Like many in the industry, Travel Counsellors Ireland is experiencing a massive bounce back and recently announced two well-known industry figures who have joined the community.
Lorraine McGreal, formerly of Westport Travel decided to become a Travel Counsellor in late 2021 and hasn’t looked back as her business took off in an instant. Meanwhile Majella Jones has become the newest member in the Cork head office team in a role that supports each individual Travel Counsellor as needed.
Lorraine was lucky enough to take over the Westport Travel client base with the blessing of her former employer on his retirement from the industry. Lorraine says, “My experience so far has been absolutely great. I don’t really know what I was expecting when I joined but it has blown any former misconceptions I had out the window! The biggest plus for me is the sense of community. I remember when I made my first booking, the number of messages of well-done from my peers was so heartwarming.
Lorraine continues: “I don’t feel I’m in competition with anyone and I think that’s what makes it so special, I feel like I’ve always been here! It’s so easy to pick up the phone to the team in the Cork office and ask for help if I need support getting a booking over the line or have a query with the systems.”
Majella Jones was a well-known figure in the Irish travel industry for many years, working for a long-haul tour operator before deciding to change career path. She’s recently returned to travel as part of the head office team in Cork, providing help and support to the 70+ Travel Counsellors around the country.
“Being part of the team in Travel Counsellors has shown me what teamwork truly means. The support that the TC’s give each other, in addition to that which we provide from Head Office is part of what makes the company really special. Although, all TC’s work independently from their own locations there’s incredible mutual support, and the camaraderie is second to none”.
Asked about re-learning what she’s missed out on over the past few years, Majella says “The collective first-hand knowledge of destinations, coupled with top class technology puts every itinerary within easy reach. Re-connecting with many Travel Counsellors that I worked with in the past, along with meeting lots of new TC’s has made my first months in Travel Counsellors such a great experience.”
Bernie Whelan, Manager at Travel Counsellors Ireland says “we are delighted to welcome Lorraine and Majella to our growing community, Majella is a great asset to our head office team and Lorraine is on track to be one of our top sellers in the coming months and years. Many of our Travel Counsellors have earned more in the past 6 months than they did the full year of 2019 and our top TC’s are on course to earn over €100,000 each in 2022. They are probably the best paid travel executives in the industry and while they work hard, they make that decision themselves.”
