WHEN Liskeard-local Karen Thornton opened the doors to her independent travel agency in early February 2020, she was brimming with optimism.

Years of wanderlust and meticulous planning had finally culminated in her dream of helping others explore the world.

She had spent months curating unique itineraries, forging partnerships, and identified a whole host of ideas that radiated adventure.

But weeks later, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, the former Liskeard-based travel agent watched her fledgling business teeter on the edge of collapse. Borders slammed shut, planes were grounded, and the travel industry was plunged into chaos.

While others might have packed up and walked away, Karen - inspired by the memory of her late father, Malcolm - refused to let go of her vision.

Armed with determination, creativity, plus a knack for adapting under pressure, she pivoted her business model, transforming her agency into a trusted haven for dreamers waiting for the world to reopen.

Now, just a few years later, what began as a risky endeavour has grown into a million-pound success story, redefining what it means to thrive in the face of adversity.

Turning turbulence into triumph, Karen recently took to the stage at the Manchester Convention Centre to talk about her incredible journey in front of more than 2,000 of her colleagues at the Travel Counsellors global conference.

Sat alongside Dragons Den star, Sara Davies MBE, Karen outlined her rise from working as a fresh-faced travel rep at Exchange Travel in Liskeard’s Pike Street in 1991 to that of now running her own independent business, generating an annual turnover of £1.25-million a year.

“It was just after my dad had passed away that I decided I was going to set up my own business,” she explained. “He had left me some inheritance and I used that to help set myself up. Within weeks, though, disaster struck as COVID shut everything down and we were all forced into lockdown.

“It was a complete disaster, a nightmare, which went on for the next 18 months. It was incredibly tough, but I knew I had to dig in and do my best to get through it all. As time went on, so things started to change, things began to open up around the world and now, here we are four years later, and my business is thriving.”

As a Gold Travel Counsellor, the mother of two daughters, creates bespoke travel packages for clients, allowing them to travel anywhere in the world with the minimum amount of fuss.

“It was whilst I was at Liskeard Community College, I took part in work experience at a local travel agency (Exchange Travel) and as a result of this I was offered my first travel job, aged 16.

“Now I find myself over 30 years later and I still have the same passion and excitement as I did on my first day. The industry has changed dramatically throughout my career, but I still love it just the same, I can’t imagine doing anything else!”