Demand for holidays is massive - so why are more people coming back to travel agents instead of just booking online?
Not Just Travel franchisee Andy Richardson shares his top 4 reasons travel agents are back in fashion… and why business is booming.
Right now, bookings are so high it would take Andy three days to book all his clients onto their flights.
There are lots of reasons so many people are back using his services, but here are just 4 of the main ones.
If something does go wrong with your flight or holiday, trying to sort things out can be incredibly stressful as well as time consuming.
We’ve heard of customers who’ve booked direct waiting hours on the phone and still not having a resolution. And some don’t realise that their holiday might not be protected based on how they’ve booked it.
A good travel agent doesn’t just book your holiday, they’re there to help throughout.
“Since the pandemic, people have become wary about booking via the internet where no one is at the other end of the phone if things go wrong, “ says Andy. “We’ve just helped a customer after their flight from Luton was cancelled at 4am on a Sunday morning, rebooking them on a flight departing just a couple of hours later from Heathrow.
We also contacted a couple backpacking in the middle of Asia to tell them they had to get home fast or be stuck abroad when the pandemic hit and flew another couple home via Qatar when Brits weren’t allowed to travel through Dubai.”
It’s nice to know that someone cares.
Even simple things like checking clients onto flights and calling to know if customers had a good trip or how it could have been better.
Some consultants like to send personalised gifts. And Andy says he quickly steps in to fix problems when the client is abroad.
“We tell our clients to WhatsApp us if there is an issue abroad rather than just be disgruntled.
For example, if the room isn’t satisfactory we’ll contact the manager of the hotel and request another room for them. We’ll make sure that the client likes the new room and that they have help moving to it.”
Some people love to research their holidays for hours or days. But most people simply don’t have the knowledge, experience or contacts to get the absolute best holiday experience for them. Let alone the best deals that the public never sees.
Says Andy: “We had someone who wanted to book a walking holiday in Croatia for their dad. They had spent hours trying to find something whereas it took me five minutes to give them a number of choices because I immediately had a good idea of reputable suppliers. We build fantastic relationships with operators who are happy to pick up the phone and jump online to confirm a booking even after office hours because they know that we have clients ready to book.”
Travel agents are paid by the holiday supplier, not the customer. That means they don’t charge extra for their services. And because good travel agents have large buying power, it means people can normally book holidays at the same price or less than they can find elsewhere by themselves.
Travel agents are also able to save clients’ money, because they see in real-time what’s happening in the market and which destinations or options represent a great deal.
Says Andy: “As we are full time consultants, we know which destinations and holidays offer good value for money. For example, we are seeing huge demand for cruising with some great offers on new ships, while Mauritius can offer better value for money than the Med, even at the luxury end. We just recently found a 14-night luxury Mauritius holiday for a client for the same price as 10 nights in Croatia. Bargain!”
When Sejal Devlia started her travel business with leading UK travel firm Not Just Travel, she had a single goal in mind; hit a predetermined sales target to be rewarded back her entire franchise fee
“It’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” says mum Becky Westaway who got her travel franchise for free!
After almost 29 years as a teacher Julie-Anne Craig is now her own boss after retraining to become a home-based travel consultant with The Travel Franchise.
Becoming a Not Just Travel consultant allowed Jacki Cooper to walk away from her highly pressurising corporate job and change her life for the better.
How buying a travel franchise enabled Marietta to be her own boss, enjoy dream holidays and build her dream home in Cyprus.
Dog crèche entrepreneurs, Nathan and Candy, invest in The Travel Franchise and sell £70k-worth of holidays in first month.
A finalist for TTG’s New Luxury Designer of the Year 2023 award, Rachel Tredwell has gained a reputation for creating dream holidays, particularly for those tying the knot.
Being able to travel and have the flexibility to work at the same time is one of the biggest reasons why former RAF crewman, Chris, loves his new job as a travel consultant.
How two sisters who decided to invest in a travel franchise together have become closer and more successful than they ever dreamed possible.
Mum of two, Amy Howerd, decided to join The Travel Franchise in November 2019.
Five years on Palvi Harvery loves her new career as a homeworking travel consultant and is celebrating reaching a milestone of £3 million in holiday sales.
Not Just Travel franchisees Natasha & James Oliphant work on their business part-time, haven’t spent a penny on ads and are still successful.
Louise Trowbridge started her Not Just Travel agency with husband Lee after being introduced by an existing franchisee in 2017.
Not Just Travel franchisee Jenifer Compton shares how her travel business has given her more freedom and flexibility.
Since starting her business in 2017, Sarah has gone from a career as a police officer to a highly trusted travel consultant.
Not Just Travel franchise owner Lloydie Gardiner shares his 3 top tips if you’re thinking about using networking to grow your business.
Digital marketing training, provided by Not Just Travel head office, showed Sue Aitken how to leverage Facebook Lead Ads.
After his music production business slowed following the pandemic, Ross started his instant travel business with The Travel Franchise
Emma plans to work alongside her daughter to make her travel business more of a family affair.
Ben aimed to work part-time but managed to get his money-back in our challenge and is on the way to over 100k a year in commission
'I’ve more time with my family now. I have more time to get away with my family. It’s given me a new lease of life and something to be joyful about.
I did £340k of turnover in my first year. I’m now looking for my next challenge, reaching 1 million turnover by the end of year 2.
'The Travel Franchise offers you everything you need to create a successful travel business and to be your own boss. It’s hard work, but starting a new business is within any sector. The growth in the business and quality of the training and materials you are equipped with really puts you in a superb position to build a fantastic travel business.
Uncapped earning potential
Work from home part-time or full-time
Win your franchise fee back with our Money Back Challenge