travel counsellors executive team

Big Interview: Steve Byrne, chief executive of Travel Counsellors

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Travel Counsellors was a pioneer of home-based travel selling when it was set up in 1994, a time when the future of the high street was uncertain.

The franchise model championed personal customer service and bespoke holidays. It has gone on to recruit 1,200 agents in the UK and 1,800 globally, turning over £600 million.

Between January 2018 and January 2019, 190 new travel counsellors joined and 40 more are due to start this month.

While the traditional model of the self-employed, home-based agent working alone is still at the core of the business, Steve Byrne says four other models have emerged:

1. Travel counsellors who partner with fellow counsellors: for example, an agent who is great at winning business but not so good at the admin, so they can scale their business without having to employ people. The counsellors work together remotely and set up reciprocal commercial terms via the company’s in-house platform.

2. The employment model: travel counsellors who want to expand their business and bring people in to grow it and manage bookings. Many agents have their own limited companies which employ staff to work alongside the travel counsellor. This includes agency owners who move their business from a shop.

3. Partnerships: groups of travel counsellors who share offices and pool their income as a team.

4. Client services: a lead travel counsellor manages an account and wins the business but creates a team to do the bookings. The commercial arrangements are facilitated by the platform.

Byrne says: “It’s a reflection of how we have evolved. To scale your business you have to liberate talents and you reach a point where you can’t do everything yourself.”

Will we ever see travel counsellors opening shops?

“We don’t permit that at the moment and I don’t think that would be a positive step,” Byrne says. “The model is based on high levels of customer service and intimacy and the success has shown you don’t have to take on a fixed cost to deliver that.”

Ask a member of the public if they have heard of travel counsellors and they are likely to say no.

Travel Counsellors has no TV or billboard advertising campaigns, so how does it raise awareness of the brand and attract business?

“We are a retention and referral-based business,” says Byrne. “In 15 years, we have done a TV campaign maybe twice with limited success.

“We’re proud that Travel Counsellors is doing incredible things with that model and without advertising. We’ve always been a word-of-mouth business.

“We do direct marketing for our agents and tailored, consumer events with suppliers. Significant brand awareness is an opportunity down the line, but at the moment it’s about intimate relationships with the customer.”

In 2015, Travel Counsellors moved its head office from Bolton to £2 million premises in Trafford City, Manchester, where its 350 staff are based.

Asked if the new location had helped attract talent, Byrne says: “We don’t know what our retention and talent would have been like if we’d stayed in Bolton, but Manchester is a nice office environment for our staff. We do a lot more with suppliers, so there’s more of a community hub.

“We moved to have more space, a better working environment and to appeal to a wider pool, especially on the tech front.”

The business employs 90 staff in its technology team as well as a small division in South Africa.

Byrne says the business is investing in cybersecurity and continually tweaking and improving the “user experience”.

In 2017, Travel Counsellors launched its myTC app, which allows customers to enquire, book, message, pay and download documents. Byrne says the app will continue to be improved.

Around half of all sales are made through Travel Counsellors’ in-house dynamic packaging platform, Phenix. Byrne says there are plans to make the platform more intuitive and simpler for its agents to find products.

How does Phenix fulfil the company’s ethos of offering independent advice to clients, not driven by commercial deals?

“Phenix is independent and supplier agnostic,” says Byrne.

“It doesn’t have any of its own inventory. It’s a conduit to access a large number of hotels and every type of airline. There is no third‑party tour operator content.

“The system shows rates and recommends a price but counsellors can raise them lower or higher. They are empowered to choose the holiday that is right for their customer.”

Last year, private equity firm Vitruvian Partners backed Travel Counsellors in a secondary management buyout from Equistone Partners Europe.

The deal saw founder David Speakman and his wife Maureen dispose of their final interest.

Byrne, who joined the business in 2004 as managing director and became chief executive in 2016, says: “We want to use tech and artificial intelligence to improve support. Currently, if agents need advice or support, they have to call, so we want to look at how can we use technology to make sure they have the information they need.”

