NEWS
DUN DEAL: Hays Travel has opened a branch nine miles away from Luton airport. The shop, in Dunstable’s Quadrant Shopping Centre, began trading in July and had its official opening on August 21. Shop manager James Little, who welcomed town mayor Sally Kimondo to cut the ribbon, said: “The response has been amazing. The support we have had from everyone has been excellent. It’s great to finally be open. The first month of trading has been very good.” The opening follows the launch of Jet2’s base at Luton in April, taking the airport’s network to more than 30 countries and 130-plus destinations. Branch manager Little (middle) is pictured with Kimondo (third from left), Jet2holidays trade sales executive Ryan Clayton (far right) and shop staff.
InteleTravel boss defends model as rivals flag fears over Sun story
Travel Weekly reporters
InteleTravel’s UK boss said the company will continue to review its relationship with its recruitment partner as industry leaders and rival homeworking agents raised fears a critical article in The Sun newspaper would strike a reputational blow for the wider sector. Tricia Handley-Hughes, UK
and Ireland managing director, defended the agency’s business model after the article highlighted concerns about the way primarily female agents were recruited and their likely limited earnings. Handley-Hughes insisted
recruits agents for InteleTravel, but could not comment on the criticisms of the firm as it is a separate business. Asked if InteleTravel would
STORY TOP
continue to use PlanNet for recruitment, she said: “It’s probably true to say that every single contract has to be reviewed at some point. I’m sure that strategically as a group business, that will happen too, but it does have to happen as a group… we will be having a discussion.” Handley-Hughes also
reiterated her desire to create a forum to foster greater collaboration between homeworking
businesses. Industry leaders and individual
InteleTravel’s model was “robust”, highlighted “some of the best training in the industry” and noted the agency’s top-50 individual transactions over the past four weeks were worth a total £1.7 million. She said she had shared the article
with US-based PlanNet Marketing, the US-headquartered company that
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agents voiced concerns over fallout from the article for other agencies and moved to publicly defend the profession. Describing the article as “deeply
concerning”, Advantage Travel Partnership chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said: “Being a travel agent is not a hobby, it’s a profession that
requires knowledge, experience and a deep commitment to clients. It should never be treated as a casual side hustle to make extra money.” Amanda Matthews, managing
director of Designer Travel and a long-term critic of InteleTravel, said: “Anyone who has a career as a professional travel agent will know that it’s not a ‘get rich quick’ job that you can do in your spare time. “My fear is that we all get tarred
with the same brush and the overall professionalism of the travel industry is brought into question.” While some InteleTravel agents
took to social media to defend the company, many agents from other firms took the opportunity to reiterate their experience and commitment to clients. Travel Counsellors’ Joanne Kemp,
who has been in the industry for 37 years, posted: “Booking travel takes years of knowledge, training and the right support. With me you get honest travel expertise and someone who’s here for you before, during
and after your trip. Not part-time, no side hustle – this is my own full-time travel business.” Noting she had received no
negative comments from partners and suppliers, Handley-Hughes said: “I don’t agree that agents cannot earn money on a part-time basis. Even if you work part-time, that doesn’t make you any less professional.” InteleTravel launched in the US
in 1991 and initially joined the US equivalent of Abta, the American Society of Travel Advisors (Asta). However, it resigned in 1997 for reasons that were disputed. The company remained outside
Asta for a lengthy period but partnered Royal Caribbean in May 2024 to fund Asta memberships for hundreds of its advisors. It is now a Diamond-level Asta partner. InteleTravel UK launched in
2017, became an Abta member in March 2019 and acquired an Atol in November 2021. The InteleTravel-PlanNet Marketing partnership dates from 2015.
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