2019 UAE Business Awards

16 MEA MARKETS / 2019 UAE Business Awards , Ramona - Travel Counsellors Best Travel Management Agency 2019 – Dubai & Recognised Leader in Honeymoon Travel Management 2019 Travel Counsellors is an innovative travel management firmoffering a wide range of services. We invited Franchisee Ramona Rusu to talk us through her business and how she is driving it to excellence. Established in 1994, Travel Counsellors were the UK’s first Travel Management Company to operate a 24-hour extensive network of remote branches throughout the United Kingdom. The operation has now been extended across a further six countries; Australia, Belgium, UAE, Ireland, the Neth- erlands and South Africa. Having joined as a franchise owner in 2014, Ramona has since flourished, and today offers a range of innovative services, as she is proud to highlight. “Personally, through running a franchise of Travel Counsellors I work with multicultural clients who like to have their travel needs taken care of. Honeymooners are at the core of my business, but I also work with families, groups and corporate clients as well. “For these clients I provide a one-stop-shop of services to suit their every need. My reputation is built on understanding my client’s needs by providing a personal service with passion and care, along with flexible solutions. My promise is that my clients will have access to a highly experienced travel advisor to provide completely impartial and personalised advice and would be able to offer them the widest choice of holidays to any destination around the world. I will be available at a time to suit them and ready to communicate the way that best suits them.” Being part of Travel Counsellors allows Ramona to combine her skills with the established firm’s reputation for excellence, as she explains. “By using the Travel Counsellors’ innovative technology, I have full access to my office and your bookings wherever I am, what- ever time of day, so I can assure you of a quick and efficient service as well. Where there is a need for last minute bookings, last minute changes and complex itineraries, I will accommodate this with ease, whilst always being mindful of the pressures of the client whilst awaiting responses. “Building and maintaining relationships is something I excel in. I aim to get to the point where I know my clients so well that I can predict what they will want and how they will want it done, becoming a trusted friend. As such, through my work with Travel Counsellors I am able to use my skills and their technology to drive us both to success.” It is Ramona’s personal approach that sets her apart from other travel managers, as she is eager to emphasise. “Fundamentally, I truly believe that what I am able to offer my clients is unique and cannot be matched by any other travel management company. I am able to be there in an emergency or even when the travellers need advice or reassurance that the travel plans are right. I’m here from ‘hello’, throughout the booking and organising phase, and then beyond. I will be there for my clients when they land, if ash clouds emerge or if ground handling strikes occur. Always on call to help, advise or re-organise. What matters to them, matters to me. I believe in treating my clients the way I would expect to be treated. That makes me more than a little different from the rest, and that’s what keeps my customers coming back to me again and again. Overall, since I have started the business I have an 80% repeat business.” Looking ahead, Ramona is keen to enhance this success and grow her business even further, as she is proud to conclude. “Going forward, my plans for the future include increasing the repeat business and making sure I am assisting all clients who have booked their honeymoons through me to organise their anniversaries and all future family travel. These developments will ensure that I continue to provide exceptional quality service to my clients, and I am excited for what the future holds for me and Travel Counsellors.” Company: Ramona - Travel Counsellors Name: Ramona Rusu Address: dnata Travel Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, 2nd floor, Dubai, UAE Telephone Number: 0501893194 Web Address: www.travelcoun- sellors.ae/ramona.rusu Feb19391