Other target areas include corporate travel, which has grown 15% year on year, and making Travel Counsellors “more visible” to people thinking of joining.

As for recruitment, Byrne says the company is attracting an increased number of applicants who have run their own business or travel management company.

“We want to make more explicit the different ways that business owners use the platform,” he adds.

“The empowering nature of our model and our culture of supporting people has enabled them to develop and use the company community to meet their needs.”

60 seconds with Steve Byrne

Q. Where are you from originally? A. Liverpool

Q. What’s the last film you saw or book you read? A. Stan and Ollie.

Q. Where are you going on holiday this year? A. Majorca with the family – my wife and three daughters.

Q. Any hobbies? A. Keeping fit – mainly running.

Q. What’s your guilty pleasure? A. Dark chocolate.

Q. What’s been your best experience working in travel? A. This industry is full of brilliant people and it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to meet and work with them, plus the chance to see so many places across the globe.

Q. What one thing about the industry would you change? A. Customer experience at the airport.

Q. What’s your favourite food? A. Any fresh fish dish.

Q. Which three people in travel would you invite to dinner? A. Richard Branson, and Mike and Nicola Graham from Reuben’s Retreat.

Q. Which three people NOT in travel would you invite? A. Sarah Millican, Lee Mack and Michel Roux Jr – he could also do the cooking!

Q. If you were PM for the day, what would you do? A. Easier said than done, but I’d put the country first, forget party loyalty, make a decision on Brexit and get on with it.

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Travel counsellors names new customer director and chief people officer.

Travel Counsellors has appointed new customer director and chief people officer roles to its leadership team.

Dave Callan and Victoria Wilson joined the business earlier this month from outside the travel sector following a period of “record-breaking” sales for the homeworking specialist.

March 2022 saw Travel Counsellors’ most successful sales month since the onset of the pandemic, with UK leisure bookings increasing 50% and corporate sales up 20% on 2019 levels.

The company has also claimed to have secured nearly £60m worth of departures for 2023 – an increase of 63% on sales generated for 2020 departures at the same time in 2019.

Callan, Travel Counsellors’ new customer director, takes up the newly created position having joined from professional cycling team Ineos, formerly Team Sky, as chief marketing officer.

He will be in charge of “developing, leading and driving” Travel Counsellors’ brand and brand proposition.

Wilson arrives at Travel Counsellors from a financial services background, with her most recent position at pension and investment specialist Royal London seeing her lead colleague experience and pandemic response.

As chief people officer, Travel Counsellors said she would “play a critical role”, in its approach to talent acquisition, learning and development and colleague experience, as well as internal communications and diversity and inclusion.

Steve Byrne, Travel Counsellors chief executive, said Wilson’s appointment would help the company “build our leadership capacity and capability” to support its next phase of growth. 

Byrne added Callan would “add massive value” to Travel Counsellors and its members “attracting more talented professionals and customers into our community”.

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Fiona Betteridge

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It's Nice To Meet You

Hello my name is Fiona Betteridge and I am based in Aberdeenshire. Thanks for your interest in Travel Counsellors and my web site. I believe booking your holiday should be an enjoyable and exciting experience. I pride myself on offering my customers a level of personal service and attention to detail which you could not find in the high street.

I have lived, worked and travelled abroad for the last 25 years, in such areas as the Middle East, Far East and Scandinavia, and holidaying all over the world especially enjoying Australia, America and Europe.

We now have a unique system in place which no other travel agency/tour operator has access to which enables us to book flights, accommodation and transfers separately which more than often beats standard tour operator packages.

Don't forget about those long weekends in the UK as well, I can book you a trip to the races, a murder mystery weekend, golf breaks and what about lunch on the Orient Express?

Whether it be a flight, city break or a tailor made holiday you are looking for I will be delighted to help you.

Whatever your holiday needs I'm here to help you, so simply give me a call or send me an email with your contact details on and I can get things started for you:

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I absolutely live and breathe travel and I love to write about my experiences! Please take a look through my posts - you might find your own holiday inspiration.

