Scottish travel agent ‘excited’ by expansion plans

Barrhead Travel has revealed plans to expand in Northern Ireland.

The travel agency said the move would create at least five new jobs.

Glasgow-based Barrhead Travel first opened in Northern Ireland in 2017, with a flagship store in Victoria Square Shopping Centre. In 2022, it expanded its operations by launching a remote team of Northern Irish travel agents.

The travel agency says it intends to firstly recruit its new team for the expansion and then “work with them to identify the right high street location to open”.

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It declared: “Five full-time positions will be initially created.” Last year, Barrhead Travel reported its best-ever year for sales “as people returned to reputable high street travel agents in search of advice, financial protection, and value for money”.

Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel, said: “We’re so excited to be expanding in Northern Ireland, a place that’s been a fantastic home for us since 2017. We see great opportunities for an agent like Barrhead Travel to grow the high street market here. The communities we operate in have been incredibly supportive. We know there’s growing demand for genuine travel experts, as well as continuous demand for holidays in general.

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“Barrhead Travel is a people-first business – which is why it is important for us to identify the right people for our next location. Ultimately, it’s the local people who know the market better than anyone else, and we’ll therefore be recruiting first and then working with the team to secure the perfect unit on the right high street.”

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Ms Dobson added: ““We’re looking for people who are extremely passionate about travel and customer service, but who also love working with their local communities.

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“As well as investing in bricks and mortar here in Northern Ireland, we’ll continue to invest in local talent through our…training and development programmes. Barrhead Travel’s recruitment drive in Northern Ireland will create an initial five full-time positions.”

She noted the new store would bring the group’s retail footprint to 90 locations in the UK.