Jo Richards, director of Tivoli Travel, told TTG she had received interest from people who had been made redundant by other travel companies as well as those who have travel experience but had been working in other industries recently.

The homeworking division, which will be called Tivoli Travel Personal Consultants, will run alongside the company’s two high street stores in the Yorkshire towns of Mirfield and Holmfirth. 

“I only wanted about 10 homeworkers and I’m having a chat with the people to find out what they are looking for,” added Richards. “It may be that we end up with 20 to 25 people.

“We want to take on people who are ready and right for us. It’s my company name and reputation – they have to be the right type of people. There are a lot of good experienced people who have sadly been losing their jobs.

“We haven’t been looking for new starters. They are all experienced with at least four to five years in travel – some have been working outside travel and want to get back into travel, or they are looking to work part-time and combine it with another business.”

Richards plans to build up the homeworking operation “in stages” over the next few months as the January peak selling period approaches.

Homeworkers will work under the Tivoli Travel banner with the company handling admin and paying a split of commission to the agents.

The idea for starting a homeworking operation came from a conversation between Richards and former colleague Lisa Towey, who subsequently became Tivoli Travel’s first personal consultant in September.

Tivoli is also in negotiations to create a “pop up” agency within another high street store in Lindley, having been forced to close its own shop in the town in June “partly due to Covid”.