NEWS SPECIAL REPORT


Clockwise from top: Jack Mason; Nick Marks and Chris Marks; the agency’s shop in Tunbridge Wells, Kent


now debt-free,” said Mason. “Most businesses in travel will be saddled with loads of debts for a long time to come, but we have made sure Nick and Chris can get on with running their business without that stress.” Inc & Co is also looking to install


new technology to facilitate online bookings so Baldwins can “attract a new, perhaps younger, audience”, he continued. And it has more ambitious growth


plans. These involve extending the Baldwins brand beyond the southeast and into new travel and retail concepts. These ambitions would support the formation of another division, Inc Travel Group, within the overall business.


Scope for expansion Baldwins managing director Nick Marks said: “The Marks family have really just been the custodians of the Baldwins brand since 1991. To get Inc & Co to come in as the new


travelweekly.co.uk


We don’t want to


change the ethos of Baldwins Travel, but we can add bits on to get new business


custodians and move the business forward is very exciting. Baldwins has always been part of a family; now it’s just part of a larger family and to bring our team along on this journey is amazing. “The opportunities now available


for growing into other areas are huge. “We always wanted to do it, but


just didn’t have the resources. For example, before Covid we had two people in marketing; Inc & Co has 35. We are going to be able to do so much more and that’s extremely exciting.” Marks stressed nothing would


change for existing customers. “We don’t want to change the


ethos of Baldwins Travel. We’ve got an older generation of people that use us and we’re not going to change what works. But we can add bits on to get new business,” he said. “The core of Baldwins will always


remain, though – and that is all about service, both in our leisure and corporate businesses. Our high levels of service will stay the same.” Inc & Co’s designers are already


preparing to “spruce up” the branches to “make them into destinations where people want to go to book a holiday”, said Mason. It is also going on a “hiring spree”,


looking for “at least seven” new recruits to join the team. “But with everything that’s going on, that could be more,” Mason added.


Corporate travel Inc & Co is also targeting growth in Baldwins’ corporate travel arm. “We want to expand the business travel side more rapidly over the next


18 months,” he said. “Businesses haven’t been able to travel and suppliers need to see their customers. There’s going to be an influx of people wanting to travel again – they’ve all got Zoom fatigue and face-to-face meetings are going to be vital.” Marks said that prediction was


already being borne out. “The world is opening up and


we’re doing a lot of work with our corporate clients,” he said. Mason added: “We have lots of


exciting plans but we’re in this for the long game. It’s going to be a struggle coming out of the pandemic if you’re on your own, so having a support network is crucial. “Working collaboratively within


our group, and creating an end-to- end experience for our customers, make sense. It’s such an exciting time. People are not going to stop travelling – in fact, it’s going to boom – and we have a lot of years ahead of us to make this a success.”


7 OCTOBER 2021 9


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