“We wouldn’t want cost to be the reason we


don’t get a good homeworker,” Gillespie says. The cost-of-living crisis has also made it harder


to recruit, with salaried staff wary of moving to commission-only homeworker roles despite the potential to earn more than 50% above the average high street salary, says Reeves at Holidaysplease. She says Holidaysplease is signing off some of


its biggest-ever commission payments – “regularly five figures” – thanks to strong trading post-Covid.


GROWING INTEREST Brilliant Travel’s Pyle believes “the tide is turning”, adding: “Interest in homeworking is


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Vertical Travel Group continues to take on four to six homeworkers a month and predicts it will have 300 homeworkers in two years’ time


6 27 OCTOBER 2022


Clients are craving more


“quirky and experiential” UK breaks such as VW


campervan holidays, larger family breaks, and yoga and wild swimming retreats,


reports The PTAs. Sales are 34% ahead of pre-Covid


on the rise, particularly for those looking to run their own business.” At Blue Bay Travel’s Personal Travel


Consultants, sales manager Abbie Heaton anticipates “a lot of movement” over the next 12 months as homeworkers switch firms for better technology or instant commission to help them through the cost-of-living crisis. “They are looking for support they don’t get


currently,” she says, but adds: “I don’t think the sector will ever be at saturation point.” She predicts a “steady increase” rather than a


“boom” in homeworker numbers in the next year. Reeves of Holidaysplease concedes that


the glut of companies to suit “every prospective homeworker” makes it “tough for new entrants”,


but also insists that the sector will grow. Firms cite the fact that more suppliers are employing staff to deal with homeworkers as evidence of the sector’s growing importance. Williams forecasts a slowdown in the pace of


growth but remains confident that there is room for players “large or small”, while Smith adds that there remains a desire among potential candidates “to work in this way”. The opportunity to earn more, coupled with


a desire to achieve a work-life balance, means that more people will consider homeworking “as a serious option for their careers”, according to Whittle, who adds: “The future is exciting for sure.”


Independent Travel Experts plans a “new to travel” drive as it looks to grow the number of its homeworkers to 130-150 in the next 12 months


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Shutterstock/Mee Ko Dong


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