Designer Travel celebrates ‘record-breaking’ turnover at annual conference

Designer Travel celebrated a strong start to the year at its annual conference, held in Abu Dhabi on June 15-20. 

The luxury homeworking agency marked the end of its financial year in March with a 20% year-on-year increase in revenue after hitting a “record-breaking” £11.7 million turnover in January. 

Speaking to Aspire, co-founder Amanda Matthews added that the agency was “off to a flying start” in the first two months of its new financial year, with trading up by 21% in April and May. 

The insights were shared with more than 80 homeworkers and 18 suppliers at Designer Travel’s conference in Abu Dhabi. 

Delegates enjoyed four days of business insight sessions, hotel visits and excursions to the emirate’s top attractions, includingthe F1 circuit, interactive art museum TeamLab Phenomena and Warner Bros World themepark.

Matthews said the destination was chosen after the business recognised untapped sales potential in the region.

She said: “We identified the destination as one we believed we could sell a lot more of but hadn’t got much personal experience of.

“I think a lot of [agents] would have seen it as a stopover destination before travelling there, but now that we’ve experienced it, we’ve realised that it is a stunning destination with something for everyone.” 

A total of 23 agents stayed for a two-day extension in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi’s second-largest city, where they visited the Oasis and Al Ain Zoo.

Matthews maintained a positive outlook regarding Designer Travel’s continued success for the year despite acknowledging “challenging times ahead” such as the on-going conflict in the Middle East.

She said: “We’re chasing big numbers. We would like to be 15% up by the end of next March, but we believe that with the instability of what’s going on in the Middle East, there will be challenges on the way without a doubt.” 

She added: “We’re in a fast-paced, changing environment so we will have to face whatever may or may not come out of this region depending on what escalates. You’ve got to be flexible, reassure clients and point them towards Foreign Office advice.”

During the conference, Designer Travel also unveiled its new Savvy Traveller policy, an 18-page document with insider tips and guidance for clients about how to travel safely. 

Matthews said the guide had been launched in response to rising complications around travel such as passport, insurance and entry requirements, as well as an increase of “scammers” in the travel industry. 

Matthews said: “We will share [the document] as far and wide as we can and hope that, ultimately, people will understand that dealing with a professional travel agent has the benefits of not having to worry, because we do it all for them.”

Previous destinations for Designer Travel’s annual conference - held almost every year since 2009 - have included Ikos Andalusia, Atlantis The Palm in Dubai, Grecotel Corfu Imperial and Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels in Mauritius. While details are still being finalised for next year’s event, Matthews has confirmed it will be short-haul destination.