01 June 2014

Bermuda is a beautiful location, with a distinctly British feel about it. Close enough to visit as a twin centre with say New York. There are many lovely hotels, pink sand beaches and excellent golf courses. There are a range of attractions to visit such as, Dolphin Quest, boat excursions, Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, the dipping ceremony in St Georges and the crystal and fantasy caves. We stayed at Elbow Beach and Cambridge Beaches which are both beautiful hotels. Elbow beach Hotel is on 50 acres of gardens with a beach front location, only seven minutes from the delightful capital city of Hamilton. It has 98 cottage-inspired rooms and suites with ocean or garden views - I had an ocean view with a patio which was lovely to sit on in the evening. There is a spa, private beach and dive shop. Plus for anyone wanting golf there are 4 courses close by. Cambridge Beaches again was set on the beach, with a spa and lots of water sports. This resort is adults only, minimum age is 16. They have rooms, suits and cottages with private plunge pools. Close by you can discover the world’s smallest drawbridge, it has a little section that lifts up and lets a yacht mast come through, so boats can go up the river. The Botanical Gardens are outstanding, with so many beautiful flowers and trees to see. For Golf lovers it is a paradise with top competitions held there. We went to many superb restaurants and enjoyed the famous fish chowder, I would recommend Waterlot Inn Restaurant and Mad Hatters. An interesting event is the old Dunking Ceremony at the square at St George's. A woman is hauled forcible to 'The Dunking Stool', used to dunk women accused of being nags and gossips, in the 1600s and 1700s is again used in historical re-enactments with costumed actors in the town. The offender is strapped in a dunking stool and dunked in the ocean a number of times depending on their crime. The town crier or magistrate is proclaiming the woman's crimes to an audience of onlookers. I would highly recommend Bermuda as a superb beach holiday.

11 May 2014

I went to Iceland to celebrate our daughters 30th birthday and what a great experience it was. Iceland never ceases to amaze - the mouth-watering scenery is an adventure in itself, with volcanic craters, lava flows, hot springs and geysers, glaciers and stunning waterfalls offering a new view around every corner. It is these natural wonders that provide the perfect backdrop to a range of unforgettable experiences from hiking and snowmobiling to bathing in hot pools and gazing at the northern lights. I was lucky with the weather to have 3 days of sunshine but also to have snow. The people were all very nice and the sea food was amazing. Had the lobster soup for lunch most days, although I wasn't so taken with the puffin burgers! We had one hour floating massages in the Blue Lagoon, which were the most relaxing experience ever; the water is really hot and it even snowed while we were in there but we were never cold. We saw the northern lights for an hour, with beautiful flashes and waves of green. The flights from Scotland were extremely quick, 2 hours going out and 1 hour 45 minutes coming back. It takes three hours from London. I would definitely recommend Iceland, you could book a long weekend or even longer to give you more time to explore.

New York is a great location, full of things to see and do, plus great restaurants of all prices. We stayed for 4 nights coming from Washington on the Amtrak which was very easy and comfortable straight into Penn station and then a quick taxi ride to The Benjamin hotel on 125 E 50th street, close to many restaurants and shops, we walked safely around at night. This location is midtown Manhattan, the Benjamin is a luxury boutique-styled hotel and well worth a stay. Taxis and the hop on bus were all easy to use so getting around was no problem. I visited the Empire State building with fantastic views from the observatory deck, did the harbour cruise around the Statue of Liberty, visited the 9/11 Memorial, which is very moving and of course some shopping. I found that clothes and shoes were good value compared with the UK. I also did a full day tour around central park, going to the Guggenheim Museum and Harlem. In central park you just walk around or take the horse and carriages. Some of the restaurants we sampled were Shake Shack at Madison Square Park, the best burger in New York which often has a very long queue, but is worth it, you can tell it was going to be good because it was local people queuing not just tourists. If you like jazz we went to the Arlington Club, good food and music. Another great place was Lavo at 39 E 58th street, famous for its Fried Oreos, very yummy. All in all a fun location.

