Top Central England Agency 2024 - The Travel Store, Newport

CENTRAL ENGLAND’S TOP AGENCY 2024
The Travel Store, Newport

With its sleek wooden panelling, chic sofas and beach club aesthetic, you feel like you’re already enjoying a relaxing holiday when you step inside The Travel Store. The agency’s decor has been turning heads in the Shropshire town of Newport since opening in January 2024, when owner Scott James and his team relocated to new premises closer to the centre of town taking over a former bike shop. While the agency has faced bumps in the road since launching in May 2018 – essentially having to restart from scratch in 2021 after the Covid pandemic – there is no sign of hitting the brakes any time soon, after celebrating their best year on record in 2023. Now a team of five, Scott and his staff cater for all budgets and types of travel – from Indian Ocean odysseys to UK short stays. Paying above-industry wages and not enforcing sales targets helps the business focus more on team togetherness, with regular staff nights out, a spa day to recharge after the busy January period and even attending a Taylor Swift show together last summer. It’s all handled with the same care and importance The Travel Store has for clients. The team can always be relied upon to help – from a last-minute dash to the Cuban Embassy in London to save a holiday after a father-daughter visa mix-up 48 hours from departure, to securing vital seats for a nervous flyer heading home from Australia, or a special gift box for F1 racing fans. No wonder their customers appreciate them – hundreds attended their first travel show, with the team having to partner with the Italian bistro next door to accommodate everyone. The agency’s memory board – a patchwork of postcards, ornaments and thank you messages from customers – is testament to that bond. Meanwhile, team member Alice’s dissertation in sustainable tourism helps focus the agency in offering more responsible travel and operate in more environmentally-friendly ways.