors believes now is a “golden opportunity” to attract at least 30 agents to join the homeworking business.
The luxury travel business, which launched in late 2018 and is part of the Aquilium Travel Group, has 20 agents on its books.
Chief executive Gary Pridmore said: “We do not want to be insensitive but there are people out there that are losing their jobs and do not know where to go.
“We see it as a golden opportunity as we may be able to help people out.”
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Pridmore explained that the recruitment drive would ensure the agency was ready for the “U-turn” when people were able to take a holiday again.
He added that The Travel Directors, a member of Midcounties’ consortium business, would never exceed 100 agents.
“In an ideal world, we would have 50, so over the next 12 months we would like to take on 20 to 30 people,” he said, adding: “It is not about the numbers. We’re looking for homeworkers that want to provide a great level of service and quality who are not homed in on destination.
“We are very much a growing company and we are financially secure and we’re able to recruit.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel and we are just getting ready to continue.”
Pridmore added that since launching in 2018, the company has had more than 400 applicants of which only 20 were successful.
“We cannot take on someone who has not been doing retail travel,” he said. We’ve had a huge amount of people apply.”
Pridmore said successful applicants tend to have a minimum of five years’ retail experience.
Recruited agents would normally be invited on a three-day training course at The Travel Directors’ head office in Stapeley House in Nantwich, Cheshire.
However, with restrictions in place applicants will instead carry out training online on a MacBook supplied by The Travel Directors.
“We have taken on people from a wide spectrum that might not have had luxury experience, but they had travel retail experience and we have introduced them to luxury suppliers,” he said. “Now they are in a new arena and they are enjoying the new challenges that brings.
“They are enjoying their role more. It is not just order-taking – we’re after the quality of clients.”
In March, The Travel Directors recruited Kym O’Brien from luxury tour operator ITC Travel Group in a business development manager role.
Pridmore added: “We think it is a fantastic time for Kym to join because homeworkers need a lot of support right now. The only thing is Kym has to be working from home rather than getting out and about.”