Oasis Travel, whose agencies have come top in the TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies awards for the past two years running, currently has branches in Lisburn, Bangor, Holywood and Howard Street and Lisburn Road in Belfast.
Knock Travel, which also made it into this year’s TTG Top 50, was established on April 1 1990 by Doreen McKenzie, and specialises in leisure travel, with two retail shops in Ballyhackamore and Newforge, in Belfast. It has a dedicated business travel department, which contributes to 70% of the company turnover, according to its website.
The merger will take place from Tuesday May 30 and the combined businesses will trade as Oasis Travel.
Sandra Corkin, managing director and proprietor of Oasis Travel, said: “Oasis Travel and Knock Travel have long been recognised as two of the strongest independent names on the local travel scene, each with a proven track record spanning three decades.
"We each have a similar business ethos with firm focus on exemplary service and a commitment to providing worldwide leisure and business travel for the local marketplace.
"Together, we have an opportunity to re-energise travel in Northern Ireland, offering market-leading technology and award-winning service through our superbly appointed Oasis Travel and Cruise Centres.
“We are delighted to be bringing on board the highly respected team from Knock Travel, led by Doreen McKenzie whose expertise and professionalism are, quite simply, unsurpassed in this marketplace.
"Combining running a highly successful business with her role as Northern Ireland spokesperson for Abta, she has long been lauded as the local face of travel. Her involvement in the expanded Oasis Travel will be of huge importance as we shape the business for the future.”
McKenzie said: “Both businesses have enjoyed three decades of sustained success in a famously dynamic and demanding business sector, winning a plethora of awards and earning the loyalty of a huge customer base.
"Combining our talents, resources and vision for the future allows us to build still further on those successful foundations and we are confident that there is an even more impressive future ahead for the expanded Oasis Travel."
“Our capacity to blend technology and innovation with professionalism and expertise will continue to give us industry standout while our increased presence on the high street will keep us front of mind with customers. Our merger will also give us enhanced buying power and the opportunity to bring new destinations and valuable opportunities to our customer base.”
Existing customers of both businesses will experience no change to their service levels or their key contacts as the two operations integrate.
