The Welsh town of Abertillery will soon have a bricks-and-mortar travel agency for the first time since COVID, when a homeworker opens his first branch in October.
Hays Travel Personal Travel Consultant Gareth Holloway only became a homeworker in June, but made £100,000 in revenue in his first month and decided to open a shop after customers kept asking if they could visit his branch.
Gareth, 35, who lives in the town, has more than 16 years’ experience in the travel industry, having previously worked for TUI, Travel Managers, and as Hays Travel Branch Manager in Cwmbran, South Wales.
He told Travel Gossip: “After homeworking for six weeks, I decided to open my own branch.
“There hasn’t been a high street travel agency in Abertillery since COVID. The premise I am moving into is actually an old TUI branch. When COVID happened, the branch closed, and it just never reopened.
“My ‘coming soon’ posters are up in the window and I’ve got the builders in renovating the premises.”
The branch will open for a soft launch in October on 11 Somerset Street, before a hard launch in December. He has a year-long lease on the property, but plans to extend.
The news of its opening has been well-received by locals who’ve told Gareth: “We’ve been waiting for this,” and “This has been a long time coming”.
“I’ll be the only branch in my local community that will offer foreign exchange services. We have a Post Office in the town, but every type of currency has to be ordered into to branch,” said Gareth.
Gareth is hoping to take on an apprentice through Jobs Growth Wales+ in time for Peaks
He plans to put the apprentice on a course to learn Welsh to make his branch ‘fully inclusive’ and is also making the branch wheelchair-friendly.
“I just want to be inclusive, I want to be that person who tackles everything, whether you’re in a wheelchair or you’re fully abled,” explained Gareth.
In his first year of business, Gareth hopes to make £1m, with this rising to £1.5m in year two and £2m in year three. He also plans to open another branch by his third year of business.
