BE
IE
NL
ZA
UAE
"We only back exceptional high-growth technology-enabled businesses with stable, proven leadership teams."
The Travel Counsellors Story
Who are Travel Counsellors?
Travel Counsellors is a leading international travel franchise, founded in 1994 in the North West of England by David Speakman. His innovative vision for home-based travel consultants revolutionised the travel industry, allowing experienced professionals and newcomers alike to build their own successful travel businesses.
With an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to personalised service, Travel Counsellors empowers its franchisees to deliver bespoke travel experiences built on trust, customer intimacy, and attention to detail. Today, our supportive community includes nearly 2,000 Travel Counsellors operating in seven countries worldwide. .
The timeline of Travel Counsellors
-
1999
We welcome our 100th Travel Counsellor to the family.
-
2003
We were the first travel company to win the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category which recognises businesses that demonstrate commercially successful and innovative services.
-
2004
We launched our own unique financial trust in the UK, to ensure our customers' money is 100% safe when booking with us, no matter what.
-
2005
Travel Counsellors continues to expand and services launch in Ireland and the Netherlands.
-
2006
Our bespoke-built, in-house booking platform, Phenix, is launched, enabling our Travel Counsellors to create tailor-made travel itineraries.
-
2007
As our success continued, we expanded to South Africa, taking our bespoke services global.
-
2008
We hit a key milestone as our 1,000th Travel Counsellor joined the company.
-
2011
Travel Counsellors is highlighted as a key mid-size company in the UK’s economic recovery following the recession and is named in the Telegraph list of Britain’s 1,000 Brightest Businesses.
-
2012- 2013
Our global expansion continues as we expand into the UAE and again in 2013 when we opened our doors in Belgium.
A new chapter
2014
Travel Counsellors celebrates its 20th year in style with a significant financial investment from Equistone Partners Europe, one of Europe’s leading mid-market private equity firms.
2015
We move our headquarters from its birthplace in Bolton to a stunning new £2m premises at Trafford City in Manchester.
2016
As we continue to scale and grow, we recruit the 300th member of our global support team.
2017
The myTC app is launched with a 4+ star rating on the Apple and Android store. Over 15,000 users a year enjoy the paperless experience of having their travel documentation all in one app, and connecting to their Travel Counsellor at the tap of a button.
2019-2020
In 2019 we celebrated sixteen years of successive record growth, with sales in excess of £650m. Customers voting in the British Travel Awards crowned us the UK's Best Travel Retailer in 2019 and 2020.
Travel Counsellors won the Queen's Award for Enterprise for the third time in April 2020. The same year we climbed the rankings in the Sunday Times PwC Top Track 250 for the sixth consecutive year against the challenging backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2023
We celebrated the biggest sales day in our history in January 2023, with bookings exceeding £5.1m with global sales for the month hitting £114m.
Our Accolades
We have a world-leading customer satisfaction rating of 96% with a growing collection of accolades and travel industry endorsements.
-
Top Luxury Agency | TTG Top 50 2025
![]()
-
Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024
![]()
-
Top Luxury Agency, Top Business Travel Agency | TTG Top 50 2024
![]()
-
Homeworking Agency of the Year (Large) | Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards 2024
![]()
-
Luxury Homeworking Business of the Year | TTG Luxury Awards 2023
![]()
-
TTG Luxury Homeworking Business of the Year 2022 | TTG Luxury Awards 2022
![]()
-
Best TMC | The Business Travel Awards 2020
![]()
-
Queens Award for International Trade 2020
![]()
-
Best National Travel Retailer | British Travel Awards 2020
![]()
Why choose a career with Travel Counsellors?
We enable our Travel Counsellors to work from home while offering best-in-class service focused entirely on the customer’s convenience and satisfaction. Whether you are an experienced travel consultant, interested in specialised travel training, or looking to re-enter the industry, Travel Counsellors provides the support, training, and resources you need to succeed.Join our growing Travel Counsellors team
Take control of your travel career and get in touch today. We’re here to answer your questions and help you start your Travel Counsellors journey. Unlock the freedom, flexibility, and backing you need to thrive in the travel industry.