Designer Travel’s co-founders Amanda Matthews and Karen Pocock received the Contribution to Luxury Travel award at the TTG Luxury Travel Awards in 2022 for their consistent high performance in the industry and launched the comprehensive training programme soon after.
The Designer Travel Training Academy aims to find entrepreneurial individuals who are passionate about becoming full-time travel advisors, but do not have any formal education in the sector. Trainees then undergo an intensive 12-month course, participating in modules on everything from business development to social media marketing in order to graduate as Professional Travel Experts.
The programme is extremely competitive, only accepting between 12 and 15 candidates out of the hundreds who apply annually, and 25 agents have now completed the course.
This year’s cohort of four hit a milestone for the agency, making average sales each of £294,000 during their training, bringing almost £1.2 million to the business in bookings. These agents will join the ranks of more than 150 advisors already working for Designer Travel.
Secret to a successful trainee
“This result is amazing considering these graduates don’t have a travel background,” Amanda Matthews, managing director at Designer Travel, told TTG Luxury. “These agents have not sat on their hands, they fully threw themselves into it.”
As to how these impressive sales were made, Matthews explains it was a combination of hard work from the agents and consistent support from their trainers.
Throughout the course, each graduate had the one-to-one mentorship of academy manager Abi Hyslop, who has more than 24 years of experience in travel sales. They also attended ongoing skills development days, events and sessions.
A key driver of these lucrative bookings, however, can be attributed to the academy’s emphasis on business development, Matthews said. Instructors work diligently with each trainee to develop an individualised business plan, which highlights the importance of constantly evolving your brand.
“Business development is key to gaining clients,” Matthews said. “You need to continue it even when you’re busy – don’t wait until you’re quiet. Whether it’s doing extra newsletters, commenting on Facebook, or going to networking events, it’s crucial.”
Agents also received extensive practical training, including going on fam trips and on-location tours to grow their product and destination knowledge. These outings usually involve completing fact sheets and meeting with suppliers on the ground to ensure they fully understand the property before selling it to a client.
The agency also gives trainees access to its ‘Fab Bank’, an online community for Designer Travel advisors to share valuable product information with one another. This new in-house database went live in May after 12 months in development, Matthews said.
She added that the success of the four academy trainees is even more impressive as leads are not provided, with agents instead given advice on how to build a sustainable client base.
An average of one candidate is accepted into the programme per month following a rigorous application process, which includes a phone interview and two Zoom interviews.
As for the profile of a successful candidate, Matthews says that applicants must already be “well travelled” with “an existing network of clients.” It’s also essential that they can commit to the course, which has been created specifically to produce full-time advisors.
“Yes you can make a lot of money, but it’s not easy. It’s not a get rich, quick job.”
“Our trainees come from every different walk of life, but the majority are from a profession where they’re wanting to change their career,” Matthews said.
The intensity of the academy means it is not suitable for those who aren’t serious about becoming a travel advisor, with Matthews keen to emphasise that while trainees do receive ongoing support, they must also be prepared to work hard for their results.
“It is made out at the moment that being a travel agent is a licence to print money and it’s a side hustle,” she says. “If you’re working 24/7, yes you can make a lot of money, but it’s not easy. It’s not a get rich, quick job.”
