Holiday Lounge owner ‘proud’ to celebrate 20th anniversary

The owner of a Midlands agency has said he is “phenomenally proud” to have reached 20 years in business and celebrated the milestone with a party for loyal customers and suppliers.

Managing director Paul Moss opened the first Holiday Lounge branch in Hinckley, Leicestershire, on June 18, 2004. Moss and his business partners George Reynolds and Patrick Chong hosted a charity ball at Hinckley Golf Club last Saturday, where 150 guests were treated to a three-course dinner and entertainment.

Over the past two decades, the agency has grown to four stores in Leicestershire and increased its staff from two to 23. It also held its first overseas conference last year and will hold its second later in 2024.

“When we started it was just me and my now operations director, so to see how far we’ve come is just amazing,” said Moss.

“It is a massive achievement for an independent agency to last 20 years, especially after everything the travel industry has been through in that time, so to bring our loyal customers and trusted suppliers together to celebrate was fantastic and gratifying.”

Moss praised the performance of the agency since the pandemic, saying 2023 was its “best trading year ever”, and revealed his hopes that 2024 would surpass it.

He emphasised the value of loyalty to the business, both from its customer base and suppliers, and said 80% of the agency’s sales are with nine tour operators.

Asked if any additional shops were on the cards, Moss said he had “some irons in some fires” but no plans to grow any bigger than six shops in total.

“We’ve got some opportunities to expand further and it is something we are considering, but I don’t want to spread ourselves too thinly,” he said.

“We are a slow burner and we will grow accordingly. It’s all about getting the right staff on board.”

The agency raised more than £10,000 for charity through an auction during the anniversary celebration, with prizes donated by suppliers, airlines and local businesses.

The money will be split evenly between the neonatal unit at Leicester Hospital and the Albion Foundation, which in association with West Bromwich Albion Football Club aims to support under-privileged children in the area.

Moss added: “We were hoping to raise about £6,000 for our chosen charities, so to totally smash that and reach £10,000 is a testament to the dedication and kindness of our customers and partners.”