menu MENU ABOUT HAYS TRAVEL As the UKs largest independent travel agent Hays Travel, specialises in providing good value, quality holidays alongside excellent customer service. From its inception, the business expanded steadily with shops cropping up across the north-east. In 1990, the first Hays Travel call centre opened, and in 1995 the Hays Travel Independence Group was formed – a consortium of independent travel retailers retaining their own independence and branding, but benefitting from Hays Travel’s buying power, technology, and back office functions. In 1997, the company diversified into homeworking, and in 2013 Hays completed the acquisition of Bath Travel, the south of England’s largest independent travel agency network. In 2013, retail coverage expanded hugely with the acquisition of southern England’s largest independent travel agency, Bath Travel. Founded in 1924 and based in Bournemouth; Bath Travel had over 60 branches and 330 employees who joined the Hays Travel family. The acquisition represented a substantial growth in the company’s retail network, with Hays Travel branches now covering Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, and Sussex. A year later, in 2014; Hays took on its first franchise in the north-west of England, a 14-branch travel agency formerly known as Just Go. With quick expansion also in this region, Hays Travel now has almost 30 shops in this part of the country, covering Merseyside, Cheshire, and North Wales. In 2014, Just Go, an independent agent based in Merseyside, Cheshire, and North Wales, joined the group and started to operate as a Hays franchise. The group of shops was rebranded as Hays Travel and the network expanded significantly - they now have 44 branches, an annual turnover of £63 million, and employ 197 people. 2019 saw Hays Travel take a strong lead in the industry and acquired the Thomas Cook retail estate; providing re-employment opportunities to former staff who were made redundant following the collapse of the travel giant. Another year later in 2020; Hays Travel took over all 20 Tailor Made Travel shops as well as retaining around 100 employees. Today, Hays Travel has huge buying power and invests heavily in state-of-the-art technology. The company has an award-winning in-house training programme, won Best High Street Large Agency at the Agent Achievement Awards, and is recognised in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list, as well as the Sunday Times’ 100 Best Companies to Work For’ list. Fully ABTA, ATOL and IATA bonded, it offers its customers complete financial security, and its independent status means staff are able to offer impartial advice and an extensive range of travel opportunities. The company works with hundreds of suppliers to ensure this. Group Tax Strategy Modern Slavery Statement Gender Pay Gap Report: 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 Insurance Product Information Document Pensions – Statement of Investment Principles Pension Implementation Statement OUR JOURNEY 1980 keyboard_arrow_right John Hays opens the first branch of Hays Travel at the back of his mum’s children’s wear shop in Seaham, Co Durham Hays Travel opens second shop in Sunderland, where the company has its headquarters today keyboard_arrow_left 1982 1984 keyboard_arrow_right Third shop opens in Washington, Tyne and Wear Expansion reaches seven shops in the North East keyboard_arrow_left 1987 1990 keyboard_arrow_right First Hays Travel call centre opens Hays Travel Independence Group is formed keyboard_arrow_left 1995 1997 keyboard_arrow_right The company diversifies into homeworking Hays Travel recognised as one of the Sunday Times’ 100 Best Companies to Work For in the UK keyboard_arrow_left 2006 2007 keyboard_arrow_right Hays Travel Group hit £300 million turnover John Hays honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at the Agent Achievement Awards keyboard_arrow_left 2008 2009 keyboard_arrow_right John Hays picks up the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Globes Celebrate 30 years and John Hays’ inauguration into the British Travel Industry Hall of Fame keyboard_arrow_left 2010 2012 keyboard_arrow_right Turnover hits the £500 million mark Acquisition of Bath Travel, the South of England’s largest independent travel agency keyboard_arrow_left 2013 2014 keyboard_arrow_right Hays Travel Academy launched Another inclusion in the Sunday Times’ 100 Best Companies to Work For list whilst John Hays is awarded Freedom of the City of Sunderland keyboard_arrow_left 2016 2017 keyboard_arrow_right Turnover reaches £850 million Turnover passes the £1 billion mark keyboard_arrow_left 2018 2019 keyboard_arrow_right Thomas Cook retail estate acquisition Recruited additional 100 HTOL employees keyboard_arrow_left 2021 GET EXCLUSIVE OFFERS AND MUCH MORE Sign up to our emails today... 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