Travel specialist Nicky Grogan has been on an interesting personal journey herself.
Interview by Paul Rouse.
Opening a new company can be difficult at the best of times. And as we all now know, February 2020 was not the best of times to launch any business. Unless you happened to be a supplier of PPE, perhaps.
Add on the fact that Nicky Grogan’s new venture was in the travel industry, and as she admits herself, it could all have been over before it really got started.
“But we persevered,” she explains, “and after an incredibly trying and soul-searching period, have come through it wiser and happier, if not – for the time being at least – richer!”
Located in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, My Travel PA combines the high street presence of a traditional travel agency with the personal service offered by the new breed of largely home-based travel concierges.
“I could have gone down the latter route,” says Nicky, “and looking back with the benefit of hindsight, we would certainly have saved money on overheads during the time when hardly anybody was travelling anywhere. But I felt it was important to have a visible presence. It’s not necessarily about walk-in trade, as the majority of our clients come to us directly, through personal contacts, word-of-mouth, and now – as things are starting to return to normal – repeat business.
But having a place that people can visit not only helps with our branding and image, but also means we offer a welcoming environment where customers can come to discuss their requirements in detail – and sometimes in confidence, especially if they are planning a surprise trip for partners or other family.”
Route
Nicky’s route to becoming a travel specialist might be considered a little unconventional. Far from having a background in travel, she began her career in the management side of the drinks industry with Heineken and Whitbread, before spending a decade or so in the regional recruitment business.
“But travel has always been one of my personal passions,” she enthuses, “and I had reached that stage of life not only when I wanted to do something different, but also something for myself. Setting up your own company can often be a leap of faith, and you have to be brave, committed and tenacious, but I felt I had something new to offer the well-heeled traveller, and with a lot of help from my right-hand man (Leigh Bladen, who has worked for First Choice, TUI and Virgin among others over a 20-year career) we are certainly on the right path.”
At home near Redditch, Nicky is also a busy mum (she and partner Paul have four children between them), and the family are well- travelled themselves. This year they have either been, or will be visiting, Ibiza, Marbella, the Algarve and Las Vegas, and are hoping to take the kids to Lapland at Christmas.
“It’s great fun travelling!” she admits, with a huge smile. “But there’s also the ‘research’ side of it. Honestly. Obviously even between us, Leigh and I can’t physically have been to every destination we promote, but you have to understand the product, the experience, the expectations, and sometimes the realities. Travel is about selling dreams. But it’s also about selling confidence, trust and the knowledge that if and when things do go wrong, we are always here to help. There’s nothing to stop somebody doing their own internet searches to find what they’re looking for, and then booking it themselves. But we take a lot of the hassle out of the process in the initial stages, discuss budgets, offer help and advice to narrow down choices and confirm suppliers, and are then there with 24- hour back-up if clients have any problems on their trip.”
Future
So, after two tough years for the industry as a whole, not to mention My Travel PA, what of the future?
“The travel and hospitality industry, in this country and elsewhere, is still facing huge challenges,” Nicky agrees. “The Covid nightmare, we hope, is now over for all of us, but we’re all aware of the headlines about staff shortages, travel delays and red tape. Thankfully, it hasn’t stemmed the desire that many people still have to travel, and we are slowly getting back to the stage we were at when My Travel PA was first conceived.
“We’re delighted that, having used us once, customers are coming back to us, and if we have such a thing as a ‘typical’ client, we would say they fit into the cash-rich, time-poor category. And
it’s not just about that big one-off annual holiday, special family celebration, or ticking something off the bucket list. Short breaks in between the splurges are also important to a lot of people, either for those who have high-powered and stressful jobs and need a regular recharge of the batteries, or for those lucky enough to have been able to take their foot off the gas and begin enjoying life a little more. Romantic weekends, city breaks, golf tours, or just being able to let your hair down for a few days with friends, are all selling well.”
And destination trends?
“The usual suspects such as beach holidays, cruises and skiing will always be popular, but we’re also finding a lot of people want to discover slightly lesser-known places such as Croatia, Sicily or Sardinia,” concludes Nicky. “The Maldives is trendy at the moment. TV programmes presented by the likes of Stanley Tucci and Griff Rhys Jones are doing wonders for Italy and Canada. And of course Dubai, as the impact of the ‘influencers’ seems to be paying off. We’re also seeing a lot of families like us really buying into the concept of the luxury all-inclusive brands like IKOS, which tick all the boxes both for parents and kids.”
Bitten by the travel bug herself, Nicky is hardly putting her feet up however. “After a stop-start couple of years, we have a lot of ground to make up.”