In his first trade interview since joining the business on 1 April, Simon Garrido hailed the strength of Travelopia’s existing trade partnerships, but stressed there were “definitely new partners out there” with whom the business’s four trade-facing brands – Citalia, Hayes & Jarvis, Austravel and Sovereign – could work with more closely.
“I’m really excited by the fairly blank piece of paper in front of me,” he said.
“It’s clear the team have done a lot of good work over the last few years. Part of my role will be taking what we’re doing with our partners to the next level.
"There is fantastic skill and expertise here, people who have travelled widely and extensively. We now need to showcase what we’re doing and the knowledge we have.
“Travelopia has a number of fantastic tailor-made brands, with great longevity, that I will be working with. That was one of the things that attracted me to the role.
"These brands are well run and well-established among the trade so a key focus for me will be making sure they remain front of mind with our partners.”