‘You have to be honest, honourable and true to your word’ – award-winning Roy Collett on a life in travel

Roy Collett’s enthusiasm for the travel business remains infectious after more than 50 years in the industry, as anybody who follows his “Where is Roy?” globetrotting social media hashtag will know. 

The recipient of this year’s Contribution to Luxury Travel award at the TTG Luxury Travel Awards in February says receiving the accolade was a “complete surprise”, following his own celebrations to mark his half-century in travel in October 2022. 

Six years ago, he sold his long-time business Colletts Travel to what is now Global Travel Collection. With a role as brand ambassador, he firmly retains his association with the business, one which started with a shop in the London suburb of Hendon in 1983. 

So, what has been the secret to his longevity and success since he started as an office assistant with Peltours in 1972? Having strong relationships with both clients and suppliers has clearly been paramount for Collett in his career. 

“You have to be honest, honourable and true to your word with suppliers and clients,” he says. “I like to think I’ve got a good name in the industry that I’ve built up over the years.” 

Like anybody who’s enjoyed a long career in travel, Collett has had to adapt to events and crises that have shaken the industry to its foundation – including two Gulf wars, 9-11, ash clouds, tsunamis and most recently Covid-19. 

“I had sold the business by the time Covid happened, but I could still feel the pain of everybody in travel,” says Collett. “Thankfully we survived, and I am pleased to say the luxury agents and tour operators who I know all survived, and I hope are thriving today.” 

He kept in touch with industry colleagues via Zoom calls, but also developed what he calls “walk and talk” – a simple but effective way to keep up with suppliers face-to-face without breaching lockdown rules. “I would meet with suppliers, get a coffee and then walk around the field so we could stay socially distanced,” he remembers. 

This adaptable approach to dealing with situations and crises seems to have been a hallmark of Collett’s career. “With the ash cloud, we put an advert in the local paper for anybody who was stuck to call us, even if they weren’t one of our clients,” he says. “Every negative I try to turn round to a positive.” 

He adds the independent contractor (IC) model has grown greatly in the last few years, a trend he thinks will continue. “It gives entrepreneurs a way to start their own travel business – I love assisting new ICs and mentoring them. In fact, my stepson Alex Lavender trades as Seven Icons under the GTC/Colletts banner and is growing his business.” 

Colletts Travel has operated as a high street agency and tour operator since the 1980s, first through Key to America and then Colletts Collection, which has given Collett a unique perspective on how luxury travel has changed over the decades. 

“Who would have thought Abu Dhabi and the Maldives would have become big luxury travel destinations?” he adds. “When we opened, it was Marbella, the Costa del Sol, Tenerife and Majorca, which are still popular today. We also did big business to Eilat.” 

Another major change has been the huge expansion in the way holidays are now sold compared to the early days when Colletts Travel would provide a quote over the phone within 24 hours. 

“It used to be about the phone and then fax, but now people are doing huge bookings on WhatsApp and instant messaging,” says Collett. 

But however people are booking, one thing that doesn’t change is the importance of knowing you’re sending clients to the right hotels. “It’s about relationships, and we know that certain properties will look after our clients,” he says. 

The Covid crisis has also reminded consumers of the importance of “having an advisor on the end of the phone” when a crisis hits, as getting hold of anybody at an online-only business can be almost impossible, adds Collett. 

“A lot of clients now realise the benefits of using a real agent – would you really want to buy a BMW or Mercedes online?” he says. 

Collett mentions business partner Michael Berlin, who joined Colletts Travel in 1997, as being “instrumental” in growing the business, and also praises Jason Oshiokpekhai, managing director of Internova’s Global Travel Collection division. 

“The timing was right to sell the business but I still wanted to stay in some capacity, and I’ve got a good relationship with Jason,” says Collett about his ambassadorial role. 

Old habits die hard for Collett, and on a recent trip to Mexico he popped into the Rosewood resort in Los Cabos. “I’ll continue to do that,” he says. “I still enjoy visiting the hotels.”

That enthusiasm for travel still shines brightly after 50 years and counting.