STRICTLY BUSINESS


Nick Samuels MANAGING DIRECTOR,


ASHDOWN TRAVEL


I got into travel…through a Youth Training Scheme at an independent agency called Broadwater Travel. When I was at school I wanted to be a pilot, but I didn’t get the grades so ÌÕ}Ì] ¼ v V>½Ì yÞ > «>i] Ü>Ì to do something in travel’. I worked there for two years and then did a ski season in Italy. When I got back, I needed a job so I started at Lunn Poly as an assistant manager. I was there for seven years and managed shops in Crawley, Horley and Eastbourne.


I joined Ashdown Travel…in 1997 as retail manager. It was 50% retail travel, 50% business travel. I did that for six years and grew the retail business to 65%. In 2003, I


moved to Cadogan Travel. Then, in 2005, the managing director of Ashdown called me to say one of the shareholders was retiring and would I be interested in buying their shares and coming back as operations director, which I did. In 2016, our managing director had a health scare and had to leave so I became MD.


I grew the business by…identifying that if you want to survive you’ve got to stand out. Before the internet, it was basically about who was giving the biggest discount. After the internet came in, it took away the price-driven side of the market. To i] Li}  > >vyÕiÌ ÌÜ ÃÕV as Oxted [Surrey], we needed to


MY BIGGEST INDUSTRY BUGBEAR IS…


Internet companies de-stabilising the luxury market. The luxury sector is about service but there are [online tour operators] who are buying on


RTKEG CPF PQV CEVWCNN[ HWNƂNNKPI VJG FTGCOU QH VJG NWZWT[ VTCXGNNGT # IQQF agent or operator enhances the guest’s stay and adds value, these online tour operators don’t do that. It’s just about a bum on a seat.


provide a service that would make people appreciate that they might spend more with you, but you’re going to be with them from start to wÃ° /i LÕÃiÃÃ >Ã }ÀÜ vÀ a £3 million company to a £5 million company and retail now makes up about 70% of the business.


The suppliers I have the strongest relationship with are…Caribtours, the Inspiring Travel Company, Carrier and Kirker. I’ve aligned our name with a lot of the major operators and hotel chains so we can send a note to our contacts and say, ‘These are very good clients of ours, please make sure that they’re looked after.’


My proudest achievement is…when I became managing director – that has been the pinnacle of my career.


The biggest problem I have encountered is… getting my head >ÀÕ` Ìi w>V> Ã`i v Ìi business. That was a huge challenge for me.


aspiretravelclub.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2019 ASPIRE 93


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