Love To Travel plans gradual expansion as it marks 10 years’ trading

Love To Travel has revealed plans to gradually expand its homeworking arm and has not ruled out further high street branches as it celebrates its 10th anniversary.

The four-branch agency currently has four homeworkers and has recruited from outside the travel sector in recent years to expand the business. The latest recruit is currently being trained in one of the agency’s shops.

Owner Joanne Dooey said: “The part of the business I want to grow is the homeworkers. I would like to take more on. I want to do it gradually over the next two years and we are happy to do all the training. We have a wealth of experience in the business and are seeing great success from training staff from outside travel.”

The agency already has seven staff on its books with retail or sales experience but from outside the travel industry who have been trained inhouse.

Dooey said she had also not ruled out a further shop opening in the next couple of years, provided she could find the right location, and already begun training staff with potential to fill branch manager positions in future. The agency’s fourth shop opened in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, at the end of last year.

“It’s about finding the right town and people. I am on the lookout, there are a few towns I would like to go into where there is not an independent agency already,” she added.

The agency marked its 10 year milestone with a special party in Coatbridge, where it opened its original shop a decade ago. That shop has since moved to larger premises within the town.

The agency hosted 60 staff and supplier representatives with a Champagne reception and three-course meal, with entertainment provided by Scottish singer Rachel Oates, part of the cast of Mamma Mia! on its international theatre tour.

Dooey, who said individual 10th anniversary celebrations were also taking place in each branch with customers, said: “I held the party because I wanted to say thank you to staff and suppliers. Suppliers are always hosting us so it was time for them to be hosted.

“We did some networking and we had a really great evening.”