Claire Doherty Travel Department 30th anniversary celebrations at event in National Concert Hall

Claire Doherty of Travel Department told the gathering to mark the 30th anniversary celebrations for Travel Department continued at the National Concert Hall that her role involves overseeing commercial aspects and customer services.

She described the process of itinerary creation, where team members spend months researching and refining details to balance pace, avoid excessive coach time and ensure smooth execution. She noted that proposed itineraries face detailed scrutiny from senior staff before approval. Doherty highlighted the satisfaction gained from positive customer feedback and recommendations that result from these efforts.

Doherty explained that the customer services department, led by Grace, functions as a resolution team rather than a complaints unit. The department receives thank-you messages and positive cards from customers. She acknowledged that the company tests new ideas, some of which succeed for years while others are discontinued. She emphasised the importance of learning from both outcomes to maintain standards.

She shared a story from a holiday roadshow two years earlier, where a woman in her seventies had completed 52 holidays with Travel Department and had booked a further trip to Japan. The customer explained that after losing her husband, she continued travelling alone because she felt safe with the company. Doherty pointed out that such experiences demonstrate the trust customers place in the brand and its escorts.

The presentation concluded that the combination of carefully planned tours and the connections formed among travellers sustains the business. Doherty stated that the people on the tours create friendships and ongoing relationships that have supported the company for 30 years. She thanked attendees for contributing to the celebrations.

Claire Doherty shared: “holiday makers can spend months researching itineraries, and they make sure that every single bit of it works, that it’s not too busy, that it’s not too slow, that they’re not spending too much time on coaches or you’re not spending too little time where you are. I’m still going, They say: I’m going on my own because I know I’m safe with travel department. The friendship, the connections, travel year after year with each other, after meeting first somewhere on our tours, that is what has kept us going for 30 years.”