Welcome to my blog, I hope to invite you behind the scenes at Miss Ellies Travel and keep you informed of new offers and ideas we are implementing.
Of course this week has been exceptionally busy as the history books have been re-written over the Volcanic Ash over UK skies from Iceland, but more about that later.
I took over as General Manager of Miss Ellies Travel in December. I have been in the travel industry for over 25 years and have worked in tour operations, retail and independently, running my own business as a homeworker, selling holidays to my own clients. The opportunity to work in retail was too much to resist and the first few months have been very busy and exciting as we re-organise the office, refurbish with a complete make-over and invest in our staff with training, new uniforms and a new structure to benefit staff and customers alike. The response from everyone has been positive and while we have been undergoing refurbishment, it has been business as usual.
With the refurbishment under our belts, our next focus has been on building our brand. Miss Ellies Travel was launched in 1984 by Ellie Doherty whose personality was well known in Manchester and her business thrived and built up an enviable reputation which continues today as the longest running and largest independent agency in Manchester, celebrating over 25 years of service in 2009. Ellie retired in December as I took over and is enjoying her time at home with her family and garden menagerie.
Our location in Manchester is on the Oldham road, in the Ancoats district, which is undergoing regeneration using EU funds, and as you drive through you will see new offices, apartments and retail outlets growing up which will soon be occupied and will give us new marketing opportunities in the future, but in the meantime, we have taken the opportunity to advertise locally, including the large Manchester publication, a feature in the MEN following Ellies retirement party at which 'Kirk' AKA Andy Whyment from Coronation Street joined us and two joint marketing projects with both the NHS trust and with Beechwood Cancer Care Centre in Stockport, this helps raise awareness of our business while providing a service which supports shift workers and hopefully to raise some much needed funds for charity.
Back to the Volcanic Ash – As you will know from the press, the current lockdown of airspace has caused unprecedented issues and will continue to do so for some time to come. Just before the problem occurred, we had been busy attending events in Manchester and Beth and Hannah have appeared in one of the travel trade papers making a pizza, and Bekki and I went off to Manchester Airport to join Jet2 for a promotional event, to meet the sales team and experience the aircraft and service in flight. Hopefully our picture will appear soon too!
Un fortunately, we have many clients stranded overseas, my own sister is stuck in Dubai, where she was visiting her husband who works in the UAE, and whilst she is lucky in that she knows the area well and has somewhere to stay, we have many other clients desperate to return home as funds have become short and there has been no clear indication as to who foots the bill for each person stranded. Many are relying on good will from hoteliers and from our experience most are very supportive as we find ourselves in a situation out of everyone's control. We have worked hard with worried clients in resort, opening up on Sunday to be here for guidance and reassurance as far as possible. Of course moving such numbers of tourists in far flung places is a massive operation and we continue to be available to travellers and families alike. As I write this blog, some flights are taking off, but it will be some time before we are running a near normal operation from UK airports and we are very much in the hands of nature and the Volcano.
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