Travel firm to plough £21m into business

INDEPENDENT travel company Travel Counsellors is to invest £21m in its business next year to support its growing network of agents and boost its digital infrastructure as the company aims to further enhance its customer experience.

The investment will support new developments including the launch of a new rewards scheme for Trafford Park, Manchester-based Travel Counsellors and an advanced personalised marketing system.

There will also be an updated, more user-friendly version of the in-house quote and booking system including a live chat feature; as well as bespoke training and development to support Travel Counsellors in becoming top performers.

The announcement was made by Travel Counsellors’ chief executive Steve Byrne at the company’s annual conference, held at Manchester Central.

With guest speakers and performers including Vernon Kay, Jack Whitehall, Dame Kelly Holmes and Ronan Keating, the conference hosted 1,600 guests and over 220 suppliers including P&O Cruises and Cunard, Travelport, Royal Caribbean, Club Med and Celebrity Cruises.

The company recently announced its best sales year in its history, with turnover rising to £166m for the year ending October 2015 – a 22% rise in 12 months.

This success contributed to the firm being crowned Growth Business of the Year: Larger Company at the Amazon Growing Business Awards in London last week.  This follows Travel Counsellors becoming finalists at the National Business Awards for Customer Focus, recognising innovations around the customer journey.  

Byrne said: “We exist because we care. We have great people with special talents using smart technology to change lives for the better. Customers buy based on the experiences they’ve had rather than on price, and we are committed to making people feel special during every interaction.

“This has been a key factor behind our growth this year and I’m really proud to see that we’re being recognised by a number of prestigious awarding bodies on a national scale for our entrepreneurial success and focus on customer care. 

“Looking towards 2017, we’re committed to investing £21m to continue to scale up the business and develop our digital offering, whilst still keeping a very human touch.”

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