NEWS SPAA Awards 2019: More than 600 agents attend event at Doubletree by Hilton in Glasgow
Barrhead picks up agency award on return to SPAA
Benjamin Coren B
arrhead Travel scooped the large leisure agency honour at the first Scotish Passenger
Agents’ Association Awards since it returned to the trade association. Te largest independent agency
in Scotland rejoined the SPAA in August aſter a 15-year hiatus. Glen Travel, on the outskirts of
Glasgow, was named small leisure agency of the year. Moira Lumsden, a Miles Morgan Travel homeworker, won homeworker of the year. Clyde Travel Management and Jigsaw Travel won business agency
So many suppliers
have put so much effort into the Scottish market and we want to make sure they’re recognised
awards at the event, for which Travel Weekly was one of the sponsors. In the supplier categories,
Jet2holidays won the short-haul operator and best trade-friendly supplier awards. Its Jet2CityBreaks brand won European city break operator of the year and
Jet2.com won European airline of the year. Scotland-based operator If
Jacqueline Dobson (holding award) and the Barrhead Travel team pick up the award for large leisure agency of the year
Only snapped up the awards for luxury tour operator of the year and long-haul operator of the year. G Adventures won touring and adventure operator of the year and Ski Independence won ski company of the year. Tere was a clean sweep for
Royal Caribbean Cruises’ brands, with Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Azamara winning the awards for mainstream, premium, luxury and
specialist cruise companies of the year respectively. Scenic and Emerald Waterways won the river cruise gong. Stuba was named accommodation-
only supplier of the year, Beachcomber Hotels won hotel and resort operator of the year and Travel 2 won best flight consolidator of the year. SPAA president Ken McLeod
said: “So many new suppliers have put so much effort into the Scotish market and we want to make sure that they are recognised.”
I’ll be focusing on the high street, says incoming president Joanne Dooey
Joanne Dooey says her background in leisure travel will help her drive a focus on the high street at the SPAA when she takes on the role of president next month. Dooey, owner of three-branch agency
Love to Travel, has sat on the SPAA council for 14 years. She will take on the role from December 5
as incumbent Ken McLeod completes his two-year term. Dooey will be the first Scotish female president of the trade association, and its third female president. She said: “My background is very much
Joanne Dooey
20 14 NOVEMBER 2019
leisure travel, whereas the last few presidents have been more corporate and business travel. “I am a travel agent and my background is as a travel agent. I was on the counter when my
children were young as a part-timer, I was an assistant manager, a shop manager, a regional manager and I have worked through the ranks. “People are at the heart of everything we
do in travel. I’ll be focusing on the people and the high street. People thought the high street was dead; I know it isn’t and I wouldn’t have started my own business if I felt there wasn’t a need for a good agent on the high street. What’s happened recently with Hays Travel has proven that. “A good agent survives. [Not all] people
want to book online, they still want that expertise and security of a travel agent.” Dooey said she will also continue the
SPAA’s work campaigning for reduced APD and reforming the Atol process.
travelweekly.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
