Wayne Beard, who managed an agency earlier in his career, left his regional sales manager job with JTA Travel Group in July to launch his agency business on the high street in the Lancashire town of Ormskirk.
And to honour his late mum, Joy, Beard included her name in the agency’s name – Pure Joy Escapes – after his consortium, Brilliant Travel, gave the branding the green light.
"Mum died in December last year, and I couldn’t really be away from my family any more," Beard told TTG. “She always said I was the best travel agent, plus all the agents I was meeting through my JTA job were telling me sales were up.
“Opening a travel agency is something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s the right time for me to do this. I can add something to the community.”
Pure Joy Escapes opened on 25 September and is located on the site of a chapel. It is one of three travel agencies in the market town, alongside Hays Travel and Tui.
Beard hopes his business will benefit from visitors attending theatre evenings, comedy events and private parties in the town, as well as the coffee shop at the chapel.
“There’s always something going on here,” he said. “The chapel is the town’s community hub. It’s an affluent town. I love it. I was the manager of Going Places here when I started out in the industry.”
Primarily targeting the 55-plus market, Beard will seek to offer his clients more than he believes they can get elsewhere. "I can do bespoke packages, I’m going out into the community, I’m doing appointments at their homes or in the shop," he said.
Beard, who has also previously worked for Saga Holidays and the now-defunct Cruise & Maritime Voyages brand, said he has made three bookings so far. When asked about his growth plans, Beard said he wanted to hire some sales staff before peaks.
“I’ve got a few people in mind, but I want to see how it goes before Christmas,” he explained. “I would love a team of three or four. I’ve got a lot of friends who are looking to move.”
Beard said he was already eyeing more shops, and had identified “a few” sites in the local area. “I definitely want more than one shop,” he said.
Pure Joy Escapes offers cruises, escorted tours and worldwide holidays. Last week, Beard made his first booking when a couple enquired about a cruise.
“The couple found me on social media, but they didn’t want to travel immediately," he said. "I put my heart and soul into it and they booked. The sailing was a Royal Caribbean repositioning cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton over Easter next year."
Beard added suppliers had been “very positive” about him opening a shop. “They’ve given me a fantastic welcome,” he said.
