STA Travel Group’s Bridge The World brand will start trading on Saturday.
The student travel specialists bought Bridge The World after research showed that it needed a brand for its customers “to migrate to” and it is the first time it has entered the non-student and youth market.
The website www.bridgetheworld.com and a dedicated call centre will begin doing business first, followed by the opening of its first high street shop in Bournemouth at the end of September. Five further branches will be open by the end of next year.
Bridge The World will focus initially on Australasia, with staff all having first hand experience of the product, and Asia in November.
STA has hired James Herbert as commercial director for Bridge the World, who will report into STA Travel group managing director John Constable.
Said Herbert: “Bridge the World has a twenty year heritage specialising in tailor made, long-haul travel and we’ve updated the brand to ensure it’s entirely relevant for today’s traveller.
“It gives loyal STA Travel customers a place to migrate to, safe in the knowledge that at every stage their needs will be met and understood. We’re committed to creating the best trip at the right price and are very much looking forward to helping our customer’s see more of the world.”
by Dinah Hatch
