'We knew that when Covid was over, everyone would really appreciate agents'

Being named the UK’s best travel agency is one heck of an achievement, especially when you’ve only been in business for three-and-a-half years.

But for Hannah Porter and her team at Travel By Hannah in the Wiltshire market town of Marlborough, it’s just reward for a lot of hard work – and some great ideas.

Porter, whose business was last month named Top 50 Travel Agencies by TTG 2024 Top Agency UK and Ireland, took over the former Robin’s World Travel shop in December 2020 after the owner, who was in his mid-70s, decided to retire after 35 years.

Meet the TTG Top 50 2024

That proved a timely decision, just as Covid hit. “He decided to quit while he was ahead,” says Porter, who was then managing the shop.

“He said to me, ‘I don’t want there not to be a travel agency here. I know you’re only 25, but would you consider buying it?’ – I was like a deer in headlights.”

Porter’s father had his own business, was a big travel fan and, importantly, was persuasive. “He said, ‘Why not? If it goes wrong, it goes wrong’.

“We knew that when Covid was over, everyone would really appreciate travel agents, so we went on a family holiday to Rhodes and I sat on the beach writing a business plan.”