Monday was the homeworking firm’s busiest since the onset of Covid, with sales up 40% on the record set just a week ago (17 January). Compared with the same day (24 January) in 2021, sales were up 300% and up 50% on the same day in 2020 pre-pandemic.
As a result, Not Just Travel paid out the the highest level of commission to its travel consultants since March 2019. “We made a lot of people happy,” said Not Just Travel co-founder Steve Witt. “We pay out multiple millions in commission each year, and yesterday was exceptional.”
Top-selling destinations by booking value included the Maldives, the US, Spain, Dubai and Greece. One consultant, Gilly Bachelor, secured more than £50,000 in new sales on Monday, earning her in excess of £5,000 commission in a single day.
“I had several big bookings to South Africa and Mozambique, Florida and Universal Studios Hotels and a group holiday to Ibiza," she said. "One of my specialisms is South Africa, so it’s brilliant news the country has opened up again – there’s a lot of pent-up demand."
Pope said the relaxation of the UK’s travel and testing rules, detailed by transport secretary Grant Shapps on Monday, had served as another confidence boost for travellers. "We are entering a new era of travel where clients are relaxed, confident and ambitious," he said. "People are booking bigger and more expensive holidays as obstacles are consistently removed.
"Should travel restrictions ever need to be reimposed, the positivity is already in place. Consumers see the value in using a travel consultant who can hold their hand and guide them through the complexities of travel forms and testing. We have proved our worth through the harshest of times."
Witt added that he expected Monday (31 January) to be even busier, it falling after people’s pay days. "The dam has finally burst for the travel industry as bookings are flooding in," he said. "Since the pandemic started, all our efforts and training have been for this moment. Our amazing travel consultants have been continuously busy since the pandemic began – keeping in touch with clients and maintaining those precious relationships. They are working day and night and deserve every single booking."
