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Barrhead parent praises agents in New York Times advert

The parent company of Barrhead Travel has taken out a full-page advert in the New York Times to pay tribute to the role of travel agents.

Internova Travel Group took out the ad on Wednesday to mark Global Travel Advisor Day.

It said the gesture was a reflection of its “unwavering commitment to human capital”.

In addition to Barrhead Travel, other Internova brands include Global Travel Collection, ALTOUR and Your Event Solutions.

JD O’Hara, Internova chief executive, said: “Our incredible advisors have thrived despite a tremendous amount of change over the past two years, and this is my way of saying thank you.

“In a time of great disruption, our advisors demonstrated the importance of a human connection, providing the personal service that no online booking tool could ever match.

“Our advisors have prepared us for what I believe will be the best year that travel has ever seen, and I am grateful to them and remain committed to supporting their work.”

Here is the full text from the advert:

Where to from here?

The travel industry is a business of change. Always has been, really. Since humans began putting one foot in front of the other, we’ve seen unbelievable new destinations. Planes that can get you there faster than ever thought possible. Ships resembling entire cities traversing the globe.

And while overall our industry has changed for the better, we’ve endured a tremendous amount of difficult change as well—with most in recent memory. Constantly changing rules and restrictions. Changes to schedules, itineraries, and stock prices. Not to mention an exhausting race to the bottom with a customer experience to match.

But there’s one thing I believe will never change: the importance of personal connection. The past two years have exposed the flaws of a system designed only to sell, not to care. How many were left stranded when that system failed? It’s been made quite apparent that in times of turbulence, we don’t turn to robots and computers, but to humans. Travel is a deeply human experience, and it’s at its best when it starts with the wealth of firsthand knowledge and connections that only humans can have. The relationships, advice, and ingenuity of a travel advisor fundamentally change how you travel—and how travel changes you. It’s a superior experience that a machine will never replicate.

That’s why we’ve staked our entire company’s future on our people. More than 70,000 travel advisors around the globe to whom I owe my most sincere gratitude. Today marks Global Travel Advisor Day, but it deserves to be said year-round. I want to personally thank every one of our incredible advisors who have thrived through times of exceptional change—and prepared us for what I believe will be the best year travel has seen.

Through everything, we can all agree that the most important change isn’t within our industry—it’s in the lives of the travelers we help see the world.

Go human.

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