Four Years on Leeds Road as 'The Travel Journal' … and I Still Believe in a Proper Travel Agency!

This year marks four years since The Travel Journal opened its doors at 63 Leeds Road.

And after everything the travel industry – and the British high street – has been through, I’m rather proud to say:

We’re still here!

The door is open. The lights are on. The kettle is usually on.

And there’s a real travel agent sitting behind the desk.

That last bit is slightly tongue-in-cheek, but there’s a serious point behind it.

Because in a world where it seems you can sign up online and become a “travel agent” virtually overnight, I think genuine experience, accountability and face-to-face service matter more than ever.

Over 40 years of holidays from this little shop.

The Travel Journal has been trading since 2020, but 63 Leeds Road has been home to a travel agency for more than four decades.

Just think how much travel has changed in that time.

We’ve gone from brochures and Teletext to Google, apps, TikTok and booking holidays from our phones.

We’ve survived recessions, changing high streets and even a global pandemic that brought international travel to a standstill.

Yet people are still walking through this door to plan their holidays.

I think that says something.

Yes, I still believe in bricks and mortar.

Apparently, believing in an actual shop is becoming a little old-fashioned.

Fine by me.

Running premises costs considerably more than running a business from the spare bedroom, but it also provides something I think is incredibly important:

Accountability.

You know where I am.

Want some inspiration? Walk in.

Found something online and want my opinion? Show me.

About to spend thousands on a honeymoon, family holiday or once-in-a-lifetime adventure and want to actually look at the person you’re trusting with it?

Pull up a chair.

And if something goes wrong, you don’t have to wonder where your travel agent has disappeared to.

I’m at 63 Leeds Road.

Can anybody really become a travel agent overnight?

Here’s where I might ruffle a few feathers.

Social media is increasingly full of adverts promising people the opportunity to “become a travel agent”, work flexibly from home and earn money selling holidays.

Sign up. Complete some online training. Change the Instagram bio.

Travel Agent.

If only it were that simple.

I’ve worked in travel for more than 26 years.

I’ve spent those years travelling, learning destinations, inspecting hotels, working with tour operators, solving problems and continually investing in my knowledge.

Because if you’re trusting me with thousands of pounds and your precious time away, I think I should know what I’m talking about.

That experience didn’t arrive with a login and password.

And it certainly didn’t happen overnight.

Loving holidays doesn’t make you a travel expert

I love holidays.

I also love eating out.

Nobody is handing me the keys to a restaurant anytime soon though!

There are some excellent and highly professional homeworking travel agents – and I know plenty of them.

But there’s a world of difference between a career travel professional and somebody who saw a “become a travel agent” advert last Tuesday and fancied a new side hustle.

Putting “Travel Agent” in your social-media bio doesn’t suddenly give you years of destination knowledge.

And your dream holiday deserves better than being squeezed in between the weekly shop and daytime TV.

Cheeky? Perhaps.

But think about it.

A holiday could be one of the biggest purchases you make all year.

Your honeymoon. Your first big family holiday. Your anniversary. That bucket-list trip you’ve saved years for.

Surely the experience of the person handling it matters?

Google knows plenty. Experience knows what matters.

Technology is fantastic. I use it every day and The Travel Journal looks after customers nationwide.

But technology should support expertise – not replace it.

Google can show you thousands of hotels.

TikTok can tell you what’s trending.

TripAdvisor can give you thousands of opinions.

My job is to work out what’s right for you.

That’s where 26 years of experience comes in.

Why Leeds Road matters to me

I’m proud to have an independent business here.

People talk constantly about saving Britain’s high streets and supporting local businesses.

But high streets don’t survive through hashtags.

They survive because people use them – and because businesses choose to stay on them.

I’ve chosen to stay.

There might be cheaper and easier ways to run The Travel Journal, but I want customers to know who they’re dealing with and where they can find me.

I’m not a faceless website.

I’m not disappearing behind a screen.

I’m here.

Four years later…

So yes, I’m proud.

Four years at 63 Leeds Road.

More than 26 years in travel.

Over four decades of travel agency history from these premises.

And after Covid, lockdowns, changing shopping habits, struggling high streets, social media and the rise of the overnight travel agent…

we’re still here.

Maybe bricks and mortar aren’t quite dead yet.

Maybe people still value sitting across a desk from another human being.

And maybe when you’re spending thousands of pounds on something as important as your holiday, knowing exactly who you’re dealing with isn’t such an old-fashioned idea after all.

Come and talk travel with me, let's travel talk!

Whether you’ve booked with me for years, follow The Travel Journal online, regularly walk past the shop or haven’t discovered us yet – come in and say hello.

Bring me an idea. Bring me a question. Bring me the holiday you’ve found online and ask what I think.

You don’t even have to know where you want to go.

That’s what I’m here for.

And if you’re not local, no problem. I look after customers nationwide with exactly the same personal service.

After 26 years, I still love talking travel. I still love finding the right holiday for someone. And I still love hearing about it when they come home.

That’s why I’m still doing this.

And that’s why I still believe in a proper travel agency.

Come and see me at The Travel Journal, 63 Leeds Road, Harrogate.

The door’s open.

The kettle’s on.

And unlike an overnight travel-agent starter pack…

the 26 years of experience comes included.

Warmly and sincerely, Ben Poole

The Travel Journal