Travel agent turns 75 but has no plan to retire any time soon

Travel agent Ken Garrity has just turned 75 and notched up 58 years in the travel industry – but he has no plans to retire any time soon.

The owner of Ken Garrity Travel still regularly attends trade events to keep his industry and destination knowledge up to date and has a bank of regulars whose families have booked with him for decades.

Now a homeworker – he gave up his high street premises in 2008 - Garrity said he has reduced his hours but admitted: “Officially I work from Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm. Unofficially I work seven days a week.

“The other night I took a call at 8pm from a member of rotary club who wanted to book a lovely holiday and I’m regularly out at trade events in the evening.

“You always need to keep updated as the public know as much as you do; knowledge is key.”

"In those days the Canaries and Greece seemed far away and even to go to the Costa del Sol you needed a bit of money,” he recalled.

Having continued to work as a travel agent for his entire career, setting up his own high-street shop in 1981, Garrity firmly believes agents should have the word ‘professional’ in front of their job title to give them more credibility.

As for hanging up his boots, he has no intention to stop work any time soon. At his local radio station, Radio Alty, where he presents a regular travel show, he was given a 36th birthday card rather than a 75th card.

“I don’t even know what the word retirement means,” he joked, adding: “Mentally I am not 75; in my head I am still 36…and I’m still learning about travel, every day is a school day!”