just for groups!

My role: Liaising with customers, hotels and attractions to tailor make group holidays and events.

My experience: After studying travel and tourism at college I started my career in Going Places Travel Agency building up a fairly large client base and reaching the top 20 sellers for the whole of the Kent region. I progressed onto Cosmos Holidays to a Commercial and Yield Executive only departing due to moving from London to Norfolk. After five years with a media company and working for the weddings team I returned to the travel industry in 2017 to my current role as a sales executive for just for groups!

My favourite UK holiday destination: It has to be London, perhaps because I was born here and it feels familiar, but mainly because there are so many things to see and do, there is never a dull moment!

I started my career at a small chain of independent Travel Agents based in East Anglia, working my way up the ladder to Assistant Manager. Sadly they went into administration but I soon found my way back into the travel sector when I joined just for groups!. I really enjoy my role here and I have made great progress looking after many of the groups we assist by creating tailor-made holidays for them. I deal with all types of groups which include U3A’s, Active Retirement Associations and National Trust groups.

My role: I am very happy to be the Administration Executive for the ‘just for groups’ department within the UK Holiday Group. My role is extremely varied, and no 2 days are ever the same, dealing with everything from cancellations, extra room allocation, taking payments and sending out correct paperwork, to liaising with hotels over any late changes.

My experience: I have 25 years of customer experience, and for 12 of those years I worked as an overseas Travel Rep/Team Leader for TUI, before I settled in Norfolk in 2018. I am passionate about travel and was eager to continue my work in the industry, so I joined the Reservations team here at The UK Holiday Group in 2019, before finding my feet with just for groups! in 2021. Now I work closely with the rest of the group team to ensure the administration is all up-to-date and assist with the smooth operation of the business to ensure our customers get a first-class service.

My favourite UK holiday destination: North Wales is a firm favourite for its beautiful scenery and friendly people! Carnarvon castle and Llandudno are delightful places to visit.

My role: Interacting with customers, getting to know their groups holiday preferences, preferred hotel types and attractions to visit is all part of the booking process I enjoy the most. Once the package has been tailor made, offered to the group, and greeted with approval is always a rewarding feeling.

My experience: I have always worked in travel and enjoyed a variety of roles before working on the groups side. I think experiencing different sectors from booking ferries and entrances to operations helps when working with groups. Putting together packages based on a customer’s requirements, building a rapport and seeing the booking come to fruition is a pleasure. Learning about hotels, building relationships, and reading about geographical locations enhances the role.

My favourite UK holiday destination: Whilst a long stretch of sandy beach is always enticing, it would never be too long before I would be moving off to explore and have found North Wales and North Norfolk ideal places to do both.

My role: Working for just for groups! I love being able to help and share my passion for travel and experience. I create tailor-made holidays in the UK and Europe designed to suit the groups requirements, from the destination to the hotel to the excursions and itinerary. It is an extremely rewarding experience to hear that a holiday has gone well and met or exceeded expectations.

My experience: I have enjoyed a very varied career in the travel and tourism industry, incorporating retail travel, business travel, conference venue finding and management at Glaxo, working at Norfolk Broads Direct and at the Tourist Information Centre for the ‘Fine City’ of Norwich. On a personal level I love to plan, travel, and explore, to discover a hidden gem and revisit favourite places. I have been fortunate to have lived in various locations in England, Australia, plus in Germany on three occasions. I particularly enjoyed living in Germany, in the heart of Europe, I was able to travel at weekends and extensively for long holidays!

My favourite UK holiday destination: This is such a hard one to call. I have had fantastic holidays in West Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales, to name a few. If I had to choose, you can’t beat North Wales, and particularly the Llyn Peninsula, an area of outstanding beauty (AONB, or AHNE in Welsh!). Take in the history at one of the many castles, Caernarvon and Conway, head to see the splendid scenery of Snowdonia, experience the beautiful beaches with outstanding views of Cardigan Bay or Anglesey and Ireland on a clear day! Great coastal walks and access to my favourite pub inn, the Ty Coch Inn, Porthdinllaen, right on the beach with far reaching views…

My role: Group Sales

My experience: Having joined the Civil Service on leaving school, I soon got ‘itchy feet’, triggered mainly by my first holidays overseas, and much to my parents’ disapproval I left behind a secure job and pension to join a local tour operator in the tour planning department. I soon found myself having to relieve a sick Tour Manager in Italy and from then I worked for several years for Wallace Arnold and Frames/National Tours escorting overseas tours to various European destinations. I later joined Inghams Lakes & Mountains as Resort Manager in Italy and Austria, touring in the summer and skiing in the winter. Italy will always be my No. 1 European holiday destination, with Venice, Positano and Lake Como having a special place in my heart. On returning to the UK in 1987 I joined National Holidays as a member of the hotel contracting and tour planning team and subsequently worked in educational travel for the Rank Group. I spent 14 years with Applebys Coaches in Lincolnshire as Groups Manager, where, as a team of only two, we grew the business from 17 to over 80 groups by the time the company went into administration as part of the Bowen Group in 2012. Following a short stint with a special interest operator I joined the UK Holiday Group in 2016.

My favourite UK holiday destination: Cornwall – come rain or shine (usually the former!!), where I have been holidaying for over 40 years with my family. I adore Charlestown with its historic harbour, rocky beach and the Tall Ships. Or Watergate Bay with its world class surfing beach, and quaint Portmellon where many hours have been spent watching the kids jump off the harbour wall while we enjoyed a beer or two at the ‘Rising Sun’. And not forgetting beautiful St Ives, especially in winter when there are no crowds.