A travel agent who had started as a homeworker has opened her first shop on the high street.
Katie Walsh set up Luxury Escapes by Katie Walsh, in 2015 and has now moved into a unit on High Street in Whalley, Lancashire.
She specialises in long-haul destinations such as Dubai, the Maldives and Mauritius and works with major tour operators.
Walsh said: “I have travelled extensively to destinations in the Indian Ocean, so I have the on-the-ground knowledge of these areas to pass onto clients. It has always been the most important thing to combine real expertise with a personal level of service.”
The agency arranges packages and books extras like excursions and restaurant reservations.
Walsh, who opened last week, plans to hire her first full-time member of staff and has set her sights on a network of five shops.
“If I could grow to five shops I would do it in a heartbeat, but first and foremost my goal is to personally train all staff I work with to follow my working ethos and make our brand synonymous with going the extra mile,” she told Travel Weekly.