CONFERENCE Travel Counsellors Conference 2025: Homeworking group welcomes 1,500
Travel Counsellors reveals 7.3% rise in UK revenue
T
ravel Counsellors’ chief executive hailed a “record year” for the company despite a softening of the
market in the second half. Speaking to Travel Weekly at
the agency’s annual conference in Liverpool, Steve Byrne revealed global revenue of £1.09 billion for the year to date and 7% year-on-year growth in the number of bookings. The UK market has recorded
£895 million in revenue, representing a 7.3% year-on-year increase. Byrne expressed confidence that
performance in 2026 will be even stronger, pointing to “record forward bookings”, as he revealed premium leisure sales are growing at a faster rate than budget holidays because “that’s what we’re concentrating on and because more-affluent customers have greater propensity to be able to travel”. “Focusing on premium leisure
continues to be our strategy,” he said. “It’s a sizeable market in its own right and we’ve got big opportunities
Focusing on
premium leisure continues to be our strategy. It’s a sizeable market in its own right
to grow in it. All the investments we’re making and the whole business strategy is orchestrated around making us even better at acquiring and retaining more premium leisure customers.” Byrne stressed the company still
has plenty of short-haul product and “that will continue”, adding: “A premium leisure customer will still be interested in a city break and a short-haul beach holiday.” While short-haul destinations
such as Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal are still “super popular”, he said: “The long-haul destinations are where we really want to play.” Byrne reported cruise sales have
been “super positive” thanks to “incredible value for money”. This was echoed by Chris Barker,
director of digital products, who later unveiled a standalone cruise platform due to launch on the agency’s Phenix system in spring. This, he said, “will give all travel counsellors, from specialists to new-to-cruise, a chance to grab an even bigger share of this high-spending, high-repeat market”. The conference kicked off with a
Friday night welcome party hosted by Vernon Kay, with performances from musical comedy artist Abandoman and comedian Katherine Ryan. There was also a panel discussion
with three travel counsellors talking about their business growth, hosted by entrepreneur Sara Davies, and a supplier trade fair. Kay returned to host the gala
dinner on Saturday night, which featured an awards ceremony and a performance from The Script. A total of £33,255 was raised for Reuben’s Retreat over the weekend.
Simon Reeve: Shout about how travel can help protect places
The travel industry could do much better at promoting the benefits of tourism in remote destinations, according to Simon Reeve. The adventurer and documentary filmmaker
urged the sector to broadcast the fact travel is a “really important industry for putting money back into communities abroad” during a Q&A session with Travel Counsellors chief marketing officer Liam Howley. “Part of the good story of travel and
tourism today is how travel can be used to help protect places – I don’t think that’s something the industry talks about remotely enough,” said Reeve. “You get a hammering about your green credentials,
10 13 NOVEMBER 2025
but I’m out there on the frontline in areas that are being attacked by loggers, miners, ranchers and people drilling for oil – and in these places, tourism is the answer; tourism is what might save them.” He urged Travel Counsellors agents to get clients out of their comfort zone when on holiday. “If you’ve got a couple who you’re
talking to, there’ll likely be a safer one and a braver one,” Reeve said. “Play to the braver one; nudge them a bit and encourage them to push the other out of their [comfort] zone. “It doesn’t have to be ludicrous; it could
Simon Reeve
just be trying something new when they’re away, having a bit more of an experience.”
Agency targets 100,000
Travel Counsellors is targeting 100,000 new leisure customers over the coming financial year through a combination of sourcing clients using social media and “reactivating” existing customers. The homeworking group served
45,000 new leisure customers in the 2025 financial year and is confident this total can be more than doubled for 2026. “What we’d love to do over the coming
year is activate 100,000 new customers,” said Karina Fox-Andrews, director of sales and performance. “If we break that down, all you need to do is a couple of new
Steve Byrne
Comedian Katherine Ryan with Travel Counsellors’ Dean McMackin and Lucie Mellodew (both standing), Ben Walton-Guest and Suvira Riza
travelweekly.co.uk
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