Premier Travel opens on former Global Travel Lounge site

Some Global Travel Lounge staff have had their jobs saved after Premier Travel opened a retail shop on the same site.

Oct 05, 2011 07:00AM GMT

The agency, which had branches in Norwich, Gorleston in Great Yarmouth and Wymondham in Norfolk,  failed last week after being unable to meet its financial commitments.

Premier Travel has opened a branch under its Travel Centre brand in Wymondham and taken on three staff from Global Travel Lounge. It hopes to do the same at the Gorleston branch.

Paul Waters, sales and marketing director for Premier Travel, said: "The staff were over the moon."

Global Travel Lounge owner Peter Buckell blamed Lloyds bank for the failure after it refused him an overdraft.

He said: "The banks see travel as a risky prospect now so this is likely to happen to other agents. I've already been contacted by five agents in the same position."

Buckell, who is a member of the Elite Travel Group, plans to go into travel PR and marketing.