07 May 2012

We stayed at the Grand Canyon Ranch while on holiday in Las Vegas and it was a great comparison to the Strip. We took the helicopter from Vegas airport, with great views over the Strip seeing all the hotels. Then it was onwards towards Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam. The pilot pointed out all the things of interest and we were able to get some great photographs. We flew below the rim of the canyon and had great views of the Colorado river. We landed at the ranch where we were met by a horse drawn wagon and you could feel the gentle pace of the ranch compared to Vegas, with it’s beautiful scenery and breathtaking views. We had a great lunch of buffalo burgers and checked into our cabins. The cabins had everything you needed for an enjoyable stay. It was very hot during the day but cooler at night, so the air conditioning was good in the day time but you could switch it off at night time. You could also stay in a Tipi if you preferred. We did a sunset ride, where you could go by horse or wagon and enjoy a glass of champagne watching the sun set whilst the Buffalo herd. It was a great experience. Night time brought us an excellent steak dinner followed by songs around the camp fire expertly sang by Casey Adams. There is no light pollution so it’s great for star gazing. After a hearty breakfast and a few more photographs we had the most amazing warm scones and then it was back into the helicopter to fly back to Vegas. It was the highlight of our trip. Two days later we drove to the Canyon (2 hours 30 minutes) and went on the Sky Walk, the glass bridge over the Canyon. I loved looking down through the glass to 4000 feet below. We visited Hoover Dam and some of the native American shops where we bought some lovely souvenirs. I would highly recommend the ranch if you are staying in Vegas.

08 May 2012

Las Vegas is a fun city, and you don't have to gamble to enjoy it, I just had a great holiday there. The weather was very good for April 2012, nice and hot but with no humidity. We stayed in two hotels as we went half way in the week to The Grand Canyon Ranch. Our first hotel was the Bellagio, which has a great fountain display outside with music and lights four times an hour. It has lovely large rooms and a nice pool area. Our second hotel was The Wynn, which has great views from the high floors. We stayed in the Tower Suites, which have a private reception and swimming pool and provide a nice place to get away from the crowds. It was very easy to access the Fashion Show Mall from The Wynn, simply by walking across a bridge over the road. There are some amazing restaurants in Vegas, we went to Joe's Seafood one night and had the best seafood. For a special occasion we went to Joel Robuchon Restaurant "L Atelier de Joel Robuchon" it was outstanding. Shopping is also great in Vegas with good quality clothes and shoes. We saw two shows, 'O' Cirque de Soleil, where acrobats, synchronised swimmers, divers and characters perform in, on, and above water. This is based at the Bellagio hotel. The second show was the Holly Madison 'Peep show' which was very funny and a little risque. There are many shows to choose from and something to suit everyone. All in all Vegas is a great place for sunshine, entertainment and nightlife.

We sailed on Azamara Journey for a 12 day Mediterranean cruise. Azamara ships are not too big (you never feel lost) and they’re not too small (you won’t run out of new things to do and new people to meet). With a capacity of 686 guests, Azamara’s mid-sized ships really are just right. We loved the club-like atmosphere and the way the staff and crew get to know you. The smaller ships also offer the big advantage of being able to sail to places larger cruise lines can’t. We stayed overnight at some of the ports, which was lovely as we could go out for dinner or drinks. We stopped at several locations, such as; Nice, Barcelona, Capri & Sorrento. The shore excursions where excellent. We visited Pompeii, Gaudi architecture, flower markets and vine yards. The food and wine on board were excellent as where the staff, I would highly recommend a cruise with Azamara.

