A DAY WITH... TRAVEL WEEKLY ON THE ROAD


sammayling @sammayling


Lovely to meet the @idelotravel team and see why your approach to service meant you won a @travelweekly Mystery Shopper


OPPOSITE PAGE: Andrea and husband Antony outside their Ipswich store


THIS PAGE: The Idelo Travel team


SAM’S DAY AT IDELO TRAVEL


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local MP Ben Gummer and Mark Murphy, a BBC Radio Suffolk presenter, and got coverage in the local paper,” she recalls. The name ‘Idelo’ comes from


the phrase ‘inspire, discover, explore’ which features on the agency’s logo.


Something unusual As Andrea says, she didn’t want to follow convention by using her name or Ipswich, and she wanted to create something unusual. Her first booking was a holiday in Majorca with Thomas Cook, but most business is now long- haul and tailor-made – there are posters about ‘bucket-list’ trips in the agency window. Upstairs in the former tea shop is where they hold coffee mornings and supplier events, which are attended by regular and potential customers. One recent event was held with Cruise & Maritime Voyages, which attracted 20 members of the


public, and others have featured the likes of Intrepid Travel and Titan Travel. “We want to engage with the


brands and show people that you can book them here,” says Andrea. “We built up our clientele by


word-of-mouth recommendations. I can sell holidays because I talk about holidays. “It’s been a steep learning


curve but I learn by listening. There is no silver bullet: it’s hard work, long hours and weekends. “We’re a member of Advantage


as they were recommended to me. And we could not have done it without them.” Having celebrated her fifth


year in business, Andrea is looking to recruit another member of staff, to join husband Antony and two colleagues, Jeni Dunlop and Sarah Masullo. “I won’t necessarily recruit someone from travel, as I want to nurture them,” she says. Ironically, during the first three


years, Andrea was so busy that she was unable to travel. But last year she managed two fam trips – Thailand with Travelpack and Vietnam with Intrepid Travel – as well as a holiday in Hawaii with a stopover in Florida, to get her Disney fix.


Jetting off Andrea’s vision is to build the business to the stage where she can jet off for six months of the year.


Sharing travel stories with clients excites her – and on her days off, she is content to plan her future trips. “One lady just returned from


the Falklands. I arranged that she would be on a beach with king penguins – I want to share those experiences,” she says. “My next trips will be Universal


Studios Orlando, Robbie Williams in Las Vegas and then Australia. “We also visit Brancaster in


Norfolk with our dogs each year.”


I was intrigued to discover that Andrea


was an accountant until five years ago, but had been inspired to become a travel agent after taking dozens of holidays around the world. As soon as I arrived, she put the kettle on, and as I sat down, her husband Antony arrived with a plate of chocolate biscuits. One of the first things


you notice are the striking photos on the walls. All taken by Andrea, they feature exotic images such as iguanas in the Galapagos Islands and penguins in the Falklands, as well as destinations closer to home, such as Santorini. They look more like something from a David Attenborough documentary than holiday snaps, and are certainly a talking point. Another talking point is the deckchair in the window display.


During the day, customers pop in to check their travel arrangements or just say ‘thanks’ for a great trip. “It’s great to see their smile when they share their experiences with me after their holiday,” says Andrea.


9 May 2019travelweekly.co.uk37


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