We’re delighted to report that GoCruise & Travel is Business & Industry Todays Cruise & Holiday Specialist Company of the Year.
GoCruise & Travel is a proud member of the Fred. Olsen Travel Group and was originally established 15 years ago. Over the years, it has expanded to include 60 individual franchise business owners who sell cruises and holidays to their customers. Since the beginning, the focus has been on cruise and holiday specialisms, with an extensive range of options available through its trade partners.
The company has seen a business increase of 8% compared to 2023 figures and now with a phenomenal 61 travel franchisees selling under the brand, there is renewed optimism going forward.
We caught up with Colin Martin-Weekes: Franchise General Manager to assess how successful business has been over the last 12 months.
“GoCruise & Travel have re-defined the business structure and offerings as a franchisor this year, following on from feedback from our franchisees, and looked at how we could ‘stand out’ and be different in the market place.
Our strategy this year was to focus on the growth and development of our Franchise Family- from sales support, to business development to increase customer databases and business offering to the clients of all our franchisees.
We have dedicated time to running events, trainings and a conference to engage and motivate our franchisees. Our success has seen the most "millionaire status" franchisees we have ever had: over 11 businesses exceeding the ‘one million mark’ in holiday and cruise sales.”
The recent Top Achievers Event celebrated all these successes, with an implemented award scheme now expected to drive higher performance into the future. It’s easy to see why GoCruise & Travel was voted a UK Top Franchise 2024 with tailored support to boost motivation across the board.
The ‘franchisee recruitment model’ gives the right tiered franchisee support, dependent on experience:
“This new approach has helped our new franchisees settle in to our business culture and we secured 12 new franchisees this year alone. All 12 have now completed our induction training academy and have gone live with selling holidays and cruises. It’s a really exciting time!
Our support and development as franchisor is ongoing, so it's wonderful to see our new franchisees come into their own and start to flourish.”
Franchisees offer support with a range of cruise & holiday options including: ocean and river cruises, city breaks, beach holidays, rail holidays, escorted tours, flights worldwide, luxury holidays and cruises and much more
Looking after customers is a key component in the travel industry: from missed flights, delayed departures, to lost passports, GoCruise & Travel instructs all its franchisees on how to look after all customers. It’s also about when things go right- offering recommendations for travel itineraries, unmissable sights or the hottest eateries/restaurants. With relationships built on trust and professionalism, franchisees foster repeat bookings from loyal customers. When customers are happy, they then recommend individual franchisees to their family, friends and colleagues.
“I'm very pleased to see our customer numbers grow by 26% year on year and for so many of our franchisees, to have some much forward business already booked, is a credit to their service and our support as a franchisor.
Overall, this year has been the start of something new for the brand, and I'm very excited to see it develop even further into next year. With all this change, it's definitely brought its rewards for everyone connected to GoCruise & Travel.”
Homeworking is a Covid hangover and whilst it suits many people, there are others in the cruise & holiday sector who prefer working outside the home.
As a response to this, GoCruise & Travel is expanding its offering onto the Retail High Street.
“For those who don't think homeworking is for them, we can support operating a GoCruise & Travel Franchise Travel Shop on the high street. As part of this package, we can source the location, design and fit the shop and give all the training needed to operate a successful Travel Agency. We currently have four franchise shops across the UK and this new offering will hopefully expand our brand recognition even further.”
The team at award-winning GoCruise & Travel offer unparalleled support from mentoring, ongoing training, to golden opportunities in making a passion for travel a well-paid career. Whether you’re new to travel, returning to the travel industry or experienced in the field, GoCruise & Travel will help you make the job fit around you and your lifestyle.
“Our business model is all about personal connections- ones that you wouldn’t necessarily get with another travel agent.
Our franchisees pride themselves on quality service, and connections with their customers, to ensure they return year after year, with booking their holidays and listening to their advice on cruising, and recommendations on deals and offers available. Plus, ensuring the holiday is the best for them, both on price and quality for that customer. We are fully ABTA and ATOL bonded, so your travel plans are all safe in our hands, and we are there for you if and when you need us. Our franchisee knowledge is incredible and we pride ourselves on doing the best we can for our customers. Nothing is too much trouble. Many of our franchisees are well-travelled themselves but this is not necessary for beginners to the industry. We offer independent and unbiased advice, which our customers always appreciate and it’s one of the many reasons they keep coming back to us year after year.”
Looking ahead to the next three years, GoCruise & Travel plans to continue with its tried-and-tested strategy for growth. The overarching focus is on recruiting ‘quality’ franchisees rather than ‘quantity’ and listening to the views of our franchisees through the Franchisee Working Group.
“It's as much ours as a franchisor, as it is to our franchisees, and if everyone can feel a part of it, then the positivity and sense of purpose/achievement will soon follow.
Our long-term goal is to have a strong presence of franchisees working from home, and on the high street, under our brand, selling dream holidays and cruises to our extensive range of customers. With all this in place, our support and technology behind the scenes will then develop to help aid time functionality, as well as developing a sense of self and purpose for the franchisees with their businesses. Our plans, are to build our brand image and to be that brand you think of when you are considering a holiday or cruise!”
To conclude, GoCruise & Travel is not just about selling holidays and cruises or just building a business, but connecting to a long-standing community/family of franchisees. With support every step of the way, with wider connections to Fred. Olsen Travel Family of businesses, every franchisee can rest assured that they are joining a community with a passion for travel and all the lifetime memories associated with travel.
