A travel agency promising the glamour of Hollywood is to bring 50 new jobs to Basildon.

In a joint venture by three companies including holiday operator First Choice, a giant Holiday Hypermarket is being built in the Fodderwick development in the centre of Basildon, with themed areas taking customers on a journey to different parts of the world.

The new Basildon store, costing around £1 million, will be one of 26 planned nationwide and is due to open in December.

John Donnelly, managing director of Holiday Hypermarkets who dreamt up the concept, said: "It is good news for each of these areas as we will be recruiting heavily, looking for the right experienced staff.

"When anyone walks into a Holiday Hypermarket they are literally gob-smacked.

"Our concept is go on holiday to book a holiday."

A spokesman for the company said the theme idea came when Mr Donnelly, a former Aston Villa footballer, was queuing in an Indian take-away to order a curry in his native Birmingham when he saw a themed shop with juke boxes and other memorabilia next door.

He went back the next day and bought up the stock, installing it in his travel agency in Walsall.

The idea was such a hit with customers it has now taken off on a national level, with various different themes in each store.

The spokesman said the themes have not yet been chosen for Basildon but could involve anything from the Pyramids, the Bates Motel from the film Psycho, through to the streets scenes of Europe.

He said: "We are determined to make booking a holiday more fun. It's not just pictures on the wall, it's 3-D, with a different display in each store."

He said the company would be looking for local people with travel experience, from store managers to sales managers and shop sales staff, and will begin recruiting soon.

Anyone who is interested should call 0800 389 5048 to find out more.

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