Bespoke travel service provider Travel Counsellors has broken its sales record, with total transaction value surpassing £650m for the first time.
The Manchester-based firm, which launched in Bolton 1994, said its results for the year ended December 31, 2019 marked the firm’s 17th consecutive year of double-digit growth.
It said it had seen a 20 per cent increase in people travelling over the Christmas period.
There had also been a 14 per cent rise in those choosing to book their 2020 breaks during December, the firm said.
Travel Counsellors’ CEO Steve Byrne said: “It’s clear that customers are still keen to make travel plans after the 海角视频 general election, with bookings going strong throughout the festive period, and over 24,000 customers travelling with us over Christmas and New Year to destinations across Europe and beyond.
“With that is an increasing interest in destinations outside of the EU, and we anticipate this trend to continue as customers seek more value for money beyond the Eurozone.”
Travel Counsellors said its most popular destinations in December were the USA, South East Asia and the Caribbean.
The most popular destinations for 2020 are Florida, Dubai, Mexico and the Indian Ocean, it added.
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Travel Counsellors, which operates a franchise model, said the number of new business owners increased 21 per cent in 2019, with a “surge” in business owners joining from Thomas Cook following its collapse in September 2019.
Mr Byrne said: “With 20 per cent of our business owners hailing from the Thomas Cook community in the last five years, we’ve also been pleased to help over 50 new joiners who faced an uncertain future this year after the tour operator’s collapse, launch a new business in an industry they love.
“Year on year we are continuing to welcome more entrepreneurial travel experts, including 12 per cent more travel professionals from a tour operating background, as well as professionals from non-travel industries, to the Travel Counsellors community.”
He added: “From November 2018 to date, over 300 new business owners have been supported by the company’s bespoke technology platform and global community to grow successful corporate and leisure travel businesses, all connected through a shared passion for providing the greatest levels of customer experience and care.”