Elite Travel Group has added new membership options as part of a drive to woo new agencies to the consortium.
The Birmingham-based group is now promoting the Elite Travel Specialists, the Elite Managed Agent and the Elite Travel Experts options alongside its standard membership.
The consortium currently has 41 members, with 38 on its standard membership, which is for independent agencies that have their own Abta number.
Three are with the Elite Travel Experts option – one is a homeworker while the other two have offices.
The new additions are the Elite Travel Specialists and Elite Managed Agent options.
Caroline Page (pictured), business development manager said Elite Travel Experts was launched during the pandemic but has been “on the backburner”, while Elite Travel Specialists and the Elite Managed Agent options are new.
She said Elite Travel Experts can be homeworkers or in premises, and the option offers “affordable membership on a commission-split basis, while still receiving full head office support”.
The Elite Managed Agent model is described as an “all-encompassing scheme” aimed at new business start-ups or those looking to reduce their administration time, to focus on their sales and marketing activities.
The Elite Travel Specialists level is aimed at homeworkers who will retain their commission and pay a “minimal” monthly management fee based on turnover.
Page said: “We want something to suit everybody. We are trying to tick all boxes.
“We recognised that, as a consortium, we really need to move with the times.
“Previously, we’ve had a very traditional model where all of our members are individual Abta members, with their own payment systems and administration, and they come to us for commercials.
“The industry has massively changed. There are so many different managed agent and homeworking options out there – to move with the times, we need to get on board and offer other models.”
She said the consortium is promoting its new options in the trade press, online and at industry events, wooing agents who already have experience in the industry and may want to set up a business or switch from another group.
At its conference in 2022, the group said its total membership had reached 50.
Page said one reason for the loss of members was the fact that Elite was founded in 1977, so some long-standing agents have retired and their businesses have closed.
“People have joined us naturally over the years, but times are changing, and we want to be able to welcome new members with a more modern membership route,” she said.
“Elite is proud to be the small, friendly consortium and that has always set us apart – the fact that we are run by our members.
“Our members are at the heart of what we do. We are still run by our members, for the members.”
She said Elite offers “numerous” networking and social events throughout the year, ranging from race days to theatre visits, enabling members to network with suppliers and other agents.
As well as incentives, agents benefit from “fantastic” commercial arrangements as part of a partnership with Advantage Travel Partnership.
“But we’re also free to work independently with smaller, more niche tour operators as well,” Page added.
The partnership with Advantage has been in place since 2008 and was extended in December 2021 for a further five years.
“It brings great commercial benefits to our members…and there are certainly no plans to change it anytime,” said Page.
“It has been a great partnership, and we see them as part of our future.”
The annual Elite conference will take place in early October, with the venue set to be announced in “a few weeks”.
The chair is Robert Lines, director of Knowle Travel in Solihull, while fellow board members are Lynne Kirby (Enable Holidays) and Mike Richardson (Villair Travel).
There are five members of staff at the head office in Birmingham, where meetings are held.