Miles Morgan Travel is expanding outside of the West Country for the first time with its first foray into Scotland.
The 15-branch independent agency chain has taken on Dundee-based Moira Lumsden, who has joined from Thomas Cook where she worked for 32 years and was regularly the multiple’s top seller, according to managing director Miles Morgan.
She started working for Miles Morgan Travel as a homeworker last month, but Morgan is looking for a shop for Lumsden to manage with two to three agents.
Morgan told Travel Weekly: “Moira approached us. It was a meeting of minds.
“The way she likes to operate and talk to customers is the same as ours as a company, so it was a natural fit to take her on.”
He said Lumsden was extremely popular with her customers.
“When she said she was leaving Thomas Cook – you should have seen the comments. She had over 300 from customers,” he said.
He added that Lumsden set up a Miles Morgan Travel Facebook page which gained more than 500 likes within 24 hours.
Morgan added: “It’s also brilliant news for our third parties because she sells predominantly upmarket products and lots of cruise.”
Lumsden said she had already had a flurry of bookings from former clients who had tracked her down, as well as finding new ones on social media.
“The reaction I’ve had so far has been quite humbling. The big attraction was this is smaller and more personal. It’s fantastic and I’m loving it.”
Asked if the shop could be the first of many in Scotland, Morgan said: “This was more opportunistic than strategic.
“When you get someone as sensational as Moira, why would you say no? It’s possible this could be the start of more in Scotland.
“If someone phoned me up for a chat and they were in Glasgow or Edinburgh, then we would look at that.”