Travel Counsellors has seen global sales revenue grow 4% in the last year driven by a 5% increase in average income for its home-based travel agents.
The Bolton-based agency revealed its latest trading figures at its annual UK conference in Liverpool last week.Steve Byrne, managing director, hailed the performance achieved “in the face of some of the most severe circumstances within the industry”.
Travel Counsellors saw global sales for the year to October 31 hit £360 million, up from £346 million, the previous year.
Improved performance of the company’s individual counsellors has seen a 35% increase in the number of Travel Counsellor Millionaires – agents who achieve over £1 million in sales within a
12-month period.
Over the past four years, Byrne told the conference that the company has seen a 50% increase in the value of sales.
He said: “This is testament to the way in which you embrace the support and technology available to you and focus on building relationships and trust with your customers.
“We focus on having a super-relational, super-bespoke business model. We believe that people buy people, not products.
“Figures for Travel Counsellors’ increasing overseas interests revealed 11% growth in South Africa, and 13%
in Australia – the
fastest-growing division in
the group.
Non-UK agents now account for 35% of Travel Counsellors’ total of 1,200, after the company set up operations in the Netherlands, Ireland, Canada and, most recently, Dubai.
Sales director Malcolm Hingley said: “It proves people want someone who they can talk to and who will be there for them. They don’t want to book with a machine.”
Online training academy launches
Travel Counsellors announced the creation of an online training academy as it looks to enhance its agent training.
The new module-based e-learning technology will be rolled out following a trial by a select group of agents including Redditch-based Mark Hallam.
The training will combine videos and quizzes to make it visual and interactive. It adds to the firm’s existing learning programme, which includes regional workshops.
Revealing the plans at the conference, sales director Malcolm Hingley (pictured) said:
“This new software is tailored to your individual needs and best learning practices, so you can learn and train in a way that is most suited to you. The main focus is to share how you as agents can create value through the service you provide.”
Travel Counsellors has also enhanced the support it gives to new agents with a pre-induction training programme.
Bespoke packaging set to get personal
Travel Counsellors’ in-house dynamic packaging system, Phenix, and tailor-made tour operation, Suitcase, are being improved to offer a more personalised service to clients.
With 65% of bookings now tailor-made holidays, IT director Paul Speakman said: “It’s all about making it more personal to the customer and their requirements”.
Phenix’s recommended hotels facility will get a revamp following an extensive agent survey, and customer documentation will include more bespoke information such as personalised destination information.
Travel Counsellors has seen a 40% increase in sales through Suitcase and the firm is investing in its internal IT development, having added 40 people to the team.