SeaDream Yacht Club’s former UK and Ireland sales director has set up a travel agency specialising in yacht and cruise holidays.

Natalie Read launched Cotswolds Private Travel Company earlier this month and operates as a homeworker for Poole-based agency Select World Travel, trading under its Abta.

Read, who left SeaDream Yacht Club in November last year, said the agency would have a particular focus on private-hire yachts in the Mediterranean.

Select World Travel owner and managing director Hannah Vincent said: “We’ve been friends in the industry for a really long time, and I feel really quite proud that I’ve helped Natalie get this idea off the ground.”

Read added: “I can’t thank Hannah enough, she’s really helped me get things going.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do, so I’ve decided to go for it. It’s exciting and scary, but I’m loving it – we’ve done five bookings so far and that’s without any advertising.”

Select World Travel has also recently recruited three new social media ambassadors, who will be responsible for posting content across their social media platforms and helping to recruit new clients.

Vincent said social media could “give people inspiration” and described the new ambassadors as “people I know and trust that can represent Select World Travel in a good manner”.

Select World Travel was named Independent Luxury Retail Business of the Year at the Aspire Awards in 2023, and Independent High Street Agency of the Year in 2022.