Travel Counsellors has reported sales of £578 million, including an 18 per cent increase in corporate business compared to the same period last year.
According to the travel company, its corporate arm, Travel Counsellors for Business, now represents a quarter of its total revenue. The majority of these sales are derived from operations in the UK and South Africa.
The increase in sales follows a secondary buyout of Travel Counsellors by Vitruvian Partners in May 2018, ending a four-year investment period with Equistone Partners Europe.
In the last 12 months, total accounting turnover for the company rose to £262 million, up 21 per cent on the previous year. It was the business’s 13thconsecutive year of double-digit growth.
Manchester-based Travel Counsellors says its performance was boosted by a record sale month in January 2019, peaking on 31 January with £5.1 million in sales – the highest the company has ever achieved in a single day.
The company utilises a network of 1,800 franchisees who run their own businesses using bespoke technology platforms, sharing knowledge and expertise across the network spanning seven countries.
Travel Counsellors has grown its investment in technology to £7 million annually, up from £6 million the previous year. The money goes into continued development of the firm’s online booking platform, Phenix.
It also fuels continuous development of the company’s mobile app technology, which allows corporate travellers to access all travel information and enables a direct line of communication to their personal Travel Counsellor.
CEO Steve Byrne (pictured) commented: “These results reflect the growing number of Travel Counsellor business owners taking advantage of a technology platform and global knowledge-sharing community to create highly personalised corporate and leisure travel experiences for customers.
“Whilst technology continues to be a driving force in the market, allowing us to track and manage complex itineraries for travellers, the bonds we create with customers and the level of care and attention they receive can only be provided by the human touch and a concerted effort to nurture longstanding relationships.”
business.travelcounsellors.com