CONFERENCE Barrhead Travel Group Conference 2023: Company hosts 250 agents and s
Barrhead Travel owners say ‘no cap’ on investment total
B
arrhead Travel’s parent company has said it will continue investing in the agency’s growth and
there is no ceiling on the funding it is willing to make available. Travel Leaders Group president
John Lovell told Travel Weekly at the company’s conference in Palma, Majorca, that investment will be provided whenever an opportunity is deemed worthwhile. He said: “Where it makes
sense to invest in new high street locations, we will.” Asked for figures, Lovell
said: “We really don’t have a set figure. It’s based on what the opportunity is.” Barrhead Travel president
Jacqueline Dobson had earlier told the conference that the retail network will be expanded in 2024. More than £2 million was
recently spent on three Barrhead More and more
people want to talk to a travel agent now than at any time in recent history
Travel sites, with the relocation of the Silverburn Shopping Centre unit in Glasgow described by Lovell as a “significant investment”. Lovell outlined the firm’s
approach to funding, saying that if it made sense to invest £1 million in an opportunity then that figure would be provided. “The investment does not come
down to a fixed amount because that would stifle growth,” said Lovell. “It really comes down to what that opportunity is.” On artificial intelligence (AI), Lovell said new technology should
be embraced and would ideally make jobs more efficient. He said such developments
would not lead to travel agents being replaced. Giving an example of an earlier
innovation whose arrival had been feared, Lovell said: “[Microsoft] Excel did not do away with financial people – it just helped them do their jobs.” He added: “I’m not afraid of
technology or the advancement of technology because ultimately I think humans want to talk to humans. The human element is what clients want from travel agents. “More and more people want
to talk to a travel agent now than at any time in recent history, so the indications are that human interaction is important and will continue to grow.” Travel Leaders Group is a
division of Internova Travel Group. Agency to open specialist US division in 2024 Leadership academy to
Barrhead Travel will open a specialist US division in 2024, the agency’s sales and marketing director revealed. Nicki Tempest-Mitchell told
the firm’s conference that the new team would build on growing momentum for the destination. She said: “Our incredible
partnerships with tourist boards, individual states, operators, hotel groups and cruise lines have helped us lay the crucial foundations for a successful launch.” The decision to open a US division
follows the success of the recently created touring and adventure
10 12 OCTOBER 2023
division, Tempest-Mitchell said. Bookings for that sector have risen by 102% this year compared with 2019. Further outlining the reasoning behind the US division, Tempest-Mitchell added: “Already we see main gateways such as Florida, New York and Las Vegas enter our list of top destinations time and time again. “We’ve already been recognised
Nicki
Tempest- Mitchell
for supporting tourism to the US, so now it’s time to build on that momentum and work to introduce even more UK holidaymakers to even more of the US.” Meanwhile, Canada bookings have grown 25% on last year.
Barrhead Travel is set to launch a ‘leadership academy’ to offer training to managers as well as anyone wishing to progress in its organisation. The new programmes are expected to
help the business deliver around 30,000 hours of training by the end of the year, up from around 16,500 hours last year. The Barrhead Travel Leadership
Academy, due to launch in November, will offer sessions in Glasgow and Northwich as well as online. Barrhead Travel president
Jacqueline Dobson said: “We have progression plans in place for every
John Lovell
Conference delegates in Palma
travelweekly.co.uk
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