Agent Diary: An unpredictable but rewarding April sums up life in travel

A mix of sunshine, surprises and unexpected moments are part of life at a busy independent agency, says Arundel Travel’s Helen Parry

April was a mix of sunshine, surprises and a few unexpected moments – all part of life at a busy independent travel agency. It was one of those months that reminds us just how unpredictable, exciting and rewarding this industry can be.

We’ll start with the drama that gave us all a bit of a headache. One of our suppliers sent out an automated email about new entry rules for EU nationals coming into the UK. 

The information itself was perfectly accurate and well‑intentioned – but it went out to every single customer, including British passport holders returning home after their holiday.

Understandably, a few people were confused. Looking back, it’s a bit of a comedy of errors – but at the time, it caused a fair bit of stress.

Challenging times

It did highlight the importance of having reliable, up-to-date information. That’s where Abta has been absolutely brilliant. Between their Facebook Live updates, weekly email bulletins, direct support and in-person events, they’ve really helped us stay on top of industry changes and reassure our customers.

Behind the scenes, we’ve also been navigating the impact of rising costs. We’re fully behind the recent minimum wage increase, but we’d be lying if we said it wasn’t challenging. The rise in national insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15%, plus the lowered threshold meaning more of our staff are affected, has also made things difficult.

We’re proud to offer fair pay and meaningful employment, but it does feel like small businesses are being squeezed from every angle. 

There’s no corporate cushion or safety net – just a committed team working hard to keep things going. We’d love to give more, but sometimes the numbers just don’t stretch. It would be nice to see more support aimed at local businesses who are investing in their communities.

Highlights 

On a brighter note, we had some fantastic moments last month. The Balkan Holidays and Leeds Bradford airport event was a real highlight. We’ve always known Bulgaria is a brilliant value destination, but this time we came away with a new appreciation for it. It’s such a shame that Balkan Holidays has since announced its closure in the UK. 

Another great moment was a fantastic evening with Quark Expeditions. The event, which included a presentation from Nick Hindle after his recent polar trip, left us feeling inspired and possibly planning a future adventure or two.

We closed for Good Friday and Easter Monday this year to give the team a bit of a breather, but thanks to the sunny weather, we had no dip in business. In fact, the sunshine seemed to put everyone in holiday‑planning mode.

And finally, it was lovely catching up with our industry colleagues last month. Whether it’s through events, emails or a quick call, those connections are such an important part of what we do.

So that’s April – full of learning, laughter and lots of holiday talk. Here’s to May, and everything it has in store.