Trade rallies to support Baldwins staff Juliet Dennis
Independent travel agencies have thrown a jobs lifeline to Baldwins Travel staff after the company went into receivership. Receivers were called after a
period in which the business was expelled from Abta, had its Iata accreditation suspended and left the Advantage Travel Partnership. The 11-branch agency had about
50 staff, some of whom have already found new jobs in travel. The Sussex Travel Company,
which has a branch in Horsham and a sister branch in Storrington, has taken on two former Baldwins agents. Director Tanya Pace said the
staff, from Baldwins’ Uckfield and
Haywards Heath branches, were joining its Storrington branch as full-time travel consultants. She said: “We were looking for
staff so the timing worked out well. “I’m just really pleased we were
able to find positions for them. They will both work in the same branch so they can help each other and learn our selling system together.” She described the closure of
another high street agency as “so sad”. Off Broadway Travel, based in
Welwyn, Hertfordshire, announced on LinkedIn it had recruited three former Baldwins staff and would be “thrilled to welcome more”. Owner Tricia Conroy Smith said
her team was “deeply saddened” by the news about Baldwins and
EU deal on e-gates will not kick in until autumn at earliest
Andrew McQuarrie
Industry leaders welcomed the prospect of an end to long queues at EU airports following this week’s agreement between the UK and the EU on e-gates, but those travelling this summer will not see the benefits. Unveiling the deal on Monday,
prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said British travellers would be able to use e-gates when they travel through passport control – rather than having to wait in line for passports to be stamped – and called for EU member states to act “without delay”.
4 22 MAY 2025 However, an ‘explainer’ document
issued by the UK government makes it clear that the deal will not kick in until the EU’s biometric Entry/ Exit System (EES), now due for launch in October, is introduced. The document states: “The
commission has confirmed there will be no legal barriers to e-gate use for UK nationals travelling to and from EU member states after the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit System.” The EES is set to be rolled out over
six months, suggesting use of e-gates might not be widely available to UK travellers until next spring or summer. Luke Petherbridge, director of
It’s so sad – I made
many memories along the way, which I am so grateful for
urged its staff to get in touch. She said: “If any members of
staff would like to investigate a flexible working arrangement with Off Broadway Travel, please get in touch privately for a no-obligation conversation.” Go Scoble Travel owner
Chris Scoble hopes to recruit an experienced agent to work in his Tunbridge Wells shop. “I’m genuinely sad for the town,” he added. Baldwins’ closure was described
as the “end of an era” by one former employee, who said: “It’s just so sad, having worked for Baldwins for so many years, being a loyal member of the team, I’ve made so many memories along the way, which I’m so grateful for. Hopefully good things are around the corner.” Many in the trade have voiced
support for staff on social media. Malvern World Travel owner Lee Harrison said on Travel Weekly’s Facebook page the staff “were (and still are) amazing”. Hays Travel cruise call centre
general manager Carol Macaskill, who started her career in Tunbridge Wells, said Baldwins was “the go-to agency” in the town, adding: “Good luck to all the staff.”
Travellers could be allowed to use e-gates as they do at UK airports
public affairs at Abta, agreed the existing EES timeline meant the change of policy on e-gates would come too late for this summer and noted there was still a chance UK travellers would encounter border guards after the EU ends the stamping of passports. He said: “It will depend on
the technology at each border crossing, as they can only remove border guards if systems are in place to verify all requirements.” Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer
said the change would “make it easier for travellers” and reduce queues. Advantage Travel Partnership
chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said: “The tedious wait in border control lines since Brexit has long been a source of irritation for many Brits travelling to the EU. Widening the availability of e-gates across Europe will indeed be most welcome.” The UK-EU deal, which covered
a range of sectors, included an agreement to work on a “youth experience scheme”, which Starmer said would enable young people to “travel and work freely in Europe”. Tanzer said Abta strongly
supported the proposal and wanted a firm agreement in place “as quickly as possible”.
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Shutterstock/1000 Words
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