SME News Q3 2025 / 48 The Travel Franchise: Turning Passion into Profession For those seeking a career shift or a more flexible way to earn, there is one industry offering exciting possibilities. The travel sector is evolving, and with it comes new ways to work, earn, and grow. The Travel Franchise is leading that charge, having developed a model expertly designed to help everyday people build successful travel businesses. As The Travel Franchise is named in the Business Elite Awards 2025, we took a closer look at the company and its outstanding offering. Founded in 2001, The Travel Franchise was born with the aim of empowering countless individuals to take control of their career and build a business that thrives. Whether a client is looking to switch professions, earn extra income, or find a flexible work-from-home opportunity, the company’s award-winning franchise model has been expertly designed to fit around any lifestyle, on any terms. The Travel Franchise offers its franchisees a highly personalised training and support system, with live virtual training sessions, in-person conferences, and overseas retreats. Franchisees gain access to over 450 travel suppliers, a bespoke travel agent software suite, and their own branded website to promote services. Each member is paired with a dedicated Business Development Manager and receives ongoing coaching, marketing content, and admin support from head office. With high commission potential and exclusive tools such as Vision CRM and automated email marketing, The Travel Franchise offers a complete business-in-a-box designed to help anyone succeed in the travel industry. Of course, its consultants also offer a highly personalised service to their clientele. Franchisees are trained to provide ongoing support, from the moment a client books to their return, having been provided with the tools and skillset to offer such dedicated services. Clients are provided with contact details for continual communication and, in the circumstance that a client cannot access a smartphone or printer, have been known to hand-deliver tickets and information. From thoughtful gestures before departures to unwavering support during emergencies like the Rhodes wildfires, one thing is clear: The Travel Franchise produces consultants that treat every journey with genuine care and responsibility. In 2024, The Travel Franchise achieved record-breaking average booking values and the highest-ever bookings per consultant per month. Millions in extra commission were paid to its consultants, driven by unstoppable partnerships with key suppliers that gave them a competitive edge. The support and operations team handled a remarkable 29,000 calls and 36,000 emails while maintaining impressively low wait times – a clear indicator of the volume of clients supported and the efficacy of the service. With a strengthened Business Development Manager and training team, all delivered at zero increase in fees, the franchise hosted eight major overseas trips for its consultants – underscoring its investment in training and firsthand experience to ultimately benefit both consultants and clients through elevated service. Ultimately, the year was a significant success for The Travel Franchise, serving as the driving factor behind the company’s unrivalled ambition. Looking to the future, The Travel Franchise aims to have onboarded more than 1,000 franchisees by 2027, as the demand for personal travel agents continues to grow. Moving forward, the company will carry on investing into equipping its franchisees with the tools they need to provide outstanding service to their clientele, Recognised as the Best Travel Franchise 2025 in the Business Elite Awards, The Travel Franchise has already aided and empowered countless individuals to take control of their future and build a business from the ground up. Marietta Maidman was made redundant at 59, and worried about finding another job. Now, she is living life at 62-years-old, booking holidays and building her dream home in Cyprus. Similarly, Julie Macdonald was made redundant aged 49. She used her redundancy money to invest in The Travel Franchise and now enjoys a wage that allows her to make unforgettable memories – following her dreams of visiting Uganda to spot mountain gorillas. The Travel Franchise has also helped ex-teachers, such as Julie-Ann Craig. After almost three decades as a geography and PE teacher, JulieAnn quit her job in 2019 due to long hours and a desire to spend more time with her two children. Now she runs a successful home-based travel agency with more than 200 customers, choosing her hours, receiving invites on luxury trips abroad, and enjoying a monthly salary that sometimes reaches five figures. “I don’t feel like I ever go to work,” she shared. “I drop the children at school and sometimes pinch myself. It just gives me freedom and flexibility. I feel like I am living life a little bit more.” Contact: Jenny Farenden Company: Not Just Travel Web Address: www.the-travel-franchise.com
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