26 May 2011

Russian May 2011 I have always wanted to visit Russia so decided 2011 was going to be the year. Moscow is one of the few cities in the world that justifies the adjective ‘magnificent’. At first Moscow can dwarf you. Moscow’s past wealth is reflected in its architecture, arts, museums and even its underground railway which is an artistic monument and tourist attraction in its own right we visited about 7 underground stations just amazing. From Red Square to the Kremlin, the Bolshoi Theatre to St Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow is easily treated as a living museum. As were there on May 09th we saw the victory day parade with 100’s on tanks and soldiers which was some spectacular. Eating out was an adventure, some restaurants having no menus in English, we had a few surprises! Vodka was cheaper than having water. Leaving Moscow on the Red Arrow sleeper train we travelled to St Petersburg, the train was very comfortable and from a bygone era. Unlike Moscow’s red bricks and onion domes, St Petersburg is a network of canals and baroque architecture. The summer palace at Peterhof built by Peter the Great is so beautiful with gardens and fountains just like Versailles. Flying time from London to Moscow is only about 3 1/2 to 4 hours, at all times we felt completely safe, it was just myself and my daughter. You have to get a visa before going which is about £100pp It is a location well worth a visit if you love history.

05 November 2011

You can not beat floating around the Caribbean on a Silversea All Inclusive Cruise. From the moment we boarded the ship- The service was incredible. Every member of staff always greeted us and had a big smile on their faces. We had a veranda suite which included a balcony. We loved having the balcony and used it all the time. The room is lovely, with plenty of closet space and more drawers than you can fill up. Personalized stationary with your name on it. Fresh flowers in your cabin. The bathrooms were fantastic! - double sinks, shower and bath with Bulgaria amenities- soap, shampoo, conditioner etc When we disembarked at the ports they had cold bottled water to take ashore and on the way back waiting for the tenders to return to the ship –at the ports they had cold punch, water and chilled towels! What makes Silversea cruises so special are the fellow passengers you meet. We met wonderful, fascinating people from all over the world. Everyone was so friendly and wanted to socialize. We have made some lasting friendships that we will keep in touch with. The advantage of the smaller ship is that it is easier to make friends since you run into the same people all the time and the staff members get to know you personally. We stopped at a selection of Caribbean islands, a highlight was the butterfly farm on St Maarten. I loved the Turtle sanctuary at Bequia. If you want wonderful service, great food, and a smaller ship than there is only one Cruise Line- SILVERSEA!

24 October 2010

I was bowled over by Cape Town and surrounding areas. Fantasic beaches, hotels and restaurants. We flew into Cape town with South African airways and went straight to Hermanus for the whale watching. Hermanus is famous for being inhabited by Southern Right Whales every year between June and December. This friendly and quaint town is situated about 120km (one and a half hour drive) from Cape Town. I have to say we where not disappointed, and after a very early start to catch the sunrise we saw lots of whales, and what beautiful creatures they are. Cape town is a lovely, clean, safe and very cosmopolitan. The Victory water front has shops, markets and restaurants with plenty to see and do. We stayed at the Radisson Blu, which is a lovely hotel. Table top mountain is a must and the views from the top are amazing. The day I visited was a bank holiday and my tip is to avoid those days if you can as the queues can be quite long to buy your ticket. The cable car ride to the top of the mountain spins round slowly to allow 360 degree view. It can be quite cool at the top so don;t forget to take a jacket. Nearby beaches at Camps bay are very nice with plenty of trendy shops, bar and restaurants. If you are looking for a perfect day trip from Cape Town then Boulders Beach is just down the road from Simons Town on the False Bay coast, so not only is the water a little warmer and the scenery stunning, it's also a penguin haven! They are so funny waddling about and you can go down to the beach and swim with them. We had lunch in the harbour in Simons Town and had the BEST seafood I have ever had in a long time. We then moved on to the magnificent Franschhoek Wine Valley in the Cape Winelands. Nestled against majestic mountains, Franschhoek is home to award-winning wine estates and restaurants, boutique hotels, luxury guest houses and wonderful retail shops. We stayed at Mont Rochelle, which is both a hotel and a vineyard - luxury accommodation at its best. In the rooms you will find a perfect blend of style and comfort and wake up to breathtaking views from every angle. You can go wine tasting in the grounds and I can assure yuo the wines are superb, Reasons to Visit Cape Town and the Western Cape: 1. Sheer Natural Beauty 2. Great Weather - warm languid summers and mild, moist winters - conditions that perfectly sum up the mediterranean climate of Cape Town and the Western Cape. 3. So Affordable - recognised as one of the most affordable destinations in the world. 4. Cultural Melting Pot - Cape Town and the Western Cape is a cosmopolitan destination 5. First Class Wining and Dining - the destination, with its many restaurants serving traditional or contemporary Cape and international cuisine, is also one of the wine capitals of the world. 6. Diverse Experiences - experience Cape Town and the Western Cape and discover the ultimate combo of nature, wildlife, culture, adventure, heritage. 7. Easy Access - Cape Town International Airport is served by 20 international airlines on a weekly basis, linking the destination to every major global hub. 8. Sunny Blue Flag Beaches - home to 13 internationally recognised Blue Flag beaches. 9. Excellent Infrastructure - whether you're wanting luxury or authentic Africa experiences there are easy roads to get out and about on and endless great places to stay and eat. 10. No Jet Lag - 1 hours time difference BST

