Top Scotland Agency 2023 - Thorne Travel, Kilwinning 

Top Agency in Scotland 2023
Thorne Travel, Kilwinning 

This dynamic 14-year-old agency takes the Scottish throne for the fourth time in 2023 after a year of innovation and improvements. 

In the last 12 months, agency owner Shona Thorne and her talented team of 15 have launched a new cruise department named Seas The Day off the back of a sold-out accompanied sailing for 100 customers on MSC Virtuosa.

They’ve also facilitated short-haul package holiday bookings via their website for the first time, added a coach to their Thorne-branded fleet, refreshed the shop’s decor and made a commitment to regular in-store themes that have so far seen visits from the Easter Bunny, Disney characters and Santa. Thorne Travel achieved all this while expanding into a second branch, which opened its doors to customers in the town of Largs in March 2022.

The agency continues to deliver unrivalled customer service in its Kilwinning store, providing a 24-hour emergency phone line, cards and gifts such as tailored scrolls, cheese, wine and sweet treats for clients’ special occasions, a regular cocktail group for customers, and an attitude that means going above and beyond, always. 

The extremely well-travelled and diligent team undertakes product training every morning and has visited 20 destinations in the past year. In fact, the team are so good at what they do, four of them were promoted in December. 

When booking with Thorne Travel, clients know they won’t be the only ones well looked after thanks to the agency’s charity, All About The Magic, which last year provided more than 50 less fortunate families with complimentary day trips, high-street vouchers and food hampers.

This caring culture extends to the planet too, with Thorne Travel recently publishing its Environmental Policy and appointing one staff member an “environmental champion” to hold the team accountable. 

The agency has even put the wheels in motion to make its coach fleet electric. One of the agency’s many happy clients comments: “There is always a sense of fun in the store, and it is a real pleasure to visit.” 

thornetravel.com