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Agent brings coffee shop-come-travel agency back from the brink

Pebbles Travel founder Martine MacDonald and her husband Andy have turned a struggling travel agency-coffee shop combo into a local favourite – here's how they did it

Discounting could create ‘vicious cycle’ for river cruise industry, line's UK boss warns

River cruise could end up looking like a "bargain basement deal" if discounting gets out of control

'I turned an underperforming Tui store into an award-winning success story – here's how I did it'

Tui's 'Terrible Two' Debbie Palmer and Julie Anderson were at the top of their game when Palmer left the branch they shared to go and turn around a failing store – so what happened when their friendship was put to the test?

Agency working round the clock to get new shop ready for peaks

After being forced to close its Barrowford branch in August 2021, the award-winning travel agency now has three shops in Crosshills, Bingley and Skipton

Silver Travel Advisor secures second premises and hints at further retail expansion

Brand expands to Southwell in Nottinghamshire and is seeking more following success of first shop in Sheffield

'Star of the Seas offers better value than a luxury land holiday – if agents pounce at the right moment'

Travelmax’s Savannah Bracewell urges agents to be bold and move quickly when booking ’once-in-a-lifetime’ trips on Star of the Seas

Why agents are reclaiming their place on the high street

Hardly a week goes by without TTG reporting on agencies growing their retail footprint, so why are so many deciding now is the time to spread their wings?

Agent ready to expand into new premises and launch events programme to drive bookings

Craig Goodridge has enjoyed huge success since jumping into retail as a one-man-band two years ago, and now feels the time has come to secure a larger premises in Sheffield

Virgin Voyages to 'explore' luxury cruise market as Brilliant Lady arrives in UK

SJ Walker, Virgin Voyages’ UK sales director, believes there’s an ’overlap’ with what luxury customers want and what the line offers

'Travel's new power couple' bringing domestic bliss to the shop floor

Claire and James Smith’s romance was an unlikely one – so how are they making things work now they’re also working together?

'Here's how to sell Star of the Seas – trust me, my agency has already made three bookings!'

Travelmax’s Savannah Bracewell shares Star of the Seas’ key selling points after sailing on Royal Caribbean’s second Icon class ship

Agents share top priorities when choosing suppliers

Having access to the best contacts at a tour operator is among the most crucial factors when deciding who to work with, travel advisors shared during the finale lunch for Pure Luxury: The Masterclass.

New Holiday Village agents 'hit the ground running' with flurry of 'complex' £50,000 cruise bookings

Nicki Bryan and Hemali Iverson worked together at Baldwins Travel’s Lewes shop in Sussex for four years before setting up their own businesses under the Holiday Village brand this summer

‘They asked me to track down an 80s sports star!’: agents reveal their clients’ most outlandish demands

From reunions with 80s cricket stars to international baby formula deliveries, the sky’s the limit when it comes to what agents will do for their clients – three top agents share some of their most remarkable asks with TTG

Luxury agent reveals £7 airport add-on that can ‘make or break’ a trip

Donna Bidwell says she will be telling all clients to make this investment after a stressful airport experience.

AE Expeditions sales chief vows to crack ship visit 'issue' ahead of agent overnights next year

Andrew Turner said agents enjoyed the two recent overnight ship visits in Scotland before highlighting how these educationals still had their limitations

'Old school' agent pivots with new lifestyle venture to meet clients' evolving expectations

Jesse Sharp’s Celsius London will offer a wide range of lifestyle management services as luxury travellers’ expectations evolve.

Travel Village shares vision to cement itself as a 'national brand'

The Blackpool-based agency and cruise specialist, which operates the Southampton Cruise Centre brand, has shop in the seaside town plus close to 100 homeworkers dotted across the country

Coconut Travel boss hires husband to lead new homeworking division

Director Claire Smith has asked her husband James to support the agency’s three existing homeworkers and the other five coming joining the business in September

'They know how to sell': Premier to keep Baldwins teams in place following three-branch deal

Premier’s deal to take on three former Baldwins Travel shops and keep 14 of the agency’s staff in jobs will help ’cement’ the brand’s presence in Kent, MD Paul Waters tells TTG

The Cruise Room launches recruitment drive to free up owners to pursue 'new projects'

The Wirral-based agency believes it needs to hire more staff so its co-founders Jonathan Howitt and Robbie O’Grady can focus on new projects

'It was fate': Former sisters-in-law turned agency owners go local with first Destination Perfect shop

Agency co-owners Carla McFeely and Carla Mann have long wished for a high street shop but had not found the right premises until now

Lates market fracturing as unrealistic budgets and expectations clash with higher holiday prices

One agent told TTG: ’There’s still a myth around last-minute holidays that prices are always good – that is not the case.’

Sunlounger Travel launches search for sixth shop after landing £10,000 from Jet2

The agency, which is aiming to grow to 25 branches, is looking to expand deeper into its East Anglia heartland after tapping Jet2’s Scale Up Your Street fund for £10,000