Surbiton's independent travel agent beating the internet at booking holidays
\"When you want to travel to more than one destination during one holiday, people often prefer to book their trip with a physical travel agent rather than online because travel agents will work very hard on the trip itineraries," says Shakeel Ahmed, the owner of Surbiton's only independent travel agent, 7 Seas Holidays.
7Seas Holidays, which opened its doors on Victoria Road in February, is currently helping local travelers book their holidays for 2026 and is offering a 5% discount on any holidays booked at the agents before 31 August 2025.
Shakeel says there is also time for travelers to book their summer holidays for this year, with Turkey, Greece, and Egypt being among the most popular summer holiday destinations.
However, he says that many of his clients like to go to places like the Maldives, Mauritius, and Dubai over the Christmas holidays.
Shakeel said: "People often like to stop in Dubai for a break when travelling back from faraway places."
The Surbiton-based travel agent also currently has a collection of cruise holidays available, including river and ocean cruises.
7 Seas Holidays focuses on cruises and luxury holidays and has won numerous awards, including the International Travel Awards in both 2021 and 2024.
It has also been voted in the top three and top 50 best travel agents in London and is a member of ABTA and Elite Travel, which Shakeel says "is an advantage and adds value to the business".
Speaking about why he believes that travelers should book their holidays with a physical travel agent rather than online, Shakeel said: "A lot of people want to meet an actual travel agent before they make any decisions on their holidays, and high street travel agencies work well because they can book everything under one roof.
"They can also help you book multi-destinations in one itinerary. When you want to travel to more than one destination during one holiday, people often prefer to book their trip with a physical travel agent rather than booking online.
"And if you need any sort of changes to your itineraries, there will be someone who can look after your travel, and this is the same for if you need any sort of help during your travel. For example, like during Covid."
He said: "So, going to a physical travel agency and meeting agents in person will give you a positive vibe as you know you are dealing with somebody who can really take care of your travel even when abroad and until you are back home."
Shakeel says that if his clients have any specific holiday requirements, 7 Seas Holidays can "do some tailor-made packages".
He added: "If we don't have a package that fits your requirements, such as certain dates, we can tailor a package to meet the requirements.
For anyone who wants to book a holiday with 7 Seas Holidays, you can do so by going to the office on Victoria Road, emailing [email protected] or calling the team on +44 7951 338204.
You can also find out more about what 7 Seas Holidays has to offer on its website.
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