Former Thomas Cook employees on Merseyside have been brought back to work thanks to a travel firm opening a flurry of new stores in our region.
Barrhead Travel opened its Allerton Road store at the weekend, and will soon launch more in Wirral and Halton.
It comes after the firm announced it will open 100 new branches across the country - rehiring as many ex- Thomas Cook employees as possible, after the travel giant went bust in September.
Founded in Scotland in 1975, Barrhead Travel specialises in all types of holidays from cruises to city breaks, and following the launch of its Liverpool store, its second in the UK, it will open a shop in Widnes at the end of this week, followed by another in Birkenhead after Christmas - all in town centre locations.
The Allerton Road store saw five local ex-Thomas Cook staff return to work.
Chris Cooper, manager of the new Allerton Road branch, said: “Having the opportunity to open a brand-new store with a leading travel company is very exciting.
"Plus, being able to have my original team beside me on this journey makes me incredibly proud and honoured to be working for Barrhead Travel.
"We are looking forward to seeing and welcoming not only our loyal customers back in store but new customers also in the area as well as connecting with local businesses. This is an exciting time for us all.”
Barrhead said employees from Allerton Road’s former Thomas Cook store have completed training at its academy in Glasgow, and that the new store will follow its "signature conceptual design" - equipped with state-of-the-art technology and branded experience areas.
A launch event took place on Tuesday, with Hollyoaks's Alex Fletcher cutting the ribbon, and the shop's charity partner Claire House in attendance.
Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel, a wholly-owned subsidiary of US firm Travel Leaders Group, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Chris, Angela, Elaine, Natalie and Hayley to the Barrhead Travel family as our first store in the Liverpool area.
"The opening of the store reflects our unwavering commitment to the high street travel agency; investment in bricks and mortar has been at the heart of our strategy since we opened our first store in 1975 and we will continue to place focus on the physical customer journey by combining experiential technology and genuine expertise from our local teams.
“We firmly believe that the demand for an experienced and knowledgeable travel agent is still on the rise as holidaymakers seek first-hand sound advice and guaranteed financial protection for their well-earned getaways.”
