Now Lets Travel’s new Cramlington branch has sold £1 million worth of holidays in its first quarter of trading.
The agency first opened the store in December in a temporary location before moving to its current premises in Manor Walks Shopping Centre in the Northumberland town, where it also boasts a VIP booking lounge.
Owner Paul Johnstone put the store’s success down to pent-up demand and the need for knowledgeable travel professionals.
He said: “Our Cramlington store reached its £1 million milestone at the beginning of April and there are no signs that demand is slowing down any time soon.
“Tailormade itineraries for long-haul destinations such as Thailand, the Maldives and Mauritius are proving most popular and we’re also selling a lot of cruises.
“People are making up for lost time, so holidays are particularly important this year. From what we’re seeing in our Cramlington store, customers want to travel more frequently and travel for longer now that the world has reopened. We can’t wait to see what the rest of 2022 brings for the team.”
The Cramlington store is the company’s fifth branch to open following a period of rapid expansion during the pandemic. A Newcastle city centre store opened in December 2020 while stores in Peterlee, Wallsend and Cramlington followed at the end of 2021.
Johnstone said he was committed to continuing to invest in the high street across the northeast of England, adding he had seen increasing demand for knowledgeable travel agents. The Cramlington store is staffed by agents with more than 100 years’ experience between them.
“When I launched Now Lets Travel in 2013, I didn’t consider it might be possible to own and operate five stores,” said Johnstone. “But highly experienced travel agents are now extremely sought after and I believe that trend is here to stay.”
He added: “The communities where we have opened in have offered overwhelming support and it has been a privilege to help locals with their holiday plans after two years of turmoil with the pandemic.”