'It wasn't on the agenda': Yorkshire agency Total Travel explains 'unplanned' expansion to third location

Butler and the team held an official opening on Saturday (25 May) with deputy mayor of Calderdale, Diana Tremayne, on hand to lead the celebrations and cut the ribbon.

"We wanted to attract attention from the main street,” said Butler, who revealed the agency enjoyed a strong opening Saturday, taking 10 bookings, with more enquiries coming through every day.

"What has really surprised me is that the phone is ringing all the time with enquiries, it’s fantastic,” she said.

Butler added that despite travel’s well-documented recruitment challenges, she hadn’t struggled to staff the third store. "Staffing was my biggest concern, but we’ve got people in relatively easily,” she said.

“We’ve got a manager then three other team members – two with many years of experience selling travel, and one girl who used to work in a bank but has travelled all over.”

Butler has worked in travel since she left school. She set up Total in 2013 in Heckmondwike after the agency, a former Travelcare and Co-operative Travel, was taken over by Thomas Cook and promptly shuttered.

The agency lists dozens of supplier partners on its Facebook page, including Jet2holidays, easyJet holidays, Tui, Riviera Travel and Olympic Holidays, as well as several cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, P&O Cruises and MSC Cruises.