After advertising for a tour coordinator and administrator, such were the applications, the group ended up filling two other roles.

Kathryn Morris joins as tour coordinator, Ben Collis as specialist sports sales executive, and Amy Newport as sales executive.

The group said the appointments were necessitated by the level of interest in, and demand for, 2021 sports tours given the amount of events that have been rolled over to 2021 owing to the coronavirus crisis.

Managing director Jamie Smith said: “With a number of big sporting events happening in 2021, we were looking to expand our team with someone to help with the organisation of these tours.

"However, understandably with the current circumstances, we were inundated with applications from experienced people within the industry who have unfortunately lost their job due to the pandemic.

"As we are in the fortunate position to be able to expand our team, we wanted to open up two further job opportunities."

Smith added: "This is such a difficult time for the travel industry and we are trying our best to keep positive and look to the future.

"We believe that if the industry can work together, we will get through to the other side.

"I am so pleased to welcome our new starters to the team as we look to continue to grow."