The Costa del Sol Tourist Board at the Travel Counsellors annual conference

Once again this year, the Costa del Sol Tourist Board was present in the annual conference of Travel Counsellors, which was held in Manchester, in the old train station, now converted to convention centre, housing most meals, seminars, and work sessions. The conference drew over 1,100 travel agents and suppliers.

Our goal in attending this conference was contacting those travel agents who work at home and showing them all the products available on the Costa del Sol. This we were able to do in the work sessions, during which we talked to participants and found out they were interested in our destination, especially in connection with city breaks and cruises. They asked for information and requested our travel guide on routes and excursions.

Travel Counsellors was founded by David Speakman in 1994. It has over 900 full-time professional agents in the UK and 400 in other countries. They are all operators working at home. In 2009, the company’s profits rose by 260 million pounds, i.e. 5% more than in 2008. As a result of the higher business volume, the firm hired 180 new agents in fast-growing countries, such as South Africa and Australia.

The company is working on an ambitious expansion plan, aimed at increasing annual profits to over 400 million pounds in three years. Moreover, they are planning to make contacts in new countries, such as India, China, and the Scandinavian countries in this new growth phase.

With 1,300 operators around the world, Travel Counsellors is present in Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the US. 83% of the operators are women; 77% have children and are 31 to 50 years old.

According to the latest data, British travellers are changing their destination choice patterns. With the global crisis, Europe has gave way to Egypt, the US (Florida) and the Caribbean –the top travel destinations for the Christmas holidays.

September saw a boost in Christmas holiday sales, with a 14% rise over the previous year. Also, the summer bookings showed a 10% rise over 2008 –an encouraging sign that things are getting better in the near future.

For the first time this year, travel professionals who did not belong to Travel Counsellors were able to attend the conference in Manchester. This was so because the firm was interested in showing the camaraderie, friendliness, and support that all Travel Counsellors share and enjoy.

In a record-breaking work session, “Pow Wow” gathered over 150 suppliers, including hotels, airlines, and travel destinations, who showed the Travel Counsellors what they had to offer. Turespaña, Turismo Andaluz, and the Costa del Sol Tourist Board were among these suppliers.