The boss of Triangle Travel has paid tribute to his team and colleagues over the years, as the independent agency celebrates its 20th anniversary.
It has grown over the past two decades from a single branch to six outlets.
Managing director Rob Kenton said: “I am proud of the team and all they have achieved.
“It is an accumulation of people who have contributed to our achievements. They have a desire to succeed.”
The first high street branch was established in 2001 at Mortimer, near Reading, by Rob Kenton, Emma Randall and Hilary Reed, who are still with Triangle Travel, plus Anne Todd, who has since retired.
It got its name from the triangle of villages it served between Reading, Newbury and Basingstoke.
Triangle took on branches in Wallingford and Pangbourne in 2008, then Newbury in 2017, and bought John Allan Travel in 2019.
In December, it joined forces with Thames Valley Travel and its founder Carol Walker.
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Kenton said it had been “tough” to work through the pandemic, with long hours and lots of work with refunds and amendments.
The agency is also a member of The Travel Network Group and he hailed the support from the consortium.
One of the worst moments was having to make redundancies, but he added: “We have carried on fighting.”
There are now 15 members of staff with four on furlough.
A core of six worked throughout the pandemic, with Kenton describing them as “like part of the family”.
The branches opened up as quickly as possible after lockdown ended to resume marketing and making bookings.
“We’re positive. We’ve had clients coming in and catching up – it’s all about relationships,” he said.
“We have done a lot of training about testing requirements and we have regular conversations with clients to offer clear, concise information.”
To mark the 20th anniversary, the branches will be creating special offers for clients and Kenton hopes he will be able to “celebrate in style” with his team when Covid restrictions are fully lifted.