TTNG sees record growth in homeworkers thanks to training

The Travel Network Group has seen record growth rates among its homeworker community, thanks to dedicated training and members taking on home-based staff.

 

The consortium has its own homeworking division, Independent Travel Experts, and its other brands – Global Travel Group, Travel Trust Association and Worldchoice – also have agencies which are recruiting homeworkers.

 

Gary Gillespie, ITE managing director and TTNG product and distribution director, said: “Since October 2023, we have seen a massive increase – it coincided with the launch of a new-to-travel programme.

 

More: Travel Weekly Guide to Homeworking

 

ITE homeworker plans to open shop in September

 

“We had been getting steady numbers of applicants but most homeworkers do not move unless they are really unhappy or their business model changes.

 

“After the pandemic, we had gone down to about 75 homeworkers but we have 130 now, and are bringing on three or four a month.”

He said the new-to-programme is “quite an intense” 12-week course, teaching basic skills, selling skills, customer retention and tour operator modules – along with ongoing training and support from three business development managers.

 

“We don’t take on anybody: we ask for a business plan and it is a two-way chat to see if we are the right fit,” he said.

 

Homeworkers do not have to work set hours and come from different backgrounds – some with children at school or with other jobs “but they have a passion for travel and want to transition to full time”, said Gillespie.

 

“Some have a £1m turnover, others just a few bookings per month.”

 

He said the other TTNG brands are taking on more homeworkers of their own because of industry-wide difficulties in recruiting – and some long-term members with a shop plan to step back but still want to service their clients as a homeworker without retail costs.

 

Gary Lewis, chief executive, said recruitment and retention have been a “big priority” for TTNG, with its inhouse training academy helping agents to find the right staff.

 

“For the past 18 months we have been helping agents with training on recruitment, interview techniques, and training new-to-travel people, upskilling staff and now retention with our ‘person behind the professional’ drive,” he told Travel Weekly.

 

He hailed the news that Rob Kenton, managing director of Triangle Travel, plans to take on one or two apprentices as part of his recruitment strategy.

 

“It is a great ambition – but if you look at our stats, we have seen more recruitment from the 50+ age group," he said.

 

“They are the target market for most members of TTNG, as the over-50s have the most disposable income and travel more than other age groups.”

 

Kenton made his comments during an agent panel at the conference, which heard how other agencies are recruiting homeworkers to boost their workforce, such as Swords Travel, Tivoli Travel and Off Broadway Travel.

 

However, ITE homeworker Clare Stege noted the homeworking market is “saturated” and “very busy”.

 

Lewis said it’s “incredible” that homeworking agency InteleTravel has 35,000 agents in the UK but noted that not all of them will be working full-time as agents.

 

However, at a time when bringing new people into travel is proving difficult, he believes some InteleTravel agents are likely to be moving to other agency groups to continue their growth, offering opportunities for the industry.