Agents risk losing business to OTAs if they don't offer clients an in-house booking tool, a top luxury advisor has warned.
Duncan Greenfield-Turk, founder of Global Travel Moments, will launch a self-service reservation engine on Friday as part of a long-term strategy to “cement” client relationships.
The format of the tool is straightforward: customers click on the site’s ‘Plan a Journey’ dropdown menu, which will give the option to book one of the agency’s four or five star hotel partners.
From there, they will be able to search for the property by city name, airport or landmark, and view both its standard and preferred rates.
Greenfield-Turk believes that the tool is essential for “meeting the needs” of his clients, many of whom require a “hybrid booking option” for optimal convenience.
“We are a luxury agency and the reality is: luxury clients want to book certain things online,” he told TTG Luxury. “It’s just not true that luxury travellers don’t use booking platforms.”
Greenfield-Turk had wanted to develop an in-house booking tool since establishing Global Travel Moments in 2018, having long believed such a platform would strengthen his business. The South African native says the engine especially caters to busy clients, who “may not always want to speak to someone.”
“I am losing revenue because a client will go to Booking.com and book it themselves, just because it’s convenient,” he explained.
Greenfield-Turk says the booking tool will benefit both Global Travel Moments' ICs and their clients
The luxury travel specialist argues the tool, which has been thoroughly tested and is “100% mobile friendly”, will reduce this risk of defection.
Greenfield-Turk also believes it will benefit Global Travel Moments’ independent contractors: “My team cannot be available 24/7, but people want to reserve a hotel at 3am. So this gives the client the capacity to do that in the most efficient way, with access to our resources. If it’s their booking they still get their share.”
After a client makes a booking using the tool, they will receive a follow-up call from a Global Travel Moments advisor. “It gives us the opportunity to cement and build the relationship with clients,” Greenfield-Turk explained. “We pick up the phone and say: ‘Thanks so much for booking. What else do you need? Do you need touring and activities? Ground transfers? Is it a special occasion?’”
The launch of Global Travel Moments’ tool comes at a prosperous time for the agency, which is known for specialising in LGBTQ+ luxury trips.
“In the last six months we’ve done more ultra-luxury bookings than we’ve done in the last five years,” said Greenfield-Turk. “Since the beginning of 2026, we’re almost at £1 million.”
As for what he attributes to the success, Greenfield-Turk believes it’s a combination of factors.
“It’s the snowball effect,” he said. “It’s everything we’ve been doing over the last five years, especially ensuring the customers we take are the right clients. We are not just saying yes for the sake of it.”
Greenfield-Turk attributes these impressive figures to a tight booking window, noting that Global Travel Moments maintains an average lead time of under 50 days from enquiry to departure.
“Luxury clients now are in a volatile situation because of the stock market. They’re asset rich, but not necessarily cash fluid,” he explained. “They’re making decisions in a shorter space of time because they have the cash now.”
As for the industry’s reaction to the booking tool, Greenfield-Turk hopes that it will inspire agents to follow suit. “Customers’ needs are changing,” he said. “We can’t be awake 24/7. Why wouldn’t you want to make money in your sleep?”
