The move is a way to support agents who may have been affected by business issues around the impact of Covid-19 and are now looking for the support of an established and fully bonded travel company while maintaining independence.
Winged Boots said the Black Book Agents Programme would offer agents “the flexibility to service their clients’ travel needs under the protection of our Atol licence and Travel Trust Association membership”.
The travel company also has a full product, operations and marketing team that agents will be able to tap into, and there are no joining fees, or upfront costs.
“The impact of Covid-19 on the travel industry is profound, with thousands of jobs and families impacted,” said David Ox, Winged Boots’ managing director. “This is an exciting opportunity for experienced travel agents who may have been affected by the pandemic to continue to look after their client’s needs, work remotely and be rewarded with uncapped earnings. We want to provide a home to experienced luxury travel designers and their clients.”
Agents who join the Black Book Agents Programme will also experience the perks of being an employee, such as holiday pay, private medical insurance and pension scheme.
“This programme is the perfect step for someone who has been running their own independent travel agency for a number of years but has seen their income massively impacted by the decline in future bookings and departure-based earnings,” added Ox. “With Winged Boots’ industry accreditations, agents can work with complete flexibility and effectively run their own business while still receiving the support of an established travel company.”
Winged Boots is a luxury personalised travel management business founded by Ox in 2008. It is part of Ocean Holidays, which was set up in 2004 by Ox, his brother Daniel and two other brothers, Harry and George Hastings. It also includes Ocean Beds, a USA receptive tour operator based in Orlando and the UK, and Ocean Florida, a large specialist to the state.
Interested agents in the new programme should email blackbookagents@wingedboots.co.uk
