Strong 2022 Performance Has TravelManagers Poised to Soar in 2023
A strong recovery throughout 2022, backed by industry-leading initiatives such as the TravelManagers Customer Fund (TCF) and supported by a well-resourced National Partnership Office team, has TravelManagers set for a flying start to 2023.
According to Chief Operating Officer, Grant Campbell, “2022 has been a great comeback year for the travel industry. A resurgence in travel demand has resulted in a decisive return to profitability both for TravelManagers as a whole and for a large majority of our individual personal travel managers (PTMs).”
As a result, many PTMs logged record-breaking sales for the 2022 calendar year, with Campbell revealing that the average value of sales per individual PTM increased by more than 22 percent when compared with 2019.
“The rate of growth accelerated during the second half of the year,” Campbell notes, “with an average increase in sales revenue per PTM of more than 51 percent between July and December 2022 making a significant contribution to the full year result.
“Around 24 percent of PTMs achieved annual sales of more than $1 million in 2022, compared with 16 percent in 2019. 35 percent of PTMs had sales of $750k plus, made sweeter by an improvement in average margins across all PTMs’ sales compared with 2019.”
Campbell says much of the company’s success in recovering throughout 2022 stems from the foresight of PTMs and the NPO team in ensuring that all areas of the business had prepared to benefit from the revival in consumer demand when it arrived.
“TravelManagers partnership with Signature Travel Network, announced in January 2022, had an immediate impact on PTMs’ sales of premium travel products and experiences,” Campbell reports, “and we are looking forward with great confidence to the contribution from this alliance in 2023.”
Campbell identifies the extensive program of training and support provided to PTMs by its Business Partnership Managers (BPMs) and NPO team as a key factor in TravelManagers’ success during 2022.
“This has included the facilitation of 83 supplier/operational training sessions, 1100 one-on-one meetings between BPMs and PTMs, and 215 regional and suburban cluster meetings between suppliers and PTMs. In addition, 2022 saw the return of our highly popular, annual national conference, which brought together PTMs, supplier partners and NPO team in Sydney for an aptly themed event: ‘Together’.”
“This is also evident in their quick uptake of personal travel arrangements as travel restrictions eased,” he notes, “with PTMs taking part in 107 supplier product and destination famils throughout the year. Not only did they obtain firsthand experience of the latest travel conditions and differences following the pandemic, but in true TravelManagers
spirit, PTMs were generous in sharing this fresh intelligence with NPO and their fellow PTMs.”
The launch of the TravelManagers Customer Fund (TCF) in August 2022 is flagged by Campbell as an example of the pro-active, customer-centric culture the company continues to cultivate.
“The TCF serves as the final component of TravelManagers consumer ‘Peace of Mind’ promise which has been well received by industry partners and clients alike, and has contributed to TravelManagers’ record trading from July to December 2022.”
Recognition for TravelManagers’ accomplishments in 2022 has also come in the form of the accolades earned at the National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA), where TravelManagers picked up the award for ‘Most Outstanding Mobile Advisor Network’.
“TravelManagers PTMs also comprised three of the five finalists for the ‘Most Outstanding Mobile/Home-Based Travel Advisor’ category, with Rose Febo the ultimate winner, while her colleague, Janelle Beucker was nominated by consumers as a finalist in NTIA’s inaugural ‘People’s Choice’ award,” Campbell adds.
“This is the fourth time one of our PTMs has been recognised at the NTIAs, and as a follow-up to this outstanding achievement, TravelManagers was named one of three finalists in the ‘Innovation’ category of the prestigious 2022 Mumbrella Travel Marketing Awards.”
TravelManagers concluded the year with back-to-back, record-breaking sales months in November and December, along with a series of well-supported supplier market days.
“The market days, which were well supported by our partner suppliers, have ensured that PTMs feel energised and excited to consolidate and capitalise on 2022’s successes as we head into a new year of great possibilities.”
For more information or to speak to someone confidentially about TravelManagers please contact Graciela Craig on (02) 8062 6421 or email [email protected].
