Sunshine sees profits jump since going independent
Online travel agency www.sunshine.co.uk has reported pre-tax profits up by 80% since leaving Hays Travel Independence Group.
The agency, which was the first online travel company to join Hays Travel in 2007, left at the end of 2013 because it believed the time was right to go it alone.
In the first partial year trading as an independent travel agency, it has grown pre-tax profits from £1 million to £1.8 million year-on-year and increased net sales by 53% to £52.5m in the year to August 2014.
It said passenger numbers are up 29% in the current trading year, with 50% of total sales coming from repeat customers.
Net sales for the its sister cruise website bonvoyage.uk have increased 78% year on year so far and the group said a few new suppliers are set to launch in the near future.
“The company is also continually looking to develop new partnerships with other cruise lines to help with the expansion of the site’s offering,” it said.
A new website is currently being developed and sunshine said further technical advancements will follow very soon.
Managing director Chris Clarkson said: “We can’t wait to see what this year holds for us.”
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026