Beverley Travel to open Hull agency Juliet Dennis


Beverley Travel Group is to open a sixth store in a sought-after location in Hull city centre as part of a strategic expansion plan. The travel agency embarked


on a three-year plan in January to substantially expand its retail network. Hull will be its second new shop this year, following the opening of Driffield Travel in Driffield in April. The Hull store, which is due to


open in the next fortnight, is located in Paragon Arcade, which dates back to Victorian times and is known for its independent shops and cafes. The location is particularly


significant to co-owner Kelly Cheesman as it is a stone’s throw from where she grew up and lived until she was 26. Her parents owned a pub round the corner and she later ran a pub nearby, prior to working in the travel industry, while her wedding photographs were also taken outside the arcade. She described the planned


Kelly


Douglas secured the store, previously a cake shop and before that a hairdresser’s, before it was even advertised, having heard about it during a “chance conversation with a local business colleague”. Its unusual layout


Cheesman


opening as a “pinch-me moment”, adding: “Hull has always been home. I’m really excited. For us, this is the best location and the only location in Hull we would consider for a shop.” Cheesman and co-owner Karl


Inside Travel Group to expand portfolio and luxury focus


Ella Sagar


Inside Travel Group has unveiled plans to add programmes in Taiwan and Sri Lanka and grow its luxury portfolio this year. Taiwan will launch in July with


seven self-guided itineraries, while Sri Lanka will follow in the autumn, taking the operator’s portfolio to 13 countries. The move comes after the Asia


specialist outlined plans in 2025 to treble the size of the business in the next five years. Co-founders Simon King and


Alastair Donnelly said the new tours had been years in the making and were based on client feedback about “dream destinations” from 2021.


6 4 JUNE 2026 They said the new destinations


also gave agents scope to create longer twin or triple-centre trips, such as combining Taiwan with Japan and South Korea, and Sri Lanka with India. From a trading perspective, King


said this year had “started well” with a strong peak period, particularly for UK trade sales following the launch of an agent hub and a £20,000 holiday incentive. However, since the start of the


Middle East conflict on February 28, the family market, which was due to be a major focus this year, has “struggled”. Donnelly said continuing uncertainty, combined with the rising costs of flights – by up to £500 per person in some cases – were putting families off booking.


King said the luxury market


was “more resilient”, prompting the company to add more self-guided cultural adventures for the sector across all destinations. It will also introduce an additional group tour in South Korea, the operator’s second-most popular destination. Donnelly explained luxury


experiences would prioritise “authentic connection” with local people and guaranteed access to events such as sumo tournaments in Japan. King revealed the operator


was also making progress with its “undertourism” strategy in Japan, with 16% of all trips so far this year including a lesser-visited destination.


He said fam trips in future “should


always include” a less-frequented destination to give agents more insight into the country. Speaking about trade strategy,


King and Donnelly promised to “lean into agents that are good partners”, adding the new Inside Travel Agent Hub had seen “great engagement” since its launch in January. More than 1,400 agents have


registered for a new series of webinars, with several attracting more than 300 attendees. The company’s second £20,000


holiday trade incentive has already seen twice as many agents sign up compared with last year’s incentive.


travelweekly.co.uk includes a small area downstairs, where a desk will be fitted, and a main


area upstairs for a “travel lounge”. The branch will focus on booked appointments suited to the arcade’s upmarket clientele. “We’ll run this store slightly


differently because it’s ‘upside down’. We’re going to encourage


appointments in our upstairs travel lounge,” said Cheesman, who oversees the group’s marketing. She noted: “It is very close to


what we call ‘travel agents’ street’ in Hull but we will not be competing with them; there is a place for all of us. The arcade is upmarket and attracts a different clientele who are young, hip professionals.” Two part-time employees have


already been appointed and a third full- time member of staff is being sought. As part of the agency’s strategic


plan, the business has already appointed an operations manager, Elizabeth Hillary, and its first full-time marketing executive.


Simon King (left) and Alastair Donnelly


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