Peterborough online tour operator Sunny Heart Travel is set to open in store

An online tour operator created in Peterborough will open its first physical store tomorrow.

Chief executive Steve Bentzen said he hoped it would be the first of a number of stores for the business which has sprung up during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said: “We’re really excited to open in Beales.”

It follows a recruitment campaign involving four employees.

The new store will open tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Sunny Heart Travel was set up 22 months ago by Managing Director Steve Bentzen, former Thomas Cook IT Program Manager, with former Thomas Cook IT Project Manager Jemma Sharman serving as Chief Information Officer.

Mr Bentzen said: “We are very excited about the next phase of our development, our plans have been slowed by the Covid-19 pandemic, but we have always kept the vision and we are so happy that it is now become a reality.

“The first place is Peterborough, where our journey began.

“E-commerce has gotten us through the pandemic, but for me, online is a bit like a band that’s not playing live.”

Tony Brown, Managing Director of Beales, said, “We are delighted to be working with Sunny Heart Travel.

“This is an innovative and forward-looking travel company and being a local company makes it even more exciting to work with Sunny Heart Travel.”