“Our incredible advisors have thrived despite a tremendous amount of change over the past two years, and this is my way of saying thank you,” said J.D. O’Hara, CEO of Internova Travel Group. “In a time of great disruption, our advisors demonstrated the importance of a human connection, providing the personal service that no online booking tool could ever match. Our advisors have prepared us for what I believe will be the best year that travel has ever seen, and I am grateful to them and remain committed to supporting their work.”

Global Travel Advisor Day is the perfect time to honor these experienced professionals across the country and around the world. They prove their value to their clients every day. Travel advisors are passionate about their craft, with firsthand knowledge of destinations at home and abroad. They have the expertise that comes from ongoing education and years of working with clients to plan a variety of travel. And, most importantly, the peace of mind that their experience provides is priceless.

Travel advisors are committed to the success of supplier partners as well. Airlines, cruise lines, hotels and resorts, among others, continue to face many challenges, but travel advisors are available to provide their expertise so suppliers can focus on providing the best travel experiences for their customers. The strong relationships that travel advisors have with suppliers also give them an advantage when it comes to obtaining the best value for their clients.

“All of us at Internova are united in one common belief: humans do it better,” continued O’Hara. “When it comes to travel, booking sites are programmed to do only one thing: sell. Our company fundamentally believes in a human’s superior ability to plan, book and manage travel. That’s why today, and every day, we celebrate how humans are the way we connect the world to the joy of travel.”

About Internova Travel Group

Internova Travel Group is one of the largest travel services companies in the world with a collection of leading brands delivering high-touch, personal travel expertise to leisure and corporate clients. Internova manages leisure, business and franchise firms through a portfolio of four distinctive divisions:

Global Travel Collection (GTC) includes the well-established networks of Protravel International, Tzell Travel Group, and Colletts Travel, as well as Andrew Harper, In the Know Experiences, All Star Travel Group and R. Crusoe & Son.

Internova’s corporate travel division, led by ALTOUR and Travel Leaders Corporate, includes CTS (Corporate Travel Services) in Mexico, YES (Your Event Solutions) in the U.K., and an international network that allows it to service its clients in over 80 countries around the world.

Leading travel consortium Travel Leaders Network sits at the center of Travel Leaders Group. Barrhead Travel, CruCon Cruise Outlet, Cruise Specialists, Nexion Travel Group and Roadtrips are also part of Travel Leaders Group.

Bonotel Exclusive Travel is a hotel wholesaling business focused exclusively on the leisure hotel segment.

Editor’s Note: Here is the full text from the Internova Travel Group ad in The New York Times:

Where to from here?

The travel industry is a business of change. Always has been, really. Since humans began putting one foot in front of the other, we’ve seen unbelievable new destinations. Planes that can get you there faster than ever thought possible. Ships resembling entire cities traversing the globe.

And while overall our industry has changed for the better, we’ve endured a tremendous amount of difficult change as well—with most in recent memory. Constantly changing rules and restrictions. Changes to schedules, itineraries, and stock prices. Not to mention an exhausting race to the bottom with a customer experience to match.

But there’s one thing I believe will never change: the importance of personal connection. The past two years have exposed the flaws of a system designed only to sell, not to care. How many were left stranded when that system failed? It’s been made quite apparent that in times of turbulence, we don’t turn to robots and computers, but to humans. Travel is a deeply human experience, and it’s at its best when it starts with the wealth of firsthand knowledge and connections that only humans can have. The relationships, advice, and ingenuity of a travel advisor fundamentally change how you travel—and how travel changes you. It’s a superior experience that a machine will never replicate.

That’s why we’ve staked our entire company’s future on our people. More than 70,000 travel advisors around the globe to whom I owe my most sincere gratitude. Today marks Global Travel Advisor Day, but it deserves to be said year-round. I want to personally thank every one of our incredible advisors who have thrived through times of exceptional change—and prepared us for what I believe will be the best year travel has seen.

Through everything, we can all agree that the most important change isn’t within our industry—it’s in the lives of the travelers we help see the world.

Go human.

J.D. O’Hara

Chief Executive Officer

Internova Travel Group