Ellen Davey, who works in Tui's Stevenage store, first started selling travel in July 1966 when Harold Wilson was prime minister, when shillings were still legal tender and before man had been to the moon.
Tui claims she is the country's longest serving agent. Davey currently works four days a week, helping customers plan everything from family beach breaks in Spain to Caribbean cruises.
Despite the rise of online bookings and AI, Davey believes many customers still value talking to someone who knows them, who understands what makes a good holiday, and who can help turn a dream trip into a real plan.
Davey joined Mahony's Travel in Luton on 1 July 1966 as a secretary to the managing director before being attracted to the exciting world of travel bookings.
In 1979, she saw Mahony's Travel become part of Lunn Poly before eventually becoming Thomson and then Tui, progressing from ticketing and reservations to Counter Supervisor and later Store Manager, where she led her team to a shop of the year award.
For Davey, the secret to six decades in travel is simple: "People ask me what the secret is to 60 years in the same job – I still love it as much today as I did on my first day in 1966."
She added: "People often ask me when I'm going to retire, but I genuinely don't want to. I think work keeps me young. I've made wonderful friends through Tui, I've met incredible customers and I still get excited helping someone book a holiday. I absolutely love my job.
"Some people count down the days until retirement. I'm counting down the days until my next holiday."
Davey has 'seen our industry transform'
Tui Managing Director UK & Ireland, Neil Swanson, said: "It's not every day you get to celebrate someone who started selling holidays in the same month England won the World Cup, before decimalisation, emails, e-tickets and the internet, and is still inspiring customers and colleagues 60 years later.
"Ellen is quite simply one of a kind. Her knowledge of travel is phenomenal, but what makes her truly special is the care she puts into every customer interaction. Generations of families have trusted Ellen to help them create some of their happiest memories and that says everything about the person she is.
"Everyone at Tui is incredibly proud to call Ellen a colleague. She's seen our business and our industry transform over six decades, yet her passion for helping people discover the world hasn't changed one bit."
One of Davey's longest-serving customers is Steve Grimsley, whose family has been booking holidays with her for more than 40 years. "My parents-in-law booked with Ellen for more than 20 years and I’ve personally been booking with her for more than 20 years too" he said.
"She has helped create so many happy memories for our family over the past four decades. She isn't just our travel agent, she's someone we trust completely. The fact she has spent 60 years helping hundreds of thousands of people create precious memories with their loved ones is an incredible achievement."