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InteleTravel has hosted its first-ever Luxury Travel Summit in central London. It attracted over 100 of its top travel agents. The Summit focused on helping advisors understand the market, and deliver appropriate products. InteleTravel’s luxury partners supported the event with educational content, including presentations on top suites and accommodation, private jets, luxury cruises and desirable destinations. InteleTravel has a global focus on luxury travel, due to being more resilient to economic downturns. One travel agent who attended the event, Jo Baiao, achieved the top single sales transaction for October of £176,234. InteleTravel’s top 10 performing advisors amassed £827,665 of sales for the same month. UK and Ireland MD Tricia Handley-Hughes said: "Our 2024 bookings remain buoyant. Getting advisors to recognise that luxury means different things to different people, should result in repeat business.” “Many advisors who attended this event already sell luxury, but we also welcomed newer agents to this sector."

  Graham McKenzie interviews James Fererra, head of InteleTravel, during the ITQ 23 conference. The event, showcasing significant growth, reflects InteleTravel's ambition to expand its network of 17,000 UK and Republic of Ireland independent contractors to several thousand globally. Fererra emphasizes maintaining a distinct UK-Ireland cultural identity within the American-owned company. The conversation highlights InteleTravel's unique approach, balancing seriousness with a fun atmosphere, acknowledging the part-time nature of agents and providing accessible education. The discussion underscores the enjoyable and educational nature of the conference and InteleTravel's commitment to the travel industry's dynamic and diverse landscape.  

Homeworking firm InteleTravel will host its biggest overseas conference yet next month in Malaga. Around 400 agents are confirmed to attend the event. InteleTravel Quest (ITQ) will be held at the Trade Fair and Congress Centre from November 9 – 11. Entitled ‘Our Time to Shine’, the focus will be on helping agents achieve even more, following a record year for InteleTravel. It achieved overall revenue growth of 46% with cruise representing 15% of sales to date. Among key speakers, US-based founder and president James Ferrara will fly in to give details of the company’s performance as well as unveiling plans for 2024. He will be joined by a US-based executive team who will share best practices. Andy Harmer, OBE, the UK and Ireland MD for CLIA and Andrew Farr, PR content manager at Classic Collection and Classic Packages, will showcase five years of InteleTravel in the UK. In a session entitled ‘Zero to Hero’, they will chart the company’s challenging start through to its current prominent position in the UK travel industry. ABTA CEO Mark Tanzer will present at the conference, while Chris Photi, head of travel and leisure at accountants White Hart Associates, and InteleTravel legal counsel Joanna Kolatsis will be among those on a panel discussing the future of compliance. Agents will also play a big role on the stage, with top-selling advisors discussing their tips for success Accessibility will heavily feature in the company’s programme for the first time Social media gurus Yaya and Lloyd from Hand Luggage Only, and training guru Debbee Dale, will be speaking and there will be presentations from selected InteleTravel preferred partners. A comprehensive programme of breakout classroom sessions will give agents the opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge on a range of subjects and suppliers. Destination sponsors are the Spanish Tourist Board and the region of Andalucia with headline sponsor Classic Collection and Classic Package Holidays. A programme of entertainment will culminate with the gala dinner at the Automotive and Fashion Museum in Malaga on Saturday, November 11. “I am absolutely delighted with the conference content we have in store for our agents and suppliers,” said InteleTravel UK and Ireland MD, Tricia Handley-Hughes.

Homeworking firm InteleTravel’s CLIA Cruise Week campaign has paid dividends with a surge in cruise bookings this month. Cruise sales in the first two weeks of September accounted for 13% of all InteleTravel’s bookings. That rate is double the 6.5% in the same period last year. InteleTravel’s cruise booking campaign featured dedicated cruise podcasts, webinars, Facebook interviews, newsletters and preferred partner promotions. They all launched within the first week in September. Meanwhile, InteleTravel has chosen National Cruise Week to launch its in-house cruise booking engine. It has quality images, and live feeds, providing another channel for cruise bookings by its advisors. “Our cruise success is aided by the support of our cruise partners who have delivered a great travel advisor engagement programme,” said InteleTravel UK and Ireland MD Tricia Handley-Hughes. It included ship visits for agents. “Ship visits are critical to converting enquiries into cruise bookings and those cruise partners offering multiple ship visits are reaping the rewards."

