Travel business counting on overseas holidays revival as it opens retail unit

A travel company established seven years ago has a homeworking enterprise now has its first commercial premises

Set up by Rachel Dartnall-Smith Pebble Shore Travel has opened up within Scarborough Market Hall.

Until now, the business had traded solely online, in conjunction with Independent Travel Experts.

Experienced independent travel agent Dartnall-Smith, who has worked in the industry for nearly 20 years, said she took the plunge into bricks-and-mortar retail despite experiencing “the toughest time for travel in living memory.”

“I had originally planned to open a store early last year,” she explained. “But the pandemic changed all that. Like many travel agents, all I seemed to do was months and months of nothing but cancellations, refunds and re-bookings.

“Pebble Shore Travel has lots of loyal customers who have re-booked, but I wasn’t earning anything and it was very demoralising at times.

“However, my current homeworking setup has allowed me to be much more agile and continue to engage with my customer base far more than would have been possible otherwise.

“I wanted to stay in the industry I love and it made me more determined than ever to open a shop.

“It was at this point that fate stepped in when a hairdresser friend mentioned the retail units in the indoor market. I knew the time was right to branch out.

“It has been a big investment for me, even with a relatively small shop like this, but fortunately I’ve had the full support of Independent Travel Experts and The Travel Network Group consortium, and I’m now open, and up and running.”

She said Pebble Shore Travel has also been supported throughout the pandemic and now in its new shop by tour operator Jet2holidays.