Meet Matt Harding, our Director of Franchise Sales

Matt joined us in 2019, bringing with him a wealth of experience from another travel company. We recently spoke to him to find out more about him, his career, and his passion for his role as our Director of Franchise Sales.

Hi Matt! Tell us a little bit about yourself

I’m married to my wife Nikki and we have two grown-up children, Micha and Charlie. They’ve both left home now, so we are officially empty nesters! I live in Staffordshire, and like most folk in the travel industry, I love to travel. My happy places are Fowey in Cornwall and Kalkan in Turkey. I try and keep fit and love to start the day with a Peloton spin class!

What brought you to Travel Counsellors?

I’ve been in the travel industry for over 30 years, and I remember when I first started out selling holidays I heard about Travel Counsellors and homeworking. Working in a travel agency at the time, I couldn’t get my head around how you could sell holidays from home as the technology back then was very different! During my career, I’ve watched Travel Counsellors flourish from a distance, and in 2019 I joined the business following the collapse of Thomas Cook.

What do you love most about your job?

There are so many great things about what I do. I’m in awe of our Travel Counsellors and anyone who takes the bold step to start their own business. It takes courage and determination, and it's incredibly satisfying to see their journey from our initial conversations to making their first booking and beyond!

What’s been your highlight so far during your time at Travel Counsellors?

It might sound strange, but the pandemic stands out to me as a time when our community truly came together in adversity. We worked tirelessly to support our franchisees and their customers. As a result, we emerged from the pandemic with an even larger community of Travel Counsellors. It was inspiring to see so many people use that time to retrain in a new industry or take the plunge to start their own business, recognising the post-pandemic potential.

What can prospective Travel Counsellors expect from the recruitment process?
My team and I handle every enquiry and conversation with great care. We're very honest in our approach; we don’t engage in hard selling or offer gimmicks to get people to join. Becoming your own boss is a life-changing decision, and we take that seriously. We guide everyone through the process at a pace that suits them.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to set up their own travel business?

Do as much research as possible!  There are many companies offering travel homeworking and it can be overwhelming. I would highly recommend anyone who is thinking of going it alone to take a look at our blog on whether buying into a franchise is right for them.

In your opinion, what do you think sets Travel Counsellors apart from other travel franchises?

We have a sense of community here at Travel Counsellors that I haven’t experienced anywhere else. We spend so much of our time getting to know our Travel Counsellors, colleagues, and supplier partners to build strong and lasting relationships.

Are you ready for Matt and his team to support you on an exciting new venture? If you’re passionate about travel and have the drive to run your own business on a full-time basis, get in touch to see how Travel Counsellors could change your life.