A DAY WITH... THOMPSON TRAVEL, NORTHERN IRELAND


Amie Keeley meets owner Sharon Fleming and her team at Thompson Travel in Northern Ireland


Just over a decade ago, Thompson Travel owner Sharon Fleming was at a crossroads. Her father and mentor had died on a tour he was hosting in Israel and Sharon had to decide whether she wanted to run a business on her own. She had plenty of experience


having worked in the civil service and as an IT lecturer, but she stuck with the agency,


MEET THE TEAM


CAROLINE MCCAVANAGH Group co-ordinator How long have you worked in travel?


I’ve been with Thompson for six years. Before that I worked in corporate travel here and the US. Biggest challenge to date? The terror attack in Turkey a couple of years ago and the September 11 attacks.


AISLING HILL Branch manager How long have you worked in travel? I’ve been an agent


for 21 years. I worked at another agency, Terra Travel, and in corporate travel. I’ve been with Thompson two years in April. Most unusual request? A man asked me to arrange a surprise wedding for his wife in Cyprus.


LAURA FORSYTHE Senior travel consultant How long have you worked here? I’ve


been here 12 years. Strangest request? It was a response from an airline. I requested an extra bag on a flight to Africa but was told the only additional baggage allowed was a flatscreen TV!


AMY CAMPBELL Trainee travel consultant When did you join? October last year,


straight from school where I studied travel and tourism. My family book with Thompson. Best thing about the job so far? I love researching different places, especially places I’ve never heard of before.


grew its in-house tour business and hasn’t looked back since.


History Thompson Travel opened its first shop in 1992. Sharon’s father owned Thompson Fuels, which is still operating today across the road, as well as the strip of shops where Thompson is located in a residential area of Craigavon. Having gone on holiday to


Israel, he realised nobody was selling tours to the destination so ran some for friends. When these grew into larger groups he realised he needed a licence, which prompted the idea to set up an agency. Sharon says: “I had a senior


role in the civil service at the time. When my dad asked if I would consider working in travel I thought it would be much easier


and more flexible with children. Of course it wasn’t, and I had the baby with me in the office!” But she says it worked because Sharon brought her IT and management experience to the business. “I didn’t have the product knowledge,” she says. “So I studied the brochures. Within a year we had opened five shops.” After her marriage ended and Sharon was juggling running


26travelweekly.co.uk11 April 2019


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  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72