“I love what I do, creating dream holidays is my passion”

Rachel Tredwell became a travel consultant for Not Just Travel and has won a prestigious award for the second year running

A former nurse who switched careers to become a travel consultant and specialise in honeymoons and weddings has scooped a prestigious industry award for the second year running.

Rachel Tredwell, a Not Just Travel consultant, has won a Customer Service Award from Guides For Brides, which recognises the best wedding suppliers in the UK and overseas. Rachel was also a finalist at TTG’s Luxury Travel Awards, in the New Luxury Designer of the Year 2023 category.

Since becoming a Not Just Travel consultant Rachel has gained a reputation for creating dream holidays, particularly for those tying the knot and looking for a honeymoon to remember.

Armed with her wand – and nicknamed the travel fairy godmother – she is known for her magic touch, and fine tuning every detail, right down to the wedding dress (if a client wanted her to).

“Over 65 per cent of my bookings are honeymoons and weddings,” says Rachel, who picked up her well-deserved customer service award at a glittering ceremony on 29th of March 2023.

She continues: “I love what I do, creating dream holidays is my passion and I’m thrilled to have this recognised by Guides for Brides.

“Travel is all about the experience, from the moment you leave the house to your safe return. I offer my clients a 360-degree service, so that each trip, whether it’s a wedding, honeymoon or bucket list holiday, is as special as it can be.”

These achievements come despite only training to become a travel consultant with The Travel Franchise in late 2019 when Rachel decided to ditch her job as a paediatric nurse.

Rachel’s commitment to providing the ultimate customer service has seen her win many fans.

“When my biggest £70,000 booking was cancelled due to covid, I kept in touch with the clients and last year they booked £120,000-worth of holidays with me,” says Rachel.

“They went to South Africa and after hiring an entire lodge for a private safari, they rented a villa in Plettenburg Bay. I checked in with them and discovered they were bothered by building work next door.

“I could not have their holiday ruined so I spoke to the supplier and the hotel who managed to stop all construction for the remainder of their stay.”

Rachel’s determination also paid off when a couple were told they could not board their cruise ship to Alaska because they had forgotten to complete their Esta visa forms. After many calls Rachel managed to get them onboard just three days later.

With Rachel’s tenacity and care for her customers, it’s no wonder business is booming.

Last year she sold £600,000-worth of holidays and this year she’s on course to sell £2 million.

While many of Rachel’s wedding and honeymoon bookings are to the Maldives, she’s seen a trend for more adventurous experiences.

“Couples don’t just want to fly and flop. They want a bit of adventure which is why many now combine Sri Lanka with the Maldives,” explains Rachel, who has also crafted a few standalone trips to Japan lately.

She is also selling a lot more to Mauritius after attending The Travel Franchise’s Elite Experience trip on the island last year. She also recently attended the company’s International Mastery Retreat in Cyprus.

She says: “The training was incredible and being able to experience the destination and get to know the hotels in depth was invaluable.”

Rachel has several more trips lined up for 2023 including a charity trek in Peru which is organised by The Travel Franchise’s customer-facing brand Not Just Travel and travel partners G Adventures.

But it’s not just the travel that she loves. She adds: “I love the camaraderie you experience being part of Not Just Travel, being able to meet up with colleagues and the head office team on overseas events and the UK summer conference. It’s so much fun.”