Hays Travel has boosted the number of its homeworkers by 25% year on year and is targeting the same expansion again during the next year.
The division, which comprises telesales homeworkers, Personal Travel Consultants and Explorer Travel franchisees, now has 442 agents. It is currently holding its 2022 conference in Tenerife.
Hays Travel chief operating officer Jonathon Woodall-Johnston said the group will have achieved a year-on-year 25% increase in the number of its homeworkers by the end of April.
The division has enjoyed growth of 64% since 2019, when it had 269 homeworkers.
It substantially boosted the division by around 70 homeworkers in June 2021 with the acquisition of Explorer Travel.
The Explorer franchise model is described as providing a stepping stone between Hays’ traditional homeworking model as a PTC and an independent travel agency business under the Hays Travel Independence Group brand.
Woodall-Johnston attributed the expansion in the number of homeworkers over the last year to larger numbers of experienced agents looking to work from home or take up more flexible roles in the industry following a change in working habits as a result of the Covid pandemic.
He said: “Some people working in the high-street want the flexibility of working from home. It’s a trend everyone is seeing. If you can offer homeworking, as a company, then your ability to attract talent is greater.”
Agents at this year’s homeworking conference were encouraged to look at ways to increase their long-haul and cruise sales as well as capitalising on marketing and supplier opportunities to make the biggest difference to their sales over the next 12 months.