'Our goal is to take everything off of the plate' of luxury travel advisors, says Internova boss

Internova’s journey has been one of rapid evolution since its inception in 2008, propelled by a series of strategic mergers and acquisitions, and the multi-brand business can now count 6,000 travel agency locations including more than 100,000 travel advisors in 80 countries. 

Global Travel Collection is its luxury division, with its UK office numbering around 200 in the team, including a network of travel advisors operating as ‘independent contractors’ – or ICs – under well-established brands such as Protravel International, Tzell Travel Group and Colletts Travel, which all became part of the business in recent years.  

Elsewhere, Global Travel Collection’s acquired brands include Andrew Harper, In the Know Experiences, All Star Travel Group and R. Crusoe & Son which among them number approximately 1,500 GTC advisors worldwide. 

But for now, Internova is pressing pause on the M&A button, given the uncertainty in the economic climate, according to CEO J.D. O’Hara.

“My original role was head of mergers and acquisitions,” he reminisces on a pre-ILTM London pitstop. “But the current interest rate environment presents challenges for acquisitions, and we’re primarily focusing on organic growth at the moment. It’s crucial to navigate these economic conditions wisely. Our size and strong relationships with supplier partners position us well to adapt and thrive in changing landscapes. However, we do remain open to strategic acquisitions if the right opportunity arises. If something amazing came along, we would try to fund it.” 

He maintains that Internova’s UK portfolio – which also includes Barrhead – is “an extremely important” part of the wider family, generating 10% of the company’s revenue. 

The London office of Global Travel Collection, under the leadership of Jason Oshiokpekhai and Francesca Mendola, also plays a vital role in shaping processes adopted globally, he adds.

“Jason has done such a good job historically on building out systems and processes which we then take and adopt more broadly across the company, kind of like a test bed if you like. I always say, ‘let’s be more like our friends in the UK’ when it comes to some of our operations.

“This ranges from improving systems so ICs can access their financials on a live basis – which is a tremendous tool for them and something we’ve rolled out across the entire company – to simply facilitating the ability to collect commissions easier: it was Jason who put together a nice process to collect advisor commissions on a more efficient basis.”

He says one of the main areas of exciting growth has been developed by Angie Licea, president of Global Travel Collection worldwide – the concept of Advisor Success Teams.

“Under this programme, we proactively help advisors grow their business and proactively help them solve their problems as they come up,” he explains. “Traditionally, these businesses – not just ours, but businesses in general – have been somewhat reactive in the marketplace and wait for a problem to happen before solving it. So, Angie has gotten ahead of that and she’s thinking of it as an account management process now between GTC and our advisors.

“We exist solely for our advisors,” he adds. “We do everything and anything to help them do their job, which is to service their client in a way that nobody else can. Our goal is to take everything off of their plate so that they can sell and service the client. I think we do a better job than anybody else in that regard.”

With that in mind, GTC’s advisors will soon also have access to Concierge, powered by TEN, a new offering with “exclusive lifestyle services and priority access to the best restaurants, hotels, shows and events around the globe”, which is set to launch in 2024.

In another new initiative, GTC advisors will also have access to a new value-added amenity offering under Curated Hotels & Resorts, which connects them to 400 hotels that are more lifestyle focused. 

Green bookings

One of the biggest – and more generally impactful – launches is Green Circle, a new sustainability initiative. In 2024, a portion of the sales proceeds when advisors book travel through any of Internova’s programmes, including Curated, will go toward supporting verified carbon sequestration programs around the world.

O’Hara says this proves how Internova’s commitment to sustainability is taking centre stage. “The Green Circle programme is an essential part of our commitment to environmental responsibility. With over 100,000 advisors across the Internova platform, the potential impact is substantial,” he says. “While it’s a new initiative, we anticipate meaningful contributions as more advisors align with this environmentally conscious approach. It’s not just about the economic aspect; it’s about fostering a sense of responsibility towards our planet.”

O’Hara acknowledges the impact of geopolitical events and the fluctuating economy as perpetual concerns, but adds it’s also important to continue to recognise opportunities as well. 

He identifies NDC as one of these, highlighting the need for rapid adaptation among advisors.

“It will create a bit of a challenge for our existing advisors as they get to grips with it, but it’s also an opportunity for new advisors entering the market as it simplifies things to a degree,” he states, given its easier user experience compared to GDS. 

With this in mind, Internova is working on its own system called SNAP, or Simple Navigational Air Programme. “It’s built on the backs of the GDS, but will be able to consume NDC content as well in a very easy way that we can communicate with our advisors. Today, we have a multitude of different ways that we book – through the GDS, over the phone, various different booking tools. It’s very difficult to communicate on a consistent basis – this will be a tool that helps on that.” 

He highlights how this will also help with the new Green Circle initiative. 

“This SNAP tool not only streamlines the booking process and acts as a means for us to communicate at the time of sale who we want to be supporting from a preferred partner perspective, it also serves as a platform to communicate the company’s eco-friendly initiatives to advisors, giving us the chance to flag Green Circle,” he says

He also emphasises how simple it will be to use. “The mantra is ‘if JD can make a booking, then anyone can make a booking’ and I was able to make a booking last week as we’re beta testing,” he jokes. “That will launch at the end of Q1 2024 and it’s something that’s exciting for me, and a big initiative for us. If we have a common booking tool across 100,000 travel advisors, we can deliver a lot more value for our supplier partners.”

O’Hara says he also sees a new golden era for travel advisors, with a growing number of young professionals entering the field. The ease of becoming a travel advisor, coupled with advancements like the upcoming booking tool SNAP signals a promising future, he believes.

He also says the mission to “demystify Internova” is also ongoing. “Yes, it has traditionally been a little confusing, and that is really a function of the fact I mentioned – there have been 52 acquisitions over the course of 16 years. These are brands, they’re cultures, they’re personalities that we’ve pulled together, so we’ve taken the last few years to really try to integrate these businesses. Now we like to say that with Internova, there’s a place for everyone, and for everyone a place.”