Welsh agency Sam Smith Travel to expand to third premises next year
Ilaria Grasso MacolaSam Smith Travel will expand to a third shop in the new year – three years after a ’chance conversation’ resulted in Ocky White Travel boss Mark White stepping in to save the South Wales agency brand.
Speaking exclusively to TTG, White revealed Sam Smith would open a new shop in Mumbles in Swansea Bay in January, staffed by three "very experienced" agents.
White, who has not ruled out further openings under the Sam Smith banner, explained the decision was part of a longer-term strategy to expand the agency into areas he believes the brand will resonate well with locals.
He said Mumbles was a "sensible choice", it being situated roughly equidistant from Sam Smith’s two existing branches in Cowbridge and Pontyclun, both around an hour away in the Cardiff direction.
White also owns Ocky White Travel in Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Travel in Milford Haven, both of which are about 90 minutes to two hours west of Mumbles.
"Sam Smith Travel is very well-established in southeast Wales and is synonymous with exceptional service and very knowledgeable and experienced staff,” he said.
“We’re proud of our independence and the fact we work with a multitude of top-class tour operators to provide the biggest choice possible for our clients.”
The shop will be situated on the high street in Mumbles, staffed by an experienced team of travel retailers. The three new additions to the Sam Smith team will bring headcount across the brand to 15.
White said he didn’t have a specific type of client, clientele or demographic in mind for the new shop, stressing he hoped it would appeal to all types of customers in the area.
"The Sam Smith brand is very strong on tailor-made and long-haul experiences, and that is something we’re very keen to promote,” he said. “But equally, we’ll be catering for all sorts, whether it’s family holidays or cruising.”
White said he hoped peaks would bring some early momentum. "We’re hoping to see a welcome response from the people of Mumbles as the staff are already well-known among residents,” he explained. “I’m sure they will be keen to support their favourite travel agents.”
’Chance conversation’
Sam Smith Travel has become an integral part of White’s agency operation since he saved the brand and ensured it had a future on the high street, now representing three of the five branches he owns.
The company ceased trading as an Atol holder in July 2021 after clients booked to travel to South Africa for the British and Irish Lions rugby tour weren’t able to go due to the country’s strict Covid rules. The company also incorporated the Strachan Sports Travel brand.
"I had known Sam Smith and Jim Strachan for many years and called them up when I saw the news,” White recalled. "It was a chance conversation where they mentioned there was a possibility to save the brand and we went from there.”
Following the buyout, White expanded the originally Cowbridge-based business to Pontyclun in November 2022, with Mumbles set to follow early next year – and he hasn’t ruled out further growth.
"If an opportunity arises, we will consider it. But for now, let’s wait and see,” he added.
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