A travel company set up by managers of collapsed agency Phileas Fogg Travel has unveiled plans to double its staff numbers and expand its premises – just a year after opening.
High street, call centre and web travel agency 2bookaholiday.com was set up in January 2006 by eight former managers of failed Farnborough company Phileas Fogg Travel, which collapsed with 2,500 forward bookings in late 2005. Four other travel companies, including Cruise Control, collapsed in the same month.
But 2bookaholiday.com’s shop in Ash Vale, Surrey has proved a success.
The company has expanded into derelict office space next door to its offices and is recruiting eight new staff members. The extra space will be used for the call centre at the rear and a shop at the front.
Co-founder Jo French said: “It has gone better than expected. We are just waiting for the phone lines to be installed and we can employ the staff.
“We didn’t know how it was going to go but it’s gone from strength to strength. This year started off a little slowly but it has picked up.
“We are open until 10pm, so people can come in after work when the high street is shut.”
French said the company’s website had teething problems but that holidays will shortly be bookable online.
2bookaholiday.com, which is part of Hays Travel Independence Group, won the Freedom Flights newcomer award last year.
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