In the Travel Industry for over 35 years

I’ve been a Travel Agent for over 35 years and it all began by accident! I initially trained as a French teacher (having graduated with a BA Hons Degree in French and Italian), but soon realised that teaching French in the UK wasn’t for me. I had enjoyed teaching English for a year in France though, and was fortunate to have been placed at a lovely School in Honfleur, Normandy where I was able to fully explore the local area. By chance I was offered the position of PA to the MD of Baldwins Travel, a local Independent. However, they were short staffed “on the counter” so I was asked to help out downstairs and there I stayed.

Personal Service

I progressed within 2 years to Assistant Manager for Pickfords Travel and then Manager for the next 20+ years in the Kent/East Sussex area. We merged with Hogg Robinson to become Going Places and then with Thomas Cook-the company was getting bigger and bigger, with increasingly less opportunity to give good old fashioned personal service and an alarming move towards selling inhouse products even when not the best match for our clients.

Family Life

My husband Bill and I had our first child, William, in 2003 and I went back to work as a full time Manager. Lily was born in 2005 and full time was no longer a realistic option, so I did some part time work under the new Thomas Cook management and researched alternatives. I’ve run my own Travel business from home in the village of Ticehurst, East Sussex for over 10 years now and it’s the best decision I could have made-I am able to work flexible hours to suit you and myself, so you won’t have to find parking and wait to be served in a High Street store or trawl through the internet. I have built an excellent reputation for taking all the time and trouble necessary to find the best possible match for your requirements-I thoroughly enjoy my work and am totally committed to selling only what is right for you, my client. There is no better proof of this than my increasing repeat business and referrals from existing clients. Clients frequently comment how easy I’ve made booking their trip!

How my Business grew

My home based business as a Personal Travel Agent under the Midcounties Co-operative grew beyond all expectations and the time was right to develop my own brand Julie Hill Travel Inspirations, which I run under the Co-operative Travel Consortium to ensure that I have the best possible support. More recently, to save costs and secure my future, I have moved my Business to sit under the umbrella of Henbury Travel, which is owned and managed by a good friend of mine. I have worked closely with Henbury Travel over the last few years and we have offered each other holiday cover and other support so this decision made good business sense. What does this all mean for my clients? I am an Abta member and preferred agent for 100s of brands, a mix of well known and niche. I also have access to the Consortium’s atol licence, which enables me to securely package together a huge range of tailormade options including low cost and other flights, car hire, a variety of accommodation, transfers and attraction tickets.

I can book all Holiday Types

Whether you are a solo traveller or group, a family or a couple, looking for adventure, relaxation, culture or even a mixture of them all, rest assured I will give independent advice on the best deals available to virtually any destination. I have travelled extensively over the years both within the UK and around the world including the Caribbean & Mexico, Australia, USA & Canada, Greece, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Lapland, Dubai, Tunisia, Madeira and Sweden. Barbados was the beautiful setting for my own wedding and I have good experience of booking weddings overseas as well as honeymoons. I have personal knowledge of most Cruise lines and am a South Africa and Sri Lanka specialist. I have also owned and ridden horses since I could walk and can advise on and book your horse riding holiday to most destinations whatever your ability.

My Passion

My real passion is inspiring my clients to visit destinations they may not even have thought of. I have a few preferred suppliers of small group “experience” tours around the world where you will see the “real” country, meet the locals and stay in family run accommodation accompanied by a local guide. I fully support ethical and responsible tourism.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about me and look forward to hearing from you soon

Best Wishes
Julie