As published by Travel Today, Monday 30 Sept 2024.

One multi-award winning travel agency says without the pandemic its business would never be as efficient and lucrative as it is now - as its owners add that this is just the beginning of more planned growth.

YOU Travel Bethlehem won a whopping 11 awards at the First Travel Group's Elevate-themed conference at the weekend. The store's Lydia Haddon took home the Consultant of the Year (for the second consecutive year) and Jane Hanson was named Broker of the Year, while the store also won a slew of supplier awards.

While celebrating the 'amazing wins', which owners Kay Rogers and Catherine Membery attribute to 'some very hard work by the team', the duo is also upbeat on the future of the industry and the critical role agents continue to play.

"C-19 is the best thing that ever happened. The whole travel industry has done a complete reset, we've realised that we are professionals and we can charge a fee for our services - and we're more efficcient," says Rogers. "Before [C-19] we were too afraid to be treated as professionals but now we know we can charge and our clients are happy."

And while the business is down from three branches and 29 staff in 2020, to just one store and a team of 14 now - Membery says the business is back to the same turnover 'with better margins, better returns and better efficiencies and back of house resources.' 

"Kay and I are now working together in the same store, and I'm selling again - and it's been the best thing that's ever happened to us."

Looking Ahead

Membery says there has been a slight plateau in demand, but this, too, is being seen as a positive. "One key concern is managing burnout because staff are overwhelmed - but things have been so b usy that we are in need of that plateau to help things normalise and lessen the workload."

The store is just one part of the tight-knight FTG 'family' and the pair attribute much of their success to the support from within the FTG network. "We're new to what's ahead of us and how the helloworld and FTG cultures will pull together, but we've always been family at FTG - and that extends to our staff... we treat them like family."

FTG Awards Won by YOU Travel & Cruise Bethlehem

• Top 10 Producers for 2024
• Air New Zealand, Top Store Award 2024
• Allianz Partners, Top Performer Award 2024
• Creative Cruising NZ, Top Agency Award 2024
• GO Holidays, Top Office Award 2024
• Intrepid, Top Store Award 2024
• Norwegian Cruise Line, Top Performing Agency 2024
• Total Holiday Options, Top Producer Award 2024 - Kay Rogers
• The Travel Corporation, Top Agency Award 2024
• United Airlines, Best Growth Award 2024
• Top Broker Award 2024 - Jane Hanson
• Top Retail Consultant Award 2024 - Lydia Haydon