Holidaysplease director Richard Dixon said “every indication” suggests its homeworkers and franchisees intend to remain with the company following its acquisition by Travel Counsellors last week.
Dixon acknowledged news of the deal came as a shock to its 100 homeworkers, 50 franchisees and head office staff due to the confidential nature of negotiations.
But he insisted Travel Counsellors had been “foremost in the directors’ minds” when they discussed a possible sale, and added: “As the news has settled, we have seen a really positive response from HQ staff, homeworkers and franchisees alike.”
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Dixon said: “Both Travel Counsellors and the previous directors of Holidaysplease are confident that, as the homeworkers and franchisees get to know the Travel Counsellors leadership team and the opportunity that the acquisition will give them and their individual businesses, they will be excited to stay and continue to grow with us.
“Every indication so far is that this will be the case.”
Holidaysplease head of sales Sue Preston added: “Change can of course be worrying, but after spending time with the leaders and wider colleague community at Travel Counsellors’ head office last week, I am confident the future looks very bright for Holidaysplease – staff and agents alike.”
Dixon said it had been “very much business as usual”, with a “great week of sales” following the acquisition.
He said the focus was now on ensuring the deal “worked for everyone”, adding: “Going forward, there are some fantastic tools and technology that Travel Counsellors has that will be incredibly beneficial to the homeworkers and franchisees.
“The pure scale of the Travel Counsellors business [also] brings commercial benefits and efficiencies, particularly via its in-house tour operation.”
Amanda Matthews, co-owner of homeworking agency Designer Travel, said the acquisition had come as a surprise in the sector as it was the first in Travel Counsellors’ 29‑year history.
But she told a Travel Weekly webcast: “It is becoming increasingly difficult to organically grow. You can’t find these experienced people [to recruit] and there are far more people in the pot now trying to source experts who want to work from home.
“Going from a small company to a big company is probably an odd feeling for many, so we’ll just see how that plays out.”
More: Travel Counsellors prioritises Holidaysplease integration over further deals
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