Less than a year after being crowned the TTG Luxury Travel Awards New Luxury Travel Designer 2024, Hollie Stillion has debuted a new agency in partnership with Tiny Travelship.
A Swords Travel associate, Stillion teamed up with the website, which is the UK’s fastest growing platform for families seeking stylish holidays recommendations, to work on selling personalised trips to its audience.
Clients can expect special offers and benefits, insider knowledge on child-friendly destinations, and 24/7 service from Tiny Travel Agency’s team of expert advisors. All its holidays are Atol protected and created in partnership with Swords Travel.
Stillion said she had already received more than 350 enquiries since going the platform went live in September, with many of these requests made for last-minute trips.
Bookings are currently being managed by six employees at Swords Travel, but with demand only set to grow ahead of the winter break, Stillion is now keen to expand the team.
“The interest has surpassed all of our expectations and it’s a testament to the level of trust that the Tiny Travelship community has in their recommendations,” she told TTG Luxury. “We’re now looking for two or three people to solely work on the Tiny Travel Agency enquiries.”
Stillion added the available positions, which will be remote, would be ideal for advisors with experience in luxury family travel who are not already employed elsewhere. Successful candidates will also have access to Tiny Travelship’s extensive database of leads.
“We’re really keen to get the right person in front of the right audience”
“We’re really keen to get the right person in front of the right audience,” Stillion explained. “With the level of enquiries we’re getting and the type of hotels they’re for, it needs to be somebody that has that kind of expertise.”
While Tiny Travel Agency will be sending clients to destinations all around the world, the majority of its suppliers are currently based in Europe.
“We’re open to all regions but at the moment, most of our hotels are in Europe,” Stillion said. She expects to be booking more long-haul trips to the Caribbean, Africa and Indian Ocean in the next few months however, as UK travellers fly further south to catch some winter sun. The trend of last-minute bookings is also clear: three clients have already made their departure.
“It’s a good opportunity for advisors because of the revenue,” Stillion added. “You normally don’t get paid on bookings until the client departs, but with these bookings, many people are travelling almost immediately, so payment is faster.”
Award-winning expansion
The launch of Tiny Travel Agency is just one of many ventures on Stillion’s horizon since scooping the TTG Luxury Travel Awards recognition in February. The travel expert said she has been approached by countless suppliers over the past nine months, many of whom had heard of her because of her win.
“It’s really raised my profile in the industry,” she said. “I’ve even had luxury hotels and PR companies coming to meet me near my house to do training on a one-to-one basis. That never happened before winning the award.”
Stillion said the award has also boosted her credibility as an advisor, adding, “It’s given people extra confidence to book with me. The majority of my clients have never used a travel agent before so accolades like this give them that extra reassurance.”
As for the advice she’d give to hopeful candidates this year, Stillion emphasised the importance of standing out in your application.
“For me, it was the social media side of things that impressed the judges,” she said. “Think of unique things you’ve done to improve your business. Also, dedicate a decent amount of time towards putting the application together and back up all of the information with figures and examples. Lastly, get someone to look over it - they might think of something else you’ve done that you’ve forgotten to mention.”
• Anyone interested in more information about the roles with the new Tiny Travel Agency, should email Hollie Stillion.
