The shop, which officially opened on 5 January, is now owned by one family after Ford-Foyne’s parents joined the business as directors alongside him and his wife Steffannie.

The change in leadership follows the resignation of the agency’s previous directors last summer, which resulted in Geoffrey Foy and Carol Foy investing in the agency business.

"It's a proper, family-run business now," Ford-Foyne told TTG. "My dad’s been self-employed for donkey’s years, and my step-mum Carol has always been wonderful to my wife and I."

Ford-Foyne added his stepmother, who has previously worked as a financial manager, brought valuable operational experience to the agency.

'Not many agencies have just one staff member'

The shop is currently being run primarily by Ford-Foyne, who has overseen day-to-day operations since opening in January, supported behind the scenes by experienced travel professional Claire Parsonage.

"There are not many high street agencies out there that only have one member of staff," Ford-Foyne said. "But I've known Claire for about 20 years now, she has been a great support."

Parsonage, who has more than 16 years’ experience in the travel industry, has recently spent time away from the agency supporting an ill family member. 

Ford-Foyne continued: "Claire has a brilliant customer base and a lot of people locally know her, so it will be great to have her back in the shop."

Dee Travel is currently the only travel agency in Shotton, filling a gap in the market that has existed since Owens Travel closed two decades ago, according to Ford-Foyne.

"We’ve had a lot of nice feedback from people locally about the shop, and about how good it is to have an agency here again," he added.

'I've wanted to open an agency for years'

The agency is already seeing strong levels of enquiries come in, particularly for long-haul destinations. And while many agents have reported hesitancy around US travel, Ford-Foyne said demand remains strong.

"America is a big one at the moment," he said. "I booked a Las Vegas trip the other day, and we’re also getting a lot of enquiries for Australia."

Dee Travel is also benefiting from links with another of Ford-Foyce’s businesses. He runs a local airport transfer firm, Shotton Travel, which is now based in the same office. "When people book a holiday, they often ask about airport taxis at the same time, so it really works well together," he said.

Ford-Foyne, who previously spent decades working as a children’s entertainer and singer, said he had studied travel earlier in life before deciding to launch the business. "I've wanted to do it for years, so I'm just glad I've gotten on with it now," he added. "I've already learned a lot on the job."

'I want people to know we're here'

The agency is planning an official launch event in the coming months to celebrate the opening and to engage the local community. Plans include inviting suppliers, the local council and BBC Wales, as well as offering "a nice spread" and some family-friendly entertainment.

"I've got mascots from my job as an entertainer, so we're planning on bringing Mickey Mouse in for the launch," he said.

The business has also begun attending trade events to build supplier relationships and raise its profile within the industry, which has been "really encouraging" according to Ford-Foyce.

"It’s been brilliant getting invited to these travel events," he said. "I want people to know that we're here, so we’ve really enjoyed meeting people and building those connections."