Managing director Steve Cartwright said leaving the high street after 40 years would be a “wrench” but stressed it was the right time to move to larger premises as the agency, which also runs cruise brand Passion For Cruises, needs to take on more staff.
“We’ve outgrown the office so, rather than opening more retail outlets, we’ve decided to come off the high street – I really want everything to be under one roof,” Cartwright told TTG.
“The new office will be more of a concierge centre. Customers will be able to come in on an appointment-only basis. We’ll do home visits too when necessary, as we’re mindful some customers may have disabilities. We will have a few parking spaces so they’ll always be able to park.
“It’s one of those heart and head decisions. In the past, the heart ruled the head, but this is the right time to make the change. We’ve grown so much – we’ve doubled our business in a year.”
Cartwright Travel, which was crowned TTG’s top travel agency in Wales in 2017 and is a TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies 2020 finalist, will relocate to Cardiff Gate business park, close to the M4 motorway.
The official move date is set for 1 April, although Cartwright hopes to complete the switch by mid-March if possible.
The team, meanwhile, is already set to grow from 12 to 15 staff with the addition of two extra sales staff and another in admin, and Cartwright said the move would allow the company to “comfortably” continue adding more staff over the next two to three years.
“It will allow us to take on more staff, who we don’t have space for now,” added Cartwright.
“We’ve got the room we will need to expand the cruise business. It gives us opportunities to do that little bit more. It’s important to take it to the next level.”
