Global Travel Collection announces ALTOUR Independent Advisor Integration

LONDON – Global Travel Collection hosted its second Summer Soirée on 19th June, 2024 at Hotel Café Royal. This highly anticipated event, part of Global Travel Collection’s Elevate Connections series, brought together valued supplier partners and independent travel advisors for an evening of networking and celebrations.

A pre-event business update provided a platform for company’s leadership to formally communicate important changes within the company to its partners. Notably, sister company ALTOUR’s independent travel advisors will be integrated into Global Travel Collection. This transition re-positions the company as the central home for all luxury independent travel advisors within Internova Travel Group.

Partners also heard insights on business performance, trends, strategic developments and future plans. They were shown how the changes would positively impact their collaboration with independent travel advisors across Global Travel Collection and open new opportunities for mutual growth.

“We are excited to unite the ALTOUR independent travel advisors under the Global Travel Collection umbrella, and this is a transformative step in the growth of the business,” said Francesca Mendola, Vice President, Global Travel Collection in the UK. “Although we know many of them already, we are excited to get to know their businesses better and learn how we can enhance their business and revenue opportunities. This event provided an informal way of coming together to celebrate our independent advisor community.”

“Our business model is the best home for these advisors, offering dedicated tools and support, as well as being able to help them diversify into other verticals, since we operate across business, leisure and entertainment travel.”

The Summer Soirée was organised by Abhishek Shankar, Senior Manager, Partner Relations & Marketing EMEA, Global Travel Collection, and Ellie Rayner, Growth Account Director, Your Event Solutions (YES). Bringing together over 90 independent travel advisors and more than 100 preferred partners from across the UK and internationally, the evening served as a timely opportunity for new advisors to network in a relaxed environment.

Following official introductions, the evening proceeded with unforgettable live music from the Brixton Chamber Orchestra, known for their vibrant and eclectic performances. The Lambeth-based charity consists of a mix of professional and volunteer musicians, showcasing young talent from diverse backgrounds.

“It is an honour to welcome the Brixton Chamber Orchestra to perform at our event. The charity is doing incredible work providing free musical experiences for communities in Lambeth, and we are proud to be supporting the growing arts and culture in South London,” added Mendola.

“Our Summer Soirée not only celebrated our collective successes but was a pivotal moment to for us to communicate the exciting changes happening within our organisation,” said Angie Licea, President, Global Travel Collection. “As of today, we proudly house all independent luxury advisors under the Global Travel Collection brand. This integration expands our global reach, enabling us to enhance service offerings for all travel clients.”

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.