Diane Bowman, winner of this year’s Best Newcomer award, left Hilary Murphy Travel to become a Travel Counsellor in July last year, while Aisling Kutay recently left the same agency to become a Travel Counsellor next month, reports ITTN’s Neil Steedman.
After 10 years working in Hilary Murphy Travel in New Ross, Diane Bowman left the agency on 27th July 2016 to become a Travel Counsellor. “I had been thinking about it for a while and simply looked up and called several Travel Counsellors at random. What struck me was that they were all so positive, happy and enthusiastic – no-one had anything negative to say and all said becoming a Travel Counsellor was a ‘no brainer’. So then I met Bernie Whelan, and that was it.
“I was given every support by Travel Counsellors, including training in Cork and Manchester, and learnt more about how to put everything together for a travel package in my first six months than I had during my previous 10 years.
“Over those first six months I achieved a turnover of €275,000. Although I have now been a Travel Counsellor for the past eight months, I am still a little bit in ‘travel agent mode’, so my overall margin is not up to 15% yet!
“I would highly recommend joining Travel Counsellors to everybody.”
Aisling Kutay
Aisling Kutay is one of three ‘new recruits’ who will be joining Travel Counsellors Ireland next month.
“I worked with Hilary Murphy Travel for 11 years but had started looking at Travel Counsellors two years ago, and then Diane left to join them last July. I met with Bernie Whelan in Cork early in February this year and made the decision to join, so I will be starting the training in April.
“I love my customers and have a great passion for travel. I am really looking forward to building up my own business and plan to hit the ground running!”
