Scottish agency chain Barrhead Travel has expanded its foothold south of the border with its first shop in the East Midlands.
The opening of the 2,500 sq ft store in the Highcross Shopping Centre in Leicester has created 14 jobs.
The company’s 70th branch follows the first anniversary of the opening of its Newcastle store.
State-of-the-art features at the Leicester store include virtual reality headsets and multimedia screens displaying live-stream footage and a new multimedia desk which will be angled towards customers while the consultant works on their enquiry.
Customers will be able to view high impact videos and imagery of their chosen resort, check out their rooms and public areas of the hotels they are considering along with the views from their veranda or balcony.
Barrhead Travel chief executive Sharon Munro said: “We are extremely proud to unveil our second state-of-the-art branded store in England.
“We already have a presence there thanks to our Newcastle store, as well as supporting franchise branches and homeworkers trading across the Midlands, and we are excited to expand further south with our Leicester offering.
“It is our first distinct branded store in the area and, as our 70th UK location, boosts our already strong portfolio.”
Sandals Resorts will have a dedicated area in the store.
Store manager Craig Campbell leads a team of specialist travel consultants boasting more than 116 years of travel experience between them.
Barrhead Travel is still on the lookout for additional, highly-experienced destination specialists.