Munro – daughter of founder Bill Munro – will leave her post on January 1 and will be succeeded by Jacqueline Dobson, current managing director.

Munro said she was leaving for “purely personal reasons” and that Dobson was her “natural successor”.

Munro said: “I would like to thank our staff for their hard work and dedication, our loyal and growing number of customers and our brilliant partners – they are all part of the successful Barrhead Travel story.

“I would also like to thank Travel Leaders Group for their support for making us part of their global family.

“The benefits of scale and expertise mean the business is in great shape and they have helped prepare Barrhead Travel for the next stage of our development.”

“This has been a very difficult decision for me. But for purely personal reasons I have decided that the time is right to leave and I am handing over the reins to my extremely capable friend and colleague Jacqueline Dobson.”

Dobson added: “Following Sharon’s decision to leave the business, I am delighted to be asked to serve as president of Barrhead Travel on our continued path to growth and future success.”

Dobson added that, having worked in every area of the business, her focus would be on accelerating growth through investment from Travel Leaders Group, including digital innovation, staff development and world-class customer service.