A new independent travel agency has launched in Andover, bringing a personalised approach to holiday planning at a time when many travellers rely on large online booking platforms.
The Eggo Travel Company has been founded by local couple Helen and Dan Eggo, who are hoping to combine their passion for travel with a commitment to helping local people create unforgettable holiday experiences.
Having travelled to more than 18 countries together over the past nine years, the pair decided it was time to turn their shared dream into a reality.
“The Eggo Travel Company has been set up by myself (Helen) and my husband, Dan,” Helen explained. “We have always been passionate about travelling together, visiting over 18 countries together in the past nine years. We have always dreamed of running a business together and felt that our knowledge and experience travelling together meant that we would be able to offer a top service for our clients.”
Based in Andover, the couple believe there is still a strong place for independent travel agents, despite the rise of online booking sites.
“A lot of people think travel agents are a thing of the past, but we can actually add a lot of value, for no extra cost to our clients,” said Helen.
The company offers complimentary consultations, allowing customers to receive a personalised itinerary tailored to their needs without any obligation to book.
Helen added: “We can price-match the big package holiday companies but offer an extra level of personal service. We are a real person at the end of the phone if anything goes wrong leading up to or during the holiday.”
As well as competitive pricing, The Eggo Travel Company provides ATOL protection where applicable and PTS protection, ensuring customers’ money is safeguarded from the moment they make a payment.
Being local is also an important part of the business model.
“Being local ourselves, we have that personal experience of travelling from Hampshire and can support our local clients with advising around transport to the airport or cruise terminal,” Helen said. “We hope to build connections with other local businesses to be able to offer a really joined-up experience for our local clients right from their front door and back.”
The company specialises in several areas close to the founders’ hearts, including cruises, Disney holidays and experiential travel.
The couple are self-confessed Disney enthusiasts, having honeymooned at Disney World in Florida and visited Disney destinations around the world.
“We love the immersive magic a Disney holiday can offer and really believe there is something there to please anyone,” Helen said.
Cruising is another major focus for the business, particularly given Andover’s proximity to Southampton.
“With Southampton being so close, cruising is such an easy and convenient option for local people to visit Europe on a cruise,” she explained. “We would love to be able to spread the joy of cruising, guiding cruise first-timers through their first embarkation to arranging a whole line-up for serial cruisers.”
The Eggo Travel Company also specialises in experiential travel, creating bespoke itineraries that allow travellers to immerse themselves in a destination through carefully selected tours and experiences.
Helen believes this personalised approach can make a significant difference compared with booking online.
Using a trip to Orlando’s theme parks as an example, she explained that expert knowledge can help visitors navigate complex booking systems, choose the right accommodation and maximise their time in the parks.
“Disney changes its systems a lot,” she said. “We have all the up-to-date knowledge which means our clients can get the best out of their trip. We would be able to advise on getting the split right between the Disney and Universal parks so that they fit everything in without being overwhelmed.”
The business has already begun helping customers plan their holidays, with its first clients recently jetting off to Spain.
“Launching has been really exciting and we have already had our first clients jet off on their trip to Spain,” said Helen. “People are sometimes surprised that independent travel agents are still around but when we talk them through all we can offer they are amazed and excited about it.”
Looking ahead, the couple hope to build a loyal base of returning customers and strengthen relationships with other local businesses.
“Our aim is to build a bank of recurrent clients who can trust us to plan their perfect trips year after year,” Helen said.
One of the inspirations behind the business came from the couple’s own travel adventures, including a memorable trip through the Canadian Rockies followed by an Alaskan cruise.
“It was such an unforgettable trip and really opened our eyes to the world of experiential travel,” Helen recalled. “We did a helicopter ride over the mountains, saw humpback whales diving metres from our tour boat and were hands-on with a pen full of sled-dog puppies.”
Experiences like these have shaped the way they approach holiday planning for their clients.
“This has influenced us to really get into all the details with finding out about our clients to make sure their trip will really excite them and mean they have those all-important memories for life.”
Helen believes one of the biggest mistakes travellers make when booking online is arranging multiple elements separately, potentially leaving themselves without adequate protection.
“Booking lots of elements separately when you are building your holiday can leave you without protection,” she said. “We pull all of your holiday elements together into one package with that gold-standard ATOL protection meaning our clients’ hard-earned money is safe.”
For the Eggos, helping people create lasting memories is the most rewarding part of the business.
“We are so passionate about travelling the world,” Helen said. “Planning holidays for other people means we get to explore so many other options and add to our own never-ending travel bucket list. Hearing people’s fun-filled memories when they come back from their trip will never not make our day.”
Residents interested in finding out more about The Eggo Travel Company can visit www.eggotravel.co.uk, where they can submit an enquiry through the online contact form.
The company can also be found on Facebook and Instagram (@theeggotravelcompany) and TikTok (@theeggo.travelcompany).