Luxury operator Sunset Faraway has become the latest company to enter the homeworking market, with 15 agents already on board.

Travel-PA will officially launch in June and the company plans to recruit up to 50 more agents.

Sunset has invested significantly in bespoke back-office systems, a dedicated search engine optimistation team, for when Travel-PA.com goes live, and a six‑figure marketing plan that includes national press and TV advertising.

The idea to launch a homeworking company was realised when Hamish Kaumaya, Sunset Faraway Holidays’ sales and marketing director, visited Jenny Jackson, formerly of The Co-operative Personal Travel Advisors, in hospital after an operation and found her working from her bed.

He said: “I couldn’t believe how dedicated and motivated she was. I saw an opportunity to build a company of people like Jenny who care so much about their clients.” Jenny is one of the first Travel-PAs.

The homeworkers have no limitations on what they can sell and will not pay for generated leads. He added: “There is no compulsion to sell Sunset holidays.” The homeworkers will have access to the operator’s net rates.

“Travel-PAs will sell clients anything they want, whether it is areas we specialise in such as Mauritius and the Maldives, or things we don’t do, such as cruise or city breaks,” said Kaumaya.

“The relationships homeworkers build with their clients are extraordinary. Even luxury operators struggle with client retention.”

Travel-PA is the latest in a spate of new homeworking ventures. Since the Cook-Co-op joint venture, Midcounties Co-operative and Independent Travel Experts have entered the homeworking arena.