TRAVEL is a very personal matter. One adventurer's taste for llama trekking in Patagonia would not suit the avid round-the-world cruiser, or the sun worshipper, whose ideal holiday is to lay on the beach at Benidorm.

Catering for different holiday demands is a vital element of a travel agent's craft and one that only an independent business, such as the Avista Travel Group, can truly deliver.

The newly-created enterprise embraces Clitheroe Travel, based in the main street of the Ribble Valley market town and Avista Travel, which opened in Barrowford at the start of the year.

And its ethos is service -- offering a complete choice of product range so every customer enjoys the exact holiday he or she wants, backed by value for money.

The man behind the venture is Tony Quinn, who worked in a number of senior sales and development roles with a high street travel agency for 22 years, before deciding the climate was right to set up his own business.

He opened Avista Travel in Barrowford in February and only weeks later acquired the existing Clitheroe Travel business, which has been trading for more than 45 years.

As the oldest established agency in the area, it has a substantial basis of long term customers and an enviable reputation for service, which Tony and his team intend to follow.

Both outlets boast a trained staff of professionals, whose combined 100 years of experience in the business is complemented by their own passion for travel.

They are also armed with state-of-the-art technology, which can provide the holidaymaker with the latest and best-priced travel arrangements in an instant, sourcing holidays from any one of the vast array of operators.

The principles behind Avista Travel Group are choice, knowledge, expertise and value for money, which, of course, can mean different things to different people.

The two branches both take considerable pride in delivering what the customer requires -- firstly understanding their wants and then getting down to successfully complete all the details.

Said Tony: "I believe that good, professional, independent travel agents have got a great future ahead of them. They offer a flexible service, able to focus on what is important to customers and be more responsive to their changing needs.

"I think there is an emerging requirement from clients where the level of service, based on knowledge and expertise is rising all the time and the complexities of those requirements need experienced and knowledgeable travel professionals to fulfil them."

Another requisite among customers is to book holidays at their own convenience and to this end both Avista and Clitheroe Travel offer private appointments as another dimension to their highly personal service.

Tony firmly believes that booking should be part of the holiday experience and that customers are right to expect pleasant surroundings in which to make their choices.

Avista Travel in Barrowford is, thus, unlike other travel agents, radiating a relaxed feel, thanks to the use of Mediterranean colours and black leather sofas and having lots of coffee on hand.

Clitheroe Travel operates from a much older building, but will be furnished in a similar way in a refit, planned for later in the year.

Added Tony: "You have to create a package, an appealing environment and then the skills, professionalism and knowledge to add to the process of helping customers choose the right holiday.

"Our business is not just about bricks and mortar, but also about developing a series of tools that are available to the customer that makes it easier for them to deal with us, whichever and whenever they choose -- over the phone, via our website, or face to face."