Kent operator becomes Spot Travel Services as MD offers new services to tour operators. Jessamy Chapman reports
Ashford-based Spot Travel is relaunching itself as a consultancy to support other coach tour operators.
After 43 years as an operator, the business is closing its coach hire and tours side to prevent conflicts of interest as it pursues the supplier route, under the name Spot Travel Services.
Managing Director Ross Young, whose father Roger founded the business in 1974, will use his skills and knowledge in coach tourism to support both operators and suppliers – including hotels, attractions and destinations – on a consultancy basis.
The products and services the business will offer include:
- Familiarisation trips
- Itinerary planning
- Brochure content
- Market research
- Social media, including videos and blogging
- Legal support
- Driver CPC training
- Other kinds of training, including customer service
- Emergency driver cover.
Mr Young, who for personal reasons regularly travels the length of the country, will be able to serve operators all over Britain, including Scotland, and hopes to branch into Northern Ireland and potentially Europe within the next few years.
He says: “I see this as a way of utilising the knowledge and skills we’ve built up over all these years. We’re well placed to support other tour operators, because we’ve done it ourselves.”
He adds that he is foregoing the tours side of the business to prevent conflicts of interest. He says: “I didn’t want to confuse the market and potential clients by being a tour operator as well. For now at least, it has to be one or the other.”
He adds that the idea was “a lightbulb moment for me. I’ve always had a passion for tourism; it’s what I’ve done for 16 or 17 years.
“I’m close to Steve Reed and saw some of the things he’s doing, and thought I could work alongside, while doing something different to him. He’s given me a helping hand to offer products and services aimed at both sides of the market.”
The business will retain an O-Licence and a minibus so that it can run occasional trips for its old customers, driven by Roger Young, who is the Transport Manager for Spot Travel.
- Visit spottravel.co.uk
