Perfect Getaways has expanded its retail portfolio by acquiring Above & Beyond and opening a new shop in the Isle of Man.
The family-owned business now has seven branches having opened its first store in Little Sutton in May 2017.
Managing director Nicola Palmer said Birkenhead-based agency Above & Beyond was the “perfect add-on” to its growing business.
She said: “All our other travel agencies are walk-ins, but this is high-end, more specialised and gives us access to the tailor-made market.”
Six new jobs have been created at Perfect Getaways, which now employs 28 and made no redundancies during Covid despite using the furlough scheme and deploying agents from home.
Director David Palmer said: “We became one big team rather than five different shops, and are grateful for core members of staff sticking with us.”
He said Covid offered a chance to “bring in business from different sources” such as Facebook, and that Perfect Getaways had a record sales month in January.
Nicola Palmer noted a rise in long-haul bookings with “more bookings for the Maldives and Dominican Republic than we have ever seen before”.
“We had a really good January,” she said. “Coming into February, now mass restrictions are lifted, we have seen a lot more [in-person] customers instead of non-walk-in bookings.
With the rise in store visits, she said the agency was keen to develop its in-store experience.
“We have a ‘your holiday starts here’ concept,” she explained. “It’s to create the best booking experience and keep little ones occupied.
“We have a kids’ corner, sweets and games and a bar with a drinks’ selection. Once you’ve booked your holiday, you can have your photo taken against the flower wall to celebrate your upcoming vacation.”
Looking ahead to the rest of 2022, she said: “The industry has had a tough couple of years, but it has shown resilience.
“It would have been easy to pack it all in and change direction but people who are passionate have stayed in travel and stuck with the tough times.”