Safari in Kruger National Park - The BIG 5 I had an amazing Safari in Kruger in September, Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. Apart from big five game drives, you can also enjoy bush walks, night drives, sleep-outs under the stars, bird-watching and off road game dives in private areas. The Kruger National Park offers an abundance of wildlife including approximately 507 bird species 147 animals. One of the highlights of my trip was seeing a cheater catch its pray. We had fantastic off road game drives seeing Impala which are the most abundant antelope, waterbuck, grey duiker, Greater kudu, bushbuck ,buffalo. The waterholes attracted elephants, white rhino, giraffe and warthog and many other wildlife species. We watched Loins basking in the sunshine and hippos soaking in the lake. The park offers a unique and unspoilt region promising a traditional African safari experience. I stayed in 2 properties , Chitwa Chitwa and Shumbalala both being superb, the quality of the accommodation and restaurants were excellent. It was a trip to remember with all its fantastic sights.

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Travel Counsellors Seeking New Senior Executive to Join Team at Cork Office

Travel Counsellors are looking for a new senior exec to join their team at the Cork Office. See below for the job specification description:

Sales Executive – Head Office Role

At Travel Counsellors, we care about our customers, communities and our colleagues more than anyone else and that’s what makes us special. For us, relationships trump transactions, and we are there for our customers, connecting with them on a deeply human level throughout the moments that matter.

We’ve been changing lives for over 28 years as the leading travel marketplace for self-employed travel entrepreneurs, empowering over 2,000 global independent travel agents to run successful leisure and corporate travel businesses as part of a company that truly cares and one that has never wavered from its purpose; to redefine what personal means for a travel business.

Travel Counsellors was established in Ireland in 2005 and in the past 19 years, we’ve grown to be one of the most respected travel brands in the Irish Market, with over 80 professional Travel Counsellor franchisees across the country.

We’re fired up for the future and we’re looking for the brightest and the best to come and join us to take our business to the next level.

Overview of the Role

You’ll be working as part of the team based at the NSC Campus in Mahon, Cork. This is a full-time role working Monday – Friday with a level of flexibility around working from home (Hybrid Model).

It’s a great opportunity for a team player who has great people skills and a desire to help others. Initially we are looking for someone who is commercially minded, to provide exceptional service and be one of the main points of contact for our Travel Counsellor franchisees when they need support and guidance with bookings including leisure, cruise, groups and corporate.

Personal skills are as important as technical, you’ll be outgoing and engaging, able to work with others with a strong belief in being positive and have a winning attitude. This role requires experience in travel retail or tour operating either in Ireland or the UK, a sales history of working with trade suppliers/business partners and at least 5 years’ industry experience.

