Travel Counsellors

What Travel Counsellors does

Travel Counsellors Limited is a Manchester-headquartered, privately held travel company founded in 1994 that operates a tech-enabled homeworking travel agency franchise model. The company supports a network of 4,000+ independent Travel Counsellors across seven international markets — UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, UAE, and Canada — who serve individual leisure travellers, premium and luxury travellers, and corporate clients with personalized tailor-made holiday arrangements. Revenue is generated primarily through commissions on bookings processed via the proprietary platform; transaction value reached £1.1bn in the 12 months to October 2025, up from £933m in 2023, with EBITDA exceeding £40m on a TTM basis and projected to rise to £50m post-TTAND. The business is owned in partnership with private equity firm Vitruvian Partners and led by CEO Steve Byrne.

The core technology is the proprietary Phenix platform, which combines AI capabilities, workflow automation, and personal travel advice to enable independent Travel Counsellors to collaborate in teams and scale operations. The platform is supplemented by the myTC mobile application for customer booking management, secure payments, and travel-document access; TC Match for postcode- and expertise-based pairing of customers with counsellors; and TC Co-Pilot, a conversational AI assistant designed to enhance productivity and personalization across the agent network. Acquired technology and brand assets include the Planisto platform (integrated into Phenix, 2024) and the Holidaysplease luxury travel advisor network (UK, 2023); both strengthen the premium travel proposition and underlying platform capability.

Growth has been driven by an active acquisition strategy combined with international expansion: the December 2025 acquisition of Canada's The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND) for approximately $50m / £50m added 1,700+ agents and was the company's first North American deal. Customer financial protection is delivered via ATOL licence (6751) issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the Travel Counsellors Trust Fund (independently administered by Barclays Bank Trust Ltd), and UK Package Travel Regulations compliance. Additional offerings include a dedicated corporate travel platform and partnerships extending into sustainable tourism (The Travel Foundation, Enriching Escapes; Global Sustainable Tourism Council-aligned Green Leaf certification) and premium sporting and concert packages via Sports Entertainment Tours.

Name

Travel Counsellors

Legal name

Travel Counsellors Limited

Website

https://travelcounsellors.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Travel Counsellors is a Manchester-based private travel company operating a tech-enabled network of 4,000+ independent homeworking travel agents across seven countries, delivering personalized tailor-made leisure, luxury, and corporate holidays through its proprietary Phenix platform and AI tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (5615), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Personal Services (7200)

akta.pro primary industry

Leisure & Generalist Retail Travel Agencies (THAKABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Travel Agencies (THAKAFAA), Online/Hybrid Corporate Travel Agencies (Self-Booking + Support) (THAKACAB), Destination Research & Custom Recommendations (HSACAKAM)

Keywords

• Tailor-made holidays
• Homeworking travel agents
• Leisure travel booking
• Corporate travel management
• Travel agency services

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Travel Booking Commissions: The company generates revenue through commissions on travel bookings made through its platform. Travel Counsellors are independent franchisees who earn commissions on bookings, with the company taking a share. The platform processed £933 million in annual bookings (2023) and achieved £1.1 billion transaction value in the 12 months to October 2025.
2. Technology Platform Services: Revenue from providing proprietary technology platforms to travel professionals, including the Phenix platform, with recent acquisitions of Planisto technology to enhance digital capabilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Travel Counsellors is a technology-enabled travel company that sells tailor-made holidays and corporate travel arrangements through a global network of more than 4,000 independent homeworking Travel Counsellors. Customers are paired with a dedicated personal travel expert who handles research, booking, payment, documentation and 24/7 in-trip support, with all transactions processed on the proprietary Phenix platform and the myTC mobile app.

Product overview

Travel Counsellors operates as a technology-enabled travel company with a hybrid model combining proprietary technology, AI, and personal travel advice. The core platform is Phenix, supplemented by the myTC App for customer bookings and payments, TC Co-Pilot AI assistant for agent productivity, and TC Match for customer-counsellor matching. The company has pursued an acquisition strategy, adding Holidaysplease (luxury travel advisors), the Planisto technology platform (integrated into Phenix), and The Travel Agent Next Door (Canadian travel agent community) to expand its network and capabilities. The company operates across seven international markets including the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, UAE, and North America, supporting over 4,000 travel business owners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Phenix: Proprietary digital platform for travel booking and management
• TC Co-Pilot
• myTC
• TC Match
• Green Leaf
• Enriching Escapes

