TTG – Cruise – “Quality over quantity”: how GoCruise & Travel finds new agents with the right “vibe”

December 16, 2024by Harry Kemble

With more work-from-home companies entering the fray, or existing agencies adding work-from-home divisions, the debate over how much training a person needs before they can confidently sell travel becomes more and more nuanced.

Pictured left to right: Lisa Lightly, Olivia Piotrowski and Angela Smith of GoCruise & Travel with Colin Martin-Weekes (Credit: GoCruise & Travel)

Some agencies will target their headcount to increase revenue through membership fees, while others will use more resources to improve their bottom line by making more bookings. Some will do both.

GoCruise & Travel, part of Fred Olsen Travel, wants to increase its visibility as a franchiser specializing in cruises, but at its own pace. About 85% of GoCruise’s business is cruises.

However, Colin Martin-Weekes, who was recently promoted from general manager to franchise head, points out that franchisees can sell any type of vacation they want.

“Our 20-year heritage allows us to present a unique and reliable proposition for building a business together, with great rewards for all,” he said. XXL.

“Quality over quantity”

Martin-Weekes hired seven “complete novices” this year with no travel experience – each requiring about three months of training.

This year, 17 new members joined GoCruise, while the number of franchisees reaching £1m in sales doubled – with one making over £2m. This is all very impressive considering that 2024 is Martin-Weekes’ first year at the helm of GoCruise.

“It’s about finding agents that suit us – we’re a credit to our size,” says Martin-Weekes. He explains how he has changed recruitment and support structures over the past year.

“We are not trying to recruit hundreds, we favor quality over quantity,” he says before adding: “We are not like some of our competitors.”

Martin-Weekes estimates he has turned away five people who wanted to join GoCruise this year. In general, he says, it’s “the solution.” “They may have the passion, but they don’t have the atmosphere…”

The company has had to weed out a few bad apples during the pandemic, however. “We had problems with agents taking customers’ money and not booking holidays,” he admits.

Martin-Weekes reveals he wanted the role of general manager so much that he began forming ideas about the recruiting, training and sales processes at GoCruise years before leaving his previous role as franchise director . “Over the last year, I’ve abandoned these projects across the company,” he says.

Before hiring anyone, Martin-Weekes hosts “Discovery Day” events in which GoCruise’s management team attempts to connect with potential franchisees.

GoCruise also offers “Day in the Life” style sessions, where people can ask existing franchisees questions about their business. “We don’t want to waste people’s time,” Martin-Weekes says. “The process takes a few weeks.”

Find franchisees

GoCruise currently has 65 franchisees in the UK. To find the travel agents of tomorrow, Martin-Weekes participates in events across the country for military personnel looking to change careers.

He is also registered with Didteach, an online platform dedicated to helping teachers change jobs.

GoCruise & Travel exhibited at an event for ex-military personnel exploring new career opportunities (Credit: GoCruise & Travel)

“Of this year’s new franchisees, seven participated in military or educational events,” reveals Martin-Weekes. He attended a career fair for military personnel in Cardiff to try to find more franchisees in Wales.

“A lot of people came up to me,” he said. “It’s all about finding different opportunities.” He then wants to recruit franchisees during events aimed at caregivers and nurses.

More than 100 franchisees and business partners attended GoCruise & Travel’s two-day conference in Coventry, where Martin-Weekes and his team promised that 2025 would be “the year of the franchise”.

Martin-Weekes with Lightly, Piotrowski and Smith at GoCruise & Travel’s 2024 Annual Conference in December

Martin-Weekes has outlined plans for a new franchise service center which will provide members with more sales and administrative support as well as a new support program for the 2025 peak booking period.

Members can learn about the latest business offerings from suppliers through the center and improve their health and well-being by working from home. Additionally, to encourage business growth, center members can share stories and ideas on the internal network.

As the sun sets on 2024, what other plans does Martin-Weeks have for the year ahead? “I would like to recruit 10 additional franchisees,” he says. “I want to make sure we behave the right way. I’ve wanted this role for a while and it was great to be able to shape it.