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The Travel Counsellors Story
From our launch in Cork, Ireland to an international travel business, our story is one of incredible growth and success.
It’s a story that’s as remarkable as it is compelling, and we’d love you to be part of our next chapter.
Who are Travel Counsellors?
From our roots in the North West of England to an international travel business, our story is one of incredible growth and success.
We were founded in 1994 by David Speakman, who anticipated the shift towards travel professionals running their own leisure or corporate travel businesses from home.
David's pioneering model meant franchisees could provide their customers with an unrivalled level of personal care and attention when creating bespoke travel experiences.
Our entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to offering a truly personalised travel service, underpinned by the values of trust and customer intimacy, remain as true today as they did back then. As we approach 2,000 colleagues in seven different countries, these principles continue to guide us to new heights.
The timeline of Travel Counsellors
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1999
We welcome our 100th Travel Counsellor to the family.
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2005
Travel Counsellors continues to expand and services launch in Ireland and the Netherlands.
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2006
Our bespoke-built, in-house booking platform, Phenix, is launched, enabling our Travel Counsellors to create tailor-made travel itineraries.
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2007
As our success continued, we expanded to South Africa, taking our bespoke services global.
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2008
We hit a key milestone as our 1,000th Travel Counsellor joined the company.
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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
Our 20th year celebrations are marked by a significant financial investment in our future from private equity firm, Equistone Partners Europe.
2015
We move Travel Counsellors Global headquarters from its birthplace in Bolton to stunning new £2m premises at Trafford City in Manchester.
2016
We recruit the 300th member of our global support team, as our business continues to scale and grow.
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.
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
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International Air Transport Association member
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Winner: Amazon Growing Business of the Year 2018
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Representative body for Travel Management Companies member
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