Peter Healey and David Elstob, two leading pioneers of the homeworking sector in travel, have been reunited.
Elstob, founding managing director of Future Travel Group, the Co-operative Travel Group homeworking division, has joined the board of Healey’s Your Holiday Booking.
Elstob remains a shareholder in Future, which is now part of the Thomas Cook/Co-operative Travel retail joint venture, but no longer plays an active part.
He has been brought in by Healey to grow YHB, and specifically its Holiday Experts homeworking division.
It is hoped this will expand from 50 agents today to a maximum of 100, an optimum level Healey believes will enables it to offer the right support to each individual agent.
Healey, founding managing director of Vertical Travel Systems who sold his stake in Future three years ago, said:
“David and I have been very successful in business since we started working together in the mid 90s.
“It seemed sensible to bring him back on board. Together we probably know over 1,000 people who have worked for us in the past.
“It’s quite an interesting time in the market. We’re finding with some larger high street businesses shutting stores there are some decent and competent people out there.
“We are providing them with a safe place to be where we will give them the support and good technology and websites to develop their businesses with.
“We are looking for serious and experienced agents with a connection with the market and with a client base of their own.”
Elstob said: “At its peak in 2004 Future Travel had over 500 homeworkers and a turnover in excess of £200m.
“There is still plenty of room to grow the existing homeworking market today and at Holiday Experts we can once again offer the kind of support package and benefits that we offered back in 2004, and more”.
As part of the Vertical Group Holiday Experts homeworkers are given access to overseas trips to the private properties the group provides technology to.
Healey said: “We very much have a traditional relationship with the supplier. That’s what we used to do when we started.
“I am aware that it’s a competitive space out there, but our support package includes great central support marketing activity from the rest of the YHB businesses that enables our homeworkers to earn good, sustainable income.”
Your Holiday Booking will be at World Travel Market on stand GV103 where it hoped to speak to interested agents.