Swansea-based world travel experts, THG Holidays, are celebrating 20 years in business with a move to new premises as well as the appointment of new staff and a rebrand.
The £9m turnover firm, founded by Gareth and Michelle Gronow, started life as a small operator specialising in holidays to Bali but over the last 20 years, they have grown to become one of the leading travel tour operators in Wales.
As independent operators, they have established partnerships across the globe ranging from major airlines to boutique hotels and specialise in tailor-making travel arrangements for a range of customers as director Gareth Gronow explained:
"From flight-only arrangements for corporate customers to group-travel to bucket list holidays for couples and families; we build packages from scratch as well as developing hand-picked deals for the likes of Voyage Privé and Secret Escapes."
The business has grown steadily over the years, but an aggressive growth strategy initiated 18 months ago has seen staff numbers increase by 25%. This includes the appointment of Stam Tsafos, who has over 30 years experience in the industry and heads up the American and European department and Tony James, who also has over 30 years travel experience and heads the product department.
"Our offices in Brynhyfryd on the outskirts of Swansea were our home for many years," explained Gareth, "but with growing staff numbers and new destinations coming online, we needed larger premises that suited both staff and customer needs."
The new office, located in New Mill Court in Llansamlet, Swansea, has been completely overhauled to include a state-of-the-art call centre, staff break-out facilities as well as multiple meeting rooms to meet customers face-to-face.
Alongside the new office, the travel firm has been busy with a re-brand and overhaul of their online presence, and the New Year has seen the launch of their new website.
"The travel industry has been changed forever by the internet," said Gareth, "and online sales are a key factor in the continuing growth of the company over the next few years, so we decided to refresh both the website and our brand to ensure we start 2020 on the right foot."
As new destinations such as Costa Rica come online and with the company offering cruise holidays across the globe, it's an exciting time for the family-run, independent business who are looking forward to another successful 20 years in business.