Barrhead Travel, Scotland’s leading travel group, has been named the Best Leisure Agent by the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA).
At the SPAA’s Annual Awards on Thursday 9th December, over 300 travel industry leaders gathered to celebrate the achievements of colleagues during the most tumultuous year for travel businesses.
Barrhead Travel, who now have over 85 outlets across the UK, was recognised for its tremendous dedication to clients, colleagues and travel suppliers during the Covid-19 crisis. The Glasgow-based travel group was also nominated for “Covid Crisis Champion” – an award that acknowledged those who had gone over and above to support the wider Scottish travel industry over the past two years.
Jacqueline Dobson, President of Barrhead Travel, said the recognition reflected her team’s “unwavering” commitment:
“Winning awards is always an incredible morale-booster for our teams but, particularly after everything the industry has been through during Covid-19, this recognition is all the more special.
“I have so much gratitude and respect for my entire team who have worked tirelessly through extremely challenging times. Our people continue to make Barrhead Travel the success it is today.”
Dobson remarked that, despite changing travel guidance, confidence for 2022 was still stable but that more people were concerned about how they booked their next holiday:
“We always knew that further travel restrictions were possible, but travel is still front of mind for many. Above all else, people value time together with loved ones and we’ve noticed more customers are telling us that they’re buying holidays or travel vouchers as gifts this Christmas. As 2022 progresses, we expect that confidence will continue to stabilise and pent-
up demand will quickly release.
“The most important thing for travellers is that they can book with someone they trust. Holidaymakers are now 30%* more likely to book with a reputable travel agent to seek expert advice and financial protection – with an even higher increase for those aged 18-24. We are seeing this trend play out across our retail network as we welcome new customers into our stores.
“Booking a holiday should be exciting – and our experts have the knowledge to take care of all the details so our customers can focus on looking forward to their getaway.”
*ABTA Travel Trends Report, November 2021