Third sector specialists: niche benefits and risks

Third Sector Specialists (TSS) is a specialist travel management company based in Leeds, England. Typically, the spread of travel agency activities has paralleled the distribution of the population. Around 20% of industry revenue derives from the business market. This area too has taken a substantial downturn since 2008 and the global economic crisis. In 1999, a new strategy was thrashed out by the company’s Sales and Marketing Manager. Instead of trying to service the whole market as a traditional 'small fish in a big pond' it was proposed to make a paradigm shift. The idea was to move the market focus to the one area where money was still being spent and jobs being created: the public sector. In simple terms, TSS sought to become the pre-eminent full service travel agent for the non-profit or Third Sector.Today, TSS is one of Europe's leading Travel Management Companies dedicated to the not-for-profit sector. They have pioneered the use of charity and academic contracts and offer expertise relevant to the specialist needs of their clients. Their exclusively negotiated contracts, booking tools, knowledge and resources enable clients to maximise their travel budgets and proactively manage their duty of care responsibilities.