Your Stories: Geoff Wessell on making switch from police officer to travel agent

Former assistant chief constable Geoff Wessell tells Samantha Mayling why he set up Ginge Tours

Q. How did you establish Ginge Tours?
I set up last summer, after spending a year since retiring from the police taking holidays myself – including an eight-month motorhome tour around the UK – and decompressing from 30 years of being a senior police officer. My final role was as an assistant chief constable.

I chose to work as a personal travel consultant with Protected Trust Services (PTS) because they were the most welcoming when I got in touch – and my lack of background in travel wasn’t seen as a complete blocker. They understood where I was coming from with my managerial background and the trust that could be placed in me.

They had a client management system and their pricing structure met my needs better as I was not sure of my turnover initially. I explored various homeworking agencies but avoided a franchise as I wanted to be free to work as little or as much as I wanted, though it hasn’t quite worked out that way as I am very busy.

Q. Where did the name come from?
For years I ran informal rugby tours to international and European cup finals. Ginge Tours was the nickname for the trips. Luckily it’s memorable and gets attention.

My strapline for Ginge Tours is Independent Travel Together. I aim to provide as much flexibility as clients need. For something completely independent and bespoke, a consultant is needed.

Q. Do you work from home or an office?
At home in Bristol, or anywhere, if I have a signal. I spent several days recently on the laptop looking out over the Mull of Kintyre as I booked client trips across the world.

Q. What holidays do you sell?
I offer everything from UK hotel breaks to packages with Jet2, Tui and easyJet holidays, plus cruises, escorted tours with the likes of Travelsphere and long‑haul destinations with Gold Medal and JTA Travel. I will do anything if I can source a supplier.

One of my primary aims is to give something back to colleagues. Health and wellbeing are key issues for all emergency services and I have a real attachment to policing. With the cost‑of‑living crisis and the lack of further funding for policing, it is increasingly difficult for staff in the public sector emergency services to easily book value‑for‑money travel.

My aim is to take the stress away from the booking process, find the trips and offer a great price. I offer a commitment to find the best price I can get, and if I can’t beat a price from elsewhere, I tell the emergency worker. I published this with my ‘Emergency Services Pledge’, where I am open about the commission I earn and how I return some of my commission to the emergency worker in cashback.

Q. How have sales been?
The first six months were slow but that is what I wanted while I learnt systems and built up suppliers. Then in January, I learnt what “peaks” are all about. I have had a steady stream of bookings of different types. I also support professional racing driver Lorcan Hanafin with his travel needs as he competes across Europe and the Middle East with his team.

I am looking at breaking even at the very least for my first year, which will be satisfying, particularly as I am beginning to see repeat customers, which is good for the future. It has been particularly exciting to book some big holidays: escorted holidays to Japan, birthday celebrations in Bali and, my biggest achievement, a £35,000 two-week trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Q. What marketing do you do?
Increasingly, my wife Jo is doing my social media as I am seeing a direct correlation between posts and booking enquiries. I can access several closed Facebook groups for serving and retired police officers, who are happy to work with me as an ex-colleague and someone they can trust.

Clients deal with me, as ‘no call centres’ is my motto. I have also done local advertising campaigns, but mainly it has been Facebook. I intend to increase my marketing, but at the moment my low-key approach and referrals from clients are working well.

How does travel compare to policing?

Policing was complex, with a language all of its own. The travel industry is like that too. It has been a steep learning curve, with some frustrations with systems but, on the whole, a great adventure. The main problem is trying to avoid booking all the offers for myself.

I’ve found travel really welcoming and there has always been someone within the PTS ‘family’ to answer my questions. There are lots of similarities with policing. Customer service and care is at the heart of policing, together with risk assessment, logistical planning and a keen sense of efficiency and cost. All of these cross over into travel.

My policing background tends to make me naturally cautious, so I like suppliers to be in place before I get asked for something, which can slow me down sometimes. Even more important is the ability to keep calm in a crisis. When a customer phones you at 1am in a panic as their plane has been cancelled due to a hurricane, it’s like being on call in the police. Deep breath, keep calm and reassure, and then work out the solution.