Standing alongside Dame Irene Hays on the shop floor at his agency’s Wrexham branch, Don Bircham tried his best to convey the pride he felt ensuring all 300 of Just Go Travel’s employees would keep their jobs after deciding to sell up to franchise partner Hays Travel after more than 20 years.

However, the words just would not come out. “I was an awful mess,” he said. “I lasted about two minutes before I got emotional and Irene had to take over for a bit. I cannot imagine anyone who takes this step without being emotional – it was really challenging to talk to the team.”

Bircham insisted he did manage to end his speech “quite strongly” despite the emotion, adding stoically: “Everyone is keeping their jobs in a familiar environment where they feel safe. I’m very proud about that – I’ve worked with some of these people for more than 20 years.”

‘We’ve been building the business organically since 2000’

Bircham opened the first Just Go shop in the north Wales town of Mold, near Wrexham, in 2000.

Fast forward 23 years, when he approached Dame Irene about selling up earlier this year, Just Go’s network – operating under the Hays Travel North West banner – spanned 46 shops across the north-west and north Wales.

He decided to offload all but one, retaining the original Mold branch to serve family and friends, to keep a foot in the industry – and to stave off retirement aged 60. “I thought it would be good to keep the Mold shop because we own the freehold,” he said. “It’s where it all began.”

Asked why he decided to sell the 45 other shops now, Bircham highlighted the “increasingly difficult” travel jobs market. “We’ve been building the business organically since 2000,” he said. “After Covid, we had fewer opportunities to grow the business because there were no available staff to recruit. There was only one natural home for my business – and it was Hays Travel.”

Just Go first joined Hays as a member of its independence group (IG) in 2000, and the relationship remained strong despite Just Go parting with Hays in 2007 for seven years. During that time, Just Go operated as a Tui franchisee before rebranding under the Hays moniker.

Bircham said John Hays “paved the way” for many aspiring travel agency bosses. “Hays IG was life-changing for many of us,” he continued. “John gave opportunities to so many people. There were significant bonding requirements, and Abta made you jump through a lot of hoops. The average guy with a mortgage would have found it very difficult to start their own agency back then.”

Bircham believes the retail travel sector is now in an “extremely strong” position, with customers “coming back from the internet and booking directly with travel agents”.

His so far 44-year career in travel started at AT Mays Travel in his hometown of Kilmarnock when he left school at 16, but if Bircham had his way, it would have started even earlier. Worried all the “decent jobs” in Kilmarnock would be gone before he left school, he asked the headteacher if he could head out into the world of work early. “I think the headmaster was surprised by my ingenuity,” he said.

He went on to work for Thomas Cook in Aberdeen before taking up a regional manager role, overseeing branches in the north-west and north Wales, which became his adopted home.

There, Bircham became involved with Wrexham AFC – Hays Travel North West for several years sponsored a stand at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground, and later the club’s shirts, while Bircham went on to become the club’s chief executive – a role he quit seven years ago.

So was it easier to call time on Wrexham or Just Go? “Leaving Wrexham was by the far the easier decision,” said Bircham, unequivocally. “I was very proud to be chief executive, but you’re only there for brief period of time.”

With 45 fewer shops to manage, Bircham will turn his attentions to his pub and restaurant business, and capitalising on the inbound tourism opportunities created by Wrexham’s takeover by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

But his emotional speech on the shop floor would suggest his heart will forever remain in travel.