Independent travel agent welcomes back customers as holiday bookings surge

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A POPULAR independent travel agent is reopening its offices as holiday bookings surge now restrictions are set to be lifted.
 

The government is due to announce this week the opening of quarantine-free air corridors to at least 15 countries from July 6.
 

Those countries are expected to include Spain, France, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Turkey, Germany, Croatia and Norway.
 

Holidaymakers choosing a getaway to those destinations named as air corridors  will not have to spend 14 days in quarantine on their return to Britain. 

Following news of this easing of travel restrictions Claire Milby and Lisa Barnes, who co-own Travel The Globe, have experienced a surge in holiday bookings.

And having worked from home throughout lockdown to help customers with all their travel queries, Claire and Lisa are now set to reopen their offices.

Claire said: “We have just had our busiest day of bookings for the last three months. People are really keen to have a break, and they want to get their holidays booked to ensure they get the best availability at the best prices.

“There are some amazing deals out there at the moment, and people want to ensure they secure the holiday they want, before prices start to rise.

“The surge in interest we have seen shows that the demand has always been there. People were just waiting for positive news about destinations welcoming British tourists and not having to quarantine when they return to this country.

"We were already taking a lot of bookings for 2021 and even 2022, but now the holiday season is back on for 2020 people have been rushing to make bookings.”

It’s a milestone day for the pair and their team who have been working tirelessly throughout lockdown to help customers.

Claire said: “It’s been tough at times, our dedicated staff have been working from home all hours, six days a week throughout the lockdown.

“We know there were customers with some other travel companies who struggled to get through to find out any information. 

“It was important to us to offer an uninterrupted service to make sure we were available to help customers with their holiday queries, and make sure they had the best advice.

“It was about sticking by our community during the difficult times and making sure we were there to help them.

“It’s great to finally be coming out of the other side and to see customers, old and new, coming back to us and trusting us to help them with their holiday plans. We really appreciate the support they have shown us, and continue to show us.

“Without people sticking with us and booking their holidays with us, and continuing to support us, business would have been even more tough.”

Lisa and Claire, who have 34 years and 27 years of travel agency experience respectively, pride themselves on offering a personal, trusted, bespoke service. They believe it’s an approach which has stood them in good stead throughout the pandemic.

Claire said: “During this time, customers really seem to have come to value local, trusted, expert, holiday advice from people they know have got decades of experience in the travel industry. 

“Because of the relationship we have with operators such as Jet2 we can offer customers a better experience than a purely online service.

“We give our customers full confidence and peace of mind by looking after every aspect of a holiday booking from start to finish. We even link up with Ulverston Airport Services to get people to and from the airport. They have put in their own COVID-19 safety measures in their vehicles to give customers peace of mind.

“It’s been a very emotional time for everyone and now we can all look forward to better days ahead, and to helping customers book the holiday they’ve all been waiting for.

“We and the Travel The Globe team are able to book our own family holidays now as well so we know what a boost and a relief this is for everyone and how important it is to have a holiday to look forward to.”

Travel The Globe reopens its newly-revamped offices in King Street, Ulverston, Cumbria on June 29. It will reopen its Barrow office in Stollers Furniture World, on July 6.

Both offices have been fitted out with a range of safety measures including screens, sanitiser and social distancing signage.

Claire said: “Everything has been done to ensure a safe environment for customers and staff. We are now really looking forward to welcoming everyone back through the doors.”

During lockdown Travel The Globe has been named as a finalist in the Travel Agent category at the County Brides 2020 North West Wedding Awards due to take place at The Mere Resort & Spa, near Knutsford on September 9.

Anyone wishing to contact Travel The Globe is invited to phone 01229 839502/584472, visit the company’s Facebook page or e-mail holidays@traveltheglobe.co.uk

Photo:
 

Lisa Barnes (left) and Claire Milby who own Travel The Globe pictured outside the company’s revamped offices in King Street, Ulverston, Cumbria which are back open for business from June 29. The company’s Barrow offices will reopen a week later on July 6. Photo is an archive photo taken prior to social distancing regulations.
 

Editor’s note

Travel The Globe is an independent travel agent based in Cumbria offering a full range of holidays around the world.

The business, which has offices in Barrow and Ulverston, is owned by Lisa Barnes and Claire Milby.

Travel The Globe has been named as a finalist in the Travel Agent category at the County Brides 2020 North West Wedding Awards. The awards ceremony is due to take place at The Mere Resort & Spa, near Knutsford on September 9, dependent on social distancing regulations.

Travel The Globe supports a range of activities in the local community, including sponsoring the Love Barrow Awards which celebrate the area’s unsung heroes.

Anyone wishing to contact Travel The Globe to find out more is invited to phone 01229 839502/584472, visit the company’s Facebook page or e-mail holidays@traveltheglobe.co.uk

This press release is issued on behalf of Travel The Globe by 32West. For further information or to request interviews please contact Jonathan Lee

jonathan@32west.co.uk 07444 022038

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