The company revealed its ambitions last weekend during its annual conference, which featured guest appearances from actor and model Joanna Lumley; TV star and financial entrepreneur Dave Fishwick; and Dr Kate Allatt, who suffered locked-in syndrome following a brainstem stroke.
Opening the conference chief executive Steve Byrne (pictured) told delegates Travel Counsellors was at “the starting place for taking the company to a completely different level”.
“The role of the trusted advisor is as relevant now as it was when we started,” he insisted. “We are moving into an age where people do not trust brands, they do not trust institutions, but they do trust personal recommendation and advice, and that plays into our strengths.”
The homeworking company, which was founded by David Speakman in 1994, currently has 1,700 agents worldwide – 300 of which were recruited within the past 12 months alone.
Byrne said he wanted to almost double total membership numbers to 3,000 “over the course of the next three to five years”.
“Our UK business has seen double-digit growth since we started, with the exception of the year of the global financial crisis,” he added.
Speaking to TTG about Brexit, Byrne said last year’s referendum result had led to volatility in pricing, but he added the company had still seen an increase in booking values and volume.
“What we don’t know is if that could have been even bigger,” he admitted. “We know travel is a discretionary spend but it is staying consistent.”
Outlining the company’s core strategy for growth, Byrne said: “The vision is to become the world’s most loved company – loved by our customers, our people and the communities that we interface with. If we do that we will build financial success,” he insisted.
He added that reinvesting in the company’s services and infrastructure was a key focus. “We’ve increased our total IT spend from £3 million to £5 million. The total investment in the company has grown by £4 million over the past three years.”
