TTG 30 Under 30 alumnus goes from A&K Harrods' top seller to luxury agency owner

Seven years ago graduate Harry Wignall was relaxing by a pool in the Philippines when he had a “lightbulb moment” that one day he should channel his passion for exploring the world into running his own travel business.

He returned home and secured a role as travel executive at Abercrombie & Kent’s Harrods boutique, and today (29 November), launches his own luxury agency, Wimeya. 

Wignall joined A&K after graduating from Oxford Brookes University in 2016, rising to become a platinum travel executive and receiving the luxury operator’s award for top salesperson in 2019 and 2021, before hitting a record £4 million in sales in 2022. Having built a portfolio of 150 active guests, he felt ready to take his career to the next stage. He explains: “I was beginning to get to the limits of always being able to provide the service level [my clients’] needed, and that I wanted to deliver. I’m not sure there’s ever the ‘right’ time to launch your own business, but I felt I had the experience required to take the leap.”

Wignall has partnered with Hemisphere Travel Group, and will operate under the business’ Atol licence and using its bonded trust account. He will work from home in south-west London, visiting clients as needed across London.

They will deal directly with Wignall, who is focusing on personalised service, and creating “a connection from the initial booking onwards.”

He explains: “By tailoring each journey to the individual and maintaining open communication, we aim to build loyalty through relationships, not transactions. Monetary value of holidays is important, but once guests are confident they are paying the fair rate for such quality, it is the emotional value of their holiday that counts for more. Achieving that can require months and months of planning and countless interactions. That’s where the personal relationship comes in.”

Wignall discussed his plans with some of his fellow alumni from TTG’s 30 Under 30 class of 2022, who reassured him that launching his own business “was the right thing to do”. He explains: “Being part of the TTG 30 Under 30 broadened my understanding of what’s out there and what my capabilities are – it’s an extremely talented pool of young people. I’ve learnt so much from all of them and have been able to build that self confidence to feel like I’m absolutely where I should be. I’m very grateful to have been part of this fantastic cohort.”