Fresh horizons: two of the best-known names in travel in Northern Ireland, Sandra Corkin from Oasis Travel and Doreen McKenzie from Knock Travel, announce a combination of strengths.  

Oasis Travel, one of Northern Ireland’s longest established and most successful independent travel agencies, has acquired Knock Travel for an undisclosed fee. 

The merger which will take place from Tuesday 30th May 2017 creates an expanded agency network stretching across six prime locations in the Greater Belfast, North Down and Lisburn areas. The combined businesses will trade as Oasis Travel.

Commenting on the acquisition of the high profile Knock Travel, Sandra Corkin, Managing Director and proprietor of Oasis Travel, said, “Oasis Travel and Knock Travel have long been recognised as two of the strongest independent names on the local travel scene, each with a proven track record spanning three decades.  We each have a similar business ethos with firm focus on exemplary service and a commitment to providing worldwide leisure and business travel for the local marketplace.  Together, we have an opportunity to re-energise travel in Northern Ireland, offering market-leading technology and award-winning service through our superbly appointed Oasis Travel & Cruise Centres.

“We are delighted to be bringing on board the highly respected team from Knock Travel, led by Doreen McKenzie whose expertise and professionalism are, quite simply, unsurpassed in this marketplace.  Combining running a highly successful business with her role as Northern Ireland spokesperson for ABTA/The Travel Association, she has long been lauded as the local ‘face of travel’.  Her involvement in the expanded Oasis Travel will be of huge importance as we shape the business for the future.”

Announcing the deal, Doreen McKenzie said, “Both businesses have enjoyed three decades of sustained success in a famously dynamic and demanding business sector, winning a plethora of awards and earning the loyalty of a huge customer base.  Combining our talents, resources and vision for the future allows us to build still further on those successful foundations and we are confident that there is an even more impressive future ahead for the expanded Oasis Travel.

“Our capacity to blend technology and innovation with professionalism and expertise will continue to give us industry standout while our increased presence on the High Street will keep us front of mind with customers.  Our merger will also give us enhanced buying power and the opportunity to bring new destinations and valuable opportunities to our customer base.”

Existing customers of both businesses will experience no change to their service levels or their key contacts as the two operations integrate.