Ex-Fred boss returns to high street Juliet Dennis


Former Fred Olsen Travel boss Steve Williams says he now fully appreciates the work involved in setting up a travel agency – after coming out of retirement to open his own high street shop. Williams had 200 staff and helped


grow the Fred Olsen Travel chain to 23 branches by the time he left at the age of 65 last year after a 20-year stint as managing director of the group’s travel agency and tour operation. Now, having set up Go Explore


Travel in Halesworth, Suffolk, in December as an Advantage Managed Service agency, Williams said the experience had opened his eyes to the challenges and enjoyment of working on the frontline.


He admitted: “I missed it [travel].


I thought opening up an agency would give me a sense of belonging to something [but] I didn’t appreciate the work involved. “In the old days [at Fred Olsen],


we’d say ‘why don’t we open here?’ and I would walk in weeks later when it was done, but this time I had to do everything myself. I don’t think I fully appreciated the work involved. There’s a lot to think about.” He added: “The hardest thing


was knowing how much marketing to do. I didn’t want to spend a fortune. Before, I always had Fred Olsen above the door, but Go Explore Travel is a brand people don’t know.” Williams has recruited former


colleague Stacey Hammond, who has joined him as branch manager. He


‘Urgent review’ call as fears grow for Easter EES rollout


Ian Taylor


Industry leaders are increasingly concerned that full implementation of the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) over Easter could cause widespread delays. Iata joined European airports


association ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe, which represents the major carriers, to demand “an immediate review” of the system’s rollout last week, saying the phased introduction since October “continues to cause significant delays”. The aviation groups warned of


queues of “four hours or more” in July and August in a letter to the EU


4 19 FEBRUARY 2026


Commissioner for Internal Affairs, noting “persistent excessive waiting times” already when only 35% of ‘third-country nationals’ must be registered biometrically. They blamed “unresolved


technology issues, chronic understaffing” and “very limited” uptake of a pre-registration app, and urged the EC to allow member states to suspend the system until the end of October. The associations warned of “a complete disconnect between the perception of EU institutions that EES is working well and the reality [of] non-EU travellers experiencing massive delays”. There were reports last week


start. Sales in January far exceeded my expectations and I’m really enjoying it on the counter; I’m surprised how much. “It keeps me active and challenged


and I love it when customers come through the door and you’ve no idea what holiday they will ask for. “I’ve not worked out all the tech


Steve Williams


hopes to have a staff of three in the longer term. The new venture has already paid


off in more ways than one. He said: “We got off to a flying


yet but I can have a conversation with customers and use my travel experience and get them to the point where they want to book before I pass them to Stacey.” Williams, who was honoured


with an Outstanding Contribution accolade at the 2023 Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards, already has plans to expand sales of solo holidays, and is in the process of setting up a Go Explore Solos Club.


Non-EU travellers must register their fingerprints as part of the EES registration process


that the EC had postponed the rollout completion date. However, an EC spokesperson insisted there would be “no further extensions to implementation”, while noting: “Member states may partially suspend EES operations where necessary for 90 days, with a possible 60-day extension to cover the summer peak.” The 90-day period will expire


from July 8, while a 60-day extension would carry through to September 6. Abta has called on the EC “to


encourage” more states to suspend the system when queues build up. All 29 Schengen Area countries


– meaning the EU plus Switzerland, Norway and Iceland but excluding


Ireland and Cyprus – must have the system fully operating by the week of Easter Monday. ACI Europe reported a 70%


increase in processing times at airports in December when the threshold for registering non-EU travellers’ photos and fingerprints stood at just 10%. It reported “regular outages”, “persistent configuration problems”, “the unavailability of automated gates [and] pre- registration” and inadequate staffing, and called for an “urgent review”. Lisbon Airport suspended the


system for up to three weeks over Christmas, while in France e-gates still cannot process UK passports.


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Shutterstock/Frame Stock Footage


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