Steve Byrne, Travel Counsellors’ Managing Director (above, with Cathy Burke), has announced future plans, opportunities, ambition and vision for the business in Ireland, including its commitment to further investment that will enable each Travel Counsellor to realise their full potential and ‘be the very best they can be’.
In an inspiring keynote speech to delegates, Steve set out a clear vision for the company and revealed impressive financial growth as the business continues to go from strength to strength. With over 1,350 professional Travel Counsellors across eight countries, Travel Counsellors has seen annual revenue growth in 2014 of €60 million, taking global turnover to €600 million, with average income per Irish agent increasing by 25% in the past 12 months. Steve attributes this success to Travel Counsellors’ focus on creating emotional connections, building integrity and trust, and delivering a highly personal service to customers.
“We believe in the power of our people so much that this is the core of our business,” Steve told agents. “We focus on recruiting the very best travel professionals and giving them the tools and support to enable them to deliver a truly unique and highly personal level of service to their customers. That’s why our customers come back to us time and time again and why we have one of the highest customer satisfaction (NPS) scores in the world. We will continue to build on our proven business model and make the most of the great opportunity we have in the market.”
During his presentation Steve highlighted the success and growth of the company since it launched in Ireland 10 years ago, with a repeat business rate of nearly 60% and 97% of the company’s Travel Counsellors agreeing with the statement: “I love my job”. He also outlined the significant growth potential for the business in the Irish travel market, with a buoyant outbound market estimated at €5.6 billion and huge opportunity for the personalised model in the SME business travel market.
He went on to showcase how the company would deliver the tools and investment to enable agents to make the most of these opportunities and the clear demand for agents who can deliver an unparalleled level of service that supercedes transactional business models such as booking online.
“We are focused and passionate about building our trusted travel brand in the Irish marketplace and investing further across the business,” he said. “This includes more support and training, with a particular focus on our continued growth in the corporate travel market.
“We are also investing in more brand awareness, including a dedicated regional radio campaign, plus a host of softer initiatives to help support you in your personal lives. It’s an extremely exciting time for Travel Counsellors Ireland, as we build on the unmatched support we offer you so you can achieve your full potential, as well as offering other travel professionals within the industry the opportunity to build flourishing travel businesses as part of a company that truly cares.”
