Our first franchisees of 2024 take off on their new ventures

Here at Travel Counsellors, we’re starting the year strong by welcoming 11 new business owners into our community – which now stands at more than 2,000 franchisees around the world.

After a thorough, two-week virtual induction, our newbies successfully launched their businesses on Friday 19th January – just in time to make the most of the busy peaks period.

Our first cohort of 2024 was made up of a diverse mix of candidates with backgrounds across both leisure and business travel, as well as people who were returning to the travel sector, and those who have worked in the industry in a non-customer-facing role.

Joining us from the world of business travel, Adam Bell brings 18 years’ experience at another travel management company, while Emily Saunders also has two decades’ experience working in corporate travel.

When discussing her reasons for making the move to Travel Counsellors, Emily said: “I know a few people who have joined Travel Counsellors, and I heard great things. The community and systems also really appealed to me. I was coming off maternity leave and was looking for a flexible working environment where I could be in charge of my own destiny. The recruitment process was amazing. My recruiter, Ashley, was so supportive. She really reassured me and gave me all the information I needed to make a decision.”

Meanwhile, Joanne Connolly came in on our Travel Trade route, having previously worked in business development for Etihad Airways for 12 years. Also joining us is Ece Dogan, who built her career working in premium leisure sales for Sandals.

Ece said: “After three years of being away from the travel sector, I decided I wanted to go back to what I know best but with the flexibility of working my own hours to balance my lifestyle as a working mum. I’m really looking forward to being independent. I already knew a lot about Travel Counsellors, so as soon as I decided I wanted to go down this route, I contacted the New Franchise team. The training was much more detailed than I anticipated!”

Matt Harding, Director of Franchise Sales, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome such an experienced group of travel professionals into our community and I’m really excited to see them build and grow their businesses over the coming months. We’ve seen some great successes recently with some of our Travel Counsellors achieving our Gold status in less than a year, so the sky is the limit in terms of where they could go – and they’ll be supported every step of the way to achieve their goals – whatever they are.

We’re always looking to grow our community so that we can continue providing the exceptional levels of customer service that we’re renowned for. The more Travel Counsellors we have, the more expertise we have and the better we can create those unforgettable travel experiences.”

We're also delighted to welcome 12 new Academy Travel Counsellors onto their induction this week. With backgrounds in everything from teaching and hospitality to beauty and consultancy, these new franchisees will take part in our thorough Travel Academy training. They'll learn everything they need to know before they launch their businesses with the help of our support centre experts and caring community.

Whether you’re experiencing peaks burnout, thinking about a change of direction, or are simply seeking the freedom to work for yourself, we can offer you an unmissable opportunity to take control of your own destiny this year. We’re always keen to speak to people who have a natural entrepreneurial flair, a passion for travel, and a desire to always provide the best service. So long as you can commit to running your travel business full-time and understand the need to make an initial financial investment, we’re ready to welcome you into our growing community. Get in touch and take the first step towards changing your life!