Home-working firm InteleTravel will support next month’s Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) Cruise Week with a programme of activity for travel agents and preferred partners. InteleTravel says cruise sales across its 15,000 UK and Ireland travel agents remain strong and now accounts for 10% of business. It is targeting this to rise to 15% by the end of 2024. UK and Ireland MD Tricia Handley-Hughes says CLIA Cruise Week provides an ideal opportunity to focus on river cruise sales growth and support the current ocean cruise sales trend. CLIA Cruise Week runs from September 18-24. It coincides with the launch of the InteleTravel Cruise Booking engine, which is a one-stop platform for searches, bookings, itineraries and ship information. InteleTravel’s dedicated events for preferred partners over the next month include podcasts, targeted webinars, a river cruise round table, and a full campaign of advertising. “Post-pandemic our sales have shown steady growth.” “We have so many CLIA agents who attend ship visits, participate in our cruise training and see the value of repeat business,” Handley-Hughes added. “We are confident we can achieve our goals and strong backing from our cruise partners will complement the CLIA Cruise Week programme.”  

Customers are spending more on their holiday bookings, a new survey of InteleTravel agents says. They said 82% are spending the same or more than they did last year. Inteletravel gathered data from 1,000 travel agents and found 36% of their clients were spending the same as last year. Nearly one-quarter 24% were spending up to 25% more and 16% were paying 25-50% more. It found 6% were spending over 50% more than last year. Short-haul trips to the Mediterranean are the most popular, accounting for 53% of bookings this year. Long-haul trips account for 27% of bookings. Although spending more money, 91% of agents stated their clients were more concerned about higher prices than any other issue. Flight cancellations and crowded destinations also featured among their concerns. Many travel advisors, (67%), expect their business to grow in 2023, compared with last year. Some 18% expect growth of more than 50%. Only 10% are expecting their business to decline. InteleTravel recently reported a 58% increase in sales with a 14% rise in average booking values in May 2023. Cruise sales have now increased to 8% of the total revenues. Unsurprisingly, InteleTravel agents are generally optimistic about next year and beyond. Beach holidays account for 65% of the trips taken by customers, while all-inclusive holidays were particularly popular. The survey found that people are opting for shorter trips, with 5-7 nights being the most popular duration.

Homeworking firm InteleTravel will hold its 2023 InteleTravel Quest (ITQ) conference in Malaga, Spain from November 9- 11^. It takes place at the Trade Fair and Congress Centre. The theme of the conference, ‘Our time to shine’, charts the five-year journey from launch to its current position with over 14,000 advisors in the UK and 500 in Ireland. Within 24 hours of launch many Preferred Partners had confirmed attendance and 150 advisors registered within 12 hours. The numbers are expected to grow within the next few weeks. Destination sponsors are Spanish Tourist Board and the region of Andalucía. Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office London said: “The Andalucían city has a rich history, making it the ideal location for InteleTravel's comprehensive training event.” Headline sponsor is Classic Collection, an InteleTravel Preferred Partner. Strategic account manager Jorge Quibell said: “Following on from our mutually successful partnership with InteleTravel, Classic Collection and Classic Package Holidays are delighted to be headlining. Conference content will include sessions on the imminent changes to the compliance framework, a focus on accessibility, senior panel discussions, and supplier-delivery of classroom sessions. InteleTravel recently reported a 58% increase in sales with a 14% rise in average booking values in May 2023.

Homeworking agent network InteleTravel has seen a 58% increase in sales in the year to May 2023, compared with last year. InteleTravel, which has 14,000 advisors in the UK and 500 in Ireland, has also seen booking values in the same period rise 14% to an average £1,500. The Mediterranean and particularly Spain are the most popular destinations, and there has also been a sharp rise in cruise booking sales. Membership of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and intensive training of advisors has led to a growth in luxury and mainstream cruise sales. UK and Ireland MD Tricia Handley-Hughes said its training programme has boosted homeworking agent confidence to upsell to clients. “Word is spreading among the supplier community that our agents are selling on par or above their average industry sales,” she said. “We are also revamping our mandatory induction training so that new agents from outside the industry can better understand the regulatory environment and sell with confidence.”  

