18 Wardle Travel shops shut after sale

Major regional travel agency chain Wardle Travel has been broken up after going into administration.

Wardle and subsidiary company Sandbach Travel had 41 branches across the Midlands, North West of England and Wales.

Australian-owned Harvey World Travel has stepped in and taken over the business but is retaining only 22 Wardle shops. These are to trade as wholly-owned agencies and staff will be retained but a further 18 have shut with the loss of about 50 jobs.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers was called in as administrators for the family-owned business based in Stoke on Trent on Wednesday.  

Joint administrator Mark Hopkins said: “Following the acquisition of 22 stores by Harvey World Travel for an undisclosed sum, we can confirm that the remaining 18 stores were closed. Harvey World Travel has said that is will of course honour all existing customer holiday arrangements and is writing to advise them of the change.” 

Wardle Travel was a long-established agency chain set up by director Doug Wardle, a member of ABTA’s Council of Regions and vice chairman of the association’s Midlands regional committee in 2004. Mr Wardle was an active  member of ABTA during 20 years in the travel industry and was a former member of the ABTA board. He was also involved in the Institute of Travel and Tourism. 

The Wardle Travel website describes the company as being one of the UK’s fastest growing independent travel agents.

The following branches of Wardle Travel/Sandbach Travel are being reopened as Harvey World Travel: Blackpool, Hanley, Holmes Chapel, Hyde, Longton, Market Street; Longton, Bennett Precinct; Market Drayton, Alkrington, Biddulph, Cheadle, Staffs; Holywell, Lichfield, Lymm, Meir, Penkridge, Rhyl, Stafford, Wrexham, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Ormskirk, St.Helens and Sandbach (Sandbach Travel Ltd).

ABTA said other branches which not have been taken over and will close are in: Accrington, Ashton-under-Lyne, Burnley, Cheetham Hill, Kings Norton, Leyland, Llandudno, Bolton, Chorlton, Heaton Mersey (Stockport), Leigh, Mold, Preston, Stone, Poulton-le-Fylde, Rugeley, Walkden and Irlam.

ABTA said: “If customers have booked with Wardle Travel or Sandbach Travel then in the first instance they should contact the credit control department of their tour operator. For any other queries, please call ABTA on 020 7637 2444 for assistance.”

Report by Phil Davies