Agent turns her hospital bed into a pop-up shop
Juliet Dennis
A self-employed homeworker continued to book holidays from her hospital bed, including for the nurses treating her, after a sudden cancer diagnosis. Holiday Village personal travel
consultant Denise Armour, based in Fife, Scotland, found out she had non-Hodgkin lymphoma on November 20, 2023 – the day of her 13th wedding anniversary. At the time she put the
symptoms, including sweating and difficulty breathing, down to the menopause or a new strain of Covid. But after feeling particularly poorly one day, she was told to go straight to A&E. A chest X-ray, CT scan and biopsy confirmed the cancer diagnosis. “The day I went into hospital,
my husband and I were due to go to Malmaison hotel in Dundee to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Instead I was in ‘Hotel Victoria’ – Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. I won’t forget that in a hurry,” she said. Armour was put on a six-month
course of chemotherapy with seven- day hospital stays every couple of weeks from December 2023. “When you’ve got your own
business, you start wondering what to
Denise Armour taking time out during her treatment with husband Eddie and daughter Tia; inset, bottom left, with fellow Holiday Village top sellers
do. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid,” said Armour, who took her laptop into hospital after the first chemo cycle. She recalled: “I’d just done quotes
for an Australia cruise. Gold Medal was brilliant. We sorted it over email and I phoned them from hospital with the customers’ details.” Armour was soon running a
‘pop-up shop’ from her bed as word got out she was an agent. “Nurses kept asking about prices
and I picked up a few bookings,” she said. “Work kept my mind off my treatment. Some days I’d do less but I was still in Holiday Village’s top-seller list for the period I was in hospital.”
US unveils plans for ‘desperately needed’ upgrades to ATC system
US travel leaders have welcomed plans to upgrade the country’s “antiquated” air traffic control system. Department of Transportation secretary Sean Duffy unveiled an ambitious plan to build a state-of-the-art ATC structure. The plan will bring “desperately needed” upgrades to systems that support almost three million air passengers a day, according to the US Travel Association.
8 15 MAY 2025 She updated Facebook with
daily reports, including humorous posts such as “I’m off for a holiday excursion to ultrasound” or “cocktail party tonight” referring to her medication, while the Holiday Village team were in daily contact. Armour said: “Your life is turned
upside down. I got through it by making jokes.” During her treatment, the
family suffered another blow when Armour’s husband Eddie was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. His surgery in June last year came the same month Armour was told she was in remission.
Mark Warner plans fam trips
as it re-engages with trade Active holiday specialist Mark Warner has unveiled plans to re-engage with the trade, spearheaded by sales supervisor Ellen Yates, formerly a Flight Centre travel agent. The commitment includes fam trips and improved agent communications. The initiative is complemented by a return to TV advertising.
On the Beach reports 12% rise in half-year revenue
On the Beach Group has reported a record half-year performance with revenue up 12% year on year to £64.2 million as “demand for holidays remains strong”. The online travel agency
and owner of B2B brand Classic Collection revealed its total transaction value for the six months ended March 31 was up 13%, to £640.7 million, driven by booking volumes that rose 11%. Adjusted profit before tax was
up 23% to £7.6 million. On the Beach reported quarterly
year-on-year booking momentum has been building, with volumes up 7% in Q1, 15% in Q2 and 18% for the quarter to date in Q3. The group also highlighted its
expansion into Ireland and the city break market, which is tipped to contribute to further growth in the second half of its financial year. “As a result of these factors, and
the continued execution of strategy, another record year is expected,” the group’s results statement said. The half-year statement
also revealed results for Classic Collection, whose operations were restructured in the previous year. The B2B brand made an operating loss of £1.3 million compared with a £200,000 profit in the prior year. The statement said: “Classic
Collection has made solid progress with H1 bookings growth of 36%.”
Barclays reports 7% year-on-year rise in April spending with agents
Agents continued to see strong growth in spending in April, new data shows. The 7% year-on-year rise was on par with the previous month and came as transactions rose by 15.3%, according to consumer card spending statistics released by Barclays. Transaction growth was up on the 13.1% increase reported for March. The demand was also reflected by 5.5% growth in spending with airlines.
travelweekly.co.uk
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