TravelManagers Customer Fund Hits Million Dollar Mark
Featured photo: TravelManagers’ Chief Operating Officer, Grant Campbell.
The TravelManagers Customer Fund (TCF) has reached the one-million dollar mark, less than five years after it was established as part of the company’s comprehensive system of consumer protections.
The fund provides clients with additional assurance in the unlikely event that an Approved Supplier fails financially, able to be accessed if a refund cannot be obtained through the client’s travel insurance and/or banking institution.
The independent consumer advocacy organisation, CHOICE, highlighted the TravelManagers Customer Fund (TCF) in its November 2023 review of financial protections for Australian travellers. However, it’s not just clients who enjoy the peace of mind provided by the TCF’s healthy balance – for many personal travel managers (PTMs), it has been a deal breaker in choosing to join the TravelManagers network.
“I joined TravelManagers during the pandemic, and it was really, really important that I could offer my long-term client base a high level of security. They want to know that the money they entrust to me is protected,” confirms Joanne Miller, who is based in Greystanes, NSW. “I talk to every client about the TCF, and for many, it’s a major selling point for the brand.”
TravelManagers’ Chief Operating Officer, Grant Campbell, says ongoing contributions ensure the fund will continue to grow at a rate that is set to accelerate as TravelManagers’ network of personal travel managers (PTMs) expands.
“Eligible customers are able to claim up to $25,000 per person,” he adds. “The payments that have been claimed to date have ensured that customers have not been left out of pocket. At the same time, PTMs have been spared any awkward conversations with their clients about funds lost due to the insolvency of an Approved Supplier.”
“It can be easy to forget when things are good as they are now, but anyone who’s been in the industry for a while will know that things can and do go wrong, often with little or no warning. While we are happy to reap the rewards of the travel industry’s current, buoyant state, TravelManagers believes in being prepared for future risk.”
