When one door closed, George built something even better

When Thomas Cook collapsed in 2019, thousands of travel professionals were left wondering what came next. For George Triggs, who had spent 17 years building his career with the iconic travel brand, it felt like everything he knew had disappeared overnight.

George suddenly found himself at a crossroads. But what felt like the end of one chapter became the beginning of something even bigger.

Finding the right home

"When Travel Counsellors approached me, it was with open arms”, George said. "It just felt so caring from that first moment of interaction. There was no hard sell and it was really genuine.

A visit to our head office in Manchester confirmed his decision. “From that moment when I did the walk around at Venus, I knew Travel Counsellors was the one. I didn't even look at any other franchises. For me, it’s all about my customers, and I knew Travel Counsellors would give me the tools and support to look after them in the best possible way.”

Starting again with just one customer

Launching his own business meant starting from scratch.

Really from scratch.

“The only client I had was my mum”, George laughs. Rather than seeing obstacles, George looked for opportunities. One of the biggest came from an unexpected place – his husband Chris's hair salon. “That was a massive opportunity because as soon as you sit down in a salon, people start talking about holidays."

By building relationships, embracing referrals and becoming visible in his local community, his business steadily grew. Today, referrals are one of his biggest drivers of success.

Building a business that’s personal

George has also invested heavily in building his personal brand online, helping clients connect with the person behind the business. Sharing videos and going live on social media has helped clients get to know the real George.

And in an era of AI-generated itineraries and online booking tools, George believes people still value genuine expertise.

"ChatGPT and things like that can help with an itinerary, but that human touch is invaluable. I think that's where we're outdoing this,” said George.

Growing his business, and his earnings

Six years after starting his franchise with us, George has never been busier. Although we don’t set sales targets, George always challenges himself to improve.

His latest results exceeded even his own expectations.

"This year has just been the biggest year. I increased by 26%. I'm absolutely buzzing! I earn more than when I was a cluster manager. I can double or treble what I was earning some months.”

Creating something for himself, but not by himself

One concern many travel professionals have about becoming self-employed is losing the camaraderie of working in a branch.

George admits that was one of his biggest adjustments.

"When you've been in retail for 17 years and you're used to doing team briefs and high-fiving people when they've done a booking, it can feel lonely at times.”

But that feeling never lasts long. "You just pick the phone up and speak to another Travel Counsellor", adds George.

Over the years, those relationships have become genuine friendships. "I've got a Travel Counsellor that was on my team back in 2019. I'm actually now her daughter's godfather. We've been on holiday together. That's all because of Travel Counsellors."

One piece of advice

For anyone in the travel industry facing redundancy or questioning what comes next, George has one simple message. "Just do it, honestly. It's not going to be all roses, but the wins outweigh the lows. 100%."

Could your next chapter start here?

If you're currently facing redundancy, worried about what's next, or simply looking for a different way to build your career in travel, why not find out more?

Our Discovery events are designed to give you an honest insight into what life as a Travel Counsellor is really like. You'll hear first-hand stories from people like George, meet members of our supportive community, and have the chance to ask any questions in a relaxed, no-obligation environment.