A strong involvement in the local community is a key part of the company’s success, according to St Andrews Travel managing director Andrew Dickson.
Andrew is chairman of the Bolton Image and Bolton Promotion Group as well as a director of the Training and Enterprise Council.
His wife and partner Pat is a director of Bolton College and involved in the local Chamber of Commerce.
Andrew said the agency also gives away holiday vouchers for charity, speaks on travel at local clubs and uses the local media to promote the company. It also lends its slide projector out to local companies who need it as a goodwillgesture.
“We want to be seen as being at the centre of the local community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dickson said he is not going to the ABTA Convention in Cairns this year.
Dickson, who is no longer on Travel Agents’ Council after being forced to resign due to the six-year rule, said he is disappointed he won’t be there.
“A lot of the deals on flights are not as good as you can normally get. The airlines have also said there will be a no-upgrade policy because of the numbers going,” he said.
“I will miss it – especially the golf and the social events. But a lot of the conference sessions have become very similar. It is all statistics and trends and talks on the march of the multiples.”