Travel agency, Barrhead Travel’s Stockport branch has reopened its doors to welcome back customers as lessening restrictions drive a boom in bookings.
The Scottish travel group’s Merseyway branch opened for the first time last year and have now begun welcoming back customers who are eager to book their first post-pandemic getaway. Over the last year, store manager Amanda Scott-Handley and her four-strong team have been working remotely to support customers impacted by Covid-19, but the Stockport travel agency is now open for both in-store and virtual appointments.
Demand for summer 2022 remains the most popular booking season but the Barrhead Travel team noted that bookings for this summer have increased over the last few weeks in tandem with lockdown restrictions easing.
Scott-Handley said that with the vaccine roll-out and easing of lockdown, people were now feeling more confident about planning their dream holiday for the near future. They are witnessing the release of a massive pent-up demand– with destinations such as Tenerife, Turkey, New York, Orlando and Dubai among the favourites.
The Barrhead Travel team reported that staycations and UK cruises have been proving popular for late spring bookings as families and friends plan to reunite for their first post-lockdown holiday. For this summer and beyond, demand for foreign holidays has been rising as customer confidence booms following comments from Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, who confirmed that people can start thinking about booking summer holidays.
Amanda Scott-Handley, Barrhead Travel Stockport Store Manager said:
We are thrilled to back in our much-loved store and be part the revival of the high street! The team are excited to be reunited with our customers face-to-face, helping them with every aspect of their travel plans.
“We have seen a huge demand for getaways both overseas and here in the UK. People’s confidence to travel is growing and they are looking for something to look forward to after what has been a challenging year for everyone.”
Scott-Handley added that customer safety and peace of mind remains the number one priority and that customers are increasingly turning to their local travel agencies for advice. The travel agency has also noticed an increase in new customer enquiries, chiming with ABTA’s recent report that one in four holidaymakers now plan to use a reputable travel agent – up from one in five in 2019.
Earlier this year, Barrhead Travel launched their Stress-Free Guarantee which provides holidaymakers with assurances about financial protection, flexible booking options and safety abroad. Barrhead Travel say the guarantee offers a cast-iron pledge to ensure that every single holiday booked is completely protected and offers the best possible flexibility – something that will be key for holidaymakers while travel is still subject to change.
Image: Barrhead Travel’s Merseyway, Stockport branch team (L-R): store manager, Amanda Scott-Handley, Darren Hughes and Kerry Vickers.