NEWS


CLIMBING HIGH: Panache Cruises is calling on the trade to support its charity hike and raise money for Reuben’s Retreat. Fifteen of its employees, including chief executive James Cole (bottom right), are gearing up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania this week. The group, pictured before starting the ascent, are aiming to reach the summit at 5,895 metres by day eight of their climb. The Chorley-based agency staff trained in the Lake District and at the ‘Pike Steps’ at Rivington Pike before setting off on the trip. The luxury cruise specialist has surpassed its £50,000 target, which was set at the beginning of this year, which will help Reuben’s Retreat complete the building project it launched 11 years ago in Glossop, Derbyshire. The current total stands at £61,700. To donate, visit tinyurl.com/panacheclimb.


Hays targets further multi-channel growth after Spear Travels deal


Juliet Dennis


Hays Travel will continue to “explore opportunities” for organic growth and acquisitions on and off the high street after buying Spear Travels Group. Speaking after the deal to buy the


12-branch high street agency this week, chief operating officer Jonathon Woodall-Johnston said: “Our door is always open for a conversation.” He stressed the group’s


STORY TOP


growth plans were not limited to retail, adding: “Hays Travel continues to explore opportunities for organic growth and acquisition. As well as growing our high street presence, the huge success of our acquisition of Explorer Travel franchise in 2022, and our investment in online business My Kind of Cruise, demonstrate that our sights extend beyond the retail space.” Referring to this week’s


acquisition, he pledged Hays would travelweekly.co.uk


now “take time” to understand the Spear Travels business while also looking to expand the chain in the same way it did after acquiring Miles Morgan Travel just over a year ago. Miles Morgan Travel opened its 20th store – its first since being acquired – in April in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. Woodall-Johnston said: “While we continue to explore opportunities to grow, we will take some time to work with the Spear Travels team and listen to their views and ideas so we can fully understand the business.” Hays bought Spear Travels,


which has about 70 staff and 10 homeworkers, for an undisclosed sum. Its branches, which include Broads Travel and Regent Travel, stretch from Teesside to Dorset. The majority are in areas where there are no Hays stores. Company directors Peter and


Libby Cookson and Derek Adams have left the agency, which was


Their product mix aligns with our core objectives, and we have much to learn from each other


set up in 1983 by former cab drivers Howard Scharvona and Peter Mendel as a trading name of parent company Jetclub. Staff jobs, the agency’s high


street brands and its tour operation Regent Tours have all been retained. Hays Travel owner Dame


Irene Hays called the acquisition an “excellent fit”, adding: “Their product mix of land, cruise and touring holidays aligns with our core objectives, and we have much to learn from each other. “I have enormous respect for


Peter, Libby and Derek. They have built excellent, trusted brands in Spear Travels, Broads


Travel and Regent Travel.” Speaking to Travel Weekly,


72-year-old Cookson said the directors felt it was the right time to sell and stressed the priority had been the retention and protection of staff and brands. He said: “We wanted to sell to


the right people. It was important to us to protect the brand and the staff and we have done that.” While not being privy to Hays’


plans, he said there is “potential for sure” to grow Spear Travels, which at one point had 13 shops and targeted about 20 as part of an expansion plan prior to Brexit and the Covid pandemic. He added: “I’m exceedingly


optimistic for the high street. We have been getting up to 30% new walk-ins every year [since Covid].” The Cooksons, who joined Spear


Travels as homeworkers 32 years ago before buying the business in 2007 with Adams, said they would miss the travel industry “hugely”.


5 JUNE 2025 5


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60