Bagnall, affectionately known in the industry as “Baggers”, launched Baggers Travel and The Mauritius Club earlier this month. Speaking exclusively to TTG, Bagnall confirmed he had been thinking about ending his quarter-of-a-century stint at Beachcomber for around a year.
"The question was: when do I actually leave and set up my own business?” he said. “I'd been thinking about it for a year or so. You just have to get on with it. There’s going to be no better time than now.”
When asked how his Beachcomber colleagues took the news, Bagnall said: “It was really difficult to leave Beachcomber after 25 years. It's a daunting process starting out on your own, but it's quite exciting too. Ultimately, the drive to start something on your own was bigger.”
Bagnall added the Beachcomber team, including managing director Mark Boulle, had been hugely supportive of his decision. “Mark had to be the first to know, I couldn't tell anyone else," said Bagnall. "He was my line manager. He was quite shocked – most people in the company were."
Gary Bagnall (centre) described leaving his marketing role at Beachcomber after 25 years as 'daunting' (Credit: Gary Bagnall )
Bagnall revealed he built both Baggers Travel and The Mauritius Club websites over several months. Both brands are part of Protected Trust Services.
"I’ve got extensive knowledge of Mauritius, but being in the trade, I cannot have all of my eggs in one basket so the Baggers Travel brand covers worldwide travel,” he explained.
He urged tour operators to get in touch and likened himself to a "sponge" given how well he retains information about products and destinations.
Despite having an online presence and deep knowledge of destinations across the Indian Ocean and the Middle East, thanks to his time at Beachcomber, Bagnall has not converted any leads into bookings yet.
He said: “I’m not sure where my first booking will come from. It will probably come from the general public – I’m trying to get myself out there. I’ve had a few leads but I’ve not converted any so far.”
Bagnall confirmed he is available “24/7”, adding: “If people want a quote on a Sunday, they will get one.”
For the time being, Bagnall is going to sell travel from his home in Guildford, but he added: “Who knows where that will take me?"
