Upmarket homeworking specialist Aquilium Travel Group has expanded its offering with franchise opportunities available through a new Luxury Travel Franchise brand.
The parent company of The Travel Directors and The Travel Managers said the new division was aimed at those with no industry experience but excellent travel knowledge and sales or customer service experience.
Chief executive Gary Pridmore said an eight-week training programme would be offered to new starters through the company’s Aquilium Academy.
The training will be overseen from the group’s head office in Cheshire by Elaine Clark, formerly a trainer at Not Just Travel, who joined The Travel Directors last year.
Nicola Harper, head of operations and strategy for the Aquilium Travel Group, will lead the new venture.
She said: “Elaine brings a wealth of experience in training, a knowledge of the needs of the franchisees and having made the move to The Travel Directors herself, has the empathy to support those looking to start a new business.”
Pridmore said the Luxury Travel Franchise division would allow Aquilium to take on candidates with no experience who would previously have been turned away.
He said: “We have received applications over the years from candidates expressing an interest in joining our homeworking brands but who lacked the experience.
“Many had exceptional skills and proven track records in high quality sales, and we were turning them away. We believe that with the correct level of training and support, we can offer an exceptional opportunity for those looking for a change in their careers.”
Pridmore said that franchisees will continue their training for three years after their initial eight-week introduction and will be assigned a mentor to help them develop and grow their business.
He added: “We have applications from a wide range of professionals looking for new opportunities, including accountants, doctors, publicans and sales managers – all expressing an interest in finding a new venture that enhances their lifestyle and with flexibility to work from home.”
Pridmore said the pandemic had made many people reassess their work life balance.
“Due to Covid 19, people are viewing their lives differently. More people are looking at ways to have flexibility in their work life,” he said.
“As we move towards life returning to a ‘new normal’, many expect that travel will boom as people look forward to being able to travel the world again. Now is the time for franchisees to set themselves ready for the explosion that we believe will come with the new year.”