Travel House opens 17th store after upturn in business


Juliet Dennis


Travel House has opened a 17th store and revealed plans for at least one more branch by the end of the year as it enjoys a boom in business on the high street. The Welsh agency’s first store in


Pontypridd follows the recruitment of three experienced staff who previously worked for Flamingo Holidays, formerly Tailor Made Travel, in Merthyr Tydfil, 10 miles away. Head of retail Leanne Williams


said the company had been looking to expand after downsizing due to staffing problems after the pandemic. In 2020 it had 23 branches.


The new branch extends the


group’s reach farther east in Wales than most of its other stores. Two of its 17 current shops are temporarily mothballed. Williams said: “We’re looking at


opening one or two more shops by the end of the year, definitely one.” The new branch, which officially


launches this weekend, was previously a photographic shop. It joins Hays Travel and Tui in the town. Williams said: “Pontypridd wasn’t


an area we were originally looking at but this is a good high street location in a town where not even a handful of shops are empty. “There used to be seven agencies


in this town. It’s a good catchment area and a perfect opportunity for us.” The opening was brought forward


from September to June as a result of rising sales and easing restrictions. Williams added: “During the


pandemic, all our business was on social media, but now the majority is walk-in. People want to see agents face- to-face and want that reassurance. Our figures are improving every month.” She said the company had been


keen to ensure the new staff could continue to work together in a location within commuting distance. “It’s paramount we keep our staff


happy and our Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil branch was fully staffed,” she said. “It seemed like perfect timing [to open a new branch] when we were taking on staff with so much experience.” She admitted there had been


“honest conversations” with other store managers to explain the expansion rationale at a time when other shops remained understaffed. The new branch is still looking


to recruit one more full-time staff member and an apprentice, while other staff are also being sought across the network.


Carnival boss predicts record 2023 Harry Kemble


The boss of Carnival Corporation has echoed the views of leading cruise industry figures that 2023 could be a record-breaking year for the sector as he expressed his appreciation for agents. In an interview with Travel


Weekly, outgoing chief executive Arnold Donald said he believed the industry could surpass 2019 booking levels, with more new ships set to launch and “better pricing” available. He said: “[2023] certainly has


capability of being at [that level], assuming the destinations are open, and we can sail all the ships. “There will be more capacity in


8 9 JUNE 2022


2023 than there was in 2019 and there will be generally better pricing than there was in 2019. That adds up to record performance.” Donald added: “I think that’s


within reach of the industry, we’ll have to see how things evolve.” He also pointed to recent record


booking days for Carnival Corp brands Cunard and Carnival Cruise Line. Donald, who will be succeeded by


chief operations officer Josh Weinstein from August 1, added: “P&O Cruises is booking very well now.” Looking at the wider market, he


said bookings were “picking up” as customers adapted to the uncertainty. Expressing his admiration for


There’s nobody


better to [advise customers] than a trained travel agent professional


the trade, he said: “I absolutely see a real future for agents – there’s no question about that. They’ve always been very important.” He explained how strong sales


through the trade could underpin a cruise line’s “business sustainability”. “We have nine leading cruise


line brands,” he said. “They’re very different from each other and they’re


very different from the other brands of other companies. There’s nobody better to [advise customers] than a trained travel agent professional who understands the different brands.” Carnival Corp’s overall capacity


increased by 10% during the pandemic as more than 20 outgoing ships were replaced by around half that number of larger vessels. He insisted the fleet had become


“leaner” and more efficient as a result of the pandemic, which “accelerated” various vessels’ exit plans. “We’re excited about our existing


fleet that is now even more efficient because we exited a number of


less-efficient vessels,” he said. i News You Can Use, page 20


travelweekly.co.uk


Leanne Williams (second right) with Pontypridd agents (from left) Sue Price, Kelly Williams and Sharon Probert


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