Travel Counsellors has reported record breaking sales as total transactions surpass the £500m mark for the first time. 

Measured between March 2016 and March 2017, the total transaction value was boosted by a record month for sales in January, with £65m worth of bookings made.

These figures represented a 22% increase in UK sales and a 20% increase globally when compared with the same period the previous year.

In addition, the company has focused on growing its recruitment of new franchisees over the last 12 months and announced the appointment of its 1000th UK-based tour operator earlier this year.

Recent statistics from the business show that 88% of its franchisees were attracted by the ability to work in a way that fits around their lifestyle, while 92% identified the flexibility and freedom of products as a key factor.

The firm has a further 600 Travel Counsellors working overseas, with operations in Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, Australia and the UAE.

It also reports that 63% of bookings in the last 12 months were from repeat customers. Average spend has also risen by 25% to £2,600 in the past five years, while over half of customers are between the ages of 40 and 69.

Travel Counsellors says the growth can also be attributed to the firm’s ongoing investment in technology. In December, it announced its intention to invest £21m into the business over the course of 2017, with the objective of boosting its digital infrastructure and enhancing its offering to customers.

This includes heavy investment in the development of its in-house quote and booking system, enabling its tour operators to create itineraries to customer preferences and interests.

This investment has paid dividends for the company, with the system seeing a 12% increase in sales globally over the past 12 months, with 25% of its total revenue now generated outside the UK.

Steve Byrne, chief executive at Travel Counsellors, said: “The strong growth figures we have enjoyed in recent years underlines the rising appetite from consumers for a more personal approach to holidays and business travel. With access to a wide range of rich data, facilitated by state of the art technology, we are able to understand our customers’ needs and habits, enabling our Travel Counsellors to alter their approach and arrange truly bespoke trips.

“This service is underpinned by the caring that runs throughout the business, enabling us to maintain a shared culture across our 1,600 self-employed Travel Counsellors. By continuing to invest in improving our digital infrastructure that our business owners require, we are able to instil a sense of community and ensure that they are able to provide the best possible customer service. This approach has been hugely successful, and we are confident that we can accelerate this momentum in the coming years.”