Phil Hoffmann Travel has expanded its presence into Victoria and NSW

Phil Hoffmann Travel has appointed two mobile travel agents as part of the family-owned travel agency’s national expansion plan.

Phil Hoffman Travel chief executive Peter Williams, managing director Phil Hoffmann and general manager Michelle Ashcroft. Picture Dean Martin

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Phil Hoffmann Travel has appointed two mobile travel agents as part of the family-owned travel agency’s national expansion plan.

Managing director Phil Hoffmann said the mobile agents, in Victoria and New South Wales, started operating last month, and would market and sell the full range of Phil Hoffmann touring and travel products.

“Rather than have a bricks and mortar setup in other states we’re using mobile agents - it’s a way of increasing our footprint without any real extra costs,” Mr Hoffmann said.

“We still think there’s room to grow our footprint in South Australia but there’s no rush with that - we always make sure every office is profitable and trading well before any expansion plans.”

Established in 1990, PHT operates ten offices in South Australia, employing 225 staff and generating annual revenue of close to $150 million.

Mr Hoffmann said close to a quarter of the company’s revenue came from corporate clients, while conditions on the consumer side of the business were particularly strong.

“On the retail side we’ve always concentrated on the baby boomer market which is thriving, with more people coming out of work with good super schemes - they’re healthier, fitter and living longer,” he said.

“And we’re seeing airlines probably charging the lowest fares that I’ve ever seen - for example in 1990, when I started, the cheapest flights to Europe were $2299 and now they’re $1000.”

While conditions were buoyant for the business, Mr Hoffmann said technology continued to drive major changes in the sector.

“The challenges are the disruptors coming into the industry,” he said. “They disrupt the distribution of products but often can’t deliver the good service that is required - we’ve got to know it’s never going to stop.

“We’ve blended together our bricks and mortar, online and mobile offerings and we offer 24/7 after hours service.”

Mr Hoffmann said it was a “really exciting” time for tourism in SA, but the State Government should spend more on marketing the state.

“We’re not only competing with Sydney and Melbourne, we’re competing with every other country, and so we need to support the tourism commission as much as we can.”