Barrhead Travel will launch its new branding in December, just in time for Peaks.
The agency group announced a year ago it was planning to rebrand.
It has been working with marketing agency Designate for the past year and has spoken to more than 180 staff and suppliers about ideas for the new branding, delegates at this year’s conference, currently taking place in Dubrovnik, heard.
Head of E-commerce and Marketing Paul Whitters said: “We are really excited for everybody to see it [the new branding] in December. It’s been a long time in the making, but it’s a pivotal project that will drive our growth in the market.”
Managing Director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell said research showed the branded needed to show ‘unity, clarity, flexibility and emotional cut through’.
Nicki also announced Barrhead will launch a customer app in early 2026, which will enable clients to download their documents and itinerary information, and staff to send push notifications to customers.
She said: “We are introducing our very own Barrhead Travel App – our customers tell us they want everything in one handy place to have on their devices.
“We must look to the future generation of customers, where technology is the baseline expectation, and having an app will certainly open doors for us when it comes to new client acquisitions for branches, call centres and homeworkers.”
Nicki said Barrhead is on track to achieve a third consecutive record-breaking year.
She said sales for 2026 are already 16% up compared to the same time last year.
US sales are up 12%, which Nicki said is ‘an excellent performance considering the turbulent political background’, while touring and adventure sales are up 28%, which Nicki said has been driven by customers looking for ‘authentic experiences’.
Cruise sales are up 12%, with luxury and river sectors up 23% and 41%, respectively.
“We have an excellent cruise product with enhanced training and getting people on ships” added Nicki. “The growth isn’t accidental – we’ve been assertive about what we wanted to do to grow these particular areas – seeking more exclusive product, delivering enhanced training and getting our people on the ship to help boost their knowledge.”
Land-based beach holidays remain ‘significant’ part of the business, with sales up 6%, mainly driving by Spain and Turkiye, although sales are also up for Croatia, Italy, Greece and Cyprus.
Next year’s conference is due to be held 1-5 October 2026 at the Grand Hotel Dino in Lake Maggiore.
