Ashdown Travel to open more branches after recruiting 10 ex-Baldwins staff

Ashdown Travel has revealed plans to expand with new stores for the first time in its 40-year history, having recruited 10 former Baldwins Travel staff members including Tricia Lester.

Shops in the Kent towns of Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks are expected to open in the coming weeks, joining the existing branch in Oxted, Surrey, with Lester taking on the position of head of retail.

An Ashdown spokesperson said: “We are thrilled to be expanding our presence and investing in high streets at a time when personalised travel expertise is more valued than ever.”

Lester was employed by Baldwins for more than 30 years, most recently as marketing and commercial manager, and joined Ashdown on July 24.

She will be based in the Tunbridge Wells premises alongside four former Baldwins colleagues and will oversee all three Ashdown locations including four agents in the Sevenoaks shop formerly occupied by Baldwins.

Another of the new recruits will be based in the existing branch in Oxted, where the agency was founded in February 1985.

The spokesperson added: “Welcoming Tricia and her talented colleagues to our team strengthens our position as we broaden our reach and reinforce our reputation as a trusted, independent agency for today’s travellers.”

The business, a member of the Advantage Travel Partnership, is expanding in recognition of a “growing demand for personalised travel planning and the enduring value of face-to-face expertise”.

Baldwins was wound up at a High Court hearing on July 9.