Equistone Partners-backed Travel Counsellors, an independent provider of bespoke leisure and corporate travel, has seen a 22 per cent rise in turnover over the last 12 months.
The Manchester-based company, which has been backed by the private equity house since 2014, has reported turnover of GBP166 million for the year ending October 2015 – up from GBP136 million the previous year.
This growth is attributed to the adoption of the latest technology to enhance its services. In particular, the business has seen a 13 per cent increase globally in sales made through its in-house quote and booking technology, which enables Travel Counsellors to create unique itineraries tailored to customer preferences and interests at competitive prices.
Most recently, the company launched its ‘myTC’ phone app, which provides customers with 24/7 access to travel documents, itineraries and a personal line to their travel counsellor.
Steve Byrne, managing director at Travel Counsellors, says: “These results show that despite the economic environment and political climate, appetite for travel remains strong, and consumers are not willing to compromise on this area of their life. However, this has made it even more important to build a trusted, personal relationship with our customers – which in turn, enables Travel Counsellors to craft completely tailor-made experiences.
“This approach underpins the caring that Travel Counsellors has at the heart of its business model. Whether that’s supporting our franchisees to establish and run their own business, or getting to know our customers on a personal level, we always go the extra mile. This, coupled with an annual investment of around GBP1.25 million in the latest technology, drives our strong financial results, and we’ll continue to invest heavily in both of these to keep the momentum going over the coming years.”
