Travel agents displaced during the pandemic have been looking for a new home for their travel businesses and clients. For some, joining TravelManagers has been the perfect new fit.
Personal Travel Manager (PTM) Anita Coombs is one of the agents who made the switch to TravelManagers in 2020 and she hasn’t looked back since.
Anita had been working in the travel industry for the past eight years, most recently at Pakenham Travel in Victoria. She said the local store front travel agency with three employees was “a great grounding experience” while learning the ropes of the industry.
In 2020, she decided it was time to branch out on her own. Her good friend Lisa, who is also a travel agent, was always saying how much she loved being a PTM with TravelManagers.
“She said she loved how supportive they were and how they worked with you to prompt and help you be the travel agent you envisioned yourself to be,” Anita said.
Since making the switch Anita has found the transition to be relatively smooth.
“While training was previously done face to face, my training, due to Covid, was all done online which has been interesting and at times challenging but TravelManagers has always been there to guide me through. Which has been invaluable,” she said.
“If I have a problem or need any information there is always someone to help you through it. It is one big family which is reassuring,” she added.
Anita said that while the travel industry has been a challenging place to be during the pandemic, there were some silver linings.
“With the industry moving forward I believe Covid has let everyone take a breath and realise what is important to them and to look outside the box,” she said.
“I feel that travellers will now see the importance of using a travel advisor rather than the internet for the reassurance that if anything goes wrong we have them covered as we have well and truly shown through these trying times”.
“People are now really considering where they are travelling and why not just ticking the boxes”.
Most recently, Anita has been enjoying negotiating around new products including putting together a personally escorted tour to Tasmania to see the Aurora Australis.
“I have an astronomer and photographer on board which I believe is my point of difference. My tour started yesterday so fingers crossed for clear night skies,” she said.
Her sights are set on the recently confirmed New Zealand travel bubble too, which she hopes will give her clients confidence to travel again.
Anita’s advice for those on the fence about whether to join TravelManagers is “just do it”, because “it might just be the best thing you have ever done”.
Support was on hand for PTMs throughout the pandemic to ensure their businesses stood strong. This included reducing monthly costs, support for their mental health and keeping agents posted on the overwhelming and everchanging amount of supplier and airline updates.
PTMs are equipped with the technology to choose when and where they work, whether that be home, their local cafe or catching up with clients in their homes.
They also benefit from having no up-front costs to pay and from receiving the best value commission split available for home-based consultants in Australia.
To map your journey to recovery and get supported back to business contact Graciela Craig at Graciela.craig@travelmanagers.com.au or see join.travelmanagers.com.au for more information.
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