SPL Villas has expanded the number of travel agents who can now book its properties by entering a partnership with Travel Counsellors.

The Kent-based villa specialist has nearly 1,600 properties in more than 100 destinations.

Travel Counsellors joins Advantage Travel Partnership, Barrhead Travel and Protected Trust Services as one of SPL’s trade partners, supported by the brand’s trade partnership managers Anne Clays and Sarah Gill.

SPL Villas relaunched its brand in January, along with new Atol certification, meaning agents can package up a villa stay with one of a dozen airlines.

The company is also a member of the bonding scheme run by the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust (Abtot).

Edward Frampton-Fell, SPL managing director, said: “When we announced our Atol certification last month, we said that agents are an important part of our growth strategy, so it’s great to be able to follow that up so quickly by sharing that we’re now working with Travel Counsellors.

“They share our commitment to quality, customer service and value, and we’re looking forward to getting their agents up to speed with our product and proposition in the coming weeks.

“Agents account for around a third of our total bookings, and during the peaks period they have been a strongly performing channel for us.

“Our core destinations of Majorca, Cyprus and Portugal have proven particularly popular with them, and they’ve been instrumental in significantly growing the percentage of bookings we’re taking for villa-only and packaged stays in Florida.

“We’re confident that the expertise and energy of the Travel Counsellors agents will accelerate that growth further.”