Travel comes to a home near you

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MARCH 2016 | David Claridge

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BELINDA VAN THOLEN is a travel consultant who takes her job seriously. Having travelled to 32 countries, she also goes to her clients as a mobile travel agent.

Even though she is based in Hadspen, Belinda travels around the north of Tasmania to meet clients in cafés and the like to plan their upcoming adventure.

“I worked for eight years as a traditional travel agent in a store.  But I was working with more and more groups and it was hard to get them to come in together and sit at my desk,” Ms van Tholen said.

“I thought, ‘How could I do this better and differently?’ So I started looking into some options and decided to launch a franchise business through MTA – Mobile Travel Agents.

“MTA gives me all the backing I need to be able to run the business that I ran before but be fully mobile and able to meet my clients where it is convenient for them,” she said.

MTA is an Australian company based in Queensland. It has been in business since 1991.

Their website states that they have ‘revolutionised the traditional Australian Travel Agency model in the ‘90s by bringing experienced mobile MTA Travel Experts to you.’

“I had to start the business from scratch but it has been growing organically.  The main way that I deal with my client base and find new clientele is through referrals,” she shared.

“I often base myself from a café. It is a great way to run into people. The job has now turned itself into a full time business,” she added.

There are at least five MTA members in Tasmania.

“We do not tread on each others’ toes because everyone has their own specialty.  We know each other and we are all good friends,” Ms van Tholen said.

“If we have a question, there is an online forum network that we can use and everyone is very helpful and supportive,” she enthused.

For those who wish to follow in her footsteps, Ms Tholen suggest a background of a minimum of 5 years as a traditional travel agent as a general requirement, with a passion for business and travel.

“This is my tenth year in travel now.  And to combine the thing that I love the most with a business is a win-win as well,” she said.

Last year, Belinda received the Avis Travel Agent Scholarship of Excellence as a testament to the hard work she has put into her new business. Avis Travel Industry Manager, Russell Butler, said in a media release, “Belinda creates multiple opportunities to interact with her customers and uses the information she gathers to drill down further into what really makes them tick.  Armed with that knowledge and insight, she then tailors experiences that exceed expectations.”

Belinda can be contacted on 0438 949 122 and regularly updates her Facebook page ‘Belinda van Tholen MTA – Mobile Travel Agents’.

She is also available for appointments in Deloraine.

[udesign_icon_font name="fa fa-camera" color="#000000"] Mike Moores