Being named the best travel agency in the UK is a huge accomplishment, especially when you've only been with the company for three and a half years.
But for Hannah Porter and her team at Travel by Hannah in the Wiltshire market town of Marlborough, it's just the reward for a lot of hard work and some bright ideas.
Mr Porter, who was named one of the top 50 travel agents by the UK and Ireland TTG 2024 Top Agencies last month, took over the former Robins World property in December 2020 after the owner, who is in his mid-70s, decided to retire after 35 years. We took over the travel store. .
Introducing the TTG Top 50 of 2024
This proved to be a timely decision just as COVID-19 hit. “He decided to quit while he was still on his way,” said Porter, who was running the store at the time.
“He said to me, “I don't want to see a travel agency disappear here.'' I know you're only 25 years old, but would you consider buying one?'' – I'm Headlight It was like a deer illuminated by the sun.”
Porter's father ran his own business, was a big travel fan, and, importantly, was a persuasive person. “He said, “Why not? If it's wrong, it's wrong. ”
“I knew that once COVID-19 was over, everyone would really appreciate travel agents, so I went on a family trip to Rhodes, sat on the beach, and wrote a business plan.”
Eventually, Porter launched an entirely new business, taking over Robin's World's database and leases. “Robin taught me a lot,” she says. “If he hadn't made the decision to retire, I might not have made the decision to retire so early.”
Travel by Hanna opened “very calmly,” but the coronavirus gave Porter and her team an opportunity to bounce back while business slowly recovered.
She had some experience to fall back on. “I started working as an agent for Thomas Cook at the age of 20. I'm very lucky to have grown up in a family where travel was a priority,” she told her TTG, adding that she still enjoys working in her job. added that the “pinch” moment has given her so much.
She explains that the decision to pursue a retail career instead of working from home wasn't a difficult one, even though the industry shifted to working from home after the pandemic.
Top 50: Hannah’s Travels – In Profile
“I need some [financial] It's about supporting. “It's not like working from home, where the overhead is your own home,” she explains her reasoning, and advises others considering their options: Independent businesses are valued downtown, so get some half-price or free rent. ”
She doesn't regret her decision. “Having a store was essential to our growth,” she insists. “During the pandemic, I was focused on social media, but having a physical location on a high street is tangible and gives people confidence. It makes them stop and say, ‘Oh. I'm like, oh yeah, she's really thinking about this.
“At the time, people were passionate about supporting small businesses. And I wasn't very good at working from home. I value interacting with people.”
