Travel agent to close two West Sussex centres

The UK’s largest travel agent announced last week that it will not renew the leases on 89 of its shops as part of a planned consolidation of its UK retail estate. The decision will affect 388 staff members.

A spokesperson for Hays Travel has confirmed that leases on stores in Worthing and Burgess Hill would not be renewed.

"We are now discussing a number of options for alternative work with colleagues in those branches," the spokesperson added.

"Our customers continue to be looked after in virtual meetings via zoom, FaceTime or phone during lockdown."

The chain has branches across Sussex, including; Chichester; Bognor Regis; Midhurst; Crawley; Horsham; Haywards Heath; Littlehampton; Goring; Hassocks; Eastbourne; Hastings; Hove; Brighton and Seaford.

Following the expiry of the licence, the company had 'deferred reviewing the performance' of the former Thomas Cook shops, it acquired in October 2019 to see if business returned in

2021.

However the third national lockdown and travel ban leading to major holiday operators suspending flights and holidays, meant the company 'had to act'.

Jonathon Woodall, chief operating officer, said the company would begin consulting with 388 retail staff on potential options to reduce the number of redundancies.

He added: “Our first priority is to continue to look after our customers and we offer the highest standards of customer service through our retail, phone and online divisions. We are continuing with our robust two-year business plan and continue to be ready for the bounce back when it comes.”

Dame Irene Hays, owner and chair of Hays Travel, said it was 'always our intention' to review the performance of shops at the end of the licence period.

"We had hoped the business would bounce back in January and it has not," she said. "We have done everything we could to safeguard jobs and the business thus far, and we have come up with a range of options for those at risk of redundancy to help as many colleagues as we can.”

Among other options, staff will be offered the chance to join the Hays Travel homeworking division or take positions in other shops, 'where there is a vacancy'.

Hays Travel currently operates 535 shops and employs 7,700 people. Many staff members have been working from home, taking bookings for holidays for 2021 and beyond.