TRAVEL COUNSELLORS MAKES CHANGES
Travel Counsellors has announced that Anita Emilio, general manager of Travel Counsellors Canada, will be stepping back from her day to day responsibilities, with a view to leaving by the middle of July. Emilio has led Travel Counsellors in Canada since June 2010. “Travel Counsellors is a very special travel company and its ethos and values are so refreshing,” Emilio said. “I’ve had an extremely rewarding time as general manager but it is time for me to step down from the role and provide the company with the opportunity to take the business forward and allow me the time to consider other opportunities. I wish the company and all at Travel Counsellors the very best for the future.” The company reports that it has seen a great start to the year as global sales are up by 14% in 2013 and are expected to top CDN$600 million, up from CDN$540 million in the previous year. Steve Byrne, Travel Counsellors CEO, said that: “In view of the company’s success and further significant growth of CDN$60 million this year alone, we believe the best way forward is for our directors to play a greater supporting role in our Canada operations. We aim to leverage the resources we have across the whole global business to improve further the support we provide to our agents and drive the growth that we need in Canada. Our Canada operations will therefore be run on functional lines, with each director taking the business forward in their respective areas. We will also be investing in more resources based in Toronto to ensure we provide the local support that we need.” Here in Canada, operations manager, Chris Godman will become the senior manager in charge of the office and will be responsible for the smooth day-to-day running of the office, with the support of Karen Morris, the group operations director. The company has also announced plans to further bolster the team in its Toronto office with the imminent appointment of a new dedicated recruiter and other resources over time as its takes on more agents. Byrne commented: “We will always be grateful to Anita for the contribution she has made to Travel Counsellors and she leaves with our very best wishes for her future. We believe we offer something unique in the Canadian market place as we provide the independent agent with the most comprehensive and effective package of support to enable them to realize their potential, build lasting relationships with their customers and earn the margin they deserve. We are therefore really looking forward to driving the business forward so it realizes its potential.” Travel Counsellors currently supports over 1,200 experienced travel professionals in running their own business from home in a total of seven countries. The company does not have shops or the facility to book on-line, but rather focuses purely on building a network of the very best independent home based agents in the leisure and corporate markets. Go to http://www.travelcounsellors.com for more.
