STA Travel has opened its first store in Chester as part of ambitious expansion plans.
The store, located at 28 Bridge Street, will be dual-branded with sister company, long-haul luxury specialist Bridge the World.
"We’re delighted to be continuing to expand our physical retail presence on the high streets of the UK," said STA Travel sales director Jackie Knell.
"It’s an important part of our distribution strategy and one that is growing, rather than receding, despite the fact we are catering for the most tech-savvy travelling generation ever.
"When it comes to booking a long-haul trip, gap year or round-the-world adventure there really is no substitute for talking to professionals who have experience and knowledge of these destinations themselves."
Knell said STA chose Chester for its diverse population. "It has a large student base, as well as a young professional and affluent and well-travelled demographic," she said.
The new store is overseen by manager Vicki Wallace and a team of two travel experts.
It has high-tech touches, such as iPads set into the walls to give customers digital content and inspirational videos and large interactive tables where staff sit side-by-side with the customer with laptops, rather than behind a desk with a screen.
STA Travel has already opened new retail outlets in Cheltenham, Chelmsford, Plymouth (STA Travel’s first presence in a shopping centre) and in Shoreditch in East London this summer, taking the total number of UK stores to 50.
