Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT), Goldman Travel Corporation and the Spencer Group of Companies have launched a new joint venture focused on premium and business travel.
The high-profile Aussie travel businesses have joined forces to create Link Travel Group, an invitation-only members’ group.
Link aims to work closely with carefully selected independent travel businesses that are highly regarded in the premium leisure and corporate travel sector in Australia.
Goldman Travel joint managing director Anthony Goldman and Spencer Group of Companies founder Penny Spencer will sit on the board of directors, alongside FLT’s Danielle Galloway, the executive general manager of the company’s premium brands, and other yet-to-be-appointed directors.
“After a very challenging two years, the world is reopening and the travel industry overall – and the premium sector in particular – is starting to see meaningful signs of recovery,” said Spencer.
“Our goal is to help travel businesses realise their commercial ambitions by offering highly attractive commercial returns, technology, support and strong leadership in the market.
“Membership of Link Travel Group will help our people capitalise on opportunities in the post-COVID world, while also helping them adapt to the changes that are taking place in our industry, particularly in terms of supply.”
An independent general manager, Scott Darlow, has been appointed to oversee the business’s day-to-day operations.
Darlow, a former Magellan Travel Group and Helloworld Business travel executive, has more than 25 years’ experience in the aviation and travel sectors.
FLT will initially hold a 60 per cent interest and will provide Link members in both the high-end leisure and corporate sectors with a range of services, including access to its product and distribution capabilities at a time when considerable change is taking place.
“Link Travel Group represents the coming together of high-profile players within the travel industry to create a new way forward for travel companies around Australia,” Goldman said.
“Link has been designed to help members thrive through business excellence and has been built on four key pillars: transparency, integrity, prosperity and connection and collaboration.
“While we will link agencies to deliver compelling financial rewards, that is only the beginning of the journey.
“The future is about access to world-class technology, innovative business solutions and workflow improvement tools, which we will deliver.
Galloway added that Link will create change in the Australian travel industry with a goal of shaping the future of travel by uniting the industry’s progressive thinkers.
“As invitation-only partners, businesses will benefit by leveraging Australia’s largest travel agency group, while maintaining their own powerful brand identity and independence,” she said.
“We are also delighted to have secured Scott as our inaugural general manager. He is highly regarded nationally by both suppliers and agents alike and with high-level experience across multiple agency business models, he knows which ones work the best for all parties.”
