Marking thirty years of success at Oasis Travel with a celebratory ice sculpture are, from left, Jonathan Ritchie, Cruise Specialist; Sandra Corkin, Managing Director and founder; and Gillian Coombes, Lisburn Branch Manager.
AS she celebrates the pearl anniversary of her highly successful chain of travel agencies, local businesswoman Sandra Corkin is delighted to agree with the old adage that ‘the world is your oyster’.
It’s something her father told her as he helped her to open and develop her first outlet in Lisburn, and it has continued to inspire her as she has built her business empire.
As it marks its thirtieth year, Oasis Travel is now firmly established as one of Northern Ireland’s largest and best-known independent travel agencies, with a network of five busy outlets at Lisburn, Bangor, Holywood and at Howard Street and Lisburn Road in Belfast.
Sandra, who first stepped into the world of travel as a raw 16-year-old, says, “I was rather like a candidate on ‘The Apprentice’ as I went straight from school to work in a local travel agency, hungry to learn as much as I could, as fast as I could.
“Just five years later, with the encouragement and financial backing of my dad, I took the plunge and was managing my very first Oasis Travel outlet at the age of 21.
“Dad was a superb businessman and instilled great values and a strong work ethos in me, balancing my youthful enthusiasm with the sound common sense that is vital to anyone who plans to be in business for the long run.
“It seems impossible to believe that he was prepared to back me when I was so young, but he believed in nurturing potential.
“Dad encouraged me – and my brother and sister who also worked in the business for a time – to see that there is a world of opportunity for businesspeople who are prepared to develop their skills, work hard and aim high.
“That’s a philosophy which has paid off and today I have family to thank for the foundations of Oasis Travel’s success.”
The travel business has changed immeasurably since the company launched in 1984, but despite increasing competition in the High Street and online, Sandra has not only maintained but has actually grown the Oasis network, its clientele and its reputation as one of Northern Ireland’s leading providers.
The secret, she maintains, is service. She said “People come to us because we understand how important their holidays are to them and we genuinely take pleasure in providing not only the best value, but also the best possible travel experiences.
“Whether they are booking a cheapie city weekend or investing in the holiday of a lifetime, our ambition is to make it perfect, every time. Our customers rely on us to take the hassle, so they don’t have to.
“Oasis has a fantastic team of highly motivated travel experts working right across its branch network and we are all committed to continually enhancing our professional skills and knowledge.
“Our expertise has made us leaders in a number of specialist areas, such as cruising and luxury travel and we are able to offer amazing bespoke travel itineraries to customers who, like us, believe that the world really is your oyster.”
As she looks forward to her next decade, Sandra has her own pearls of wisdom for those who want to build a business.
She says, “There are no shortcuts. The old values of hard work, loyalty and determination are as important today as they have always been, but I also believe that enjoying your work is infectious, inspiring staff and customers alike.”
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