Products and services

• Tailor-made & Touring holidays Bespoke, expert-led multi-destination itineraries including epic road and rail journeys, escorted tours, expedition and frontier travel, small group discoveries and island hopping, crafted by a dedicated Travel Counsellor.
• Cruise holidays Curated cruise holidays across Mediterranean, Caribbean, USA, Asia, river and expedition itineraries, supported by expert Travel Counsellors and ATOL protection.
• Beach holidays Beach getaways spanning luxury, secluded, beach resort and boutique styles for couples, families and solo travellers.
• Family holidays Multi-generational getaways, family fun packages, luxury family retreats and memory-maker trips tailored by a dedicated Travel Counsellor.
• All-inclusive holidays Single-payment all-inclusive packages spanning adults-only, luxury indulgence, active/experiential and beach escape styles.
• City holidays Short-break and city holiday packages including recommended itineraries, best-sellers and city attraction passes (Go City).
• Responsible holidays Itineraries designed around sustainability and positive community impact, using GSTC-aligned Green Leaf certified hotels and partnerships such as ResiRest and The Travel Foundation.
• Corporate travel management Managed business travel for corporate clients including policy-compliant booking, expense management, reporting and 24/7 traveller support via the dedicated business travel platform and duty office.
• Events, Groups and MICE Group travel, events and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) arrangements for corporate and group clients.
• Sports and entertainment travel packages Premium hospitality and travel packages for global sporting events (Premier League football, Formula 1, rugby, cricket, golf, tennis, horse racing, Super Bowl, NBA) and concerts, accessed via Travel Counsellors' homeworker network.
• myTC mobile application Customer-facing mobile application for managing holiday payments, travel documents, booking requests and live flight updates for Travel Counsellors' customers.
• Phenix platform for travel entrepreneurs Proprietary cloud-based booking, management and collaboration platform (including TC Co-Pilot AI and TC Match) used by independent Travel Counsellors and corporate teams to scale personalised travel advisory services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Customer satisfaction rating of 84% from Which? Travel survey, ranking third among tailor-made holiday providers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Sports Entertainment ToursminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 May 2026Partnership giving Travel Counsellors' homeworkers in the UK and Ireland access to premium packages for global sporting events (Premier League football, Formula 1, rugby, cricket, golf, tennis, horse racing) and concerts including US sports events like Super Bowl and NBA. Founded in Belfast in 2021.
• The Travel FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable tourism NGO with whom Travel Counsellors partnered to develop 'Enriching Escapes' - a new approach to holiday itinerary development that ensures tourism has positive impact on destinations. Collaboration includes framework for itinerary building with more opportunities to support local communities and environment.
• ResiRestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization where food becomes the bridge that connects cultures, creates unforgettable memories, and makes the world feel a little bit smaller. Provides authentic culinary experiences as part of responsible travel offerings.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization whose criteria Travel Counsellors uses for Green Leaf hotel certification. Green Leaf hotels are certified by organizations using GSTC criteria for sustainable tourism standards.
• WeRoadminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSolo adventure travel specialist operating across Italy, Spain, UK, France, and Germany. Travel Counsellors is referenced as a trade partner contributing to WeRoad's growth in English-speaking markets.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trailfinders: Trailfinders is a UK-based private travel agency specialising in tailor-made and long-haul holidays, with a reputation for personal service and expert travel consultants. Closely comparable to Travel Counsellors on customer profile (premium leisure travellers) and bespoke itinerary model.
• Hays Travel: Hays Travel is the UK's largest independent travel agency, with a high-street and homeworker network offering leisure and package holidays. Directly comparable in travel agency category, geographic market (UK mass-affluent leisure) and commission-based revenue model.
• Flight Centre Travel Group: Flight Centre operates a global network of leisure and corporate travel brands with a heavy emphasis on personal travel consultant service. Comparable in distributed advisor model, leisure focus, and multi-country presence.
• FROSCH Travel: FROSCH is a US-based travel management company focused on leisure and corporate travel with high-touch consultant service. Comparable as a privately held, advisor-led agency serving premium and corporate clients.
• Corporate Travel Management (CTM): CTM is a global corporate travel management company with a network of offices and a proprietary technology platform. Comparable in the corporate travel and tech-enabled TMC segments of Travel Counsellors' business.
• Avanti Travel: Avanti is a UK-based homeworking travel agency with an independent-advisor model. Closely comparable in distributed homeworker structure and UK leisure / tailor-made travel focus.

Broad incumbents

• American Express Global Business Travel: Amex GBT is a large global corporate travel management company with a technology platform and managed service offering. Comparable in corporate travel segment and tech-enabled TMC capabilities.
• TUI Group: TUI is a major integrated tourism group operating airlines, cruise ships, hotels, and retail travel agencies across Europe. Comparable as a UK-headquartered travel and holiday provider, though at vastly larger scale and with vertically integrated assets Travel Counsellors does not own.
• Booking Holdings (Booking.com): Booking Holdings operates the largest global OTA network including Booking.com, Priceline and Kayak. Comparable as an alternative distribution channel for accommodation and travel, representing the structural competitive backdrop to Travel Counsellors' agency model.
• Expedia Group: Expedia Group operates major OTAs (Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo) and a B2B platform (Expedia Partner Solutions). Comparable as a competing online distribution channel and technology infrastructure provider in the travel space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TravelCounsellors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/travel-counsellors

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Travel Counsellors