Hays Travel’s homeworking division targets 25% growth in numbers over next year

Hays Travel has increased the number of homeworkers by 25% in the last year and is planning to increase the number again in the next year.

The telesales homeworkers, Personal Travel Consultants and Explorer Travel franchisees are part of the division. It is holding a conference in 2022.

The number of homeworkers will increase by 25% by the end of April, according to Hays Travel chief operating officer Jonathon Woodall-Johnston.

The division has grown since the beginning of the year, when it had 269 homeworkers.

The acquisition of Explorer Travel boosted the division by around 70 homeworkers.

The Hays Travel Independence Group brand is described as a stepping stone between a traditional homeworking model and an independent travel agency business under the Explorer franchise model.

Woodall-Johnston attributed the increase in the number of homeworkers over the last year to larger numbers of experienced agents looking to work from home or take up more flexible roles in the industry following a change in working habits as a result of the Covid pandemic.

Some people working in the high-street want the flexibility of working from home. Everyone is seeing it. If you can offer homeworking as a company, you can attract more talent.

At this year's homeworking conference, agents were encouraged to look at ways to increase their long-haul and cruise sales as well as capitalising on marketing and supplier opportunities to make the biggest difference to their sales.