Good Travel Company ‘open’ to more agencies
Andrew McQuarrie
The Good Travel Company director Vanessa Good has said she is “100% open” to expanding beyond the business’s second store, which last month began selling travel as well as offering a foreign exchange service. The Dumfries shop hosted a
grand opening on May 22 after several weeks of trading in the refurbished property, which had previously operated as a currency specialist since 2000. The agency received £10,000 through Jet2holidays’ Scale Up Your Street scheme to support the makeover. Good said the travel department,
led by new manager Douglas Smith, had enjoyed a positive start, including higher-value bookings. “We’ve seen some really nice
bookings coming through,” she said, noting strong demand for departures this summer. “Everyone wants a last-minute holiday,” she added. “We’re seeing a massive percentage asking about the Mediterranean.” The Ayr branch is also benefiting
from continued momentum in the lates market, which is helping the business to recover from setbacks caused by the Middle East conflict. “Things are quite good just now,”
From left: Jonathan Good, Douglas Smith and Vanessa Good with forex specialists Susan Dalling and Carole Davidson
Good said. “Even with the massive black hole that was March and April, the industry seems to have come back quite well and people still have the appetite to travel, so we’re seeing encouraging signs.” She added the geopolitical
challenges are prompting greater interest in booking via the trade. “We’re getting a lot of new clients
in the Ayr branch. People are wanting the security of an agent again,” she said. “After Covid, there was a
massive push back to travel agents and the Middle East crisis has again taught people they need that reassurance [from the trade].” Clients are frequently asking
Spear Travels’ Julie Kendrick leaves business after seven years
Industry veteran Julie Kendrick is leaving Spear Travels Group after nearly seven years. Her departure follows Hays Travel’s acquisition of the brand in June 2025, following which she stayed for 12 months to aid the transition. Guy Fletcher, currently of sister brand Millington Travel, assumes the role of new brands commercial manager across four of the group’s acquired retail businesses.
8 4 JUNE 2026
questions about the EU’s Entry/ Exit System, but they are accepting the agency’s advice. “There’s no way to predict
which airports are going to be busy at what time, so we tell customers to get there in plenty of time,” said Good, adding: “We’ve not had any clients who have missed flights.” Asked about the possibility of
opening additional stores, she said: “Our focus is on Ayr and Dumfries, but we’re 100% open to seeing where there are gaps in Scotland. “It’s about the right town.
It’s not just about being in this geographical location [Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway].”
Hays and
Cruise.co.uk to run six charters on Oceania ship
Hays Travel and subsidiary
Cruise.co.uk are partnering with Oceania Cruises to run six full-ship charter sailings in July and August 2027. The five-star voyages – mostly no-fly cruises
from Southampton – will be on 650-berth Oceania Nautica. Destinations featured include Spain, Portgual, France and Norway.
Agent trio win spot on Legend of the Seas’ first sailing
Three agents with strong social media skills have been selected to be Royal Social Ambassadors on this month’s inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s new Icon Class ship, Legend of the Seas. Sophie Wilkin of Janine
Loves Travel, Jodie Clarkson of Destination and Madeleine Proctor of Bolsover Cruise Club were chosen by a judging panel from Royal Caribbean and Travel Weekly. The trio have won the final trade
tickets to join the new vessel’s launch sailing, from Málaga to Rome, departing on June 29. The ambassadors will receive
behind-the-scenes access, allowing them to create and share dedicated content showcasing the ship’s features. Aaron
Langford, Royal Caribbean senior sales manager for the UK and Ireland, said: “We were inundated with entries and while the competition was fierce, there were three who stood out. “These ambassadors will be
tasked with showcasing what a holiday with Royal Caribbean is all about.” He added: “This will be the
launch of a lifetime as we welcome Legend of the Seas to the fleet.”
Chris Barker joins Hurtigruten as key account manager for UK
Hurtigruten has appointed Chris Barker as key account manager for the UK and emerging markets. Barker joins from Designer Travel, following roles at Celebrity Cruises and Riviera Travel. In his new position, he will collaborate with the sales team to support trade partners, grow key accounts, enhance agent engagement and develop new business opportunities.
travelweekly.co.uk
Legend of the Seas
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