TTG hosts James Chapple and Dea Jusufi are joined by Jo Richards of Tivoli Travel and Colin Martin-Weekes, Head of Franchise at Go Cruise and Travel, to consider how the trade can ensure agents are equipped to deliver the right level of service.

Richards, who began her career through an apprenticeship in 1986, believes formal accreditation could help restore professional standards and reassure consumers that their holiday is in safe hands. 

Meanwhile, Martin-Weekes shares how investment in training has helped strengthen Go Cruise and Travel's franchise offering, arguing that businesses must take responsibility for preparing recruits to operate professionally. He has also cautioned the industry against creating the impression making money from selling travel is easy.

The discussion considers the value of customer reviews, the accountability of franchise operators when mistakes occur, and whether a common framework for training and recruitment could benefit the wider trade. The guests also weigh up the challenge of making accreditation accessible without imposing unnecessary costs on those entering the sector.

So should formal accreditation become a requirement for all travel agents, or is better in-house training and support the answer? Listen to the latest episode of Unpacked for the full discussion.