Jackie Miles, Jane Sheehy and Kerrie Jones left their former independent agency to go it alone and open Crowthorne Village Travel, a member of The Travel Network Group. The trio had been with their previous employer for between eight and 30 years.
“All three of us have worked in travel since we left school in various companies and we are all local to Crowthorne,” Miles explained.
The trio ended up working in the same agency and, Miles said, “had just got to the point where we thought we could make a difference on our own”.
“We’re very experienced, we are hoping to bring some fresh new ideas to the industry,” she added.
Miles said that word of mouth, Facebook and local knowledge had helped establish a client base for the agency, which is in a first-floor office with a ground-level window display.
“Everybody [else] that has had a business in this office [space] has expanded and done bigger things; we’re hoping it’s a lucky office for us.”
A launch party at the end of June welcomed more than 80 guests through the doors, with other local businesses giving their support, including donations of balloons and cushions.
The agency mainly focuses on leisure, but also has a dedicated section on its website for corporate travel. Miles said business in the first few days had included a diverse mix of bookings.
“We’ve done anything and everything, from the Caribbean to Greece to business travel to UK breaks. Because we are fully independent, we can use any operator; we are not restricted to any one brand.”
Miles insisted there was still a future for knowledgeable agents. “Everyone thinks they can be a travel agent, but they can’t; it’s not as simple as it looks,” she added.