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Barrhead Travel reports Bumper Start to Holiday Season
Added: (Mon Aug 11 2008)
Barrhead Travel, Scotland’s largest independent travel agent reports bumper start to the New Year!
The high street slow down has had no effect at Barrhead Travel with the company reporting its busiest Saturday ever last week. Despite the credit crunch with many holiday travel companies reporting sluggish sales Barrhead Travel’s forward bookings are at their highest ever at over 20% up on last year.
Managing Director Sharon Munro is delighted with the sales so far this year and even more confident about the future ‘ We have been able to offer our customers up to 50% discounts by bulk buying holidays and we also use our own technology which cuts out the tour operator and drives down holiday prices. That Barrhead Travel is 20% up is due to difficult times and the public recognising the value Barrhead Travel provides to Scottish holiday makers. When things are tough people put trust in reliable brands ’
She continues ‘Besides the traditional Mediterranean holiday destinations we have seen huge growth in longhaul and cruising and today we are also launching our new Canadian holiday brochure. However the main worry we have is that the number of holidays for sale from Scotland from the main holiday companies has been greatly reduced and there will be a shortage this year, so my message is book early to avoid disappointment’
Sharon confidence in the future is reinforced by the decision to open shops across Scotland and filling in the gaps in their portfolio and to invest heavily in the web. Barrhead Travel recently opened a new shop in St James Centre in Edinburgh following recent openings in Dundee and Stirling and 2008 will see new shops in Silverburn, Dunfermline and East Kilbride making a total on 12 shops. The company has recently relaunched its web site www.barrheadtravel.co.uk and is reporting a 40% increase in traffic as customers clamber to snap up the early season bargains. Barrhead Travel also run a homeworking team in Scotland and Ireland which will be expanded in 2008. ‘We now employ over 400 staff and are looking to recruit an additional 50, which is all good for the Scottish economy’