If you listen to the news every day, you might believe there’s no travel industry left at all. Although 2020 has meant navigating uncharted waters, there is another story to tell.
The way that most news channels work is they choose to focus on scary stuff to get people to tune in. They’ve got to get your attention and keep it. Presenting negative, adrenaline-pumping news is what they are best at.
The truth is, people still want to travel and Personal Travel Consultants are proving their value more than ever before post-COVID
If you’re on the fence about starting your travel business you may be worried about the industry, which is totally understandable.
We wanted to show you that there is plenty of positive news and a massive opportunity for those ready to take it.
Below is just a peek at some of the fantastic holiday bookings made by our franchisees this summer.
1) A £13,000 holiday to Greece, because of care & attention
Meet Hannah Alexander, who started her travel business with us in 2016. She started part-time and built her business up to going full-time.
The booking was made on the 30th of July, the family travelled on the 14th of August 2020.
The booking was for an existing customer of mine. He was my husband’s Sports Physio originally, and shortly after he also became mine.
I booked him a wonderful 5-star resort in Greece, for 10 nights, full board. It was for him, his girlfriend, and for her 2 kids.
He has used my service before, but his new girlfriend had not. I know he would book with me but this was a different situation. The girlfriend travelled a lot, so she had her contacts, and ways of travelling.
Afterwards, she said that she had never dealt with a Personal Travel Consultant who was so thorough and cared so much about the experience and service. That was so lovely to hear.
2) A £16,000 booking to Crete, thanks to wonderful service & suppliers
Meet Gilly Bachelor, her travel business had been going for 12 months when COVID-19 hit. She has an incredible home office, find out more here.
The booking was made on the 1st of August, the family traveled on the 2nd August 2020.
The booking was from someone I had known for quite a while. But for one reason or another, he had never booked a holiday with me before.
I got a call from the customer on my day off. They were due to go to Turkey with the family, but the daughter had less than 6 months left on her passport. An oversight on their part, but they were determined that they were going to get a family holiday this year.
At this point there was no booking for me, it was simply giving them advice and hand-holding. After a number of conversations, it was clear that the daughter would not be able to travel to Turkey, I had less than a day to find a solution!
I chose Classic, the holiday supplier, due to their opening times. I couldn’t have done the booking without them, they were incredible and so supportive.
The key point here is that when they needed advice I was there. I dropped everything to make it happen for them, even on my day off. This level of service is why people choose Personal Travel Consultants.
I received a case of Champagne, not a bottle, a case 🙂 shortly afterwards, as a BIG thank you for saving their summer holiday.
3) A £13,000 Stag Do in Vegas, after inspiring his customers
Meet Ibrahim Karayilan, he started his travel business from home in 2015.
The booking was made on the 14th of August 2020, the group are due to travel in June 2021.
The guy who contacted me about the booking is a regular customer of mine. The booking was inspired by pictures on social media from my own Stag Do many years ago.
When I first started my travel business I was soon to be married, so I planned my Stag Do in Vegas. We did the full works. 5-star hotel, pool parties, VIP nightclubs, etc.
At the time I wasn’t thinking about posting on Facebook, but with such a big group many of my friends were posting pictures and videos whilst we were out there.
This got a lot of attention and I’ve got several enquiries off the back of my own trip away, from both men and women saying: ‘Can you book the same for me?’
When this particular booking came in I was very happy, the group was so excited about going. It felt like some light at the end of the tunnel for everyone. It showed me that people still want to travel, that’s not gone away.
If you’re ready to start a travel business from home this year, part-time, full-time, or just at weekends, take the next step here.
4) A £16,000 booking to Greece, for a family desperate to travel
Meet Sue Carne, she started her business in 2015 with the Elite Package. You can read more about her story here.
The booking was rebooked on the 20th August, and the family is going on the 22nd of August 2020.
This particular customer was from a referral many years ago, he was so keen to get away, he wasn’t going to give up easily.
The customer and his family had 3 holidays booked pre-COVID. All were either cancelled and refunded or changed to next year.
It is only through perseverance from him, myself and the supplier Classic (with an amazing team over there) that he and his family get to enjoy some quality time away.
It was absolutely amazing to help my client who was so desperate to go on holiday. They have a wonderful 5-star resort to look forward to now.
He was so impressed I could find anything for him in such a short turn around, he was relieved and so grateful.
5) A £13,000 rebooked company trip, because of being a trusted consultant
Meet Simon Evans, who started his travel business from home 12 months ago. He went full-time in March 2020.
The booking was made in June 2020 and the Company is due to travel in June 2021.
The customer is a good friend of mine, it’s for his business and clients. It’s a booking for a large group to go to a Golf, Spa Hotel with a Murder Mystery dinner at the end.
It’s a nice feeling, even if you know the person, they have put their trust in you. It’s a lot of responsibility to get a corporate group booking right and to make sure their clients have a great time.
It was such a relief to be able to get this rebooked and not lose the booking altogether, as they were originally due to go this year.
We’re planning to become a luxury golf holiday specialist moving forward. There is a niche here which is exciting for our travel business.
We plan to focus on South East Asia and South Africa golf trips, as we know the area well and can deliver something extra special for those customers with a bit more to spend.
6) A £10,000 staycation road trip and a customer for life, by being helpful
Meet Chris Quinn, he started his travel business 13 months ago and has just moved to a bigger house for his big family, including 2 foster kids.
The booking was made in early July and the couple left last Sunday, 16th of August 2020.
This customer is a friend of my wife’s. They go to the same book club.
I had originally put an itinerary together for this couple to go to France, Italy, and Portugal. We then changed it to Ireland following the travel news and unfortunately, Ireland then changed its rules. But the story ends well…
The couple is currently on an amazing road trip staying at the Four Seasons in Hampshire, then is over to Newton Abbot, Ellenborough Hall in Cheltenham, and then North Wales.
The holiday price, in fact, went up, which means more commissions. This wasn’t on purpose, it was just a result of staying at four 5-star hotels in the UK.
They originally came to me just for some advice on a booking they had made online elsewhere. They were wondering how to get their money back and what they should do.
The couple said that after experiencing what it’s like to have a Personal Travel Consultant, at no extra cost, they will never book online again.
After helping them find a solution, I have a customer for life…
