But he doesn't blame the industry for its uncertainty: “That's part of starting a business,” he says.
“Your name is on the door, but nobody has ever heard of it. There are loads of other big names out there and the internet was growing like Billy's. It takes a lot of time, money and effort to build a brand that gives people a reason to book.”
Focusing on the brand is the main advice Morgan has given to his colleagues as he retires after almost 20 years having sold the business to Hays Travel.
“You have to be able to explain in a few sentences why your business will thrive and succeed,” he explains. “If you can't answer that question, you're not going to be successful.”
Morgan's parties for farm staff are legendary
After overcoming the start-up, Morgan has effectively grown his small company, which has been part of the Hays Travel Independence Group since 2006, from 10 to 19 stores across South Wales and the South West.
One of his biggest successes, which garnered global attention, came when he designed, packaged and sold two cruises to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in 2012. “It wasn't a mission to make money,” he insists. “It was a mission for pride, and it was a spectacular success.”
Thanks to hard work and experience, by the time the pandemic hit in 2020, Miles Morgan Travel was well-equipped to deal with global lockdowns. “COVID was really tough, but paradoxically, I really enjoyed it,” Morgan reveals. “I was never going to give up because of the challenges that it caused.”
Morgan gives all the information about Miles Morgan Travel to his livestock.
He said the business had come out of the Covid crisis “like a steam locomotive”, adding that it had considered expanding it for a further five years but had decided to sell at the end of 2023 and pursue other interests.
Thanks to his long-standing collaboration with Hays Travel president Eileen Hays, the sale was quickly completed for an undisclosed amount. “Due diligence was incredibly easy because of the trust between us,” he said.
Morgan believes the acquisition by Hays is best for his team: their work is guaranteed as part of the deal, along with the Miles Morgan brand, which he says has been another key to his agency's success.
