Miles Morgan Travel to open 21st store in Frome
Juliet Dennis
Miles Morgan Travel is preparing to open its 21st shop as it approaches its second anniversary under parent company Hays Travel. The travel agency chain will open
in Frome, Somerset, in the next few months. It will be the second new shop since its acquisition by Hays in May 2024, after opening in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, a year ago. Managing director Mandy Shillito
described the market town of Frome as the “perfect location” for Miles Morgan Travel, and said the brand was already known locally thanks to daily regional TV advertising. “It’s exciting to be opening a
new shop. We’ve had our eye on Frome for a while. It has the right demographic and will strengthen our presence in the area. It is a natural progression for us,” she said. The shop, due to open in a central
location in the town, is recruiting for a shop manager, three consultants, an apprentice and a foreign exchange consultant. Shillito has not ruled out further
expansion but said there was no set target. “We’re always looking for opportunities but it’s got to be the right location, in a town with our demographic,” she said.
Frome, Somerset; inset, Mandy Shillito
Azamara reports revival in bookings since start of war
Azamara Cruises’ chief executive has reported a gradual recovery in bookings since the start of the conflict in the Middle East as she hailed the line’s “resilient” trade partners who have helped to spur sales. Speaking on board
Dondra Ritzenthaler
Azamara Quest as the ship hosted Clia’s Masterclass at Sea, Dondra Ritzenthaler said she had been “encouraged” by how bookings had bounced back after an initial drop at the beginning of the conflict as she promised to “continue to listen to travel advisors and customers” to maintain the upward trajectory. “When the conflict started,
She said Miles Morgan was set
to report “another record [financial] year” under Hays’ ownership and was tapping into the parent company’s apprenticeship programme and foreign exchange campaigns. She admitted the Iran war had
impacted sales “like everyone” but said: “Customers are still making big bookings for further-out departures.” She insisted: “As a business we
remain as strong and successful as we’ve always been. Our teams are very stable, with zero vacancies. I’m really proud of them.” The agency’s second cohort
of nine apprentices will start in September, ready for the January
Shelton-Agar promoted to new commercial role at Jacobs Media
Travel Weekly parent Jacobs Media has promoted Online Travel Training managing director Jessica Shelton-Agar (pictured) to the new role of UK commercial director. She continues to head OTT and now also leads the sales team for sister brands Travel Weekly, Aspire and the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers.
8 16 APRIL 2026
2027 peak sales period. “We took on a similar number last year and really benefited from this opportunity to develop future stars. We put them in shops where we see potential growth,” she said. Similarly, the agency has adopted
more Hays campaigns in the last 12 months to promote foreign exchange bureaux. “We’ve done more focused campaigns than before,” she added. The chain is set to run 160 events
across its shops this year as well as travel shows such as its Cheltenham cruise show, and has 21 escorted group tours planned. It is also recruiting for another group escort to expand its tours business further.
Etihad Holidays sister brand Capital Holidays launches in UK
The Capital Holidays brand has launched in the British market and is now integrated into the Etihad Holidays agent booking portal in the UK. It operates alongside Etihad Holidays, under the same Abta and Atol licences. Capital offers Greece, Turkey, Malta and the Canary Islands, with the Caribbean and US to follow.
we saw a drop in our business, no question,” said Ritzenthaler. “It was a two-week drop, but we
started to see it come back when news came out that President Trump was in talks with Iran and it has now stabilised.” However, Ritzenthaler – who was
speaking before the US blockade of Iran’s ports on Monday – described rising fuel prices as “an issue”. Chief international sales officer
David Siewers said there would be “more opportunities” for UK agents to sell European voyages as US and Australian consumers could be
more “reluctant” to travel. i Clia Masterclass at Sea, page 10
Work starts on £350m upgrades at Glasgow and Southampton
The owner of Glasgow and Southampton airports has announced a £350 million investment to improve layouts, flow and passenger experience. AGS Airports chief executive Kam Jandu said: “We are moving at pace to deliver transformational change across our airports. This is a major step in shaping the next chapters at Glasgow and Southampton.”
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Shutterstock/Nigel Jarvis
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
