Following the death of Barrhead founder Bill Munro, daughter Sharon recalls his contribution to the industry
I wasn’t even a toddler when dad made the move from banking to Barrhead Travel. So, for my big sister, Wendy, and I, the travel industry was one of the biggest influences during our childhood.
Despite being a huge change in industry, he loved travel from the moment he opened the shop in 1975. He never stopped loving travel for the duration of his career and beyond – and it gave him so many friendships over the years. The impact he has had on the travel industry is profound, and reading the messages from former colleagues and acquaintances over the last week has really underlined the scale of what he achieved.
I was one of the shop’s youngest recruits – with dad starting me off at just 11 years old. I’d spend summers and weekends with friends going house-to-house delivering flyers with the best holiday deals. He must have saved a fortune on mail drops!
I always loved how fast-paced it was – and I started an official part-time role in my early teens before eventually leaving school and joining the business full-time. I can’t lie – dad worked me really hard and he set the expectations high. He was always clear that a management position wasn’t guaranteed – I had to earn it.
He completely transformed the landscape for what it meant to be a travel agent
He taught me so much about work ethic and teamwork. I spent time working in literally every single department and working my way up. He pushed me out of my comfort zone – and encouraged me to always embrace change. But, while we worked hard – we played hard. Anyone that’s worked at Barrhead Travel over the years will remember how we liked to throw a good party – whether that was to celebrate business success or just to celebrate each other.
One thing that really characterised my dad, was that he never sat still. He was determined to stay ahead of the curve: he read books all the time, educated himself on new trends and emerging technologies, subscribed to newsletters from experts outside the industry, and was passionate about always moving the business to the next level.
From setting up a dedicated groups department that specialised in travel for country dance troops to being the one of the first travel agents to successfully charter our own flights, he completely transformed the landscape for what it meant to be a travel agent.
Once he spotted an opportunity to do something differently, there was no stopping him. He didn’t believe in being pigeonholed to what the typical travel agency business model should look like, and I believe his brave decision-making helped inspire the next generation of travel agents.
When social media began to really take off for marketing, he decided to make it his mission to become a social media guru. I remember him, a seventy-something year old at the time – asking a bemused marketing assistant to set him up on Snapchat so that he could start working out how we could sell holidays via that platform. His mind was always focused on innovation and strategy – he wanted to research, understand and try everything for himself to make the best decisions for the business.
There are so many achievements that we’re proud of: from the numerous award wins, including his induction to the Travel Weekly Hall of Fame which I know was among the highlights of his career to going against the grain and embracing the internet in the 90s before anyone else. Becoming a Sunday Times Best Company to Work was also a pivotal moment for him – as it was a colleague-voted recognition. At this point, he felt he had truly begun to achieve what he set out to do – to run the best travel company in the UK that looked after its people.
An area he deserves special recognition for is what he did for youth employment – not just in travel, but particularly in Scotland. Dad saw young people as the future – and knew that formal qualifications weren’t necessary for success. While others prioritised degrees, he focused on those who were passionate and who would work hard. He really played a pivotal role in the transformation of travel apprenticeships and created thousands of opportunities for school leavers throughout the course of his career – many of whom progressed into senior positions within the business or industry.
Almost 50 years on, I see his legacy alive in the business today
He was very proud of his family, too. Wendy’s passions lay outside the office; she and dad loved spending time in the outdoors together, sharing many hobbies and pursuits.
Barrhead Travel was such a big part of our family and our family was a big part of the business, too. When Wendy’s children, my niece and nephew were born, their childhoods were also filled with memories of being in and out the office. Dad would set them tasks to make extra pocket money during the school holidays and they loved it.
It’s been almost six years since I stepped away from Barrhead Travel to start a new chapter in my life. But the business holds so many memories of my family and dad – it will always be part of our story.
I know he’s so proud of the people there, what they’ve achieved and how they continue to grow the business as one of the UK’s best-loved travel agents. Almost 50 years on, I see his legacy alive in the business today. He set out to keep travel agents relevant, to always give the customer the best experience, and to put his people first– and I know Barrhead Travel will continue to lead the way in these areas for many years to come.