New high street agency Travel Safe Horbury in West Yorkshire took more than £30,000 worth of bookings on its opening day.
It is the first branch to be operated by new homeworking group Travel Safe and is owned by Sophie Davis, who left Sunvil Holidays last year after the birth of her third child.
The shop was officially opened on Saturday by the mayor and mayoress of Wakefield, David and Annette Jones, and has launched a week-long competition to win a holiday for two.
Davis said: “The weekend was a great success with more than £30,000 in bookings taken on Saturday. We had a very warm reception from the community and early signs show our instincts were right and this was the right location to open our first store.”
The agency even took 12 bookings while it was still being decorated when passers-by popped in to ask if they could book a holiday.
“We’ve had customers knocking at the door while we were decorating. We are on a busy high street so I have been taking bookings in a T-shirt covered in paint and with my little boy strapped to me,” said Davis.
The first booking was for a tour around Japan in three weeks’ time. Another was from a customer who booked three holidays for this year.
“The overriding theme from customers has been that they don’t have time to book a holiday and would rather a travel agent did it for them,” added Davis.
The agency also held an opening event for preferred suppliers, including Classic Collection, Exsus, Uniworld, Beachcomber, Virgin Voyages, Explore and Cosmos.
Davis said she was particularly keen to focus on lasting relationships with suppliers, adding: “We want to really nurture these relationships and make sure they work for all involved.
“We even have a spare desk above the store so any of our partners on the road can give us a call and grab a desk while they regroup.”