The end of the financial year has seen TravelManagers report solid growth in its network of home-based consultants, with a shift in focus expected to deliver future increases as its pace of expansion starts to slow .
Chairman Barry Mayo told Travel Today that recent rises in the number of new recruits have taken its network to 436 agents, but that, compared with previous years, the growth has been “moderate”.
“But that’s because we have caught all the low hanging fruit,” he said.
Agents contemplating becoming home-based have now made the move, according to Mayo.
As a result, the group is now focused on capturing those that are slightly higher up the chain, who may be more entrenched in their working situation, such as agency owners and managers.
“You have to be experienced to be a home-based agent – the average amount of experience across our network is 16 and a half years, so it’s not for people that are new to industry,” Mayo said.
“That’s probably why, in many respects, current agency owners over time are an attractive option for us and why we should be an attractive option for them too.”
But their level of involvement in their respective businesses can mean the recruitment process can take between 12 months and 3 years, he added.
But he was confident they would eventually make the transition, particularly amid intense upheaval within the industry with the rebranding of JTG stores to its new Helloworld model an example.
"I think there's a place for the hybrid model, a place for online and there will continue to be a role for traditional travel agents but in the long term, I don’t think it will be on a street front or in a shopping mall," Mayo said.
"That’s where a model like TravelManagers has a future and it’ll be at a much lower cost base than what has been traditional."
