Failed-agency owner predicts further collapses

The future for independent travel agents is bleak, according to the owner of Cardiff agency Millennium Travel which ceased trading this week.

The future for independent travel agents is bleak, according to the owner of the Millennium Travel Agency in Cardiff which ceased trading this week.


Susan Watts, who set up Millennium Travel in 1997, said she was forced out of business by a declining cashflow and the squeeze on credit.


“The banks would not allow me to go a penny over my overdraft,” said Watts. “Just £3,000 would have enabled me to keep my business going.


Watts, who has worked in travel since the age of 19, also blamed “greedy” tour operators for offering discounts for direct booking.


The agency employed three staff, specialised in long haul, weddings, honeymoons and cruises, and was a member of Global Travel Group’s Independent Options.