Top 50 2024 - South West - Hays Travel, Weymouth

Despite staff at Hays Travel’s Weymouth branch facing a series of challenging personal circumstances in the past year, including family bereavements and health struggles, the tight-knit 10-person team’s enduring success in making customers’ holiday dreams come true didn’t falter. Store manager Hayley Gadd ensures support and flexibility – to both staff and customers. Caring comes naturally to this agency, which raised £2,200 for mental health charity Young Minds and £520 for Dorset County Hospital last year, introduced a Charlie Bear teddy to “holiday with” anxious travellers and books the sensory room at Bristol Airport – and orders sunflower lanyards – for those who might benefit. There’s colouring in-store for kids, funding sent to a local bee project, and regular sustainability and personal development training for staff members, who recommend B Corp Certified companies. They utilise industry contacts to make the impossible possible, and reward loyal customers with complimentary airport parking and lounge access. Word has got around about their impeccable service, so in-store events with industry suppliers have been resounding successes. So much so that plans are afoot for a cruise show with multiple cruise lines. Bookings have even seen customers spend as much as £65,000. Trust is built too by savvy marketing efforts, such as advertising in local magazines, appearing on local radio, sponsoring the Weymouth Food and Family Festival, and curating a strong social media presence across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. In the past four years the team has doubled in size (the most recent recruit is apprentice Amy) and they’re broadening their knowledge by visiting the likes of Jordan, Italy and Mauritius on top of regular destination and travel company training. The Hays Travel Weymouth team is so well liked, customers call them “national treasures”.

haystravel.co.uk