CONFERENCE
TTNG hails rapid increase in number of homeworkers
T
he Travel Network Group has seen record growth rates among its homeworkers, thanks to
dedicated training and members taking on home-based staff. The consortium has its own
homeworking division, Independent Travel Experts, while its other brands – Global Travel Group, Travel Trust Association and Worldchoice – also have agencies recruiting homeworkers. Gary Gillespie, ITE managing
director and TTNG product and distribution director, said: “Since October 2023, we [ITE] have seen a massive increase – it coincided with the launch of a new-to-travel programme. After the pandemic, we went down to about 75 homeworkers but we have 130 now, and are bringing on three or four a month.” He said the new-to-travel
programme is “quite an intense” 12-week course, with modules on basic skills, customer retention and
We don’t take on
anybody. We ask for a business plan and it’s a two-way chat to see if we’re the right fit
tour operators – followed by ongoing training and support from three business development managers. “We don’t take on anybody,”
he said. “We ask for a business plan and it’s a two-way chat to see if we’re the right fit.” Homeworkers do not have to
work set hours, and they have varying backgrounds and circumstances – some have children at school, some have other jobs – “but they have a passion for travel and want to transition to full-time”, said Gillespie. “Some have a £1 million turnover,
others just a few bookings per month.” He said agents with other
TTNG brands are taking on more
said recruitment and retention had been a “big priority” for TTNG, with its in-house training academy helping agents. “For the past 18 months
we’ve been helping agents with training on recruitment, interview techniques, training new-to-travel people, upskilling staff, and now retention with our ‘person behind the professional’ drive,” he said. An agent panel heard how some
high street agencies are recruiting homeworkers, such as Swords Travel, Tivoli Travel and Off Broadway Travel. One panellist, Mickleover-based
homeworker Clare Stege, revealed she plans to open her first shop later this year, 10 years after becoming a travel agent. “It’s scary but exciting,” she told delegates.
HOW WAS YOUR CONFERENCE?
Ben Owen, director, Venture Travel “It’s been great to bring members of our team to meet TTNG, suppliers and other agents. It is amazing to be in a new city too. Speakers were really good – Ryan Parke on men’s mental
health and Lord Sebastian Coe. We’ve got lots of ideas now.”
Donna Nixon, director, 52 Degrees North Travel “It’s been brilliant; there was a great range of business partners and incredible venues. Vim’s [Vithaldas] presentation about the market
was the best I’ve seen at any conference, with easy-to-digest, concise takeaways.”
Le-Ann Marshall, branch manager, Premier Travel/Cannon Travel franchise, Hoddesdon “The information was excellent and networking with suppliers was really good – I’ve met tour operator people who I’ve never met
before. Speakers such as Ryan were insightful and Seb Coe was inspirational. I am looking forward to trying the AI [TTNG Digital Assistant] – it looked really good.”
Kate Halden, director, Transcend Travel “I like the way the topics and speakers linked: Ryan Parke had a powerful, clear message and Lord Coe linked in too. It flowed well and was definitely worthwhile. It’s given me inspiration.”
Cruise Club plans to buy
The Travel Network Group’s Cruise Club plans to take allocations of cabins on ships to capitalise on the consortium’s buying power. John Wilson, cruise sales director,
said the initiative would enable the consortium’s 1,200 members to tailor packages based on the sailings. “We can sell X amount of Caribbean
sailings and cruise lines can work with us, [giving us] a bank of cabins,” he said. Agencies can “personally localise”
cruises for clients, by adding on flights from their local airport, for example.
The Travel Network Group Conference 2025: Consortium hosts 425 delegates at a
homeworkers because of industry- wide difficulties in recruiting, while some long-term members with shops want to retire but still service clients as a homeworker without retail costs. Chief executive Gary Lewis
Bruce Lyons (second right), director of Crusader Travel, receives TTNG’s lifetime achievement award from the consortium’s Gary Lewis, Stephanie Slark and Ionela Dinu-Mihai
10
26 JUNE 2025
travelweekly.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
