The Travel Franchise has some innovative strategies to help people new to travel become successful.
Top of the list is our free mentoring retreat abroad with expert workshops and one-to-ones with high-performing travel agents and entrepreneurs and, this weekend (May 13 2023), we are taking 28 consultants to the Indian Ocean to stay at four luxury Beachcomber properties in Mauritius.
So what will the trip entail – and how can you get on our next Elite Experience too?
Steve Witt, co-founder of The Travel Franchise and its customer-facing brand Not Just Travel, answers your questions below:
What is the Elite Experience?
It’s where we take up to 25 franchisees on a free, luxury, six-day mentorship retreat, typically, to a long-haul destination.
You said free….?
Yes, join as a member of our Elite franchise package and we will cover the hotel, flights, transfers, excursions, most of the food and training.
Who is eligible to go?
Franchisees who have been in the business for at least six months and have built a solid foundation, earning decent commission, at least £5,000 pounds but typically more.
How does it differ from your free Millionaire’s Retreat?
The Millionaire’s Retreat takes place in a short-haul destination. On this trip we teach consultants how to be an entrepreneur but, on the Elite Experience, you’ll learn how to skyrocket your business and take it to a whole new level. It’s a smaller group, so we can do a lot more in small groups or on a one-to-one basis tailoring mentoring to each individual.
Who will I meet on the trip?
You’ll get to spend quality time with travel experts and entrepreneurs like me, and co-founder Paul Harrison, who have built very successful businesses.
What happens on the trip?
We look at what your business has achieved so far, help establish your goals and devise a plan how you can achieve them.
Any examples of how you’ve helped agents on previous trips?
When NJT travel consultant, David Walker, came on the Elite Experience many years ago, he gave us his business plan and we tore it up. We helped him create a brand new plan that saw him triple his business.
What sort of experts are on the retreat?
We take other successful travel consultants along with us, the high-achieving ones such as David Walker and Colman Coyne, because you can learn from people who have been there, done it and got the t-shirt.
Does your strategy work?
Many consultants who have experienced the trip say they would pay thousands of pounds for the coaching that we give, especially in such incredible locations.
Where have you held previous Elite Experiences?
Mexico, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to name a few.
What sort of hotels do you typically stay in?
Really nice ones! Typically two different high-end hotels – while we can’t guarantee everyone will be five-star, even the four-star hotels we’ve stayed in have been amazing
What else do you do on the trip?
We visit a few other hotels in the area and enjoy some fantastic activities such as sailing or 4×4 dune bashing in the desert.
So it’s not all work and no play?
We work hard but we also have a lot of fun, too. We eat incredible food and we often get to experience cool things that you wouldn’t normally get to do or see.
Any examples?
While we were in Abu Dhabi, for example, we had a tour of the Etihad Innovation Centre, which is where the airline, Etihad, mocks up its future first-class cabins with butler service and other top-notch experiences on board.
Do agents really notice a difference afterwards?
Yes, sometimes immediately… Many agents post snapshots on social media while they are away and see a huge uplift in sales to that particular resort. But it’s more than that…it’s the whole experience.
Travel consultant, Lindsay Coulter, came on the recent Elite Experience in Mexico and said:
“It was a privilege to combine intensive learning from the founders of the business with fun and luxury. As a first-timer to Mexico, the destination knowledge gained was invaluable, as well as the contacts and relationships made.”“It was a truly unique opportunity which allowed a group of franchisees from a mix of backgrounds to bond over a collective desire to grow our travel businesses.”
