Agency lays down home foundations

Agency lays down home foundations
By admin


Travellers Choice is laying down foundations for its members to work from home if they want to leave the stresses of a shop-front location.

Chief executive Christian Hunter stressed the network was not looking to build a home-based arm of Travellers Choice, or recruit home-based agents, although that plan had been mooted before by his predecessor, Gary Allomes.

But he told Travel Today it was providing the option for agents to remain within the group if members “wanted to transition their business from a shop location to home”.

Hunter admitted he was mindful that increasing numbers of agents from across the industry may examine the benefits of a home operation.

“We’ve got very few members who have actually done that but certainly it’s something in our thinking that could potentially happen into the future,” he said. “It has the potential to grow over time.”

Those who have shifted from shop to home “run very successful agencies”, he added.

“It’s about the sales that agent can deliver and whether they operate from a home or shopping centre makes no difference,” Hunter continued.

Without a physical location, becoming more online and digital savvy was a likelihood in order to capture business, he added.

“It’s just another way of doing the same business,” Hunter said.

Meanwhile, the retail leader said it would step up efforts to drive web traffic through improved search engine optimization over the next 12 months, and to convert visits into sales leads.

More than 40 Travellers Choice members now have an individually branded or co-branded website live or in development.

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]