Black Opal expands team and takes up new premises
James ChappleBlack Opal Travel Group’s expansion has continued apace this month with the appointment of two new travel consultants.
Keri Gee and Louise Vernon join the sports holiday specialist from Omega Travel, which ceased trading last September.
Omega was a mainstay of the Cheshire village of Hale for more than 40 years, where Black Opal has now taken up new premises – restoring a travel company presence to the high street.
Black Opal managing director Jamie Smith said Gee and Vernon brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the business.
Their appointments follow those of senior tours consultant Richard Nurse and director of sales Kym O’Brien, with O’Brien brought onboard earlier this month to build and expand Black Opal’s relationships with the trade.
Established in 2019, Black Opal specialises in bespoke sports holidays, offering tailored tours to international events led by several former internationals, including ex-England cricket captain David Gower.
Beyond sports travel, it also provides a concierge service for all luxury travel enquiries. It had been trading for just over a year when the Covid crisis hit.
"With the world tentatively opening up again, we’re in great shape to work with new clients directly and the travel trade nationwide," said Smith. “Our new home in Hale is a big part of that with the travel lounge downstairs set up to welcome clients and offices above – the whole team has a base.
"Being a small, family-owned business meant we could be more resilient and adaptable during lockdown. We also used the time to secure our Atol and Abta statuses directly and build events for our client base online. We can’t wait to start connecting in person once again in our new setting."
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