'I didn’t know the industry was unstable!' winning musician-turned-agent talks pandemic risk-taking
Like many people in vulnerable sectors, Ross Johnson chose to pivot during the pandemic. What he didn’t realise at the time was that in moving from music to travel he was jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
Yet by the end of his second year, his business Travlux had a £1 million turnover and this February he was awarded TTG Luxury’s New Luxury Travel Designer of the Year.
So how has he made his risky decision work?
“I didn’t know the industry was unstable – it was news to me!” Johnson admits.
“Everyone basically thinks I’m a lunatic and I don’t disagree with them! But it was somewhat a sensible pivot… because of my background in entertainment I’d done so much travel.”
As a musician, Johnson had worked within the Royal Caribbean group as a musical director and on productions in Dubai, Singapore and beyond. He had also lived in New York, from where he would join his then cabin crew partner on regular breaks abroad.
His travel pivot launched in October 2020. Originally, he was merely brokering the surplus airline loyalty points he had accrued for discounted flights, but the conversion rate was low and it “didn’t tick the right boxes creatively.”
After Googling ‘how to become a travel agent’ and feeling “completely overwhelmed,” a Black Friday joining discount related to hitting certain targets tempted him on board with Not Just Travel, part of Hays Independence Group.
He has since thrown himself into learning and networking at conferences and hotel, destination and cruise events.
Disrupted cashflow due to resurfacing travel restrictions was an early set back but ex-UK cruise sailings proved a pandemic game changer for Travlux.
A Facebook advert Johnson ran for Disney Magic at Sea resulted in £100,000 in turnover and a return on investment of over 7500%. “It gave us a cash lifeline that first summer,” he explains.
Marketing moves
Splashing on marketing, under his own luxury brand, has always been part of Johnson’s strategy.
“We will spend way more than other consultants and franchisees,” he admits: “I’m not afraid to take risks and I appreciate I can’t expect the business to grow how I want it to without spending.”
Besides social media and events such as wedding fairs he has paid for print ads and partnerships in numerous national newspapers and the National Geographic Luxury Traveller Collection 2022 bookazine.
Johnson now realises he was spreading his ads too thinly rather than repeating them in fewer titles to build brand recognition and is trying to be “more tactical” this year.
Travlux has already exhibited at Destinations in Manchester with a stand that “attracted the right kind of client” and resulted in multiple discussions about Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Johnson is now investing heavily in his website and producing videos helped by his music company partner, who pivoted to this field during the pandemic.
After a successful 18 months, Johnson welcomed Sarah-Louise Jolliff to the company. The pair used to work together for Azamara and she later travelled worldwide as British Airways cabin crew before working for Trailfinders.
They have complementary expertise, Johnson on cruise and the Caribbean, Jolliff on Africa and the Indian Ocean. Johnson also outsources some elements of the business, such as marketing, SEO and content creation.
Around 60% of the agency’s sales are for cruise, the majority with luxury brands. The remaining 40% includes private ski chalets, luxury multigenerational family holidays and tailor-made itineraries.
Bookings range from £1,000 to £76,000 with an average around £4,100 and this year’s strategy is to secure higher value individual bookings.
Johnson’s business goal is to have the luxury tailormade feel of the likes of Black Tomato or Abercrombie & Kent but he stresses: “we don’t want to be so niche we’re alienating a huge portion of the market.”
Hitting the right note
He still tours as a pianist and co-runs his music company. He and his business partner teamed up for a recent Strictly tour and Johnson has also been part of touring orchestras playing the live soundtracks for film screenings of Love Actually and Disney movies.
So, might his two worlds tie up at some point?
He has had informal discussions about a possible business offshoot into crew tour bookings and says: “That’s something we’re looking at in the background.”
For now, his plan is to achieve another £1million turnover this year, effectively doubling his previous achievement, and perhaps be able to recruit another consultant.
He stresses: “I do want to expand and take on more people, but I’d rather take on people who have travelled like I have.
“I’ve been to so many of the places we’re selling. The first-hand experience is what really sells it for us.”
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Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
