Blue Bay Travel

Blue Bay Travel
One of TTG’s Top 50 Travel Agencies 2020

Stoke-on-Trent-based Blue Bay Travel was established in 2003 and has gone from strength to strength since. While traditionally the call centre branch of the business was larger than online, the agency has seen a significant pick-up in web bookings over the past couple of years, with 2018-2019 bookings growing 146%.

Overall 100 employees oversee the smooth operation of this long-haul holiday specialist, with 30 personal travel advisors across various specialisms (a mix of call centre agents and homeworkers), as well as a dedicated team of online agents. While historically sales to the Caribbean and Mexico have been Blue Bay’s main focus – and these still make up the vast majority of sales – the agency is honing close relationships in other areas of the world now too, such as the Indian Ocean.

Over the past 12 months Blue Bay has introduced a more efficient online booking journey: specifically, it is in the process of rolling out a new pricing system that will enable customers to access packages with child prices and alternative cabin classes more easily via its website. In-person service is excellent too, as demonstrated by thank you flowers delivered after Thomas Cook went out of business. One agent even acted as a representative for an elderly client who fell and was admitted to hospital while on holiday.

Training is a priority for Blue Bay, with the team having visited dozens of destinations and new hotels and cruise ships over the past year. This product knowledge, combined with excellent service both online and offline, helps result in scores of happy customers. The umbrella company’s three sub-brands – Caribbean Warehouse, Tropical Warehouse and Xclusivity – have their own Trustpilot scores, and are all rated “great”.

You can rest assured Blue Bay cares about the environment as well, having teamed up with The Travel Foundation charity to promote eco-friendly tourism, and encouraging customers to become “conscious travellers”. Blue Bay also has a team of in-house “charity champions”, and in the past year introduced mental health first aiders for those in its own team who might need support.

bluebaytravel.co.uk