Travel Counsellors has announced its expansion into the UAE after officially launching in Dubai this month. The operation will be a joint venture partnership with dnata, the world’s fourth largest air services provider and Middle East travel experts.
Travel Counsellors, which now has over 1,100 professional agents in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia and Canada, is confident that its concept, which is based around supporting its agents in all areas of their businesses so that they are able to provide customers with the very highest levels of personalised service, will be a huge success in the United Arab Emirates.
Managing Director Steve Byrne said: “We are delighted to launch Travel Counsellors in Dubai. As a company we are going from strength to strength and we have proven our business model can flourish even in the toughest economic climes.
“We felt this was the right time to take our expansion strategy to the next level and believe the market in the UAE is ideal for us – the economy is strong and it is strategically located to provide a springboard to expand across the Middle East, initially focusing on Dubai and Abu Dhabi. We are extremely excited to be working with dnata on this project and offering customers, agents and suppliers a new way of doing business.
The company believes its proven track record in recruiting the best travel professionals, providing them with all the tools, technology and support to grow successful travel businesses from home, combined with dnata’s experience, industry contacts and supplier relationships, will provide a robust business and attractive proposition for agents and customers alike.
Cathy Burke, General Manager Ireland, added: “This expansion will hugely benefit our existing agents as we continue to build on our global buying power and local knowledge, while enabling us to re-invest in supporting them even further, always maintaining the unique family ethos that makes Travel Counsellors so special.
“Our agents are successful because they are committed to building lasting relationships with their customers and we look forward to bringing that expertise to the UAE.”
Last year Travel Counsellors’ sales in its international division increased to £100 million, which accounted for nearly 30% of the company’s revenue for the year, with its overseas agents now accounting for 35% of its Travel Counsellors. This international success was recognised when Travel Counsellors was listed in the Sunday Times International Fast Track list of the top 100 UK companies with fasted growing international sales in 2011.
Travel Counsellors in Ireland continues to go from strength to strength with 43 Travel Counsellors in the Republic and a buoyant start to 2012. The annual Irish conference will be held in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Stillorgan, Co Dublin, from 23rd – 25th March.
