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85 years old and still going strong for Premier Holidays

Premier Holidays is to mark its 85th anniversary a year late after the Covid crisis put paid to plans for multiple celebrations this year.

15 December 2021

Premier Holidays, part of the Premier Travel Group, made its name offering holidays to the Channel Islands and over the years has grown to become the market leader to Jersey and Guernsey. Launching in 1936 as a local bus company which developed into a network of travel agents, the travel firm ventured into tour operation with the launch of its Channel Islands programme in 1979. In the early days, the company operated flights to the Channel Islands from Cambridge Airport: Premier Airlines was the first commercial airline to fly from Cambridge Airport.

Alongside its short haul programme, the operator offers holidays to some of the world’s most fascinating long-haul destinations. Its first Asia brochure was introduced to the market in 1989, with the operator becoming a well-known specialist for the area; the first America brochure launched in 1992; the Indian Ocean and Dubai were added in 1995; Canada was introduced to Premier’s portfolio in 2003; Southern Africa in 2005; Australia and New Zealand in 2010; and in 2016 the operator waved goodbye to its long-term headquarters in the historic English city of Cambridge and set up home in a new state-of-the-art building on the outskirts of Cambridge.

Premier has plans in place to celebrate its milestone birthday in three ways in 2022; with its agent partners; its suppliers; and of course, its own staff. Throughout 2022, Premier will be inviting agents to join in its 85th birthday celebrations with a range 85 fun activities and events being held during the year and will in addition provide 85 prizes for travel agents to enjoy.

Premier Holiday’s most supportive partners will be recognised at the end of 2022 with one of 85 partnership awards and Premier will be reinstating its annual Channel Islands dinner, in March 2022, to thank partners for their ongoing support in Jersey and Guernsey.

Staff will be invited to a summer party in June 2022 to celebrate the milestone birthday.

Renford Sargent, chairman of the Premier Travel Group: “The pandemic has been incredibly challenging for this industry and has resulted in a delay in celebrating this historic landmark, but we are looking

forward to celebrating our 85 years in travel in 2022. We’d like to thank everyone who has joined us along the way, particularly key suppliers and agent partners.”

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