Sunderland's Tates Travel was founded in 1985 by brother-and-sister Lee Tate and Lisa Halliday, and has been serving clients in the North East ever since.
However, the agency – which has been recognised by Jet2holidays as a top Jet2CityBreaks seller – has now been acquired by coach holiday and short break specialist Caledonian Leisure.
It will join the group's growing agency division, Caledonian Travel Centres, with Tate and his team staying on to run the agency and ensure it is business as usual – especially on departure mornings in Sunderland's Park Street.
Caledonian said the two businesses had for more than two decades shared a "strong, collaborative relationship", with Caledonian naming Tates as one of its "best-performing" agency partners.
"I have personally worked closely with Lee and the team for many years, and their unwavering customer-first approach is perfectly aligned with our values," said Caledonian commercial director Martin Lock. “We look forward to working together to further strengthen Tates Travel as a growing force in the North East while expanding our offering to our increasing Caledonian customer base.”
Tate added: "We have always enjoyed an excellent relationship with everyone at Caledonian. Customers have always been at the heart of Tates Travel, so I am delighted to be joining such an exciting and growing business such as Caledonian, who’s reputation for delivering exceptional customer service will ensure this philosophy continues for many years to come."
