Bournemouth, Education | Posted on April 1st, 2026 | return to news

Local travel agency celebrates Bournemouth University alumni staff

A Bournemouth-based luxury travel agency is helping to nurture talent in the area through its history of hiring local university graduates.

A Bournemouth-based luxury travel agency is celebrating its strong roots in Bournemouth University.

As well as being founded by two Bournemouth University alumni, Blue Skies Lifestyle is powered by Bournemouth University talent, with a third of its current team being BU graduates from a range of disciplines, including business studies, tourism management and web design.

Blue Skies Lifestyle was founded in 2005 by Andy and Fran Castle. It is a family-run business specialising in high-end luxury ski chalet and summer villa rentals.

Two decades later, the company has grown into a multi-brand luxury travel group and employs 24 people across sales, product, marketing, IT, accounts and operations.

Today, Bournemouth University graduates play key roles throughout the business, from technical and marketing positions to product development and operations. Blue Skies Lifestyle continues to recruit locally and regularly supports BU students through placement years and graduate opportunities, helping to develop early careers within the travel sector.

Blue Skies Lifestyle staff member Steve Ollington (who also completed a course at Bournemouth University) said: “In an era where many graduates head straight for London, Blue Skies Lifestyle has spent 20 years building a global luxury travel group right here in Dorset.”

The company’s long-standing relationship with Bournemouth University reflects a shared commitment to practical learning, career development and nurturing local talent.

Blue Skies Lifestyle is always open to hearing from new graduates from various disciplines and providing them with an exciting start to their careers in the world of luxury travel. Aspiring students and graduates should visit the company’s Ski In Luxury careers page to find out more.