Katie Price ‘shuts down travel business venture two weeks in’ – after receiving backlash for attempting to recruit ‘part time’ agents along with Danielle Lloyd

Katie Price has reportedly shut down her travel business venture just two weeks after its launch, amid backlash from travel industry executives.

The 47-year-old former glamor model had created the Katie Price Travels Instagram page, where she posted an ad alongside TV star Danielle Lloyd trying to recruit InteleTravel agents.

Danielle, 42, works as a freelance travel agent for work-from-home agency InteleTravel and shares her views on Instagram account @travelsmarterwithmissdlloyd.

Danielle is pictured in the ad alongside Katie to recruit people to join InteleTravel under the Travel Smarter Group brand.

The ad read: ‘Join Katie Price and Danielle Lloyd. Learn how you can make money traveling around your other commitments. Work flexibly. Travel more. Earn extra income.’

However, the post was met with a wave of criticism from industry insiders.

Lisa Henning, managing director of Inspire Europe, criticized the advert, particularly following the challenges the industry faces amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.

He reportedly wrote Weekly Travel: ‘I very rarely comment publicly on matters such as publishing agent recruitment ads. But seeing Katie Price advertise an event to attract part-time reps this week was a step too far.

‘Over the past 12 days, I have worked non-stop, 24/7, supporting our clients and agents through the disruptions affecting Dubai and other destinations.

‘I saw our teams doing their best to get people home safely. I’ve seen agents work very long hours for their clients, lose the commission they earned because trips had to be canceled or rearranged, and still show up because that’s what real travel professionals do.

‘I’ve seen agents in tears because they care so much about their clients and are genuinely concerned about what’s going on. I have spoken to clients who were in tears, desperate to get home.

‘So to see promotions suggesting you can simply “make money from travel” with a glossy campaign featuring Katie Price and Danielle Lloyd – positioning the travel agent role as something you casually do around other commitments – frankly feels like a huge mockery of our industry.

TV star Danielle Lloyd appeared in the ad alongside Katie, who was trying to recruit representation for InteleTravel.

‘This is not a side hustle. This is not a trick. And this is definitely not “easy money while traveling”.’

However, Katie Price’s PA responded to the comments: Travel Rumors reported.

He said: ‘Katie never indicated that she had personally booked the trip. He shares this platform with others to help people become independent travel agents and earn additional income, whether part-time or full-time.

‘All agents in the community are fully trained and are committed to supporting their customers. Many people join this business to create better financial opportunities for themselves and their families, and they work incredibly hard to do so.

‘It’s disappointing that people are trying to undermine this effort. ‘Like any travel professional, agencies may encounter situations that are unfortunately beyond their control, such as airline cancellations or changes.’

He continued: ‘Katie was just advertising a call for opportunity.’

He added: ‘It is important to remember that the people involved are real individuals with real livelihoods. When false stories or false accusations are written, it doesn’t just affect one person; It can also affect many people who have worked hard to build their businesses.’

However, due to increasing criticism from industry figures, it appears that his travel account was deleted after his advertisements were criticized.

Nicola Dack, travel advisor wrote on social media: ‘Please be careful who you trust with your holidays and your hard-earned money.

‘Travel is not a “side hustle”, it is a profession. He is there 24/7 when something unexpected happens.

‘I’ve spent 29 years in travel, working full-time to support my clients through constant changes, flight disruptions, airline issues and global uncertainty. This level of care and knowledge can’t be crammed into a one-day online course or a few hours a day… Anyone can sell you a holiday. ‘Not everyone can take care of you properly when it really matters.’

Meanwhile, Francesca Barone, owner of Elite Cruises, said she had ‘nothing against any of these women’ but added: ‘Pop-up TAs should not be taken seriously,’ according to Travel Weekly.

He said: ‘There is no such thing as easy money in this business; It’s a passion and it takes real courage and determination to succeed no matter what and to provide the best possible service to our customers, sometimes in the most challenging circumstances.’

And @personal_travel_angel He added: ‘I’ve been seeing adverts like this lately and to be honest, as someone who has dedicated his life to the travel industry since 1994, it’s a bit hard to swallow.

‘Normally I leave these matters without comment, but after the last ten days I really felt like I needed to explain my point of view.

‘The idea that you can just “sign up” and become a travel agent as a quick side hustle alongside other commitments does a huge disservice to the profession. Being a travel agent isn’t just about booking a flight or finding a nice hotel.

‘Since 1994, I have dealt with global crises and travel disruptions, the complex legalities of consumer protection (ATOL/ABTA/Package TravelRegulations), the complex ‘behind the scenes’ of flight tickets and complex itineraries, and establishing long-established relationships with suppliers that a ‘hobbyist’ simply cannot have.’

The Daily Mail has contacted Katie’s rep for comment. Danielle declined to comment at the time.