LEISURELY SUCCESS BRINGS TOP AWARD
WHEN Jon Tarrant opened LeisureCom Travel Group it started with a small team of sales professionals.
Ten years on, the company has netted the coveted award at the Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur Awards.
The Broadbeach and Brisbane business employs more than 70 staff over two offices.
Mr Tarrant and his sister, Rebecca Tarrant, accepted the accolade in the tourism category at a glam awards ceremony in front of 400 guests at the QT hotel in Surfers Paradise.
Mr Tarrant has built the brand over the past decade and now has large sales and reservations teams.
The team sell memberships and book its 250,000-plus members into dozens of hotels, including Mantra, The Marriott and Oaks Hotels and Resorts.
“Originally it was just a small team of a few people selling holiday packages, but we have built that up to what it is today,” Mr Tarrant said.
“We need to be able to compete with online giants, so it’s about adapting the product and moving with the times.
“It’s good to see all the young business talent we have here on the Gold Coast. There was tough competition.”
The LeisureCom Travel Group started in 2008 and celebrated its 10-year anniversary in March.
“Over 10 years we’ve grown to employ over 70 staff across two offices, and we have built successful brands including Discover Queensland, Hightide Holidays and 1800SCHOOLIES, which we sold last year.
“The group generated 66,000 room nights into Queensland in the 2017-18 financial year.
“This year we sold a stake of our business to an overseas investor, to allow us to grow and build on our successful business model and enter the international travel market, which is a long-term goal.”