Next year I’ll be practising my rain-dancing skills in the hope we see a repeat, says Arundel Travel’s Helen Parry
We returned from our holiday to a wet UK, but rain-induced late bookings fuelled our best-ever summer
I’m ashamed to admit it, but this year we have been ‘those parents’. You know, the ones who gloat about finally being able to book a holiday outside of the school holidays while everyone else is paying top whack.
Our friends smiled at us through gritted teeth as we kept going on about the amazing deal we managed to get through SPL Villas, and I think they were thankful when we finally got on the plane. We were excited to get some early summer sunshine and then to come home and have the rest of the summer chilling out in the garden.
We had the most amazing time in Rhodes and SPL Villas arranged everything, including flights and transfers. The villa was fabulous – the perfect size and location – and we loved the name, Villa Barbie! We had 10 days of mid-30C heat, enjoying delicious food surrounded by the best company – my family.
Rain brings bookings
I try to stay off social media when I’m away but post the occasional deal for work, so will have a sneaky look on my personal pages and maybe share a sunny picture of us on the beach, knowing there will be a few jealous groans from friends. While we had an amazing time, I couldn’t believe it when we found out there was a heatwave in the UK while we were away. Typical! And of course, from the day we landed back in Blighty it rained, but at least the grey skies encouraged plenty of customers to book a last-minute deal: families, solo travellers, couples and friends desperately trying to book their place in the sun. Some people even cancelled cottages and camping trips in the UK to fly overseas the next day. It was all very exciting – even issues with passports, strikes and protests didn’t put people off.
In fact, we had our best-ever summer months and next year I’ll be practising my rain-dancing skills in the hope we see a repeat of this year. I might even invest in some Arundel Travel umbrellas!
Community ties
I love a good fete or agricultural show and living in Yorkshire means there are plenty to attend. As a business we really make the most of these opportunities as they are perfect for getting out and meeting our local community, as well as people from the surrounding areas.
We have found such events are a great way to show everyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to visit our agency exactly what we can offer, and also a chance to catch up with customers who have supported us.
The Otley Chamber of Trade does a great job of making sure the fee we pay for having a stand at our local show is affordable. I would definitely recommend getting in touch with your local chamber of trade and attending their meetings.
One show I’d always wanted to attend was The Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, which attracts over 140,000 visitors. Sadly, to have a stand there has always been unaffordable. We were therefore delighted when Nathan, our travel trade and community engagement executive from Leeds Bradford airport, asked if we would like to join them for one of the three days.
We met so many people from near and far and made some great new contacts. So thank you, Nathan!
Sharing the knowledge
I am really passionate about training and development, and I’m therefore delighted to announce that I have started working at Leeds City College teaching travel and tourism part-time. I can’t wait to use all the knowledge I’ve gained over the past 30 years to inspire and educate. It’s a strange feeling being the new girl, and there is so much to learn, but I’m already loving putting myself outside my comfort zone.
The college sets a high bar, especially when it comes to time-keeping and uniform standards, which reminds me of my days at Lunn Poly/Tui. It has made me reassess and look at my own working practices in my agency and make some changes. Perhaps going back to school is going to do me some good!