Monday - Friday

9:00am - 5:00pm

Head Office: Hawkes Drive, Warwick, Wawickshire. CV32 6LX

Who we are

The Company

Zip Travel was originally formed by David Ruddall who was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham and a Senior Lecturer in Sociology of Education at Bayero University Kano Nigeria. Initially David would arrange travel as a sideline to his university work, but this rapidly expanded as word got around of his ability to understand the requirements of travellers’ needs. He was heavily involved in charity and voluntary organisations, especially VSO.

Due to the increasing workload due to recommendations David took on a helping hand, Terry Lovell and so Zip Travel was formed. Originally the company operated out of the back room of David’s home in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

After David’s death the organisation moved to Moseley (1991) and more staff were brought in to cope with demands as it continued to flourish.

In 1993 Zip Travel became ZIP AIR LIMITED T/A Zip Travel, led by Terry, Kay Massey and Bill Jackson. Zip continued to flourish as an independent business travel management company. In February 2014 Ian Dennis, a long time associate of Zip Travel and the team, took over as owner and MD of Zip Travel.

Under Ian’s watch Zip Travel continues to thrive as an independent Business Travel agency.

Ian says:

Ian has been in the travel business since 1980’s with over 20 years working in specialist sports event management, conferences, meetings and incentives travel. Ian has worked extensively in the UK and overseas. Initially very happy selling holidays to Florida and beyond in the late 1980’s for Carrick Travel and subsequent post at Hogg Robinson Ian moved into business travel in the early 90’s and then followed 10 years as travel implant manager to the UK Athletics gaining vast experience in arranging travel, transport and accommodation to major events hosted in the UK and overseas, including LOC representation on major sports events in the UK.

Ian formed Incentevents in 2004 with clients including professional sports teams and governing bodies, major sports events organisers, local authorities, corporate and media organisations, tour groups and travelling individuals. Some niche corporate travel clients (conferences and incentives generally) compliment the sport events work nicely. Ian specialises in sourcing, managing and delivering multiple grade bedstock for events, acting as buffer between the client and the accommodation providers in addition to delivering deliver complex transportation and travel plans for major events. Clients include Virgin Money London Marathon , Brighton Marathon, Windsor Running Festival, Hickstead, Longines.

In February 2014 Ian added to his travel portfolio with the ownership of established IATA business travel agency Zip Air Ltd T/A Zip Travel. Bill Jackson, after 19 years at the helm of Zip Travel, stepped down as MD in 2014 however Ian’s connections with Zip run deep. Bill was Ian’s boss in the dim and distant past in those business travel days in Birmingham in the 90’s and taught him all he knows!! During his tenure at Incentevents Ltd Ian has worked closely and consistently with Bill & Fiona at Zip.

Ian is married to wife Sharon and they have a son Jack. When not working Ian spends his time as a taxi service as his son is an aspiring swimmer, enjoying the Warwickshire countryside and doing exactly what he is told at home ..’

Julia has been a regular on Zip Travel’s equestrian tours since the 2008 Olympics. Maintaining strong ties with Zip over the past decade, Julia started leading the course walks for the groups at the championships, offering insight gleaned from her other life as an Advanced/3* event rider.

In 2018 it became official and Julia started working properly for Zip Travel! With a background in journalism, development and events, the step into expanding the tours side of the business was instantly appealing.

Horses have always been Julia’s greatest love and, much to the dismay of her parents, she currently has seven at home  (although apparently three don’t count as allegedly they belong to the whole family!). The four others range from her young superstar Shannondale Sonoma, currently competing at Intermediate level, to his baby brother, Finn, who at four years old, has just started learning the eventing ropes. Aside from horses, Julia enjoys skiing, theatre, moonlighting in her other job working events at the Ashmolean Museum and retrieving shoes from the jaws of her labrador puppy, Ruby.