'Travel 2 brand was built with passion by incredible people'

The proposed merger of the trade-only sister operators Gold Medal and Travel 2 could see the end of Travel 2 as a brand and closure of its Glasgow headquarters, subject to consultation.

Agents who work with both brands said they would be “saddened” by Travel 2’s disappearance, and the potential loss of experienced staff.

Lisa Lightly, branch manager of East of England Co-op Travel Tiptree, told TTG: “We’ve used Travel 2 an awful lot and it’s a real shame. You can see why it’s happened – bosses are having to make quick and difficult decisions a lot sooner than they envisaged.

“It’s a sad moment. Travel 2 has been a very strong brand. From my point of view, my account manager has been fabulous.”

Lightly’s feelings were echoed by Tony Mann, director of Idle Travel.

“I think it’s really sad,” said Mann. “When companies do this, you always lose something. I expected this to happen at some point, but that’s not always a good thing.

“It’s their decision, but you may lose the knowledge and skills of the staff from Travel 2 – that’s hugely important. You need to retain that knowledge in the industry.”