BERMUDA'S newest travel agent, C Travel, is to move into two-storey offices in the Bermudiana Arcade, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

The company hopes to move into the site currently occupied by Pirates Port in Queen Street, Hamilton, by April this year.

C Travel was set up last year by veteran travel agent Carl Paiva as an employee-owned business and opened its doors at the end of November in a temporary location in Church Street.

So far the business has raised $2 million and bought the building in the arcade. But Mr. Paiva has been keeping his cards close to his chest until the deal was signed and sealed.

"I do not have the words to express how excited I am,'' said Mr. Paiva yesterday.

He said: "We are hoping to be in by April 1 this year. There is a lovely signature stair case and we will redesign the interior.'' Yesterday the company posted a legal notice stating it was moving into the mezzanine and first floor of the Queen Street building.

They will have 6,209 square feet and will be substantially remodelling the inside to fit their new corporate image.

The clothes store Pirates Port is believed to be moving to several different locations in Hamilton.

"The Queen Street office is the perfect location for a travel agent. We looked at several others, but this was the one we wanted,'' said Mr. Paiva.

C Travel is currently running in a temporary office in the Imperial Building on Church Street.

The company is 84 percent owned by its employees who had the opportunity to buy shares in the business for $15 a piece. There were originally 150,000 shares (worth a potential $2.25 million), but now there are just a few left for corporate deals.

Mr. Paiva said earlier this year buying the building with the investment money made sense for both the business and its stockholders.

New travel agent set to move He said: "We are 84 percent owned by the staff. We have had some very heavy investments from the staff, and with some of the capital we have purchased the building.'' He added: "It is in a perfect location for a travel agency. There is a lot of parking and it will be easy to find and come in. The building also gives the company something tangible as an asset. The building and business are one.'' Mr. Paiva is well-known for his work in the travel industry. He has spent almost 30 years in the travel industry and helped build Meyer Travel, becoming executive vice-president of the company before his resignation on August 15, 2000.

Many of his staff are ex-Meyer travel staff and he has even managed to entice former co-owner of Global Travel, Sue Ingham, to come on board.

The company has gone from having ten full-time employees to 14 with five or six others operating on commission.