Affiliate programme to boost eTravel’s clout

ETRAVEL is reinvigorating
its affiliate programme,
looking to sign up small to
medium-sized travel agencies
as franchisees. With the
affiliate programme, eTravel will
support Iata-licensed agencies.
Garth Wolff, ceo of eTravel,
says franchisees will benefit
from eTravel’s buying power
and intellectual capital. In turn,
eTravel will grow its turnover
and increase its buying power.
Franchisees will share in
eTravel overrides, although
eTravel will keep a portion
of the overrides. Garth says
franchisees’ earnings will be
similar or more in terms of
override percentages when
compared with other franchise
models.
Unlike other franchise
models, eTravel franchisees will
not be charged a branding fee
and will not brand themselves
as eTravel. Garth suggests
franchisees get no value from
leveraging a franchise. For
example, he says: “Sally has
her clients and her clients
know her as Sally.” He says
these clients do not care which
franchise an agent is with.
“We have realised that, with
rising costs on both the staffing
and management of the entire
business, the margins for an
Iata-licensed agency are getting
less and less, not to mention
the diminishing overrides and
pressure on service fees.
“We have seen an opportunity
to extend our offering for an
affiliate programme for small to
medium-sized travel agencies.”
Garth says franchises will be
able to easily transition to the
ITC model should they wish. “It
makes the path of converting
from a full Iata agency to an
ITC much easier because they
will be under the same brand
with the same people taking
care of them.” In the long-term,
the travel market in South
Africa will tend toward big
TMCs and ITCs, says Garth.