Fast-growing InteleTravel has expanded its number of UK homeworking agents by 17% in the past four months. It now boasts a network of 13,404 advisors. It says new agents are attracted by the InteleTravel model, which offers a low entry cost and the opportunity for them to run their own business. It offers homeworking agents a full calendar of events with preferred partners and back-office support. Bookings have increased by 51% in the first quarter of 2023, compared with the same period last year. InteleTravel has signed up five more preferred partners, bringing its total number to 76. The expansion comes alongside international growth as it recently expanded into the Republic of Ireland. To date there are around 200 agents in the country. “InteleTravel remains an attractive option for people who want to join our dynamic,” said UK MD Tricia Handley-Hughes. “It’s early days for 2023, but our current monthly bookings trend puts us on target for record results.”

Fast-growing homeworking agent firm InteleTravel has boosted its number of Ambassadors to 16 Two more core elite travel advisors were added - Clare Jackson, from Wanderlust Lifestyle with Clare in Kent and Sarah Stephens, from Sarah Stephens Escapes in Manchester. Ambassadors are agents who have achieved a steady growth of sales and completed training to coach newer agents. Training topics include ‘Getting Started’, ‘Understanding and Navigating your Back Office’, ‘Social Media Best Practices’ and ‘How to Sell Groups Effectively’. They use their knowledge and skills to help new homeworking agents drive and grow their businesses. In return, they receive priority invitations to events and dedicated Ambassador Events, with fees and costs paid by InteleTravel. They also have a dedicated social media channel and exclusive monthly meetings. Ambassadors are recognized by their InteleTravel red jacket. Ambassadors also have a dedicated logo for use on their travel business collateral to add credibility. InteleTravel UK Director Tricia Handley-Hughes said: "We are delighted to welcome Clare and Sarah. Our Ambassadors are highly influential advisors who are passionate about travel.” InteleTravel has over 75 preferred partners and 12,000 advisors, with bookings up 41% in January 2023.

Homeworking firm InteleTravel has launched a new cruise search and brochure rack tool to promote preferred partners to customers.  It uses an API from Widgety. The cruise search provides live pricing updated every two hours, detailed itinerary content and images that can be shared via phone, tablet, WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media channels. It enables agents and customers to engage in dialogue whilst sharing the information simultaneously, making discussion and conversion much easier. The brochure rack overcomes the challenges for customers who still want to compare products by looking at traditional brochures. Electronic selection and the communication of specific, relevant brochure product will be a huge bonus for homeworkers who may be unable to show their clients physical brochures. InteleTravel UK Director, Tricia Handley-Hughes said: “We continue to look at new ways that will support our advisors and these tools prove our investment in promoting our preferred partners and helping advisors increase sales remain at the top of our agenda."

Homeworking giant InteleTravel is increasing its number of core elite travel advisors, known as Ambassadors, who support new entrants into the industry. Ambassadors are agents who have achieved a steady sales growth and have been trained to mentor and coach newer agents. Training topics include ‘Getting Started’, ‘Knowing your Back Office’, ‘Social Media Best Practices’ and ‘Selling Groups’. InteleTravel now has 12 Ambassadors who have progressed through the dedicated training programme, with a further nine in training. They use their knowledge and skills to help new agents drive and grow their businesses. In return, they receive priority invitations to events, with registration fee costs paid by InteleTravel, a dedicated social media channel with monthly meetings and are recognised by a coveted InteleTravel red jacket. Ambassadors also have a dedicated logo for use on their travel business collateral to add credibility. Ambassador Emma Cressey, from Emma Cressey Travel in Lincolnshire, has been an InteleTravel agent since January 2020 and qualified as an Ambassador in May 2021. She says agents value being able to talk to fellow agents as well as those in head office. “Agents like to talk to someone who they can relate to, who has been in the same boat as them and can point them in the right direction.” “The training at InteleTravel is fantastic and there is so much information, but agents can talk to us about anything.  I also enjoy presenting at events.  I didn’t have experience in the travel industry and I can show them that if you have passion in what you do, this business is accessible to everybody. Dani Brown, from Dani’s Destinations UK, also in Lincolnshire, has been an InteleTravel agent since April 2019 and an Ambassador since May 2020.  She is one of a small number of agents given ‘Master Ambassador’ status in February 2022 after performing extra duties to assist agents during the pandemic. Dani spends on average 5-6 hours a week working as an Ambassador and also presents at events.