Thorne Travel, Kilwinning

Thorne Travel, Kilwinning
Scotland’s Top Agency 2020

From supporting local families on the poverty line to encouraging staff to flourish through training, owner Shona Thorne has developed an agency with a huge heart.

This friendly, young team remains at the top of its game, taking regular educational trips, including lengthy individual trips that the agency partly fronts the cost for. Development is further encouraged through training, which last year included a two-day team building exercise. Shona also takes on a number of apprentices each year, paying for external training as well as boosting knowledge in-house.

The store acts as a community hub, with local council (Shona is on the board) and traders’ meetings taking place in-store, and even bringing in new business.

Customers are treated to teas and coffees, or there’s wine, fizz and handmade cocktails. Kids have sugar-free juices as well as toys and iPads to play with.

Hand-delivering tickets and sending bottles of champagne and personalised hampers to say thanks for referrals is standard procedure, and the team regularly goes over and above for customers, with one staff member dressing up as Mickey Mouse to deliver tickets to a family on Christmas Day.

Unsurprisingly, business is thriving and the shop enjoyed a repeat booking rate of 81% last year.

The agency’s new tuk-tuk is a clever marketing tool, with staff members taking it for a spin each week armed with leaflets and brochures.

Efforts have recently been made to make the shop more eco-friendly, with rechargeable batteries used in their fairy lights and new client luggage tags made from recycled paper.

The store continually strives to give back to Kilwinning, which is one of Scotland’s most deprived areas. New not-for-profit business All About the Magic has raised money for local terminally ill boy Seth, as well as donating 55 food hampers to families who would otherwise be unable to afford Christmas dinner.

thornetravel.com