Travel Zing shut its doors in June 2021 when there was little sign of the Covid pandemic ending. However, it officially reopened in the Edinburgh suburb of Leith last week (28 May).
Owner Laura Hibbert told TTG there had been an “incredible reaction” from customers to the agency’s re-emergence on the high street.
Travel Zing’s staff have been working remotely since its original shop closed three years ago, holding face-to-face meetings with clients in local church halls in Leith during this period.
"Coming out of Covid, demand has grown so much I took the decision to come back on the high street,” said Hibbert.
"We’re quite a small community in Leith and we have older customers who prefer to do things face-to-face. We had more and more people requesting appointments in the church halls, so it seemed the right time to reopen on the high street.”
Hibbert, who has worked in travel for more than 35 years, started Travel Zing in 2016 with its original shop located in another part of Leith.
She previously worked for several major travel brands, including Super Break, Thomson and Barrhead Travel, of which the agency is a managed partner.
"We had a fantastic four years until Covid hit,” she said. “During Covid, I didn’t want to pull the shutters down straight away and we kept the window updated.
"But by June 2021, there was still no prospect of clear light at the end of the tunnel so I decided we should go remote.”
Travel Zing’s team of four staff includes Hibbert’s daughter Zoe, who joined the business two years ago, and the agency has also recruited a recent university graduate. “Zoe has spent 20 years listening to me talking to customers so she has settled in really well,” Hibbert continued.
"During our opening, we had 180-200 people come in to see us that first day – it was a real celebration. We’ve been really busy since then; it’s been incredible and never stopped all week.”
As for future plans, Hibbert stressed she was concentrating on looking after Travel Zing’s existing and new customers before considering any possible expansion.
"I would never say never about opening more shops, but you have to get the right staff before you can do that,” she said. “We have to look after what we’ve got and our new customers.
"We sell across the board and our staff are extremely well travelled. We sell everything from hot tubs in the Scottish borders through to round-the-world trips.”
Hibbert originally made the decision to reopen a high street shop in early 2023, but it took nearly a year before builders were available to start the conversion work on the property in early 2024.
"We’ve gone very basic with the shop – it’s just a couple of desks and some chairs,” she added. “We don’t need any frills. People just want to come in and speak to us.
"I’m born and bred in Leith. It’s superb to be back here to help people on my doorstep."
