Luxury travel stalwart, Roy Collett, is celebrating his golden anniversary in the industry this month.

His business, Colletts Travel, specialises in luxury and corporate travel, and has been trading under Global Travel Collection UK, a division of Internova Travel Group, since its sale to the group in 2017. Collett has remained in the business as Brand Ambassador.

Over the course of three decades and under the leadership of Roy Collett, Colletts Travel became one of the most respected brands in the industry and is synonymous with exclusive travel experiences.

Roy Collett’s first foray in travel was as a junior office assistant with Peltours where duties included hand delivering client tickets. From there, he trained with IATA and expanded into business travel.

Colletts Travel launched in Hendon, London in 1983 when Collett decided to put his industry knowledge into practice and launch a retail agency to rival the service of its competitors. Collett independently ran the business until 2000 when he brought colleague and friend, Michael Berlin onboard as a partner.

Three decades on, Colletts Travel is an iconic London travel brand spanning luxury leisure and corporate travel, serviced by a team of highly experienced employees and a growing network of Independent Contractors (ICs) which expanded during the pandemic.

Last year, Collett fulfilled a personal ambition of launching a bespoke B2B tour operating division. Colletts Collection, originally a B2C operation which supported Colletts Travel clients, curates itineraries that incorporate the world’s most sought-after experiences, destinations and hotels. The tour operator now services Internova Travel Group businesses with plans to extend its specialist product to other agencies in the future.

“After five decades in travel, experiencing numerous changes and challenges, there’s still no other industry I’d rather be in,” said Collett.

“Travel has been my life, and I’ve been fortunate to have such a wonderful family supporting me along the way. Some of my children even caught the travel bug; my daughter, Jodie, works for an Indian Ocean DMC and Alex, my stepson, has made his own way as an IC, trading as Seven Icons under the Colletts Travel division.

“I started Colletts Travel with the intention of disrupting the luxury market – placing a value on service like no other agency could offer at the time. Looking at how we’ve far we’ve come over the years, I’d say we’re still finding ways to disrupt, evolve and innovate.”

Jason Oshiokpekhai, Managing Director of Global Travel Collection, said:

“You simply can’t recreate the type of knowledge, expertise and passion that comes from a 50-year career like Roy’s.

“His ongoing contribution to Colletts Travel and the wider industry through offering mentorship and sound advice brings tremendous value to Global Travel Collection and our clients. We’re very proud to have him as part of our family and to be celebrating his achievements together.”

Earlier this month, Global Travel Collection celebrated Roy Collett’s career at an exclusive event held at The Dorchester, London.  He was joined by Internova Travel Group leaders, including Chairman Mike Batt, CFO Rob Klug, and Global Travel Collection President, Angie Licea, alongside valued travel partners, colleagues and friends.

ENDS

About Global Travel Collection

Global Travel Collection (GTC), a division of Internova Travel Group, is the world’s largest collection of international luxury travel agencies, including 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. GTC advisors and agencies are industry leaders in providing premium travel services to leisure travellers, corporate executives and the entertainment industry. The combined global reach and leverage translates into value, recognition, and preferential treatment for its world travellers.

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 distinctive divisions. Internova represents more than 70,000 travel advisors in over 6,000 company-owned and affiliated locations predominantly in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with a presence in more than 80 countries.