The UK's leading travel franchise for people new to the industry brought 300 attendees and 37 key trade partners together at the East Midlands Conference Centre for two days of training, supplier networking, major announcements and awards, as the company prepares its network for a booming late-booking market.

The Travel Franchise, the multi-award-winning home-based travel business behind the consumer brand Not Just Travel, has held its biggest ever conference. The Summer Celebration 2026, themed Experience is Everything, welcomed 300 attendees including 37 of the UK's key trade partners to the East Midlands Conference Centre for a packed two-day programme of training, supplier sessions, panel discussions and celebration.

The event comes at a significant moment for the UK travel industry. With around 60 per cent of all holiday bookings now made last-minute, co-founder Steve Witt told attendees the conference was timed to ensure consultants were primed and ready for what the company calls its second peaks, the lucrative late-booking season that runs through summer and into autumn.

“Our consultants told us they wanted more time with our trade partners, so we built the programme around that. When our consultants and our partners get together in real time, bookings follow. Our entire business is based on relationships, and we invest in ours.” – Steve Witt, co-founder, The Travel Franchise and Not Just Travel

A programme built around supplier relationships

Day one featured a full conference programme, with company announcements, live interviews with some of the network's most successful consultants and a look ahead at plans for the second half of 2026. The evening brought a formal dinner and the company's annual awards, recognising consultants who have gone above and beyond over the past year across categories including cruise, luxury, family travel, customer experience, sustainability and social impact.

Day two took the format of a travel show, with dozens of the UK's leading suppliers and trade partners hosting face-to-face sessions with consultants. Around the show ran a series of masterclasses covering luxury travel, social media, cruise and customer acquisition, alongside panel discussions that paired newer consultants with established agents whose businesses are growing quickly.

Notably, almost every consultant recognised at the awards evening joined The Travel Franchise with no previous travel industry experience. Winners included a former midwife, a former primary school teacher, a financial services professional who built a near million-pound business as a side hustle, and a couple who previously ran a fish and chip shop in the Lake District.

A major new luxury division

Among the announcements unveiled at the conference was the launch of the company's new luxury strategy, since covered by trade publication TTG Media, which the business describes as its biggest strategic upgrade since launching its cruise division in 2022, a move that tripled its cruise sales. The tiered luxury programme is open to the network of more than 800 consultants and responds to a clear shift in consumer behaviour, with clients trading up on hotels and seeking more personalised, higher-value experiences.

“Our cruise division proved what happens when you give consultants high-level training, immerse them in the product and put them in front of the right suppliers. Sales tripled because of our focus on consultant development and trade opportunities, empowering them to become confident specialists. We will do exactly the same with luxury.” – Steve Witt

What the event says to prospective franchisees

The Summer Celebration reflects the level of ongoing investment The Travel Franchise makes in its network. Beyond an initial five-day training programme, franchisees receive continuous development through masterclasses, webinars, overseas mentorship retreats, supplier events and conferences, alongside a dedicated Business Consultant and the buying power of the Hays Travel Independence Group.

That investment is reflected in the company's recognition across both the franchise and travel industries. The Travel Franchise was named Best Lifestyle Franchise in the World at the Global Franchise Awards for the second consecutive year in 2026, and Not Just Travel is currently shortlisted for Homeworking Agency of the Year at the Agent Achievement Awards and as a finalist in the Travel Bulletin Star Awards.

With the late-booking market in full swing and demand for personal travel consultants continuing to grow, the company reports strong interest from prospective franchisees. New joiners can enter the business through the Elite package at £14,995 plus VAT, which includes the unique Money-Back Challenge and two fully funded overseas mentorship retreats, or through the Lite Mentorship Programme, now available from £995, which allows people to build a travel business part time alongside existing commitments with an experienced mentor from day one.

About The Travel Franchise

The Travel Franchise is the UK's number one travel franchise for people new to the travel industry, operating under the consumer-facing brand Not Just Travel. Established in 2001, it has spent more than twenty years helping people build successful home-based travel businesses, with 98 per cent of its consultants joining with no prior travel experience.

The company was voted Best Lifestyle Franchise in the World at the International Franchise Association's Global Franchise Awards in both 2025 and 2026, and has been named Britain's Best Home-Based Franchise and Best European Franchise. It is ranked among the top ten franchises in the UK across all sectors, the only travel franchise to hold that position. Its celebrity brand ambassadors include TV broadcaster Eamonn Holmes OBE and double Olympic champion Daley Thompson CBE.