The company currently offers appointment-only consultations at its offices in Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and the US, and conducts most of its trip planning over the phone or online.

For the first time since opening in 1996, it is actively exploring premises to makes its UK retail debut. 

In recruitment listings for new staff, the tailor-made specialist revealed London, Oxfordshire, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Norwich, Southampton and Bristol would be the locations where the shops will be. 

“As Audley Travel celebrates 30 years of creating extraordinary journeys, we’re opening a brand-new chapter as we expand into UK retail stores,” the operator wrote in its latest listing for job roles. “We’d love you to be part of this exciting journey, helping shape this milestone retail experience from the very beginning.” 

Successful candidates will be responsible for creating “engaging, personalised interactions with all store visitors” and acting as a “brand ambassador within the retail environment.” They will also “support in-store events and client engagement activity.” 

Roles are being advertised at a starting salary of £29,000 plus commission. In its short statement shared with TTG, Audley Travel confirmed “more details will be shared soon".

The update comes shortly after TTG published new data on the state of UK high street agencies over the past year. The findings revealed a number of key factors negatively impacting the growth of retail, including rising rent costs, staffing shortages and geopolitical instability. 

However, it also highlighted a number of agencies – such as Beverley Travel – who are determined to stick with their expansion plans in spite of these challenges.  

Audley has also recently celebrated the success of its new agent training programme, which it says resulted in a “huge number of sales” for the luxury tour operator.