Your Stories: Spa Travel’s Paul Dayson on why he still loves coming to work after 42 years

The proprietor of Spa Travel in Boston Spa, West Yorkshire says customer service was key to surviving the pandemic and that it’s important to stand out and be different

Q. How did you cope in the pandemic?
A. Staff were furloughed and we kept in contact. I sent e-shots and sold UK holidays. Most customers transferred bookings rather than cancelled. With the airport chaos, traffic lights and Covid testing, we needed to show we were here to support clients and fight for refunds when needed. It’s important to be different; our personalised ticket wallets and luggage labels make us stand out. I write luggage labels for clients – people comment on it, they feel they’re getting something special.

Q. How is business now?
A. Bookings have been excellent – August was 400% up on last year. Clients spend a lot but they are loyal. I’m still on the counter after 42 years – serving children and grandchildren of some of my earliest clients. The tickets I am doing today are for a gentleman who was our first client; he’s booking a Celebrity cruise. About 60%-70% of our clients are not badly affected by the cost of living – they’re high earners and well-off pensioners. People are prioritising holidays after two years of restrictions.

I’m still on the counter after 42 years – serving children and grandchildren of some of my earliest clients

Q. What are your most memorable bookings?
A. I did a couple of round-the-world trips 20-25 years ago, which needed meticulous planning. They were £25,000-£30,000, which was exceptional back then. Nowadays you can spend that on 10 nights in Dubai. People are spending big money; from £20k up to £80k bookings. We’re 45% up on the last trading period that we can compare, in 2019. We hope to hit an annual turnover between £4-£5 million – our record year was £4 million.

Q. What’s your marketing strategy?
A. I don’t bombard people; I send genuinely good deals. I did an e-shot today for a Mauritius offer with Beachcomber. We advertised with a local mag for years, but the ads weren’t getting as good a return on investment that e-shots were. We’ve sponsored local school football teams, the community fair and a local cycling club. Sometimes we pick up sales online with people searching for independent agents so we have clients as far away as Scotland and southern England.

Sometimes we pick up sales online with people searching for independent agents so we have clients as far away as Scotland and southern England

Q. What sales trends are you seeing?
A. Before Covid we were strong with the Caribbean, the Far East, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. They’re coming back slowly. Europe has been a better seller this year as it’s close to home. We’re seeing more big holidays, anniversaries and groups than before. I did a booking for 14-16 people – a family going to Disneyland Paris. Another was £79k for two families going to Disney in Florida. There’s an upward trend in prices, but everything takes longer nowadays.

Q. Have you resumed travelling?
A. I used to go on holiday and fam trips four to six times a year. But I needed to be here over the past two-and-a-half years; I had to make this business survive. My first trip was the Elite conference in October and I will be going to Sri Lanka in November.

We’re seeing more big holidays, anniversaries and groups than before. I did a booking for 14-16 people – a family going to Disneyland Paris

Q. How have you marked the 42nd anniversary?
A. I’d planned to mark the 40th but we were scuppered by Covid. We’re just celebrating the fact we’re still open – we’re coming out of it better, having learnt a lot, especially about service.

Q. Tell us about your team
A. Homeworker Pam Furness has been with us about eight or nine years, and is based in Northallerton. Jackie Standridge has been here 35 years, first as a trainee, then sales, accounting, social media and advertising. My niece, Hollie Leighton, started as a trainee 11 years ago. Karen Moseley came from southwest Yorkshire, which gives us a different angle and wider knowledge. We’re very diverse, with huge experience and expertise. I still have that hunger after 42 years; I still love coming to work. We have taken people to the airport, delivered tickets, and I can still be up at midnight at home sorting work. Customer service is the way you survive.

We have taken people to the airport, delivered tickets, and I can still be up at midnight at home sorting work

How did Spa Travel start?

It was set up 42 years ago by me and my parents. I took over in about 1985 and have run it ever since. Before that I’d been in the butchering business from aged 16-18, and my first job was at a hairdresser’s for six months in Sheffield. My first booking was a North Sea Ferries trip to Rotterdam. We sold normal package holidays, from Intasun, Thomson and Yugotours. We developed the business and moved upmarket, selling more long-haul and brands such as Thomson A la Carte, Sovereign Holidays and Kuoni. It reflected the upmarket clientele here in Boston Spa, Wetherby and Linton in West Yorkshire.

We developed the business and moved upmarket, selling more long-haul and brands such as Thomson A la Carte, Sovereign Holidays and Kuoni

We sold quite a bit of Concorde and it was clear that was the direction for us, so we focused on that market. But we’re open to selling everything: UK holidays offer good commission and have fewer problems. We were with Worldchoice but moved to Elite about 15 years ago. I felt Elite was a good name to have: ‘Spa Travel Elite’. It reflected what we wanted to become and differentiated us from the multiples…and we get good commercial rates.