Travel agency in Hadleigh offers to hire staff affected by closure of Thomas Cook

An independent travel firm believes the travel agency sector can continue to thrive going forward, as it looks to hire staff affected by the nationwide collapse of Thomas Cook.

Former employees at Thomas Cook, including workers at the travel agency in North Street, Sudbury, have been left looking for new jobs after branches closed across the UK, following the 178-year-old company’s sudden liquidation last month.

But Travel Stop, which operates an office in Hadleigh High Street, along with three other locations, has put out a call for those who were laid-off to put themselves forward for a job, stating it is keen to hire people with a passion for travel planning.

Bridget Keevil, owner of Travel Stop, told the Free Press: “It’s absolutely not what anybody would have wanted. There were some really good staff that worked for Thomas Cook.

“We are independent and I think we have a strong business here, because, once the internet came to the fore, we made a conscious decision that we’re not going to compete on price.

“You can do a very easy A to B holiday on the internet, but if you need any knowledge or have a complex itinerary, that’s where you need to speak to people who have attention to detail and love looking after customers.

“If anyone feels they want to come to work for us, if they have a passion for travel and if we feel they have the same ethos we have, we will always take somebody on, whether we have a vacancy or not.”

To get in touch with Travel Stop about job opportunities in Hadleigh, call 01473 828728 or go online to www.travel-stop.co.uk.