eTravel records unprecedented growth

with the previous year,
despite a weak economy.
This feat is attributed to the
strength of the “true” ITC
model, which is making a
comeback, says ceo, Garth
Wolff.
While the emergence of
straightforward ticketing
business models initially
hampered growth, Garth
says the appeal of original
ITC models is drawing
agents’ interest. He says
agents have become
disillusioned with the
ticketing model because it
doesn’t grant them access
to the full suite of services
they need.
For example, more agents
have taken an interest in
the VAT invoicing side of
eTravel’s offering. “Very few
people actually know how to
manage cash. It’s important
for agents to be free to stick
to what they know.”
eTravel launched its own
ticketing solution, ‘Just the
Ticket’ in July 2014 to cater
for emerging demand at the
time; however, the group
hasn’t seen much uptake,
with members preferring to
sign up for eTravel’s full suite
option instead, says Garth.
The result is that, to date, of
eTravel’s 187 independent
agents, only eight are on the
Just the Ticket option.
eTravel’s success has to
do with the company sticking
to what it specialises in and
doing that well, says Garth.
“eTravel is solid, we’ve
been around for 17 years
and we’ve kept our promise
to pay more commissions
to ITCs each year and will
continue to do so.”
He also emphasises the
importance of institutional
memory and developing an
experienced team of staff
who are happy. “I believe
staff are king,” he says,
adding that most of the
managers at eTravel have
been with the company
on average for about eight
years.