Gwespyr-based Carl Hogan and his wife Gemma have been running the shop, called Travelosophers by Carl Hogan, since 6 November. He told TTG customers have been ”pleasantly surprised” by his unique setup in Abakhan Village.

"There’s 11 converted shipping containers here, which house several independent businesses – including mine,” he explained. “There’s a tattoo artist, a gardener, a kitchen designer, a beauty salon. It’s a nice little community.”

Hogan's background is in aviation, having previously worked for Thomas Cook, Atlanta Icelandic and Servisair. In 2024, after a “few bad experiences” booking holidays, he began his own travel consultancy, and chose Travelosophers as his host agency.

However, he told TTG he soon grew “impatient” with the homeworking model.

(Credit: Carl Hogan)

“With homeworking, if you haven’t got an existing client list – which I didn’t – it’s difficult to make enough conversions for it to become your main gig,” said Hogan. “You’re a small fish, and I’m quite ambitious, so I started trying new things.”

Hogan hosted several pop-ups in Abakhan Village last year, and was inspired to make the retail venture permanent off the back of its success. “There was such an appetite for face-to-face interactions,” he said. “There’s also not another agency for 10 miles, so the whole set-up was perfect really.”

Feedback has been “great”, he continued, with many praising the convenience of having a physical agency near where they live. “In a small village, if you need something you can’t get online, you have to hop in the car and drive,” Hogan explained.

“Some people are literally driving to England to book their holidays. Since we’ve opened, they can do it on their doorstep.”

The nearest major village is Mostyn, which has a population of approximately 1,800 people, although Hogan's business sits in a catchment area of approximately 150 villages.

(Credit: Carl Hogan)

“We have competition from two shops, about 10 miles either way, and we’re a little closer than the rest,” Hogan continued. “It’s one of those things. I think there’s plenty of trade to go around.”

Business was quiet at first, which Hogan said suited him. “I needed to learn about being on site, so we didn’t really shout about being open,” he said. “I wasn’t sure how efficient I was going to be at a face-to-face sale.

“I’m used to taking my time, preparing pretty quotations by email, and sometimes waiting three days to get a booking over the line. Now, I’ve got someone sat in front of me with their card in their hand!”

Hogan said he has grown in confidence since opening thanks to some “great training” from Travelosophers, as well as fellow Travelosophers agent Donna Grasby, who is the only other Travelosophers homeworker to transition to retail with her shop in Abergele.

“Funnily enough, I knew Donna before I became a travel agent,” Hogan revealed. “She’s a family friend of my wife’s. She’s been really helpful and supportive, like finding me a brochure supplier, and advising me on my window display."

(Credit: Carl Hogan)

Once settled, Hogan ramped up his marketing campaign in anticipation of peaks. “There’s been some local press, a lot more social media, and – this is going to sound ridiculous – we’ve put a sign outside,” Hogan said.

“It says ‘travel agent here’, with an arrow. A lot of people have told me they were driving to travel agents in the neighbouring towns, but were waylaid by our sign. It’s actually working.”

Hogan and his wife have since been swept up in the January “madness”, which has seen several agencies report record-breaking bookings. “It’s just us two in the shop, and we’ve been so busy these past two weeks,” he said. “Last weekend, we had a queue of people waiting to get in!”

According to Hogan, the shop's client base is mainly retirees with ”expendable income"; beach holidays to Tunisia and Tenerife have been in demand, as well as some Greek island cruises.

(Credit: Carl Hogan)

Hogan isn't currently looking to hire more staff, mainly for "practical reasons", but hasn't ruled it out longer term. “It’s a 20x8-metre container, and we’ve already got our two desks in here – that’s cosy enough,” he joked.

“But, if business keeps up, we’d consider moving into a larger space on the site with more facilities, like a waiting area.”

Making sure "business is steady" is the major goal for 2026, according to Hogan, which means "developing trust" with the local community. "I know all my clients on a first name basis, I take an interest in them, and I always refer to previous conversations we’ve had,” he added.

“It’s really about building personal relationships, and protecting that local village vibe clients are used to.”