Youth travel agency KILROY launched its first UK store in Bristol this weekend – opening its doors for the first time on Saturday 16th September with a well-attended launch party. KILROY celebrated the Bristol store opening at 43 Queens Road in Clifton with a jam-packed day of inspiring travel talks, prize giveaways and entertainment to attract the area’s vibrant population of students and young travellers.
Established in Denmark in 1991, and now the largest youth and student travel agency in the Nordic region, KILROY announced its launch in the UK earlier this year, which was spurred by the country’s burgeoning youth travel scene.
Niclas Lundquist, UK Commercial Director at KILROY said: “Bristol was the top choice for KILROY’s first UK store opening thanks to its young, vibrant student population and proximity to universities. The property at 43 Queens Road couldn’t be more fitting for a student and youth travel brand, having previously housed STA Travel. We’re incredibly excited to help fill the gap for tailored youth travel in the Bristol area and look forward to meeting the city’s dynamic young travellers.”
From the start of Saturday’s launch event at midday to its closing at 5pm, KILROY gave away five incredible trips every hour, including a round-the-world adventure visiting three continents with stops in Thailand, Singapore, Australia and the USA. KILROY’s local team of travel experts presented talks on Thailand, Peru, surfing in Costa Rica and working holidays in Australia.
Jacob Strømfeldt, Sales Director for KILROY, travelled from Copenhagen to be part of the launch and said: “Bristol is the perfect location for our first UK store and marks the first step in our plans to be the go-to youth and student travel brand in the country. All of us at KILROY were excited to see such a great reception to the opening event and how our local team is bringing the brand to life in the UK.”
The Bristol store opens with a team of four travel advisors to help plan and design dream adventures for students and young travellers, with that number expected to grow over the coming months.
Lundquist added: “Our expansion into the UK market is a long-term investment for KILROY. We are committed to serving the market and will do so from Bristol to begin with. We are continuously evaluating new opportunities beyond Bristol to achieve a nationwide reach through a combination of physical stores and online presence.”
More than 170 people attended the event on Saturday and five lucky locals were thrilled to win the chance to explore the world with KILROY. There was also food and drinks, music from local DJ Bad n Boothe, free travel-themed tattoos, and a live illustration by local artist Ruby Taylor who has worked with international brands including Gordon’s Gin and Schwarzkopf.
