Hays Travel has acquired Travel House and its 16 shops in south Wales.
The acquisition of Wales’ largest independent agency chain takes Hays’ retail network to 476 shops, after it added 45 in September with the purchase of Just Go Travel.
Jacob Hughes, managing director of Swansea.com – the company which owned Travel House, a Hays Travel IG member – said it “has not been an easy decision but the time is right to focus on other areas of our business”.
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“Having been a Hays Travel IG member for a couple of years now, we already feel part of the Hays family,” he added.
“There is no other organisation we would trust our team’s future with. We know they are in great hands with Dame Irene, Jonathon and the rest of Hays Travel. I wish them every success, from what will now be the sideline as a customer.”
Travel House, which also runs a small in-house tour operator, was formed by Swansea.com owner and chairman Martin Morgan in 1992 and sold to Tui in 1999.
A number of branches and the Travel House brand were repurchased from Tui in 2004.
The agency sells a wide range of product including beach holidays, cruises, package holidays and ski.
Morgan said Travel House will “thrive even further” under Hays’ ownership.
“With myself turning 61, moving to Spain, and getting married next year, now is the time for Travel House to expand and thrive even further under the guardianship of Hays and Dame Irene, who I have known for almost 30 years, so can trust implicitly to take Travel House to its limits,” he said.
All existing Travel House staff will be retained by Hays, confirmed owner Dame Irene Hays.
She described Morgan as a “brilliant entrepreneur” and said her agency was “honoured” to make the acquisition.
“We were delighted when he [Morgan] joined our Independence Group in 2021 and our in-house team have enjoyed working with him to further develop the business,” she said.
“When Martin explained his plans, we were honoured to step in and have given him and his excellent team our assurances today that their jobs are safe, and they will be welcomed into our Hays Travel family.”
Hays said she is “very pleased” with the acquisition, which “further supports our strategic priorities”, adding: “We wish Martin and Jacob every success with their future plans.”
Jonathon Woodall-Johnston, chief operating officer at Hays, said the agency’s teams will “work closely with our new colleagues to offer support and development opportunities”.