James Ferrara, InteleTravel founder and chief executive, confirmed luxury travel had been on the US homeworking agency's radar for the past two or three years but insisted the business's efforts to gain a foothold in this market would accelerate significantly in the coming months.
Confirming the move to TTG, Ferrara said: "In times of economic stress, the luxury market still does well. It’s the middle and lower end of the market that sees the damage."
Tricia Handley-Hughes, InteleTravel's UK and Ireland managing director, highlighted how high levels of repeat business in the luxury space appealed to the company. "[Luxury travel] is an area where you’ve got to look at not just the commissions on the individual transactions, but the repeat business," she explained.
Addressing the firm's recent conference in Portugal's Porto, InteleTravel’s newly appointed commercial director Kelly Cookes pledged to the 500 delegates that InteleTravel is “looking at how [agents] can continue to upskill in the luxury space”.
Both Ferrara and Handley-Hughes said the company would "smash" this year's £200 million sales target and confirmed upcoming tech launches and continued international expansion.
'We review everything'
In the summer, an article in The Sun newspaper raised concerns about InteleTravel's business model and how it uses an external company – PlanNet Marketing – to recruit agents.
At the time, Handley-Hughes admitted to TTG the report had created "a damage limitation exercise" for InteleTravel and hinted the company would review its partnership with PlanNet. However, speaking to TTG at the conference, Handley-Hughes said: "We've moved on – it wasn't really our story to tell."
She added InteleTravel will "always" review contracts, while Ferrara confirmed: "We run a responsible business – we review everything."
PlanNet Marketing will be recruiting agents when InteleTravel goes live in the United Arab Emirates by the end of year. Ferrara hailed InteleTravel’s decision to outsource recruitment some 11 years ago “as the best possible solution in 34 years [of operation]".
He continued: "We used to have a whole [recruitment] department, and it was something I had to worry about and strategise for years."
But Ferrara and Handley-Hughes stressed the business is only striving for organic recruitment. “We’ve never set recruitment targets,” claimed Ferrara, who added sales targets had long been a benchmark of success for the agency.
Despite major technology announcements throughout the conference, Ferrara insisted that tech has been incorporated to "serve, not replace" agents particularly in the luxury market.
“Tech does not compete at that end of the market. No luxury client will choose to work with a machine over a luxury advisor," he said. Handley-Hughes added: “People want that face-to-face contact, and to be able to trust their advisor.”
Growing full-time contingent
Ferrara highlighted that throughout 2025, another 2,065 recruits completed InteleTravel’s Dreamaker induction programme, growing the roster to more than 30,000 agents in the UK and Ireland.
Handley-Hughes said learning is continuous at InteleTravel, referencing the various webinars, weekly evening calls, events and destination showcases the agency offers its agents. She believes training is one reason why InteleTravel agents are making the leap to turn travel into their profession, and go full-time with their travel-selling careers.
The pair wouldn't reveal exactly how many InteleTravel agents are selling holidays full-time. However, Ferrara said: “[The number of full-time agents] has grown significantly over the past couple of years. It used to be that they were working [as an agent] part time alongside another full-time job – now it’s the other way around.
“To have a full-time career and a full life is what makes you valuable as an independent contractor for us. You’re tapping into a market, your own universe and bringing those people in as travel customers."
