Copenhagen-headquartered Kilroy launched online in the UK last month and plans to open its first high street store in Bristol later this year. The firm will focus on backpacking, adventure travel, working holidays and volunteering. 

Kilroy has appointed former STA Travel executive John McCoach as consultant to help steer the launch and localise the brand for UK travellers.

"We’re looking at expanding into bigger spaces with a minimum of eight to 10 advisors, maybe even up to 20," McCoach told TTG. "It’s going to be a long pathway, but in terms of locations, we’ll be launching our Bristol store in May and we’re also looking at Manchester and London."

Kilroy’s launch in the UK was spurred by the country’s youth travel scene, with demand for unique travel experiences among this demographic proving particularly high in the UK versus other European countries.

"The UK has a big student population," McCoach added. "We’ve got some good staff already who have experience in these areas, which is why we are looking at growing that retail space further."

McCoach said the branches will be "more than just an agency", and offer customers evening information events and daytime activities, as well as supplier training initiatives for staff. 

"But we’re not there yet," McCoach continued. "It’s fantastic, but there’s still a lot of boxes to be ticked."

He said the exit of STA Travel in 2020 left a "void in this space" – which Kilroy is "well-equipped to fill". "There’s a surging demand among young travellers for tailored, meaningful travel experiences," McCoach said. 

"This dynamic and adventurous new generation of travellers has high expectations that only a specialist in this segment, like Kilroy, can deliver.” 

Appointed to lead Kilroy’s UK team is ex-Sabre sales specialist Niclas Lundquist, who joins as head of commercial operations and will be responsible for growing the company’s customer base across the UK.