CONFERENCE InteleTravel Quest 2025: Homeworking group unveils record-breaking UK and I


InteleTravel targets £350m UK and Ireland 2026 sales


H


omeworking agency InteleTravel has set a 2026 sales target of £350 million for its


UK and Ireland division after announcing revenues this year are on track to hit £245 million. James Ferrara, chief executive and


co-founder of the US-headquartered company, said: “That level of growth [more than 40%] doesn’t sound reasonable, but when you look at our history of 50% or 60% growth, it’s actually conservative and I’m sure we’ll smash it.” He added that the sales growth


of more than 50% in the past year was largely the result of agents’ productivity rather than an increase in the number of homeworkers, noting the number of agents had risen by about 20%. The group has said there are about 37,000 agents in the UK, with about 1,800 in Ireland. “People think InteleTravel grows


just by adding more agents, but it’s clearly not true when you look at the


People think


InteleTravel grows just by adding more agents – but we grow by driving productivity per agent


Tricia


Handley- Hughes


numbers,” said Ferrara. “We grow by driving the productivity per agent and teaching them how to sell.” Tricia Handley-Hughes, managing


director of InteleTravel in the UK and Ireland, credited the agency’s Dream Maker training events for boosting agents’ knowledge and also pointed to other learning opportunities, including the new weekly ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions. Ferrara said he expected the sales


figure to continue to grow over the coming years, adding: “We’re selling more product and pricing is going up year after year, so that number is going to go up. “I would like the UK to be a


£1 billion business. That is a serious size even on a global scale and that’s what it deserves to be.” The group would not “rush”


to achieve its goals, he said, with the intention being “managed, responsible growth”. He added: “The company is very profitable and debt-free.”


Group plans to set up division in UAE by end of the year


InteleTravel is expanding into the United Arab Emirates as a source market, with UK and Ireland managing director Tricia Handley-Hughes set to add the region to her remit. Group chief executive James


Ferrara (pictured) said operations in Dubai would be running by the end of the year and that a country manager would be installed in an office in the city. “Tricia will lead the UAE programme,”


he said. “It makes sense because such a high percentage of the population in the UAE are UK expats, so there are a lot of the same business considerations and some of the same suppliers, so


10 2 OCTOBER 2025


it makes sense to have it under Tricia’s direction. “Plus, Tricia’s results in the UK and Ireland


have been spectacular, so we would like to replicate that elsewhere.” He added: “We will have boots on the ground in the UAE, so we will be hiring a UAE country manager – just like we have


in Ireland. We would like somebody from the community in the community, so we will have a UAE office there.” During the conference in Porto, he warned agents against “mixing markets”. UK agents


must only sell to the UK market, he added. The company is also set to expand into German-speaking markets next year.


Agency introduces week-long


InteleTravel will offer week-long resort stays from £400 for small groups through a tie-up with accommodation provider Interval International. The option, introduced this month


on the agency’s “stays engine”, will feature 20,000 properties worldwide. InteleTravel’s James Ferrara cited


a growing interest in group travel and noted an increasing demand for value for money. “We want our advisors to be able


to compete on value in the most aggressive way and these are some of


Cocktail reception at Palácio da Bolsa


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