Tivoli Travel has opened a new store in the former premises of a fellow Global Travel Group member – bringing its portfolio back up to three branches.
The agency, part of the Global Travel Group within The Travel Network Group, was forced to close one of its three branches, based in Lindley in north Yorkshire, during the Covid pandemic lockdown.
The new store is in Cleckheaton in west Yorkshire in the premises of former agency 360 Global Travel, which shut at the start of this year following the retirement of owner Kevin Matthews. His agency was also a member of Global Travel Group prior to its closure.
Tivoli Travel now has branches in Mirfield, Holmfirth and Cleckheaton, which opened this week.
Director Jo Richards said: “I saw Kevin had retired on the local Facebook page for Cleckheaton so I contacted the landlord through a local business owner who knew him.
“We got the premises straight away. This hadn’t been on our radar, it just came up and we signed a five-year lease in February.
“I was going to take a lease on a shop in Lindley but Cleckheaton was a bigger shop and cheaper.”
She added: “I’m already arranging a WhatsApp group with the other local businesses so we can communicate better and promote each other. Already I feel very welcome!”
One of Tivoli Travel’s existing personal travel sales consultants, Lucy Mullen (pictured above left with Richards), who used to work as an agent in the town, will work in the Cleckheaton store. More staff will be appointed in future.
Richards said she was continuing to look at other potential sites to expand further on the high street as recruitment improves.
She said: “I think a lot of people are coming back into the travel industry after leaving during Covid,” she said, adding: “There are lots of other areas I am looking at.”
The agency also now has four homeworkers. It took on its first homeworker in 2020 and plans to continue growing the number.