Full training of our internal systems, our culture and our model will be provided to the successful candidate.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be tenacious, self-motivated and confident
• Have 5 years + experience in a sales role either Leisure or Corporate travel or both based in Ireland or the UK
• Deal with queries and communicating effectively with Travel Counsellors
• Experience of working with Irish trade partners including airlines and cruise companies, along with a clear understanding of the product
• Help Travel Counsellors get bookings across the line, particularly our newest recruits
• Problem solving – dealing with system and human errors quickly and efficiently
• Have experience in Airfares, working with ITX, Consol, Group fares – both corporate and leisure
• GDS experience is (Galileo preferable although switchover courses are available)
• Experienced in the Microsoft suite of products, especially Word, Excel and Outlook
• You’ll be well organised, a good listener, a clear communicator and be able to build strong relationships
• High standard of accuracy and attention to detail
• Shows creative thinking when solving problems, wanting to resolve these as quickly as possible.
• Dynamic and able to operate at a fast pace
• A competitive edge
• Teamworking skills and a collaborative approach to work
• Excellent time-management and prioritisation skills, able to multitask and thrives under pressure.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision

What will you get in return?

You’ll get a truly life-changing experience that helps you establish yourself as part of a leading travel business with real-life experience working with different colleagues both in Ireland and in our overseas offices. In addition to this, you’ll be paid a competitive salary as well as a host of other benefits, including – but not limited to:-

• 25 days Annual Leave
• Plus a “Moments that Matter” day
• Free Parking at NSC Campus
• Travel perks where available 
• Private Health allowance
• Company mobile phone allowance
• Pension contributions

Excellent Salary – Negotiable, Depending on Experience

If you are innovative, creative, self-confident and passionate about our industry; then we’d love to hear from you.  Click here to apply online or for more information  OR

OR call  in strict confidence  Cathy Burke, Managing Director on 0872409744,  or Bernie Whelan, Business Development Manager 0879496753

Check out our website on  www.people.travelcounsellors.ie

• Travel Counsellors

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Travel Counsellors hosts its biggest-ever conference

Posted on 24 November 2023

Around 1,750 delegates gathered for company updates and insights 

The Travel Counsellors Global Annual Conference, taking place from 24 to 26 November 2023, at Manchester Central Convention Complex in the UK, is one of the largest events ever hosted by the growing home-working franchise travel company.

The event gathered 1,750 Travel Counsellors delegates from the UK and UAE.

Originally stablished in the UK, Travel Counsellors expanded into the UAE and now has a team of around 80 registered agents serving the region.

Steve Byrne, the company’s chief executive, said: “This year marks an important milestone for us as we’re proud to host a record number of attendees, including over 1,000 Travel Counsellors and their partners along with over 200 suppliers all united under our ‘One Team’ ethos.”

‘One Team’, this year’s theme, is said to underscore the “power and strength of the Travel Counsellors community”.

RELATED: Travel Counsellors expands to Abu Dhabi  Travel Counsellors UAE hosts 2023 conference and awards  Interview: Sarah Pickford on how to succeed as a  Travel Counsellor

Across daytime conference sessions and evening events, delegates received updates from the company’s support team and insights from experts and guest speakers.

Bubbles and Brunch, a new feature in the agenda, gave agents the chance to meet gold-level colleagues, welcome new members of the franchise and speak to sponsors.

At the annual events, during the gala dinner, outstanding contributions are recognised with awards, while the Travel Market showcases products and updates from supplier partners, numbering more than 200. This year's headline sponsors are Silversea, Celebrity Cruises, Bedsonline, Accor Hotels, Travelsphere & Just You, Intrepid and Disney Destinations.

Travel Counsellors made this year’s conference its most sustainable yet by asking guests to embrace a four-part pledge. This includesd eliminating single-use plastics, achieving carbon neutrality (by paying for emissions to be offset following the event), ensuring no waste is sent to landfill and having 15% lower like-for-like carbon emissions compared with last year’s conference.

For more information, visit  www.travelcounsellors.ae

BUILD YOUR OWN TRAVEL BUSINESS.  JOIN TRAVEL COUNSELLORS' NEXT EVENT TO FIND OUT HOW

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Travel and Study Consulting - Moscow

Founded in 2004, Moscow, Travel and Study Consulting is an independent organization, registered under No.1047796085402 by the Ministry of Taxation of The Russian Federation. We co-operate with a range of co-agents around Russia and CIS. Our clients are: - Individual students are the core customers for Travel and Study Consulting - Corporative customers.

