In February 2018, U.S.-based Travel Leaders Group announced the acquisition of The Barrhead Travel Group (“Barrhead Travel”), one of Scotland’s largest retail travel companies, following regulatory approvals.

Duff & Phelps was engaged by Certares-owned Travel Leaders Group to provide corporate finance advice on the acquisition of Barrhead Travel. Our travel M&A team has worked with Certares and Travel Leaders Group for a number of years. Duff & Phelps provided buy-side advice, European industry insights and on the ground support in the UK to guide them through the process.

Ninan Chacko, CEO, Travel Leaders Group, commented: “Thank you to the Duff & Phelps M&A team for their advice and assistance on this transaction. Their local presence and sector knowledge in the UK travel market was very important in getting this transaction completed.”

Henry Wells, managing director at Duff & Phelps, commented: “Travel Leaders Group is a high growth business with a strong global vision. As it further expands into Europe, Barrhead Travel is a great addition to the Travel Leaders Group family and will flourish as part of the family of brands. We are delighted to have been able to advise the Travel Leaders Group team in relation to this transaction.”

About Barrhead Travel
Since it was founded in 1975, Barrhead Travel has expanded from a traditional ‘bucket and spade’ travel agent to a multi-faceted travel group chartering its own flights, offering bespoke holidays to all corners of the globe, running an in-house training facility, employing specialist consultants providing expert advice in areas such as long haul, cruise and ski holidays, and promoting youth employment through its apprenticeship scheme.

The company has won many awards over the years, including Top UK Travel Agency and Best Travel Agency in Scotland for 17 years running by Travel Weekly UK. Barrhead Travel has been recognized as one of the “Best Companies to Work For” for the last five years by the UK’s Sunday Times.

About Travel Leaders Group
Travel Leaders Group is transforming travel with a commitment to vacation and business travel clients through its progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. Having already assisted millions of travelers, Travel Leaders Group manages leisure, business and franchise travel operations under a variety of diversified divisions and brands, including All Aboard Travel, ALTOUR, Andrew Harper Travel, Colletts Travel, CruCon Cruise Outlet, Cruise Specialists, Nexion, Protravel International, SinglesCruise.com, Travel Leaders Corporate, Travel Leaders Network and Tzell Travel Group. With over 7,000 agency locations, Travel Leaders Group ranks as one of the industry’s largest traditional travel agency companies.