InteleTravel faces scrutiny over its business model for home-based travel agents, particularly regarding experience and part-time work.
- Designer Travel co-founder Amanda Matthews sparked debate by emphasising commitment over ‘side hustles’ in the travel industry.
- InteleTravel’s Managing Director, Tricia Handley-Hughes, firmly defended the agency’s approach to training and accessibility.
- The discussion highlights evolving roles and definitions within the travel agent industry, influenced by social media and changing client needs.
- The Advantage Travel Partnership stresses the broadening scope and adaptability of modern travel agents.
InteleTravel, a rapidly expanding travel agency, has recently come under scrutiny for the nature of its business model. Specifically, concerns have been raised over the practice of employing home-based agents who often work part-time and consequently are perceived as lacking the expertise of more seasoned travel professionals. This criticism was notably voiced by Amanda Matthews, co-founder of Designer Travel, who used a recent awards ceremony as a platform to extol her agency’s homeworkers, articulating that they ‘work for a career, not a side hustle.’
Matthews, who alongside co-founder Karen Pocock, was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution award, took this opportunity to assert the authenticity and dedication of their agents, stating, ‘We are true travel agents. We don’t try to pretend to be anything other than travel agents.’ This assertion was implicitly juxtaposed against entities like InteleTravel, which boasts a network of 20,000 agents across the UK and Ireland. Yet, it is InteleTravel’s model and its implications that have sparked a broader discussion within the industry.
In response, Tricia Handley-Hughes, managing director for InteleTravel in the UK and Ireland, robustly defended their model, emphasising the significant opportunities it offers. She remarked, ‘A secondary income was a lifeline during Covid for so many people who either lost their jobs or were put on the furlough scheme. Now, our business model opens up a new opportunity to enter the travel industry and run a business without incurring any large financial burden.’ The defence underscores the company’s proud ethos of eliminating barriers to entry and fostering an expanding sales pipeline.
Handley-Hughes further highlighted that InteleTravel’s agents, after several years, have often transitioned into full-time roles, achieving notable success. She remarked on the positive feedback from suppliers who are reportedly impressed by the revenue streams generated through these new distribution channels. InteleTravel’s training programme, described as ‘extremely thorough,’ is cited as among the most comprehensive and regularly updated in the industry.
The public nature of these criticisms and defences brings to light an ongoing discussion about the role and identity of a ‘travel agent’ in today’s dynamic environment. Ally Case, a travel counsellor, reflected on this evolution through a LinkedIn post, recognising the multifaceted duties agents now perform, from crafting bespoke experiences to managing complex travel itineraries and providing continuous client support.
Kelly Cookes, chief commercial officer at The Advantage Travel Partnership, concurred, stressing that modern agents are highly adaptable, offering not only personalised assistance and expert advice but also utilising social media to influence and inspire travel choices. This broadening of scope reflects the industry’s ongoing evolution, embracing diverse talents and roles.
InteleTravel’s model reflects a transformative approach to modern travel agency operations, responding to evolving industry needs and economic realities.