We offer to our customers: - Language Training placement (for adults and for young learners) - High School placement - University placement - Business School placement - Career Training placement

Popular Subjects: Architecture, Business, Design, Economics, Finance, Law, Management, Politics

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• Individual Sessions $110
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• Verified by Psychology Today Licensed by State of Idaho / LPC-9182 Becky Fender
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• Attended Adams State University , Masters of Arts , Graduated 2022

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Franchise Sales Executive

Here at Travel Counsellors, our customers, communities and colleagues lie at the heart of everything that we do - and that’s what makes us special. For us, relationships come before transactions, and we are there for our customers, connecting with them on a deeply human level through the moments that matter.

We’ve been changing lives for the past 30 years as the leading travel marketplace for self-employed travel entrepreneurs, empowering over 2,000 global independent travel agents to run successful leisure and corporate travel businesses. We pride ourselves in remaining a company that truly cares and one that has never wavered from its purpose; to redefine what personal means for a travel business.

Our Travel Counsellors are supported by a team of over 400 super talented people in our Support Offices to help them create unique, inspiring and exciting experiences for their customers, whilst building lasting personal relationships that bring them back to us, time and time again.

Our unique approach within the workplace – as well as towards customers – has seen us receive numerous awards and accolades, including being named as The Best Place to Work in Travel at the 2022 TTG Travel Industry Awards, placing in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list 2023 and 2024 (Large Company) as well as being the first travel company to be awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category!

We are currently expanding at a phenomenal rate – on the back of what is our record year in terms of revenue (over £930m) - and so are looking for outstanding individuals to join our dedicated Head Office team, to help the company continue to flourish.

Role Overview

We are recruiting Franchise Sales Executive to support one of the strategic drivers of growth for Travel Counsellors. We are seeking a motivated and dynamic Franchise Sales Executive to join our team and drive the growth of our travel franchise network across the UK. The ideal candidate will have a strong sales background, excellent communication skills and a passion for building relationships.

Principal Accountabilities

Franchise Recruitment : Support the team with identifying potential franchisees through networking, prospecting and outbound calling .

Sales Process Management : Support the franchise sales process from initial inquiry through to franchise agreement using our CRM

Lead Generation : Support the strategies to generate new leads, including attending events and leveraging online platforms.

Consultative Selling : Provide prospective franchisees with information about the business model, financial expectations, training, and support. Offer a consultative approach to help them make informed decisions.

Relationship Management : Build and maintain strong relationships with potential and existing franchisees to ensure a smooth onboarding process and ongoing collaboration.

Performance Reporting : Track and report on sales metrics, pipeline progress, and franchisee performance to senior management. Use CRM tools to manage leads and activities efficiently.

Required Skills/Experience

Level 3 or 4 NVQ/SVQ in Sales or Marketing or equivalent vocational qualifications

D egree in business, marketing or a related field (preferred but not required ).

Sales and customer e xperience .

Familiarity with various franchise models and business operations.

Our Benefits

Working here at Travel Counsellors, we value the hard work and effort that our colleagues put in. Because of this, you can expect a wide range of employee benefits including:

• A competitive basic salary + annual company bonus
• Flexible hybrid working model (2 days home, 3 days office)
• Career development and promotional opportunities
• 25 days holidays (increasing to 28 after 5 years of service)
• A Moments That Matter day (annually)
• Enhanced Maternity / Paternity pay
• Holiday buy and sell (up to 5 days per year)
• 3 paid days charity leave
• Company events, socials, and incentives
• 3x annual salary death in service benefit
• Company Pension scheme
• Costco Membership
• Salary sacrifice, company car scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free breakfast, fruit, and hot/cold beverages
• Referral scheme
• Employee discount
• Private Medical Insurance (taxable benefit) or Healthcare Cash Plan (costs incurred by employees)