A TRAVEL agent whose business boomed despite the Covid pandemic has now opened her first ever shop.

Geraldine Marshall set up Marshall Travel from home shortly before the start of lockdown.

As it was starting to get off the ground, the country was hit by coronavirus, with government restrictions imposed to prevent all travel at home and abroad.

However, that failed to deter Geraldine, who used her contacts from 25 years in the industry to provide specialist business travel for company executives as restrictions began to be eased.

And, once they had been completely removed, she began providing holidays to the wider public.

Now she is welcoming customers to her shop in Cross Arthurlie Street, Barrhead.

Mum-of-two Geraldine runs the agency with the help of her 55-year-old husband David, who is an engineer.

And although the Barrhead shop is their first ever retail outlet, they hope there will be more to follow.

Having worked from home after launching the agency in November 2019, she was keen to return to working in a shop, having done so for most of her career.

Geraldine, 46, also specialises in cruises and people who want their own tailor-made holiday, rather than one out of a brochure.

“There was an opportunity to rent the premises in Barrhead, so we went for it,” said Geraldine, whose parents and grandparents hail from the town.

“People want to come and talk to us in person and get the personal touch.

“We’re finding customers are tired of talking online after doing it so much during the pandemic. We are absolutely inundated with business.”

Geraldine insists she isn’t planning to emulate the success of another local firm, Barrhead Travel.

Instead, she aims to keep Marshall Travel as a small, family-run business.

Geraldine also hopes to hire local staff once the business is ready to expand.

She added: “With the cost-of-living crisis at the moment, we want to support our local community.”