Advantage2011: High street loses one in four travel agencies
Almost one in four travel agencies has disappeared from the high street over the past five years, according to Advantage Travel Centres.
Chief executive John McEwan said there were 24% fewer shops now than five years ago.
He admitted Advantage had seen a 9% drop in the number of its outlets in that time, although he claimed rival consortia Global Travel Group and Worldchoice had taken a bigger hit.
Global Travel Group had lost a whopping 54% of its outlets and Worldchoice 42%, said McEwan, quoting figures released by brochure distribution company BP Marketing.
McEwan said that although Advantage had fewer outlets than five years ago, it had started to grow again, adding 150 outlets in the last two years.
"We are the only consortia that is still growing; all the others are in decline," he said.
Advantage had a £3.5bn turnover last year, £2.5bn of which came from leisure sales, making it the largest travel retailer in the UK.
In the last financial year the Advantage group posted its highest profit of £882,000, up from about £600,000 two years earlier.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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